Invest Ottawa

Invest Ottawa Volunteer Advisors

Hey there! You're likely reading this because you've reached a point in your career where you're eager to give back to the tech startup community. As you know, starting and building a tech firm is hard. However, by leaning in with your experience and knowledge, you can provide invaluable guidance and support to early-stage entrepreneurs who are just starting out.

Whether you are a serial entrepreneur, a seasoned executive or an industry expert, your skills and insights can help startups navigate the ups and downs of building their business. By taking this step, you'll have the opportunity to share your experience, knowledge, and battle scars while expanding your network and making a positive impact with Ottawa's next generation of leaders.

What does this commitment look like? It’s up to you. This is a low-touch, flexible volunteer position for you to put in the time you have available or are willing to give back. All introductions to mentees will be made through our mentorship tool called Mentorloop.

We would love to hear from you if you:

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  Have previous or current experience at a technology company, ideally in a role with leadership responsibilities (Founder, C-level, VP, Director).
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  Are familiar with the startup lifecycle and/or have experience scaling a team through various stages of growth.
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  Can assess companies' challenges and provide appropriate questions, insights or guidance.
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  Have strong emotional intelligence with an ability to build trusting relationships, and strong communication skills (especially as a great listener).
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  Have demonstrated experience as a leader, advisor, expert and/or mentor and can provide references and details of your experience in your profile.
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  Want to give back to the Ottawa startup community

Invest Ottawa’s Venture Path is designed to shorten the path to growth. We help today’s entrepreneurs leverage the experience, expertise, and insights of business leaders who have been there and done that – successfully launched and grown world-class technology enterprises.

About Mentorloop

Having the right support is critical to a founder or senior leader learning the ropes on their startup journey.  That’s why Invest Ottawa launched Mentorloop, a volunteer advisor platform to connect startups with experts in the field.

Founders and leaders from startups can use an intuitive search function to browse our network of entrepreneurs, advisors, and experts to find their perfect match for the challenge they are facing or the specific guidance they are seeking.

Volunteer Advisors (referred to as Mentors on the platform) have the final say on the mentees they connect with. Unavailable for a period of time? No problem, you can set your profile to ‘hidden’ for an unlimited amount of time. 

Please note that this is an unpaid position, and these hours are not guaranteed (will depend on client demand each month). Due to the volume of applications, only candidates who have been selected will be contacted.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you. The sign-up link for Invest Ottawa's Mentorloop platform is not public and invite only. You will be sent an official invitation to join the platform following your outreach.

At Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, we know that diversity, equity, inclusion and creating an environment of belonging are critical success factors for globally competitive organizations and are required to drive sustainable wealth creation and prosperity across our region. We strive to create inclusive systems and cultures and infuse diversity into our programs, operations and governance. As an equal opportunity employer that doesn’t simply accept difference but celebrates, support and thrives because of it, we invite all qualified candidates to apply, and especially encourage applications from those who identify as members of underrepresented groups.

We are committed to strengthening equity in our local entrepreneurial landscape and as such, we are strongly encouraging applications from qualified applicants from the following groups: women, Black, Indigenous and/or people of colour (BIPOC), people with disabilities, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards are determined to provide a barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you require accommodation during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact hr@investottawa.ca to  request specialized accommodation. Do know, all information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

At Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, we are focused on doing better and committed to leading by example because it’s what’s best for us, our culture and our community.