From Founder to Funder: Mastering the Art of VC Investing with Financial Icon Joe Canavan

This episode is about how to succeed in one of the mostseductive—and yet challenging—asset classes for investors: venture capital. I’m talking to financial icon, Joe Canavan about how he went from serial entrepreneur and business builder to private investor… one who’s been crushing it in the world of startups.

Key Highlights:

• Joe Canavan’s process for investing in start-ups that has allowed him to post an 80%+ success rate
• The mindset shift required to move from business operator to VC investor
• What to look for at the capital table when you’re investing
• What kind of time horizons are needed for VC investing
• Joe’s uncommonly disciplined process for predicting trends and manifesting his personal and professional goals

Joe Canavan:
Joe Canavan is an icon in the financial services industry with extensive experience as an executive, entrepreneur and venture investor. His most recent leadership role saw him leave the board of Next Canada after 9 years and become CEO. He reshaped the organization and positioned it for the future replacing himself after 2 1/2 years with his 2IC and has returned to the board. Prior to that he was charged with the responsibility of merging Aston Hill Financial and Front Street Capital, renamed LOGiQ Asset Management, which was ultimately sold to Purpose Investments.

Joe has also held the positions of Chairman and CEO of Assante Wealth Management. He and his team restructured and drove Assante to all time high asset levels as a division of CI Financial.  Prior to that he founded and built Synergy Asset Management in partnership with RBC in 1997 which was one of Canada’s fastest growing asset management companies until it was acquired by CI Financial. Before Synergy, Joe founded and launched GT Global (Canada) in partnership with the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. It quickly grew to a multi-billion dollar asset management company and was awarded "Fund Company of the Year" before being sold to Invesco Trimark. As Vice President, Director of National Sales, Joe helped build Fidelity Investment Canada from $60 million to $6 billion.

Joe was awarded “Person of Influence of the Decade” during the 2004 Canadian Investment Awards, was honoured as Concordia University’s “Alumnus of the Year” in 2006, and was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee II Medal in 2012. Joe completed a Bachelor of Business Administration, Business at Concordia University and holds an OPM, Business from Harvard Business School.

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Serious Coin creator and host, Kelly Willis Green is a professional wealth coach to individuals who want to develop a healthier, more intentional relationship with their wealth. A Certified Money Coach since 2103, Kelly spent 25 years in wealth management as a marketing professional and came into affluence through marriage, bringing both a professional and personal perspective to her client work and her podcast conversations about wealth – its complexities, privileges, opportunities and challenges.

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