Pycap CEO Joins the Investor Advisory Council at Schulich Startups
Pycap CEO Stuart Browne Joins Schulich Startups Investor Advisory Council
Council Membership & High-Profile Peers
Stuart Browne has been invited to continue his role on the Schulich Startups Investor Advisory Council (formerly the Pitch Deck Advisory Council), a body formed in 2023 to provide deeper, targeted support to founders within the Schulich Startups community.
He will serve alongside a group of distinguished alumni-investors, including:
Ujwal Arkalgud (MBA ’09) – Executive Vice President at Lux Research.
Snita Balsara (MBA ’12) – Principal at BDC Capital.
Shelley Li (MBA ’19) – Director, Innovation Banking at CIBC Innovation Banking.
Peyvand Melati (EMBA ’18) – General Partner at Archangel Network (or Axion Fund in earlier documentation).
Others on the Council include Leah Perry, Nikhil Nayar, Mudit Rawat, Sarah Willson, Tarun Agarwal and Abdel Ali.
This assembly of investor-practitioners reflects a broad range of stage-, sector- and fund-experience, which in turn enhances the quality of support available to Schulich-founded startups.
Stuart Browne’s Role & Value
In this capacity, Stuart will contribute by:
Reviewing approximately four pitch-decks per year from Schulich startup founders, providing written feedback.
Hosting three live coaching sessions (each ~45 minutes) per featured startup for direct feedback and pitching practice.
Participating in bi-annual program development surveys to help the Schulich Startups team refine support services.
Optionally making strategic introductions (founders, investors, partner networks) to strengthen the ecosystem.
Given his role as CEO of Pycap Inc. and his active work in venture capital, incubation and immigration-linked startup growth, Stuart brings relevant experience in investor-readiness, growth strategy and capital formation—skills that directly complement the Council’s mission.
Key Statistics & Context on Schulich Startups
Understanding the wider context of Schulich Startups helps to highlight the significance of this Council membership.
The Schulich Startups community supports over 200 ventures and reports annual online impressions of more than 2.3 million.
In its Advisory Program description, Schulich notes: “200+ ventures supported • 75+ community leaders • 2.3 M+ annual online impressions.”
A prior article noted that Schulich Startups founders had raised approximately CAD $44 million in recent years.
The Schulich Startups initiative is supported by the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Schulich School of Business, and includes work-integrated-learning placements, mentorship, program modules (e.g., the Venture Academy) and ecosystem partnerships.
These numbers reflect a significant scale of activity, which elevates the importance of high-calibre advisory support such as that provided by the Investor Advisory Council.
Why This Matters
For Schulich startup founders, the presence of seasoned investors like Stuart and his Council peers means more tailored and practical feedback on their fundraising materials and pitch readiness.
For Pycap and Stuart personally, serving on the Council expands visibility into a strong academic-led ecosystem, enabling strategic connections and potential deal flow aligned with venture-growth and investment readiness.
For the ecosystem at large, this collaboration reinforces the bridge between academic innovation (student & alumni ventures) and active investor networks—helping improve the quality of startup preparation, capital deployment and scaling dynamics.
Conclusion
Stuart Browne’s continued involvement with the Schulich Startups Investor Advisory Council is more than a title—it represents a meaningful channel through which his expertise (and that of Pycap) will be deployed to support the next generation of Schulich-founded ventures. Given the size and momentum of the Schulich Startups community, the Council’s role is both timely and strategically significant.
If you like, I can pull together full profiles of all current Council members and craft a one-page summary of the program’s recent outcomes (funding rounds, alumni exits, etc.).
