Alice Reimer, Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, Jill Angevine join Board of Directors

Calgary, AB, June 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIFI) held its Annual General Meeting today and appointed Mark Blackwell as the new Board Chair, replacing Barry Munro, and adding three new members to the Board of Directors.

Blackwell is a partner at Builders VC in Calgary and joined the OCIF Board in October 2019. His career in finance and business development in Calgary includes roles as Product Manager at Solarwinds Inc., Chief Operating Officer at GNS3 Technologies and Investment Manager of Cenovus Energy’s corporate venture fund.

“Barry provided thought leadership and business acumen to the Board from day one, making OCIF an effective tool to implement our economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy,” said Mary Moran, Chief Executive Officer of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.  “Mark has been a tremendous addition to the Board and brings a strong understanding of the tech and innovation ecosystems in Calgary that are driving much of our growth.”

In 2019, the first full year of operation for OCIF, funding for seven projects was announced for a total of nine since launched April 2018. At year-end 2019, $23.5 million had been committed to those projects from the $100 million Fund and $7.05 million had been disbursed to organizations that achieved milestones. 

To view the 2019 Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund annual report, see our website.

The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary.  It’s portfolio of investments in strategic sectors are intended to drive innovation and accelerate the growth of ecosystems that position Calgary to lead digital transformation in Canada’s industrial sectors.

“I am confident, now more than ever, that we can leverage OCIF to accelerate growth and be a catalyst for opportunities for companies to grow here in Calgary,” said Blackwell. “I have been tremendously impressed with the level of applications and have full confidence in working with the Board and OCIF staff to ensure we leverage public funds from the City of Calgary to support economic growth in Calgary.”  

Current Board member Nancy Laird has also been appointed Vice-Chair of OCIF. In addition to Munro, others leaving the OCIF Board of Directors were Steve Allan, the former Chair of Calgary Economic Development; and Geeta Sankappanavar, President & Co-Founder of Grafton Asset Management.

Joining the Board are Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, O.C., President Emerita, University of Calgary; Jill Angevine, Managing Director at Palisade Capital and Alice Reimer, Site Lead for CDL-Rockies. Reimer stepped down from the Board of Directors of Calgary Economic Development to take a position on the OCIF Board.

For a complete list of OCIF’s Board of Directors see our website.

About Calgary Economic Development

Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary’s growth. Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets, and feel at home in our community. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. We’re exhilarated about our role in shaping and sharing Calgary’s story and we’re proud to be part of the energy. For more information, please visit our website at www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com and follow us on Twitter @calgaryeconomic.

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