Effective Pitching to Venture Capital Investors
With SpinUp partner Lumira Ventures and speaker Ted Witek.
Join Ted Witek from Lumira Ventures on March 27 for a discussion on how to effectively pitch to Venture Capital Investors!
A seasoned executive in the life sciences and an academic leader with a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Ted has decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and drug discovery space. From R&D scaling, to commercializing, to strategic partnerships, Ted is excited to share his expertise with founders who are in the process of raising VC funding (or who are thinking about starting!).
* Please note this webinar series is open to members of the University of Toronto, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE), IDEA Mississauga and Ontario Genomics BioCreate communities only.
About Lumira Ventures
Lumira Ventures is a leading multi-stage life sciences investment firm operating across Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Boston. As Canada’s largest and most active dedicated life sciences venture capital investor, Lumira invests in first-in-class innovations in “secondary” geographies, partnering with mission-driven entrepreneurs to develop transformative therapeutics products and medical devices while generating strong financial returns and societal impact.
Meet the Speaker
Ted has decades of experience in research, development, and leadership as well as executive responsibilities as CSO and CEO across Europe and North America. He has managed some of the pharma sector’s largest strategic alliances. In 2023, he was appointed full Professor at the University of Toronto, directing Canada’s first Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program.
He teaches course on leadership and emerging competencies and has received his executive coaching Certificate from Rotman School of Management (2024). His experiences informs his partnership with individuals and organizations to maximize their potential.
During his tenure in Canada, Dr. Witek served on the Board of Directors of Innovative Medicines Canada (formerly Rx&D), chairing its Heath Technology Assessment and Public Affairs Committees. He also served over 20 years on the Drug/Device Discovery and Development Committee of the American Thoracic Society (ATS), serving as Chairman from 2010-12. Ted was also elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, The American Association of Respiratory Care, and, in 2018, among the maiden recipients named ATS Fellows. He was appointed by the Ministries of Heath & Innovation to the Ontario Heath Innovation Council.
Dr. Witek holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree from Columbia University, an MPH from Yale University, and an MBA from Henley Management College in London. Ted earned his ICD.D designation from The Rotman School of Management at UofT and The Institute of Corporate Directors in 2019 and a Rotman Certified Executive Coach Certificate in 2024. In 2020, he completed the Digital Health Strategy certificate at Columbia Business School. He completed advanced executive leadership programs at Tuck/Dartmouth and INSEAD/Paris-Shanghai. He has authored over 100 manuscripts and chapters in the field of respiratory public health, airway disease, and drug development, including the textbook Pharmacology and Therapeutics in Respiratory Care.
On a personal note, he is an accomplished photographer who publishes and exhibits widely. He frequently writes about food and wine, earning the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with candidacy for the Level 4 Diploma Award.