TORONTO, May 12, 2026 /CNW/ - Venture for Canada (VFC), a national non-profit and charity empowering Canadians with entrepreneurial skills, mindset, and opportunities to succeed in an AI-enabled innovation economy, today announced the launch of its AI Advisory Council.

The Council comes at a pivotal moment, as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how Canadians learn, work, and build businesses. Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up the majority of private sector employment are facing a challenge of adopting AI affordably and responsibly. Structural barriers for SMEs include high costs, limited access to AI talent, and difficulty assessing risk. While AI is accelerating change across industries, young Canadians are navigating greater labour challenges, evident in the youth unemployment rate which sits at 13.8%, driven by a mix of factors, including AI and shifting employer expectations. Increasingly, entry-level roles require prior experience, creating a gap for recent graduates seeking to build skills and gain a foothold in the workforce.

Venture for Canada is helping to bridge this gap by equipping young Canadians with practical AI skills they can bring directly into startups and SMEs. As VFC scales this work, the AI Advisory Council will play a critical role in ensuring these programs are shaped responsibly, inclusively, and with real-world impact in mind.

Operating at the intersection of talent, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity, Venture for Canada is scaling programs designed to prepare young people for the future of work. The AI Advisory Council has been established to provide diverse, expert guidance — ensuring VFC approaches this moment with clarity, responsibility, and ambition.

The Council brings together leaders from research, policy, technology, startups, and applied AI. As trusted thought partners, members will advise VFC in designing programs, testing new ideas, and exploring how AI can expand access to opportunity across Canada. Their collective expertise and varied perspectives will help inform stronger decisions in a rapidly evolving and complex landscape.

The Council's mandate is to help VFC leverage AI responsibly by strengthening workforce readiness, supporting inclusive innovation, and translating emerging insights into practical, real-world impact. A key focus will be bridging theory and application, ensuring young Canadians are building practical AI capabilities that can be brought directly into startups and SMEs to support thoughtful, effective AI adoption across the country.

Council members will provide insight on AI trends and the future of work, help shape early-stage initiatives and pilots, identify risks and ethical considerations, and surface opportunities where AI can improve access and outcomes for Canadians across the country.

The AI Advisory Council members:

Sam Ramadori

Sam is the Co-President and Executive Director of LawZero, a nonprofit organization founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio, the most cited AI researcher in the world, committed to advancing research and creating technical solutions that enable safe-by-design AI systems. Sam is an entrepreneur in the field of AI.

Prior to joining LawZero, he was the CEO of BrainBox AI, where he led the innovative team that sought to apply cutting edge AI to the challenge of decarbonizing the built environment – one of the largest GHG emitting sectors on the planet. In addition to managing the day-to-day execution of the company's growth plan, Sam was responsible for fundraising and promoting the positive impact that AI technology is having on this critical global climate issue. Earlier in his career, Sam dedicated 15 years to private equity investing, holding leadership roles within the private equity platforms of institutional asset managers and family offices. He is a graduate of the MBA program at the Richard Ivey School of Business and completed Civil and Common Law degrees at the University of Ottawa.

Zabeen Hirji

Zabeen is a strategic advisor and recognized thought leader on leadership, culture, the future of work, and the intersection of AI and human skills. Zabeen spent over 35 years at RBC, including a decade as Chief Human Resources Officer, where she oversaw 80,000 employees across 40 countries. As a member of the Group Executive Committee, she helped shape the bank's strategic direction and also led brand, communications, and corporate citizenship.

As Founder of the Purposeful Third Act movement, she works to help leaders design personalized Third Acts that leverage their experience, skills, and social capital to create meaningful impact. She currently serves as Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte Canada, where she counsels organizations on leadership, talent, and culture. She also leads a national CHRO forum focused on advancing a skilled, inclusive, and resilient workforce, and is a Senior Advisor to Knockri, an AI-enabled recruitment platform focused on improving hiring outcomes and diversity.

Zabeen holds several public and academic advisory roles, including Special Advisor to the Clerk of the Privy Council, Co-Chair of the City of Toronto's Economic Development Advisory Panel, Chancellor-Designate of Trent University, and Executive-in-Residence at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business. She is a recipient of the Order of Ontario, the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal, and the Canadian HR Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jaxson Khan

Jaxson is a technology strategist and policy leader who has spent over a decade driving innovation across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He is CEO of Aperture AI, a strategy consulting firm helping major corporations and governments navigate and capitalize on AI and emerging technologies. Jaxson is a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, where he teaches a master's course on digital transformation and AI policy, is co-director of the AI Competitiveness Project and co-author of Sovereign by Design: Strategic Options for Canadian AI Sovereignty. Jaxson also serves as a Board Director of the Human Feedback Foundation, a non-profit organization that accelerates open-source projects and AI adoption for social impact.

Previously, Jaxson served as Senior Policy Advisor to Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, where he played a pivotal role in designing the $2.4 billion AI Sovereign Compute Strategy and passing major reforms to the Competition Act. His portfolio spanned quantum, semiconductors, intellectual property, and innovation policy. He also served as Chief of Staff at LawAI, a global think tank advising across sectors on AI, law, and policy. Jaxson started his career working in startups, including as Director of Growth at Fable, an accessibility technology company. He also co-created and hosted AskAI, one of Canada's first AI-focused podcasts. Jaxson holds an Executive MBA from Quantic and a BA from Huron University, where he studied as a 3M National Student Fellow and was recognized with an Alumni Award of Distinction.

Salim Teja

Salim is a Partner with Radical Ventures where he leads the firm's Velocity Team. Salim is a board member for Aspect Biosystems and Promise Robotics. Salim brings over 25 years of experience in the technology sector as an entrepreneur, venture investor, corporate innovator and innovation ecosystem builder. Prior to Radical Ventures, Salim served as President, Venture Services for Toronto-based MaRS Discovery District, one of the world's largest urban innovation centres. Salim has held leadership roles with Indigo Books & Music, CX Digital and was a Partner with early-stage VC firm Brightspark Ventures. Salim was also a Co-founder of San Francisco-based MobShop Inc, a pioneering e-commerce venture funded by GE Capital, Visa International, Mayfield Fund and Marc Andreessen. Salim is a graduate of the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Stephanie Enders

Stephanie is a recognized leader in AI adoption and commercialization, serving as the Chief Delivery Officer at Amii. With a focus on responsible AI and open-source strategies, Steph drives the transformation of advanced AI research into practical, ethical applications across various industries. She leads initiatives that enhance AI literacy, promote industry adoption, and nurture talent development, all while ensuring that AI technologies are accessible and beneficial to society. Steph's unique ability to translate complex AI concepts into actionable strategies has made her a prominent voice in discussions on AI's role in the future.

Abdi Aidid

Abdi is the Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law. Professor Aidid's research and teaching focus on civil adjudication, privacy law, and the intersection of law and technology. Professor Aidid holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, a J.D. from Yale Law School and an LL.M. from the University of Toronto. He previously practised litigation and arbitration at Covington & Burling LLP in New York City and Davies Ward Phillps & Vineberg LLP in Toronto, and served as Vice President, Legal at Blue J, where he led the development of machine learning enabled legal research tools. In 2024–2025, Professor Aidid served as a Visiting Associate Professor at Yale Law School and currently serves as the Ian D. Shugart Visiting Scholar at the Canada School of Public Service, where he collaborates with departments across the federal public service on topics related to ethical technology use and privacy. He is a Faculty Affiliate at the Future of Law Lab and the Centre for Ethics.

Rosario Cartagena

Rosario serves as counsel in Osler's Privacy and Data Management group and Chief Privacy and Legal Officer/Corporate Secretary at ICES. Bringing over 20 years of experience working within or alongside a variety of different stakeholders, Rosario brings a unique and strategic perspective to her clients. Rosario's practice is focused on health privacy law, health research, privacy and data governance, information security, risk management and data ethics. She also advises clients on cybersecurity readiness, compliance program development and audits, AI frameworks and regulatory issues.

 In addition to her role as strategic advisor to firm clients, Rosario is also Chief Privacy and Legal Officer/Corporate Secretary at ICES — an Ontario-based analytics and research institute that uses population data to generate meaningful insights to improve policy, health care, and health outcomes. As a member of the executive team and corporate secretary to the Board, Rosario oversees a team that includes subject-matter experts in: privacy, legal, enterprise risk management, compliance and cybersecurity. Following the completion of her graduate degree in public health sciences, Rosario was a post-grad intern at the Harvard School of Public Health. She is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada (CIPP/C) and has a Certificate in Health Law, from Osgoode Hall Law School. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

André Côté

André has worked in a variety of roles at the intersection of policy, higher education and tech and leads the Dais at the Toronto Metropolitan University. As mission-driven consultant, offering strategic advice, research and other services to a range of clients. As senior advisor to Ontario's deputy premier and minister of advanced education and skills development, and for digital government services. As chief operating & strategy officer with NEXT Canada, a national non-profit incubator for entrepreneurs and start-ups. As ed tech innovator, and as a director on the Board of eCampus Ontario. He's published many papers, reports and articles, including in other past roles at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; and with the Public Policy Forum. André is a graduate of the Munk School's Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and Queen's University, and grew up in Ottawa.

Marc Etienne Ouimette

Marc Etienne has over 15 years of experience in policy and deep tech. He is the founder of Cardinal Policy, where he advises firms and governments on the intersection of AI, public policy, and industrial strategy. He is also an affiliate researcher at the University of Cambridge's Bennett School of Public Policy where he does research on AI sovereignty and industrial policy.

As the head of global AI policy at AWS, Marc worked closely with senior leadership to develop strategic policy positioning for the company and led engagements with numerous governments and multilateral bodies. He notably sat on the B7's advisory committee, was a member of the OECD network of experts, and was board chair of the Global Partnership on AI's Centre of Expertise. Prior to AWS, Marc led the global policy team at Element AI from its founding until its acquisition by Service Now, and was a corporate lawyer at one of Canada's major firms.

In October 2025 he was named by the Canadian Minister of Artificial Intelligence to the Canadian AI taskforce responsible for developing the country's new AI strategy, and was given the specific responsibility of analyzing possible sovereign AI infrastructure build-outs. Marc also supports youth education in AI through his role as board chair of Digital Moment, a national organization dedicated to training the next generation in AI & the digital space.

About Venture for Canada

Venture for Canada is a leading national non-profit and charity with a mission to transform how Canadians access meaningful work through proven entrepreneurial pathways and programs. Through hands-on work experiences and a national community of founders and operators, Venture for Canada helps Canadians and businesses modernize and scale while shaping the national conversation on the future of work in the AI era.

SOURCE Venture for Canada