Canada's First AI VC: Preparing for the Revolution with a Wider Fiduciary Lens

John Stokes, originally from the UK and a proud Montréal resident since 2007, is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Real Ventures, a key player in Canada's startup ecosystem. In 2011, he launched FounderFuel, Canada’s top startup accelerator, and has been named one of Quebec’s most influential people by L’actualité and one of the "24 Quebecers We Love" by the Montreal Gazette. John’s passion for fostering entrepreneurship also led him to co-found the OSMO Foundation, transforming Notman House and St Margaret’s Hospital into thriving hubs for innovation.

In 2023, he was recognized as the Montreal startup ecosystem’s Community Champion of the Decade.

A lifelong advocate for entrepreneurship, John has served on the boards of major Canadian venture capital associations and earned his Institute of Corporate Directors designation in 2019. Prior to venture capital, he launched and scaled numerous technology businesses across Africa and Asia Pacific and also found time to play semi-professional soccer. Now a citizen of the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, John lives in Montréal with his wife and teenage daughter, always inspired by the vision of a regenerative world.