This year marks New Ventures BC’s 20th anniversary of supporting tech innovation in BC! We are celebrating our 20 years of impact by interviewing those who made the past two decades so special.
Adam Lorant has volunteered with NVBC for six years, taking on roles such as Competition judge, mentor and running a pitch workshop. An experienced entrepreneur with four successful companies under his belt and a partner at Evidology Group, Adam has a passion for helping tech entrepreneurs succeed and has helped dozens of startups take off.
If anyone knows the importance of mentorship and support for early stage ventures, it’s Adam. We reached out to him for a bit of insight on why he volunteers and his thoughts on NVBC’s impact over the years.
How long have you volunteered for NVBC?
I’ve volunteered for at least six years now – probably more, but my memory (i.e. my email archive) doesn’t go any further back than that.
Why did you volunteer?
Over the years, I’ve been involved with NVBC in a variety of different ways which has given me a good perspective on the overall competition process. I’ve given a pitch workshop one year and was a judge another year, but what I’ve enjoyed the most is my time working with Round 3 companies as a Mentor.
Working with entrepreneurs who are driven to change the world in some new way is always so exciting – and as a Mentor, I feel I can make a difference in their trajectory.
Why do you volunteer and what is your favourite part?
Vancouver is full of such awesome potential. I really enjoy meeting entrepreneurs and learning about their businesses. I enjoy helping them refine their visionary ideas into a compelling story that makes people go wow, that’s cool.
I’ve been in their shoes quite a few times and I feel their struggle with the lack of funding, customers, and never having enough hours in the day to deliver the vision.
Entrepreneurs’ intelligence, expertise and passion are infectious. New Ventures BC has assembled a phenomenal network from the local tech community to assist, and I enjoy reconnecting with my fellow mentors every year.
What has volunteering taught you and what do you gain from giving back?
It’s so refreshing to connect with new and innovative founders. Every year, it’s a whole new experience. From IoT to big data to AI to serverless computing, there’s always a new and interesting technology from a different corner of the tech world.
On top of that, I’m always learning, which is important to me. Hopefully, it’s that breadth of context, combined with my own first-hand tech experience, which is valuable to the companies I’ve worked with.
What do you think NVBC’s impact has been on you and the tech community over the last 20 years?
Tech Founders tend to be so close to their technology and passionate about the vision. Because of that, sometimes it takes a neutral outsider like an NVBC Mentor to bring perspective. I find that as mentors, we can help founders tell the story and how to identify/address the go-to-market gaps. I like to think I’ve helped nudge a handful of companies on the right path over the years.
I’m still waiting for NVBC to proudly proclaim that they helped nurture a billion dollar business in BC. That day will come, and in the meantime, it’s reassuring to know that they’ve helped germinate lots and lots of seeds along the way. Happy Anniversary NVBC! And a special thanks and congratulations to Angie, Bob, Mike and the NVBC pioneers!
Share your #2020nvbcimpact story
This year marks our 20th anniversary of supporting tech innovation in BC! We are inviting NVBC Competition alumni, mentors, volunteers, accelerator participants, and ISI grant recipients to share your impact story by completing a short form on how you feel NVBC supported you and sparked innovation in the tech sector!
