UBC Okanagan’s Venture Mentoring Service

UBC Okanagan’s Venture Mentoring Service (UBCO VMS) is a confidential mentoring program that connects innovators with a team of experienced volunteer mentors. Grounded in the internationally recognized MIT VMS model, it helps mentees strengthen leadership, sharpen decision making and scale their ventures while supporting the translation of research and innovation into impact.

Free of charge and open to UBC Okanagan students, faculty, staff, alumni and research partners, UBCO VMS is a bridge between campus and community—developing people, building ventures and creating opportunities for collaboration.

Our Model

Team-Based Mentoring

Each mentee is paired with a small group of volunteer mentors that offer diverse perspectives, accountability, and collective insight. Mentors receive ongoing training and professional development to enhance their coaching skills and strengthen their support for mentees and their ventures.

Confidential & Non-Directive

Mentors help mentees think through decisions rather than providing direct instruction, creating a trusted space for open discussion. All sessions are confidential and guided by a strict code of ethics to ensure objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest.

Long-Term, Light-Touch

UBCO VMS provides sustained guidance for mentees and their ventures at every stage, allowing mentees to remain in the program as long as they are active. With mentor meetings held every four to six weeks, participants can balance UBCO VMS with other programs that align with their short-term goals.

Building the Person, Not the Business

The program focuses on developing strong founders first. Leadership, resilience and strategic thinking drive lasting success. Ventures may evolve, pivot or grow, but the program’s commitment to supporting the people behind them remains constant.

Our Journey So Far

UBCO VMS began as a pilot initiative in 2023, allowing us to learn, test and grow. Since launching, our mentors and mentees have built strong relationships, shaped ventures and validated the model. The lessons from this pilot phase have set the foundation for the official launch of a program built on proven success and community growth.

We currently support 15 active mentees with their ventures through a network of 26 trained volunteer mentors.

By the Numbers

Since September 2023, UBCO VMS has supported 20 mentees with their ventures resulting in (data last updated June, 2025):

1,460+

mentor hours

240+

mentee hours

98

mentorship meetings

4.7/5

mentee satisfaction score

75.5

net promoter score

UBCO VMS Mentors

Our mentors are the heart of UBC Venture Mentoring Service (VMS): seasoned professionals, industry leaders and community experts who generously lend time and insight to help guide mentees.

Meet the Mentors

UBCO VMS Mentees

Our mentees are innovators, researchers and early-stage entrepreneurs working across multiple sectors and stages. Their ventures reflect diversity, ambition and the spirit of exploration.

Since September 2023, UBCO VMS mentees have reported (data last updated June, 2025):

$343K of non-dilutive funding secured

$692K revenue growth while in program

27 jobs created by ventures

9 products launched

Meet the Mentees

Samir Aliyev, Alumni
Venture: RentalHunt

An automated marketplace that makes matchmaking between landlords and tenants simple, safe and secure.

Capreece Bowers, PhD Student
Venture: Bridging the Gap

Explores who funeral celebrants are, what they do and how they help shape meaningful death rituals, recognizing the vital role such rituals play in individual and collective grief.

Shariff Faleel, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Venture: HPUI System

A wearable AR/VR interface enabling hands-free, sterile interaction for enhanced precision and collaboration.

Casey Hewes, PhD Student
Venture: Soaring Research, Support & Projects

Supporting Indigenous health equity, projects and support through cultural respect, collaboration and wholistic wellbeing.

Amanda Holyk, Alumni
Venture: iMaster Health

A virtual platform offering pulmonary rehabilitation resources and promoting overall wellbeing.

Ike Ibebugwu, Staff
Venture: Jobnest

AI-powered recruitment platform for small and medium-sized businesses, streamlining fair hiring with voice interviews, resume analysis and collaborative tools.

Shiven Khera, Alumni
Venture: Linkbase Technologies Inc

A complete plug-and-play software solution that helps short-term rental property managers digitize and monetize their guest journey.

Vanessa Lo, Alumni
Venture: VanTech Med

Health tech startup leveraging AI and robotics to tackle loneliness and isolation in the aging population.

Walid Mazyan, Alumni
Venture: Element Extraction

Specializes in value-added products extractions from fresh food and food waste. The final extracts containing antioxidants are beneficial for health.

UBCO VMS Team

The UBC Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) community is a vibrant network of innovators, mentors and partners who share a commitment to growth, collaboration and real-world impact. Together, we learn, connect, and advance ideas.

Program Staff

Our program staff are the backbone of UBCO VMS, coordinating mentorship pairings, supporting mentor/mentee journeys, connecting the network with community and resources and ensuring smooth operations.

UBCO VMS Advisory Board

The UBCO VMS Board of Advisors (VBA) provides strategic counsel and external perspective to steer program growth, relevance and alignment with UBC’s strategic goals.