Laith Shukri is a senior market development manager for SVB in Toronto, where his role is to build and strengthen relationships between the bank and early-stage companies in Canada. To this end, he consults with innovators to identify ways that SVB can best serve their needs as they scale. Laith is particularly passionate about using his background and talents to help founders move to the next opportunity.  His expertise includes providing feedback on pitches and business models as well as fostering connections between Canada’s upcoming game-changers and the most influential peers, organizations and programs in Canada’s innovation ecosystem that can help set new ideas in motion.

Prior to joining SVB, Laith served as a senior analyst for ScaleUP Ventures, a Toronto-based VC fund. In this capacity, he was responsible for deal-flow management, coaching founders and cultivating partnerships with significant programs and conferences. Earlier in his career, Laith worked at the DMZ, a leading accelerator for tech startups in Canada. During this time, he built the incubator’s investor relations program from the ground up, growing the investor network from 30 to 400 names. 

Outside of work, Laith volunteers on the leadership team of the Diversity and Inclusion Small Council (DISC).

Speaking on: MEETING EXCHANGES WITH EARLY-STAGE INVESTORS: IF CAPITAL, RHINO VENTURES, SILICON VALLEY BANK