International Investment Afternoon

A showcase of international investment opportunities in conjunction with our partners at International Deal Gateway.

Dr. Moutih Rafei | Defence Therapeutics Inc.

Dr. Moutih Rafei is an immuno-oncologist by training and has accumulated profound knowledge and insight in the fields of T-cell development, stem cell biology, cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Rafei obtained his PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University in 2009 and has since become a leader in the development of immune-related therapies for catastrophic illnesses. His research has uncovered many seminal discoveries. Dr Rafei received over 20 awards and recognitions over the last 15 years. His research has resulted in more than 45 high impact peer-reviewed publications, 5 reviews, 2 book chapters, 1 monograph, and 6 patents.

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly traded Canadian biotechnology company working on developing the next generation of vaccines and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUMTM, a technology specially engineered to enable the design of novel cellular vaccines or for the precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

Scott Kelly | Westbridge Renewable Energy 

Scott is an accomplished entrepreneur and Board Chair with over 20 years of experience in capital markets. He obtained his education from Queen’s University and UC Berkeley, which laid the foundation for his successful career. Scott has worked at several reputable firms, including TMX Group, Newstrike Brands, and Wetherby Growth, playing a pivotal role in driving growth and creating value for these companies. As the Executive Chairman of Westbridge Renewable, Scott is dedicated to delivering sustainable and innovative solutions that positively impact the environment while generating long-term value for investors.

Westbridge Renewable Energy Corp. develops utility-scale solar PV projects in Canada, the US, and the UK. The Company plans to deliver long-term returns by originating and developing an international portfolio of renewable assets for investors and utilities. With 40+ projects developed worldwide, management has a strong track-record of obtaining and executing permits on time and within budget. As one of the very few listed pure-play Canadian solar development companies, Westbridge provides ESG-minded investors with access to greenfield solar projects, by investing at the earliest stage of solar energy development - benefiting from the full value chain as well as the expected wider adoption of renewable energy. Westbridge brings together regulators, corporate buyers, and landowners to deliver clean, sustainable electricity to end users.

Dr. Richard Lu | SolarBank

Dr. Lu has more than 25 years of global energy experience in North America, Europe and Asia. He leads a team of established and trusted developers, engineers, asset operators, and managers in the clean and renewable energy space in Canada and the US. He was the Managing Director of Sky Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (SKYS, NASDAQ), and the VP of Business Development at ARISE Technology Corporation (APV T). Dr. Lu previously held the position of Chief Conservation Officer and VP, EHS of Toronto Hydro Corporation, and senior positions with Enbridge Gas Distribution, Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., and Dillon Consulting.

SolarBank Corporation is an independent renewable and clean energy project developer focusing on distributing and community solar projects in Canada and the USA.  The company develops solar projects that sell electricity to utilities, commercial, industrial, municipal and residential off takers.  The company maximizes returns via a diverse portfolio of projects across multiple leading solar markets including projects with utilities, host off takers, community solar, and virtual net metering projects.   The company has completed over 1,000 development projects with a combined capacity of over 60 megawatts. It currently has a potential development pipeline of over 700 megawatts.  

Claudia Tornquist | Kodiak Copper Corp.

Formerly General Manager at Rio Tinto working with Rio Tinto’s copper operations. Also held the position of Executive Vice President Business Development for the streaming company Sandstorm Gold. Director of Silver One Resources and former director of Kennady Diamonds, leading the $176m sale of the company to Mountain Province as chair of the special committee of the board.

Kodiak Copper Corp. is strategically focused on copper porphyry exploration in establish North America jurisdictions– driven by green revolution with strong emphasis on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG).  The transformative high-grade Gate Zone discovery in 2020 has had successful follow-up drilling shows significant size potential; new discoveries at Prime Zone and Beyer Gold-Silver Zone were made 2022.  A large exploration program in 2023 will test multiple new targets – aiming for more game-changing discoveries.   As of March 10th, Kodiak has C$6M, 55M shares outstanding and Teck Resources is its largest shareholder with 9.9%.