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Annual Dinner 2024: Dare to Lead

Presenting Partner:

A table of attendees from 2023's Annual Dinner

Toronto’s premier networking event returns!

Join members of the vibrant Toronto Region business community, including industry leaders, elected officials, and influential movers-and-shakers as we celebrate the Torontonians who Dare to Lead.

This year's Annual Dinner will honour what has made this gathering a can’t-miss tradition for 134 years - delicious food and drink, our prestigious Toronto Region Builder Award and unparalleled networking. This is where leaders come to forge meaningful new connections and strengthen existing ones.

ABOUT THE EVENT

In 2024, our time-honoured format gets an exciting update.  

Instead of a traditional keynote address over dinner, this year’s event will unfold as a vibrant tapestry of voices, with a curated selection of inspiring speakers throughout the evening delivering brief but thought-provoking and high-energy "Toronto Talks". It’s all about inspiration as we celebrate the trailblazing leaders from our region who stand up, speak up, dare to lead, and dare to win.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TORONTO REGION BUILDER AWARD RECIPIENT:

Janet Bannister
Founder & Managing Partner, Staircase Ventures and Founder, Kijiji.ca

Janet will be honoured with the Board’s Toronto Region Builder Award, presented by CPA Ontario at our 134th Annual Dinner on February 29th, 2024.

Prior to launching Staircase Ventures, Janet was Managing Partner at Real Ventures, one of Canada’s largest and most active early-stage investors. Janet is very active in the Canadian tech ecosystem including being Co-Chair of C100 and on the Boards of Communitech in Waterloo, Vector Institute in Toronto, and Ivey Business School. She is also a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab. In 2004, Janet launched Kijiji.ca and grew it to become one of the most visited websites in Canada.

Read more about Janet's legacy here.

Janet has won numerous awards and recognition including Venture Capital Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence in Private Markets”, Pitchbooks’ 2021 “Female Founders & Investors to Know”, and American Bankers’ 2019 “Most Influential Women in Payments”.

Janet spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley where she helped transform eBay from a Collectibles to a mainstream marketplace. She started her career as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble and then joined McKinsey & Co. where she was an Engagement Manager. She also founded and built a successful consulting business and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures.

Janet was a varsity long-distance runner and Canada’s National Triathlon Champion. She loves to cycle, hike, golf, and spend time with her husband and 17-year old son.

Tickets

Individual:

  • Member: $900
  • Non-Member: $1,000


Table of 10:

  • Member: $9,000
  • Non-Member: $10,000

TORONTO REGION BUILDER AWARD PARTNER