Michael Buhr is a seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, having honed his skills at leading companies such as Apple, Adobe, and eBay, and is an entrepreneur himself, founding and serving as CEO of several early-stage companies. A passionate Canadian and Queen’s engineering graduate, Buhr has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, where he has demonstrated his expertise in strategic leadership, innovative product development, and business growth.

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At Apple, Buhr contributed significantly to product development, enhancing user experience and technology integration. His tenure at Adobe saw him making notable advancements in digital media solutions, while at eBay, he played a crucial role in expanding the e-commerce platform, showcasing his proficiency in online marketplaces and consumer engagement. As a product and business development CEO, he has excelled in scaling start-ups and established organizations.

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Buhr has been an active member of the C100 since 2012, passionately supporting and mentoring the next generation of Canadian tech entrepreneurs. His diverse experience and commitment to fostering entrepreneurial talent highlight his versatility and impact as a consensus-building leader and experienced operator in the technology sector.

Having grown up in Canada and worked in the Valley, Afraj is a former venture-backed founder, early-stage investor, and seasoned operator passionate about community building and uniquely positioned to help build out the impact of the C100 community.

He was previously a Partner at On Deck. He helped build and lead On Deck Scale, a global community of 300+ scaling CEOs representing 31 countries, 15 unicorns, and $10B in collective capital raised from many of the world’s top investors. Afraj invested in and supported dozens of founders backed by On Deck’s $100M accelerator fund.

Before On Deck, Afraj was a Director at RBC’s ventures arm and a venture-backed founder of Drop Mobility, one of the first micro-mobility companies in North America. Afraj started his career at Google and Georgian Partners-backed Polar.

"I am excited to help C100 achieve its mission and create a lasting impact for those we serve."

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Marie has worked in communications for many years, where she’s developed a strong belief in how integrated and strategic communications planning can drive business objectives, balancing the building of trust with protecting the brand.  

Her passion for storytelling took her to over 15 developing countries while working for a global humanitarian organization, where she was honoured to capture the stories of inspiring entrepreneurs who were intent on making their communities a better place. Most recently she built the communications function at BenchSci, a Toronto biotech working at the intersection of AI technology and biology.

Marie is excited about uncovering and amplifying aspirational stories within this community, using comms strategies to beat the drum for Canada’s startup ecosystem on the world stage.

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Anna joins the C100 as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). Anna has an undergraduate degree from Western University's Media, Information and Technoculture Program and a post-graduate certificate from Humber College in Public Relations. Anna began her career in public relations, but was quickly drawn to the fast pace and irreplaceable impact of events and experiential marketing. She has extensive experience servicing a wide variety of industries including retail, government, post-secondary, healthcare and more. Anna would love to connect with you about your experience with the C100, a great book that you're reading or your favourite new restaurants.

Vishal joins the C100 with a rich and diverse startup experience. He’s been a founder, an early employee at a startup, managed due diligence and investment efforts for angel groups, and worked at multiple innovation spaces in the Toronto-Waterloo region, most notable one being OneEleven. During his time there, he led efforts in launching, delivering and managing bespoke programs to help founders build capacity in their talent and ensure that managers and rising leaders grow as fast as their companies scale. As a seasoned veteran in the ecosystem, he also brings in a vast and inclusive network of stakeholders including founders, mentors and venture capitalists.

Vishal completed his Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) at the University of Waterloo and has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from India. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts on philosophy and emerging tech, championing the Raptors winning culture, playing tennis and trying out home-made recipes.

Conor McCargar brings extensive experience in managing complex, national programs to his role as Growth Program Manager at C100. Passionate about supporting the Canadian entrepreneurship and innovation community, he played a pivotal role in the success of the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program, supporting over 80 companies and helping them raise more than $2 billion. 

Conor excels in creating impactful programming on best practices in people operations for founders and executives. With a background in Sports and Event Marketing, he has organized large-scale events and programs, including supporting the Paralympic Games in Toronto. 

Outside of his professional endeavours, Conor enjoys improving his golf game and attending live sports events in his free time.