Vancouver Investor Summit 2023 Keynote Speaker
Mike Volker is an entrepreneur active in the development of new high technology ventures. A University of Waterloo Engineering grad, Mike started his own company (Volker-Craig Ltd) in 1973. After selling his company in 1981 he decided to work with entrepreneurs in building new companies. In B.C. he spent a number of years as Executive Director of the BC Advanced Systems Institute, and then as Director of Simon Fraser University’s Innovation Office. He founded TIMIA Capital as a public company that invests in young growth companies. Today he is CEO of WUTIF – the Western Universities Technology Innovation Fund – an “angel” fund for start-ups. Mike is President of the Vancouver Angel Network, VANTEC, and the Vancouver chapter of Keiretsu Forum. He’s a director and past-chairman of New Ventures BC – an annual business competition.
Ralph Turfus is an accomplished technology entrepreneur who has spent over four decades in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. He founded Escom Software and during the following 28 years launched 8 start-ups, all self-funded. One such start-up was Class Software which became the leading provider in the world of software for municipal government recreation programs. Ralph was the recipient of the 2015 BC Angel Investor of the Year award.
