Mentor Corner: Meet Jason Robertson
Mentor Corner is a monthly feature highlighting the incredible contributions made by our mentor network to our venture community.
At entrepreneurship@UBC, we are privileged to work with a pool of 250+ mentors across the Vancouver and BC innovation ecosystem who invest their time, expertise, and insights into growing the early-stage ventures of tomorrow. From entrepreneurial leadership development to scaling venture creation, our mentor network is fundamental to what we do here, and we are excited to introduce you to them in our monthly feature, Mentor Corner!
Meet Jason Robertson
Jason is a Partner and Co-Founder of Nimbus Synergies, a venture capital firm and Canadian leader in early-stage health technology investments. Jason has led investments in fourteen companies deploying over $25M with two exits, both of which Jason supported as a Board Director.
Prior to Nimbus, Jason was head of Business Development for Aquinox Pharmaceuticals for almost a decade. During that time, Jason was integrally involved in the company’s raising of >$200M in financing, successful NASDAQ IPO, and $155M partnership with Astellas Pharma.
Jason currently serves as a Board Director of Claris Healthcare and LifeBooster, and Board Observer for Clarius Mobile, Sonic Incytes, and Starling Minds. Jason is also a recent recipient of Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 award.
Learn more about how Jason works with ventures as a mentor, what advice he’d give to our community, and the most important lessons he’s learned along the way.
How did you get into mentorship? What brought you here?
After I graduated from my MBA in 2010, I remained in contact with Paul Cubbon, one of my professors and the Assistant Dean of Innovation at UBC Sauder. Paul was instrumental in supporting health innovators and startups through entrepreneurship@UBC. As I was transitioning into venture capital after a decade in pharmaceutical development, Paul recruited me to join the other talented mentors supporting entrepreneurship@UBC’s ventures and leverage my professional experience for the betterment of a new generation of entrepreneur.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your mentorship career?
The practice of coaching and mentorship is grounded in listening. Mentors often mistake hearing for listening. Active listening promotes trust and respect, empathy and safety, and provides agency and ownership to the mentee in their journey.
"Mentors often mistake hearing for listening.”
- Jason Robertson
Working with early-stage startups, you have the opportunity to make a huge impact on the founders you are working with. What impacts have founders made on you?
The passion and purpose that catalyze founders to commercialize their innovation is inspiring and reflect back the immense privilege it is to support them in their aspirations.
If you could impart one piece of sage advice to our community, what would it be?
New ventures have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to make the world a better place through innovation. And the world needs that innovation today. Shed your fears, take risks, make mistakes, move faster. As Mario Andretti once said “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
“New ventures have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to make the world a better place through innovation.”
- Jason Robertson
What book are you reading? What playlist are you listening to?
It is cliche but I’m re-reading The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future by Sebastian Mallaby. It is an engaging narrative of the history of venture capital in shaping the world as it exists today. It is a must-read for any entrepreneur or financier that is interested or involved with venture capital.
Thank you Jason for your expert insights and continued impact on our community!
Are you interested in joining our mentor network?