Keith Gillard 

CEO and co-founder, UpperStage.Capital Inc., Canada

Keith Gillard is co-founder and CEO of UpperStage.Capital Inc., an impact-focused private equity firm boosting profitable companies to their next level of success. He is an entrepreneur and investment professional who has focused more than twenty years on impact investment. Mr. Gillard has provided leadership on the board of directors of dozens of companies, funds, and not-for-profit organizations. He is a proven fund-raiser, deal-maker, and business development matchmaker with an extensive international network, having close relationships with multinational organizations and leading investors across North America, Asia, and Europe.

From 2010-2020, Mr. Gillard was General Partner of Pangaea Ventures Ltd., an impact investor with a focus on the physical sciences. From 2006-2010, Mr. Gillard served as President of BASF Venture Capital America. He was responsible for the establishment of the Silicon Valley office, as well as a dozen direct and fund investments. From 2001-2006, Mr. Gillard was with Mitsubishi Corporation and responsible for venture investment and business development activities with a specific focus on cleantech. For most of the '90's, he was a serial entrepreneur in software and media, who began his career in investment banking, structuring mergers and acquisitions as well as manufacturing technology joint ventures into China. 

Mr. Gillard is co-founder and chair of the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre, director of Talius and Keela, and board committee member of the Canadian Venture Capital Association. He has served as chair of Vestaron Corporation, and director of Hazel Technologies, NewLeaf Symbiotics, Advanced BioNutrition, Sciona, SDCMaterials, and other companies. Mr. Gillard served on the advisory boards of ARCH Venture Partners, Chrysalix Venture Capital, and NGEN Partners. He served as advisor to the World Economic Forum on sustainability and collaborative innovation in chemicals and materials, speaking at Davos in 2020. He is the co-author of “Inside the Minds: Energy Venture Capital Best Practices.” Outside of work, he is a high-energy father of three, cyclist, and internationally-charting, twice-nominated Canadian Independent Music Award winner.