#39: Nicole LeBlanc on sustainable communities, tech investment and women in venture capital

Nicole LeBlanc (BBA’00) is a partner with Woven Capital in Tokyo, focusing on investments in mobility, energy, and sustainability that support and accelerate Toyota’s mission to build the safest mobility in the world. Prior to that she was a partner in Denmark with 2150, an urban tech & sustainability fund focused on supporting the growth of sustainable cities. She’s held previous positions as director of investments for Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, and as director at BDC Capital and at the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.  

Nicole is also a founder and investor in Sandpiper.vc, a women-led venture fund based in Atlantic Canada aiming to support women as both founders and investors. She’s a huge proponent of encouraging and supporting women in the venture capital sector, and I’m very excited to talk with her about why that’s so important, as well as why she feels so strongly in investing in technology for our collective future. 

In this episode:   

• How Nicole first started in venture capital and the opportunities around the world that led her to becoming an expert in the field 

• Her position in Toronto at Sidewalk Labs that hooked her on green cities and urban tech. 

• Why corporate companies have growth/venture capital firms.  

• How companies can implement sustainability implement solutions in their systems – and why Nicole is excited about startups providing those solutions.  

• The role of corporate venture capitalist 

• How smaller municipalities can have a great impact on lives and drive change. 

• The Copenhagen urban model. 

• How engaging everyone in communities is key to finding solutions and capital sources.  

• Why there is a low rate of women in venture capital and how more women can break into it. 

• How Atlantic Canadian communities can be successful in building smart, sustainable places to live and work, even with fewer resources.  

Links and resources:   

• Nicole’s LinkedIN 

• Woven Capital 

• Sandpiper Ventures 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
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