About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District in Toronto is one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs.

MaRS supports promising high-growth companies to scale their businesses globally, while tackling key societal challenges in areas such as Health, Cleantech, Finance, Transportation, AI, and others. In addition to helping start-ups launch, grow and scale, the MaRS community is dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaboration, commercialization of discoveries, and driving ideas to impact.

MaRS is the place where volunteers play a meaningful role in our innovation economy. If you're passionate about the role and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you! We’re always looking for great volunteers to join our team on planet MaRS.

We actively encourage all volunteer candidates, including equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as BIPOC, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.

We want you to be comfortable being your most authentic self throughout the volunteer process. Please reach out to volunteeradmin@marsdd.com if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations. Include 'Accessibility Request' in your subject line.

About MaRS' late stage programs

MaRS supports the executives of high-growth companies on their way to reaching $100 million in revenue or $1 billion valuation. We deliver support through three modalities: advice from proven entrepreneurs, scale-stage peer communities, and access to market data and skills training. Our two flagship programs are: Growth Acceleration Program (GAP) and Momentum.

About the role

MaRS is seeking Volunteer Advisors to support our scale-stage venture programs. Volunteer Advisors provide strategic guidance to executive teams and facilitate community events. They make connections to talent, customers, experts, and funding. They collaborate on the development of the program and partnerships.

We are seeking individuals who can commit a minimum of 4 hours a month. This is a purely volunteer opportunity and there is no financial compensation.

Key Responsibilities

• Through individual advisory and community events provide guidance on topics relating to biotech funding like:
  • Raising capital from late stage sources (Series B, C, D, PE and IPO)
  • Reviewing term sheets and providing guidance on funding negotiations
  • Resolving cap table issues and building long-term funding strategy
• Assess client requirements and plan service delivery in collaboration with the Momentum program team
• Make connections to your and MaRS’ global community — to talent, customers, experts, and funding
• Document your venture activities in the MaRS CRM and follow program processes to enable effective client and program management
• Provide strategic and operational input on program elements to ensure the program maintains high value for ventures
  

Qualifications

• You are/were an executive who scaled a biotech company to at least $50M capital raised. We will give priority to CFOs who have raised amounts substantially in excess of $50M or who have led an IPO, and who have experience negotiating deals with investors in the US and globally. We welcome applications from VCs who have led multiple late-stage deals.
• We prefer candidates who have experience as a mentor, coach or consultant.
• Highly developed analytical and interpretive skills, conceptual thinker, able to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated passion for building businesses.
• Personal accountability and commitment to achieving and exceeding goals and objectives.
• Detailed knowledge of commercial practices for high growth businesses.
• Familiar with the “language” and terminology of industry, finance, government, and the academic community.
  

We will post subsequent calls for Volunteer Advisors to the MaRS website - if you don’t see something that fits your skills now, please check back.