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(2020 - 2020)
2020
After exiting my Toronto startup and moving to Calgary in 2013, I discovered angel investing as a way to stay connected with the local startup ecosystem. However, at the time, Western Canada's startup landscape was still quite young, with minimal deal flow opportunities. Therefore, I strategized to focus my investor education on established markets, like Silicon Valley, Boston, Toronto & New York, with the eventual goal of bringing my knowledge & network back to Western Canada to help our underserved technology industry. Now, after more than 7 years, I'm excited to have finally launched my venture capital firm: Allied Venture Partners. Since 2020, Allied has grown into one of Canada’s largest angel investor networks dedicated to diversifying Western Canada’s funding ecosystem for technology entrepreneurs and investors. Our mission is to bridge three critical gaps within our startup ecosystem: 1) Expand the pool of available capital for local technology startups to include experienced, outside technology investors from prominent venture capital markets; 2) Broaden the quality and scope of high-potential deal flow for local investors by investing in promising technology startups from established venture capital markets, like Silicon Valley, Boston, Toronto & New York; 3) Provide a trusted conduit for foreign investors seeking access to Western Canada, Canada's fastest-growing technology hub. Since 2020, Allied has quickly grown to more than 1,900 investors globally and has deployed over $5M into early-stage technology startups. Concurrently, we’ve established satellite offices in Boston and Sydney to grow our international deal flow and limited partner base. To learn more about Allied and to join our angel network, please visit www.allied.vc
2012
2012
100+ investments, 7 exits (incl. Pinterest, Lyft) HOW I GOT STARTED: I started my first business at age 11 and began investing in the stock market at age 14—my entire life I've had a passion for entrepreneurship & investing. In 2012, I chose to combine my passions and began angel investing. I spent evenings & weekends reading every book I could find and joined every possible angel network, syndicate & fund. I observed deal flow, asked questions & read the closing documents. I watched experienced VCs execute countless deals, effectively creating my own apprenticeship and gaining specialized knowledge in an otherwise complex & technical asset class. In 2018, I wanted to get formally involved in the industry, so I returned to business school, graduating with distinction atop my class at JWMI, and later completing a concentration in venture capital & private equity from Harvard Business School. I’ve spent countless hours analyzing companies & performing diligence, writing deal memos, building financial models, attending conferences & more; and have invested in 100+ startups as my love for the industry only grows stronger–it’s fascinating to learn from talented founders changing the world. STRATEGY & GOALS: With the recent launch of my Angel Syndicate, my goal is to continue supporting technology startups across North America while working with accelerators to help emerging founders achieve scale & growth. I also work as a startup advisor, referring dealflow to my network of VCs. CRITICAL LESSON: Metrics are great but people & culture are what drive success. I continue to hone my ability to read founders & assess resiliency. THESIS: - Software/Tech-focused - Great team w/strong domain expertise - Post-revenue: $5k+ MRR - Early traction: 3-6mos MoM growth - Seed to Series A - Capital efficient - Path to profitability - Meaningful differentiation For my complete investor profile, thesis & references, please visit www.allied.vc
2017
2017
Since I joined his syndicate after reading the book Angel, Jason has been an invaluable mentor throughout my career as an angel investor. As a member of his syndicate, I’ve had the pleasure of sourcing prospective companies, writing deal memos and making introductions to Jason and his team. It’s been a pleasure learning from (and investing alongside) Jason over the years. He is a true leader among his peers and I attribute much of my success to his guidance and mentorship.
2020 - 2023
2020 - 2023
As an angel investor and Managing Director of Allied Venture Partners, I have the pleasure of meeting with dozens of interesting founders each month. However, there are instances in which the company may not necessarily fit within our specific investment thesis. Therefore, I always try and connect founders with other investors whom I think would make a strong, strategic fit. As such, I am very excited to have a partnership with Clearco where I help provide great founders with increased access to non-dilutive capital. If you manage an eCommerce brand and would like to apply for non-dilutive funding, please feel free to use my partner link where you'll skip the traditional funding process and receive an offer within 24-hours: -> https://clear.co/partner/matt-wilson
2016 - 2022
2016 - 2022
Highlights: Founded in 2016 as a social enterprise passion project, our team has since raised more than $300,000 for local charities, generated over $450,000 in local economic spending, and have welcomed more than 30,000 attendees to various events. We have grown into one of Alberta’s largest B2C craft beer event companies, and operate the largest craft beer membership rewards program in Western Canada. — Co-Founder of Calgary Craft Beer Week – a week-long craft beer festival which supports local businesses while building community. Website: YYCBeerWeek.com Co-Founder of the BeerGuys Craft Club – Western Canada’s largest craft beer membership program. Website: BeerGuys.ca As Co-founder, I worn many hats, including: - Monthly newsletters - Website development - Event planning - Branding - Project management - Market research - Customer development - Fundraising - Recruitment - Negotiation of sponsorship contracts - Communications, and Public relations.
2016 - 2020
2016 - 2020
Stemming from my love of marketing while working at a large media agency, and wishing to return to my entrepreneurial roots; in 2016, I left my six-figure agency job to launch my consulting business, working with startups to help them achieve scale & growth. Having previously founded & sold my CPG startup, I wanted to leverage my playbook to help others (combined with my recent expertise working at a large media agency). As a results-oriented entrepreneur & investor, I now work with startups & early-stage organizations, helping to build effective frameworks for growth & scale. Specifically, I specialize in developing highly effective, proven marketing strategies for startups & consumer-facing companies with the goal of growing revenue 10–30% MoM. I've had the pleasure of working with numerous startups & Fortune 500 companies. Client Experience: CN Rail Co., First Capital Realty Inc., Greater Toronto Airport Authority, Best of Calgary, IBI Group, Metrolinx, GHD Group, Kiewit Energy Canada, Enmax Corporation, SwissJust USA & others. ADDITIONAL WORK & PASSION PROJECTS 1. In my spare time, I'm a personal finance guest contributor at 'Finance Independence Hub', one of North America's largest personal finance sites, as well as 'MyOwnAdvisor.ca', one of Canada's most-read personal finance blogs. 2. As a long-time passion project, I launched my 'Building a Bulletproof Portfolio' Personal Finance Workshop Series in 2017, helping dozens of Canadian's take control of their finances & grow their investments. 3. Having struggled with weight-loss, I launched the 'Personal Development' section of my website in 2018 to help fellow entrepreneurs achieve their health & wellness objectives –– only once we master our minds & bodies can we make our highest contribution to the world. Catch some of my latest interviews, presentations & featured articles in the links below...
2016 - 2017
2016 - 2017
HIGHLIGHT: Our team successfully grew monthly readership from 24,477 readers in January 2016 to 608,783 readers in December 2016 (Source: Google Analytics). — Through my consulting practice, I stepped in as Vice President of Sales & Marketing on a one-year contract with AviationTribune.com – one of the world's top aviation news websites. Key responsibilities: I was responsible for developing the marketing & sales strategies to increase website traffic, grow revenue through new monetization strategies & attract new businesses partners, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and numerous other manufacturing & airline partners. Additional responsibilities: - Develop Aviation Tribune’s overall marketing strategy & plan. - Effectively position, market & build brand equity for Aviation Tribune and its subsidiaries, including Aviation Tribune Jobs. - Plan, direct & implement all marketing campaigns, events, media relations, social media, digital and online communications, crisis communications, & internal communications. - Define & establish a performance management system to continually monitor Marketing’s performance based on defined performance metrics. - Implement opportunities for collaboration, partnerships & sponsorships with new businesses & investors. - Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with external stakeholders including media buyers, advertising agencies, & research firms. - Develop corporate partnership programs & additional revenue streams; specifically, the development & monetization of Aviation Tribune Jobs. - Develop new monetization strategies through the introduction & sale of advertising space on AviationTribune.com, including featured content & sponsorship opportunities. - Recruit & manage a virtual team of 5 sales professionals located across North America & Europe to sell & distribute ad space on AviationTribune.com. This role also required the creation of compensation packages to attract & retain top sales talent.
2015 - 2017
2015 - 2017
Reporting to the CEO, I was a member of the core team responsible for the design, development and launch of the Fio Connect Sales & Marketing Platform. Key Responsibilities: - Accountable for developing and executing product Go-To-Market strategies and plans, and working with our Development team through the execution of a product-introduction process. - Measured success through a series of KPIs, and made recommendations on product gaps and market opportunities. - Developed a strong understanding of customer needs and desires through user research and other quantitative/qualitative analysis as a means of driving product strategy and design. This also included articulating the value proposition, key features, benefits and differentiators of our product. - Worked with key stakeholders (delivery, marketing, customer support, legal, finance, sales etc.) to define our Go-To-Market strategy, plan and requirements for successful product development and launch. - Focused on developing strategies for increasing sales, improving customer relationships, & generating new prospects. - Identified and developed key business opportunities among small and mid-size business partners. - In collaboration with marketing, developed and supported Go-To-Market campaigns. - Developed product positioning and messaging which differentiated FIO’s products in the market. - Continually cultivated a deep understanding of current technology services and trends. - Assisted in defining our customer acquisition strategies. - Made recommendations on pricing strategies and policies for products. - Provided ongoing customer interaction and support.
2013 - 2016
2013 - 2016
In 2013, my business partner and I sold our Toronto coffee company and I moved to Calgary. A friend of mine suggested I work at RedPoint as a means of introducing myself to the local business community. Knowing little about media, I accepted the challenge and discovered a new love & passion for marketing. In 18-months I grew my client list from a run rate of $250k to more than $1MM. I represented a complete portfolio of print & digital products, including WestJet Magazine, in-flight entertainment, Avenue Magazine & various websites/newsletters. Key responsibilities: - Planned & led various experiential marketing activities, including digital & on-site event marketing, consumer promotions, offers & traditional advertising. - Creative strategy, writing, & end-to-end planning & execution management of multi-platform campaigns. - Managed numerous high-value & long-term partnerships in alignment with organizational priorities & business objectives; developed benefits & activations which added value to new & existing partners. - Developed, reviewed & managed sponsorship agreements with strategic partners, including inventory & delivery of assets & benefits. Planned, coordinated & executed numerous sponsorship marketing activities. - Built & fostered relationships with key accounts. - Partnership management & negotiation. - Financial management, budgeting & invoicing for key partners to drive results & KPI's. - Forecasted, measured & delivered on-time reports on digital marketing performance across all channels against documented objectives, including sales, conversion metrics, web & social media. - Created & executed multi-platform, fully-integrated creative solutions, including in-flight TV, print, digital & experiential marketing campaigns. HIGHLIGHTS: Winner – 2014 Sales Challenge: most new business into WestJet Magazine. Client Experience: Travel Alberta, Starwood Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Kiewit Energy, EllisDon, Parks Canada, WestJet & others.
2012 - 2014
2012 - 2014
While living in Toronto, my business partner and I identified a strategic gap in the marketplace for local organic coffee products. Using our experience and knowledge of the CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry while working at Nestle & Coca Cola, we turned our passion for great-tasting coffee into a profitable business model through a unique market-entry strategy. Moreover, we conducted various multi-platform experiential marketing campaigns which boosted sales and generated 30–50% MoM increases in revenue. As Co-Founder and CEO, I oversaw the complete product development cycle from concept to market. After growing the company to profitability, we chose to exit our ownership through a private sale. The timing aligned perfectly as my wife & I moved to Calgary to pursue the next stage in her professional career.