Giovanni Gerbolini

Experience

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  SFU VentureLabs

  Entrepreneur in Residence

  Feb 2026 - Present

  SFU VentureLabs is an accelerator supporting high-growth-potential tech startups in science, cleantech, and deeptech.

  • Help B2B startups find product-market fit, close their first sales, and raise funding to scale.
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  Foresight Canada

  Entrepreneur in Residence

  Jan 2026 - Present

  Foresight is Canada’s largest clean tech accelerator, connecting public and private sectors to innovative clean technologies.

  • Support clean tech startups in setting and executing their quarterly goals in R&D, product development, intellectual property, business development, sales, finance, and fundraising
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  Spring

  Entrepreneur in Residence

  Oct 2025 - Present

  Spring connects startup founders and investors by offering acceleration programs to entrepreneurs, and deal flow and educational resources to accredited investors.

  • Work with startup founders on fundraising, product development, B2B sales, business strategy, and people/team management.
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  Opalia

  COO

  Feb 2025 - Present

  Opalia is a biotech company developing a technology using mammary cells to produce milk without cows.

  • Areas of focus include fundraising, business development, finance, business strategy, resource optimization, and internal operations.
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  Cycle Momentum

  Venture Advisor

  Nov 2024 - Present

  Cycle Momentum is an accelerator supporting the development, growth, financing, and commercialization of climate technologies.

  • Support startup founders in the acceleration program on product development, finding product-market fit, business strategy, and fundraising.
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  10vc

  Fund Consultant

  Oct 2024 - Present

  10vc is a pre-seed and seed stage VC helping accelerate and de-risk startups building breakthrough technologies that can scale into transformational platforms.

  • Sourcing and due diligence for deep tech startups, and advisory for portfolio companies
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  Chatforce

  Advisor

  Jan 2024 - Present

  Chatforce allows you to design, make, and publish viral games with AI agents.

  • Advise the founders on financial strategy, budget management/optimization, product development, fundraising, task prioritization, legal, and day-to-day operations
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  Loyal VC

  Venture Advisor

  Oct 2023 - Present

  Loyal is a sector-agnostic global VC fund with 300+ investments in 60+ countries.

  • Advise startups in Loyal's portfolio (mainly those focused on the North American and Latin American markets)
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  MaRS Discovery District

  Venture Advisor

  Jul 2023 - Present

  MaRS is an accelerator that supports startups in the health tech, cleantech, deep tech, fintech, and enterprise sectors.

  • Advise startups from Seed to Series A in fundraising, product development, strategic goal-setting, and budget and operations management
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  Opalia

  Advisor

  Nov 2023 - Jan 2025

  Opalia is a biotech company developing a technology using mammary cells to produce milk without cows.

  • Advised the CEO on fundraising, product development, business strategy, IP strategy, business development, legal, HR strategy, and finding product-market fit
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  Djot

  Co-Founder & COO

  Jan 2019 - Jun 2023

  Djot is a med-tech startup that developed a portable electronic dispensing device for patients to precisely dose their medication and keep track of their consumption.

  • Responsibilities:
  • Fundraising, budget management, resource optimization, product development, product-market fit, patenting IP, regulatory approvals, strategic partnerships, business development, finance, operations, strategy, grants, legal, and HR
  • Accomplishments:
  • Raised over 50% of Series A and brought Djot’s Lead VC Investment Fund, while utilizing under 2% of fundraising budget
  • Successfully led the development of both US Patent and PCT International Patent (covering Canada, the EU, and China) – with all 26 claims being approved and granted in 2022
  • Obtained Health Canada approval for the sale of Djot’s technology for cannabis use in under 4-months
  • Strategically lead product development, delivering proof of concept in 1 month (budget: $5,000), an MVP in 6 months (budget: $100,000), and a commercially viable product in 1.5 years (budget: $500,000)
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  PSD+G Strategy Group

  Business Strategy Consultant

  Apr 2017 - Mar 2019

  PSD+G Strategy Group is a boutique business and brand strategy consulting firm.

  • Worked with clients in the Cannabis, CPG, E-Commerce, and Health & Wellness space
  • Helped a client in the cannabis industry identify key opportunities in the marketplace and position itself as the leading health and wellness cannabis brand for women
  • Developed a new line of business (platform to buy/sell used cars) for a leading e-commerce company – delivering brand identity from brand name, to value proposition, market positioning, and messaging tactics by target audience
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  bleublancrouge

  Account Manager

  Sep 2016 - Nov 2017

  Bleublancrouge is an advertising agency offering content strategy, content creation, digital strategy, and production services.

  • Bleublancrouge is an advertising agency offering content strategy, content creation, digital strategy, and production services.
  • Conducted competitive market analyses for both not-for-profit and for-profit clients by collecting research on current market trends and competitor market strategy
  • Developed a brand book for a client in the hospitality industry by clearly describing its target audience, positioning statement, brand tone, brand story, strategic imperatives, and key design principles
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  L'Institut Idée

  Project Manager

  Sep 2016 - Nov 2017

  L’Institut Idée is an innovation consulting firm focused on business strategy, brand strategy, marketing-strategy, and new business design.

  • Met with clients to uncover the emotional drivers that led consumers to their brand and developed a strategic plan, determining brand target audience and positioning and creating brand alignment with all stakeholders
  • Developed marketing strategies (backed by market research, market trends, and competitor analysis) that triggered consumers' emotional drivers - increasing brand awareness and boosting sales
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  Toronto International Film Festival

  Strategy & Business Development (MBA Internship)

  Jun 2015 - Aug 2015

  The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world.

  • Facilitated the international expansion of digiPLAYSPACE - an innovative technical interactive exhibition for kids - by investigating and analyzing new markets, and identifying strategic partners for its 2016 world tour
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  ICCGSA

  Business Development Manager

  Jan 2013 - Mar 2014

  ICCGSA is an engineering and construction company focused on building highways, buildings, and infrastructure projects in the mining, industrial, and energy sectors.

  • Evaluated projects in agriculture, real estate, mining, and transportation – determining their investment potential and establishing partnerships in key industries
  • Closed a $15 million deal to purchase and develop 24 hectares of land by evaluating the business proposal, negotiating the contract, and working with external financial, marketing, and legal consultants
  • Presented a $280 million project to the Municipal Government, intended to improve Lima’s transportation system, after forecasting potential traffic scenarios and cash flows
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  Career Break

  Travel

  Oct 2012 - Jan 2013

  Sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on a 42 ft. catamaran from Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) to Panama City (Panama) over 2-months, stopping in Cascais (Portugal), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Marin (Martinique), and Colon (Panama).

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  ICCGSA

  Budget Engineer

  Jan 2011 - Sep 2012

  • Traveled to diverse job sites to understand clients’ project objectives and prepare competitive proposals
  • Won a $180 million bid to construct a new 100 km highway in the Andes Mountains for the Peruvian Government
  • Won a $7 million access road and campground lay-down bid for a Hudbay Minerals mine
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  ICCGSA

  Field Engineer

  May 2010 - Dec 2010

  • Managed a team of 200 and dealt with labor unions for the creation of a $35 million highway interchange
  • Increased profit margin by 25% by implementing cost and time-efficient production practices
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  ICCGSA

  Field Engineer Assistant

  Sep 2009 - Apr 2010

  • Managed a team of 15 for the execution of a $16 million project to build 17 bus stations
  • Increased profit margin by 25% by developing and implementing process optimization techniques
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  GyM S.A.

  Project Engineering Intern

  Apr 2008 - Jun 2008

  GyM is a construction company focused on buildings and infrastructure, the energy and mining industries, and sanitation and highway services.

  • Worked on the construction of Lima's Bus Central Station
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  Odebrecht

  Process Engineering Intern

  Apr 2007 - Jun 2007

  Odebrecht is an engineering and construction company focused on infrastructure, construction, petrochemical, energy, real estate, oil and gas, and mobility projects.

  • Worked on the construction of a 14km Trans-Andean irrigation tunnel and a 43,000,000m3 dam