During the past few months, entrepreneurs around the world have been challenged like no other time. Startup Grind Calgary is therefore proud to host a live virtual event with one of the leading crisis communications experts who will share his experiences and lessons learned during this one-time global event. The interview will be broadcast live from Calgary, Alberta and Bogotá, Colombia.
Miguel Silva is the founder of Galileo 6, a strategic communications, crisis and political communications firm. In the 1990s he was the chief of staff to the President of Colombia when Pablo Escobar’s reign of violence was finally stopped. Since then he had various other senior positions including being the Editor in Chief of Rolling Stones magazine in Latin America, founding Gatopardo (a monthly news magazine) and then founding two successful communication firms.
Mr. Silva has led an extraordinary personal and professional life. An international recognized expert in Latin American politics, his advice on building relationships and dealing with crisis is sought after by leaders across the world.
Galileo 6
Founder
Miguel Silva is the founder of Galileo 6, a strategic communications firm. In the 1990s he was the chief of staff to the President of Colombia when Pablo Escobar’s reign of violence was finally stopped. Since then he has held various other senior positions including being the Editor in Chief of Rolling Stones in Latin America, founding Gatopardo and then founding two successful communication firms
Miguel Silva is the founder of Galileo 6, a strategic communications, crisis and political communications firm. In the 1990s he was the chief of staff to the President of Colombia when Pablo Escobar’s reign of violence was finally stopped. Since then he has held various other senior positions including being the Editor in Chief of Rolling Stones magazine in Latin America, founding Gatopardo (a monthly news magazine) and then founding two successful communication firms.
Mr. Silva has led an extraordinary personal and professional life. An international recognized expert in Latin American politics, his advice on building relationships and dealing with crisis is sought after by leaders across the world.
Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter Director, Chairman
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Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter co-Director
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Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter co-Director
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Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter co-Director
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Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter co-Director
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Chad Ford is the founder of the Startup Grind Calgary Chapter. From his leadership, Calgary has become one of the most successful chapters of Startup Grind’s 600 cities around the world. He has interviewed some of Canada’s most prolific entrepreneurs including: W. Brett Wilson, Bruce Croxon, Manjit Minhas, Walker McKinley, Dan Themig, Nicolas Beique and Sandi Gilbert. He is a strong believer that successful entrepreneurship is the key to a vibrant economy and culture.
A prolific volunteer, in addition to his work with Startup Grind Calgary, he is also a Board Member of the Calgary Combative Sports Commission and mentor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's Energy Asset Management program.
A passionate entrepreneur himself, Chad founded Sunexo Solutions, a software company which developed the industry leading IRIS software. IRIS has been used by over 500 energy, resource development and infrastructure projects across North America.
The primary focus of his career has been based around regulatory and stakeholder engagement for major projects. He has worked directly with many of the largest resource development, infrastructure and energy companies in North America by helping them improve their stakeholder engagement efforts with technology. Additionally, he has direct on-the-ground engagement experience including being the main company representative in an indigenous community for a contentious energy program in northern British Columbia for almost a year.
In recognition of his contributions to improving the energy industry in both his professional and volunteer work, he was awarded the Rising Stars award for 2019 from the Daily Oil Bulletin.
He is also a veteran of the Canadian Forces where he served in the infantry which included a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006
BDC Capital exists to help turn great ideas into great companies. And great companies into engines of jobs, growth and wealth creation. The Growth and Transition Capital Group helps to place capital in the hands of established or high-growth companies looking to finance a new project or business transition.
BDC Capital provides either pure common equity capital (minority interest) or mezzanine (subordinate) debt financing at market interest rates, from $500k to $35 million to Canadian owned businesses. As the country’s leading provider of risk capital, and with more than $1.6 billion under management, BDC Capital takes a strategic, patient approach to nurture companies’ development over the long term.
As an Associate in this group I help to connect entrepreneurs with expertise and financing solutions while providing value add insight and guidance to transactions and ongoing operations.
Tara is a successful entrepreneur who has spent nearly 20 years in design, art direction and media purchasing. She is the Lead Designer and Founder of Paper Crane, a Calgary based web and graphic design firm.
She is also an enthusiastic volunteer. As a co-Director with Startup Grind Calgary, she has helped grow the Chapter to one of the largest in the world. She has also helped community members connect through her role as the master of ceremonies at events and being a board member on the non-profit which oversees all activities. Prior to her role at Startup Grind Calgary, she founded Bureau of Apocalypse Wars, a volunteer organization which was dedicated to helping children's charities by holding unique, culturally relevant events. This organization grew to include international chapters.
Jason Wang is a lawyer in the Securities and Capital Markets Group in the Calgary office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Jason focuses his practice on corporate and securities law. Jason advises clients on a broad range of securities and corporate matters including mergers, acquisitions, and other business combinations of public and private issuers, including take-over bids, amalgamations, plans of arrangements, public listings via capital pool companies, and other corporate reorganizations as well as financing transactions, including public and private offerings of debt, equity and convertible securities.
Jason also represents a number of emerging companies involved in the development of new technologies and products, mostly in Western Canada, helping them successfully finance and grow their respective businesses.
Kelby is an experienced data and monetization expert in the startup industry with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. She has worked in senior positions with multiple technology companies in Western Canada and has experience engaging investors globally.
As a co-Director with Startup Grind Calgary, she has helped grow the Chapter to one of the largest in the world.
In 2017, Kelby was recognized as one of Canada's top ten women in technology by the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, California. She is a Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR), having achieved her designation from Ivey Business School in 2015.
