Adaora Ogbue

Director of Investment Strategy in Greater Toronto Area, Canada

Adaora Ogbue is the Founder and Principal of Venture Catalyst, LLC, an investment consulting firm that focuses on supporting early-stage ventures, particularly in the fintech, deep tech, and video game sectors. She has extensive experience in early-stage venture capital and is dedicated to promoting financial inclusion in both developed and emerging markets.

Education and Background

Adaora holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from HEC Paris and a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) from the University of Toronto. She has also participated in various specialized programs, including a certificate in Digital Money from Tufts University and a program on Venture Deals through Kauffman Fellows & Techstars.1 2

Professional Experience

Before founding Venture Catalyst in 2019, Adaora worked in several prominent positions:

Director of Investment Strategy at the Equality Fund (2022 - Present)
Senior Manager of Investment Strategy at the Equality Fund (2021 - 2022)
Associate Program Manager at the Mastercard Foundation (2017 - 2019)
Investment Underwriter at Village Capital (2015 - 2017)

Her roles have included performing market analysis, guiding startups to become investment-ready, and managing portfolio partnerships.1 2 3

Volunteer and Board Roles

In addition to her professional work, Adaora serves as a board member for the 1,000 Dreams Fund and Baby Ghosts, and is on the Investment Committee for the Foundation for Black Communities. She is also known for her passion for gaming and language learning.1 2 3

Experience

Director, Investment Strategy at Equality Fund (2022 - Present)

Senior Manager, Investment Strategy at Equality Fund (2021 - 2022), Founder & Principal at Venture Catalyst, LLC (2019 - Present), Associate Program Manager at Mastercard Foundation (2017 - 2019), Investment Underwriter at Village Capital (2015 - 2017), Financial Consultant at Village Capital (2015), Elumelu Professional at Nigeria Securities & Exchange Commission (2013 - 2013), Senior Consultant and Team Lead at University of Toronto (2006 - 2012), Software Developer at FrontStream (2005 - 2006), Small Business Consultant (Self-employed) (2004 - 2006), Business Analyst at Bank of Canada (2003 - 2005)

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA) from HEC Paris, Venture Deals from Kauffman Fellows & Techstars, - from GoingVC, Certificate in Digital Money from Tufts University - The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, IBL@Oxford for Global Social Enterprise from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, BA (Hon.) from University of Toronto