By: Shivani Persad, March 08 2024
This International Women’s Day, we are featuring five incredible women in Canadian tech. The best part? You can meet every single one of them at CIX 2024 and hear some of them pitch, as many of them are CIX Top 20 Early and Top 10 Growth Startup Award winners!
Each of these incredible women has paved unique paths in the realms of science, technology, and business, showcasing their brilliance and dedication as they break barriers and set new standards in their respective fields.
Take a peek at the CIX Agenda to learn where and where you can find each of these amazing women during the conference. Details are also below each of their features in this blog post.
Viridiana Perez
Viridiana Perez holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and a Certificate in Science & Technology Commercialization. Viridiana is the CEO and Co-Founder of NANOSentinel Technologies, an award-winning B2B deep tech startup and a CIX Top 20 Early Startup Award winner. NANOSentinel addresses today’s most pressing challenges in process optimization for critical minerals and environmental monitoring.
Viridiana’s journey extends beyond laboratories and boardrooms. As a competitive Jiu-Jitsu athlete, she embodies the essence of resilience and strategic thinking—qualities that are equally crucial in the competitive world of startups.
Beyond her professional achievements, Viridiana advocates for women’s representation in STEM and entrepreneurship. Through her work, she paves the way for groundbreaking innovations and inspires the next generation of women to break barriers and realize their potential in the tech domain.
Find Viridiana at CIX:
Session: Startup Awards: Meet The Founders 4 (Early Stage)
Date and Time: March 27 at 2:05 PM
Location: Summit Stage (Trading Floor)
Carla Spina
With her Ph.D. in Chemistry, particularly Bioinorganic Chemistry, from McGill University and her extensive experience spanning over two decades in life sciences, Carla Spina has significantly contributed to the intersection of science and industry.
As the CEO and co-founder of NOA Therapeutics, Carla has pioneered advancements in topical antimicrobials and drug-device products. NOA Therapeutics is a CIX Top 20 Early Startup Award Winner. Her company has taken these products from their ideation through rigorous clinical trials and into global markets, achieving a notable partnership with 3M.
Dr. Spina advocates female empowerment in STEM and technology entrepreneurship. By closing the divide between academic research and market needs, she is propelling her field forward and laying down the tracks for aspiring women technologists and scientists.
Find Carla at CIX:
Session: Startup Awards: Meet The Founders 5 (Early Stage)
Date and Time: March 27 at 2:50 PM
Location: Summit Stage (Trading Floor)
Maggie Adhami-Boynton
With a Harvard Master’s degree, Maggie Adhami-Boynton exemplifies the fusion of academic brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit. Her role as CEO and Co-Founder of ShopThing marks her as a change-maker in transforming the e-commerce experience through live video commerce, an innovation that’s shaping the future of retail. ShopThing is a CIX Top 10 Growth Startup Award Winner.
ShopThing has emerged as an award-winning platform, distinguishing itself in the competitive APAC market and redefining how luxury items are marketed and sold online. The success of ShopThing, heralded as the next evolution in e-commerce by industry analysts, attests to Maggie’s visionary approach and her company’s ability to anticipate and adapt to changing consumer behaviours.
Moreover, Maggie advocates for women’s empowerment in technology and entrepreneurship. Through her groundbreaking work and position at the helm of ShopThing, she contributes to the industry’s advancement and sets a powerful example for aspiring female tech entrepreneurs.
Find Maggie at CIX:
Session: Startup Awards: Meet The Founders 6 (Growth Stage)
Date and Time: March 27 at 3:35PM
Location: Summit Stage (Trading Floor)
Victoria Leon
Victoria Leon holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from UCLA and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her journey in the tech industry is marked by a series of leadership roles and entrepreneurial ventures that have profoundly influenced the sectors of edtech, mobile gaming, fintech, and adtech.
As Vice President at Hyde Park Venture Partners since 2022, Victoria is at the cutting edge of venture capital, where she utilizes her vast experience to identify and nurture promising startups. Her background as a co-founder and COO of multiple startups showcase her versatility and hands-on approach to business, handling everything from operational challenges to strategic expansions and team leadership.
Victoria passionately advocates for increasing female representation in technology and entrepreneurship. Her contributions extend beyond her immediate professional circle, as she actively engages in initiatives to empower the next generation of women in tech, championing diversity and innovation.
Find Victoria at CIX:
To meet with Victoria, pre-book a meeting exchange! This is where founders can pitch to investors one-on-one; you don’t want to miss this. Find more information here.
Janet Bannister
Janet has distinguished herself as a key figure in the Canadian technology investment scene through her role as Founder and General Partner of Staircase Ventures. She specializes in nurturing early-stage tech firms with the potential to lead market changes.
She also completed the Kauffman Fellows program, highlighting her professional calibre and situating her at the forefront of industry advancements and thought leadership.
Janet’s influence extends beyond financial investments. She is a prominent advocate for diversity and inclusivity within the tech and venture capital communities. Through her endeavours, she encourages a more representative and equitable tech industry, emphasizing the importance of female leadership.
Find Janet at CIX:
Session: Redefining the Narrative: Debating the Impact of Hype and Risk Aversion in Canadian Tech
Date and Time: 11:20 AM
Location: Summit Stage (Trading Floor)
Session: Ask Me Anything
Date and Time: March 27 at 1:55 PM
Location: Discovery Stage (Gallery)
Celebrate International Women’s Day at the CIX Summit
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate not just the achievements of these phenomenal women in Canadian tech but also the opportunity to engage with them personally. The CIX Summit is the platform where you can listen to their insights, learn from their journeys, and even share a moment with them.
If you are eager to dive deeper into the worlds of Viridiana Perez, Carla Spina, Maggie Adhami-Boynton, Victoria Leon, and Janet Bannister to witness their visionary perspectives first-hand, secure your ticket to the CIX Summit. Don’t miss this chance to connect with the women shaping the future of tech, hear their stories, ask your questions, and get inspired. The future is happening at CIX 2024 – be there to be part of the conversation and the community driving innovation in Canadian tech and beyond.
