NEXT CANADA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Academic Director, NEXT Canada, Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and NBER
- Professor at the University of Toronto and Research
Ajay Agrawal is a professor at the University of Toronto and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA. He conducts research on the economics of science and innovation and recently coauthored the best-selling book "Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence." He is founder of the Creative Destruction Lab and cofounder of Next AI, both programs focused on transforming AI projects into scalable businesses. He cofounded Kindred, a company that builds machines with human-like intelligence and that was named to The MIT Technology Review's 50 Smartest Companies of 2017 as well as CB Insights' AI 100 (2018). In 2017, The Globe & Mail listed Professor Agrawal as one of the 50 Most Powerful People in Canadian Business.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Operations
Bio
Alex joined NEXT Canada in May 2021 as interim Director of Finance and Operations. He joins NEXT Canada on a six-month secondment from EY Canada, a supporter of NEXT Canada's mission through EY Ripples, the firm's corporate social responsibility platform.
Alex earned his CPA, CA through EY and serves a variety of clients in the renewable energy, utilities, oil and gas, and not-for-profit sectors. Alex also holds a BComm from Smith School of Business at Queen's University, where he was an active ambassador for the Centre for Social Impact, an academic community focused on driving impact through entrepreneurship.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Member of the Investment Committee
- Program Officer
Bio
Alexandra brings over a decade of experience in the non-profit and entrepreneurship sectors to the role of Chief Program Officer, where she is responsible for managing NEXT Canada's three flagship programs: Next 36, Next Founders and NextAI. She is driven by creating and delivering best-in-class programs emphasizing venture creation, founder development, and alumni success. At NEXT, Alexandra's role primarily centers on building the program curriculum, overseeing the application/selection process, leading cohort communications/connections, and managing major events. She also works closely with the Investment Committee via 36 Investments and The Young Founders Funds on matters related to venture investment in NEXT companies.
Previously, Alexandra developed national programs at Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and prior to that, worked in education policy at The Fraser Institute. Having studied in Canada and the U.K, Alexandra holds a Hon. B.A from the University of Toronto, where she double majored in English Literature and History.
Job Titles:
- Agente Logistique, HEC Montréal - École Des Dirigeants
Job Titles:
- Business Administration, & the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Fellow, Harvard Business School
Job Titles:
- Founder and President, Kestrel Capital Management Corp
Bio
Charles Field-Marsham is a Canadian entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in building businesses in Africa. In 1991, he joined Credit Suisse First Boston in New York, he then lived and worked in Kenya between 1993 and 2003 where he started and acquired several businesses. In 2004, he founded Kestrel Capital Management Capital (KCMC), when he returned to Canada. KCMC provides consulting services to businesses in and outside of Canada. Charles owns and is chairman of: Kestrel Capital, the leading investment bank and broker in Kenya and Panafrican Group, the distributor of Komatsu equipment in five countries across East and West Africa. In January 2020, Charles invested in and became a board member of Slingshot Sports LLC, a world leading brand of kiteboarding equipment, headquartered in Hood River, Oregon.
Charles has sat on the boards of The Foundation of the Hospital for Sick Children, Grand Challenges Canada, and the African Medical Research Foundation Canada (AMREF). Charles is also the principal benefactor and chairman of the Kenya Scholar Athlete Program (KENSAP) and is the co-founder of The Charles and Rita Field-Marsham Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Group Chairman, Metro Supply Chain Group of Companies
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer, Immigrant Access Fund Canada
- Co - Founder and Former Executive Director of the Next 36
Bio
As the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of The Next 36, Claudia Hepburn has a record of leadership studying, designing, building and leading innovative education programs. Before founding The Next 36, she was the Fraser Institute's first Director of Education Policy, who opened and led their Ontario office for seven years, and founded Children First: School Choice Trust. In 2013 Ms. Hepburn ranked as one of Canada's Top 25 Women of Influence for her achievements in the NGO sector. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and has been named in the press as one of Canada's Ten Most Inspiring Women. She is a director of Kids and Company, Fraser Institute, and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Ms. Hepburn has a BA from Amherst College, and an MA and B.Ed from the University of Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director, Retired Partner, EY
Bio
Ms. McMorrow is a recently retired Assurance and Advisory Business Services Partner at EY, where she served as the firms Canadian Growth Markets Leader, as well as National Director for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. She was a senior client serving partner in EY's Assurance practice until 2016 and held a number of senior leadership roles over her 38 year career at EY, including Managing Partner, Assurance in the GTA, Office Managing Partner, Mississauga office and Market Leader, Technology, Communications and Entertainment.
Ms. McMorrow serves on the board of and chairs the Audit Committee of Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO), Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation (Vice Chair) and is a member of the board and Audit & Finance Committee Chair of Plan International Canada, and past Chair of the Board of Governors of St. Mildred's- Lightbourn School (Oakville).
In 2015, she was named among the Women's Executive Network (WXN) Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners, recognized as a Trailblazer and Trendsetter.
Colleen is enrolled in the Institute of Corporate Director's (ICD) Director Education Program (ICD candidate 2017) at the Rotman School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and CEO of Kira Talent
Bio
Emilie Cushman is the Co-founder and CEO of Kira Talent in Toronto, Ontario. Kira Talent is one of Canada's fastest growing companies in the higher education technology space, using machine learning to help admissions teams effectively, efficiently, and fairly identify applicants who will succeed in their program. Since its inception in 2012 out of the Next 36 program, Kira has raised $8 million dollars from Relay Ventures, BDC IT Ventures in Toronto as well as many prominent angels investors like Roger Martin, Gary Slaight.
Prior to starting Kira, Emilie obtained her Bachelor of Business from University of Windsor in 2012 and that same year completed the Next 36 Entrepreneurial Institute. Emilie was named HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow 2012, Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada 2012, Next 36 Most Outstanding Venture Award 2012 and recently has received the Geoff Taber Alumni Achievement Award 2017 and the University of Windsor Odyssey Award for Alumni Achievement 2017.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Design Director
Job Titles:
- Director of Ventures, Next AI - Montréal
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and President of Validere
Bio
Ian is the co-founder and President of Validere, which provides data intelligence for oil and gas quality, logistics and trading. Validere's insights enable industry participants to identify operational efficiencies and the highest-margin marketing and supply decisions. Since graduating from the Next Founders program in 2016, Validere has raised US$22M from leading global venture capital funds, including Wing VC, Greylock Partners, Sallyport Investments and Y Combinator, and currently has >50 employees in Toronto, Calgary, and Houston. Ian is also a Senior Venture Partner at Pioneer Fund, a seed-stage venture fund that pools capital and expertise from 200+ Y Combinator alumni. Ian holds a BSc in Mathematical Physics from the University of Waterloo and a PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University.
Job Titles:
- EVP, Personal Financing Products RBC
- Executive Vice President of Personal Financing Products
- Member of the Board of Directors of Up With Women
Bio
Jacqui Allard is Executive Vice President of Personal Financing Products (PFP) within Personal & Commercial Banking (P&CB). She oversees all aspects of personal and residential lending products, including Home Equity Financing, Personal Lending, Automotive Financing, and the Newcomer segment. Jacqui's responsibilities include setting the overall strategic direction, distribution strategy and pricing for PFP to drive volume and bottom line growth, in addition to policy and regulatory compliance.
Previously, Jacqui was Senior Vice President of Strategy, Performance and Marketing within P&CB. She led teams responsible for developing business strategies to support integrated lines of business and ensuring the strategic alignment and management of both transformation and ongoing business projects, in addition to the marketing strategy and delivery for P&CB. She was also SVP, Wealth Management Solutions & Client Experience providing functional leadership of product management, digital, analytics and regulatory management in support of delivering a superior client experience to RBC's affluent and high net worth Wealth Management clients globally.
Prior to joining RBC in 2014, Jacqui was head of operations and chief information officer of the investment division of Manulife Financial, responsible for investment operations and information technology functions globally. She was previously President of Manulife Asset Management Canada & Global Chief Operations Officer. Her prior experience, with State Street and Bank of Ireland, included positions in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK.
Jacqui is a member of the Board of Directors of Up With Women, a not-for-profit providing career coaching and support for formerly homeless women. She is also a Board Member of Next Canada, dedicated to advancing innovation in Canada through supporting our best and brightest young entrepreneurs. She has served on numerous boards including the Portfolio Management Association of Canada, Serve Canada, the Pension Board of the United Church of Canada and the Advisory Committee of Women in Capital Markets. Jacqui was recognized as one of "Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women" by the Women's Executive Network in both 2013 and 2018.
Jacqui holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management from Bentley Graduate School of Business in Massachusetts and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics and History from Queen's University in Ontario.
Job Titles:
- FINDING PRODUCT / MARKET FIT
- General Partner, Real Ventures
Bio
As a successful online entrepreneur, Janet Bannister is passionate about using her expertise to mentor entrepreneurs and help their businesses reach their full potential. One of Janet's many great accomplishments was taking Kijiji, a business that faced many strong competitors in the US, and launching it in Canada; today it has become Canada's leading online classified destination, and one of the most visited sites in the country.
Further, Janet led the Kijiji Global business, launching the website in North America, Europe, and Asia and tripling global revenue year-over-year. Janet also worked at eBay in Silicon Valley, where she helped transform the company from a collectibles to a mainstream marketplace. To add to her repertoire, she was CEO of The Coveteur, helping it become a leading online fashion destination, worked as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, and served as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble. Presently, Janet is a General Partner of Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active early-stage venture fund.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Stewardship and Office of the CEO
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair, NEXT Canada and Partner, McKinsey & Company
- Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Bio
John is a Partner and in-house executive in McKinsey's special turnaround practice that focuses on providing elite leadership talent to drive large-scale turnarounds. John is an experienced turnaround CEO & private equity executive who has driven numerous successful turnarounds across a wide range of industries.
Functionally John's specialty is corporate finance, financial modelling, and accounting; in his spare time John has taught classes on these topics at several major business schools.
John spent part of his early career in the high technology group at Goldman Sachs in New York doing mergers, acquisitions and offerings for internet, communications, technology infrastructure, and software firms. Since then, he has been an active technology angel investor, and mentor / Exec Chair / lead investor for early stage technology businesses. John's recent investments include Kira Talent, Wealthsimple, Zensurance, Thalmic Labs, Homigo, and Revlo, among others. John is also Co-founder of Tech North, an effort that has gained broad national support that seeks to build the Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor in to one of the world's top technology superclusters. John is also a member of the national task force that is defining an artificial intelligence strategy for Canada.
John's writing on corporate governance, corporate finance, and technology has been published in The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, McKinsey Quarterly, and Director (the magazine of the Institute of Corporate Directors), among other publications.
John has served extensively as a director for non-profit organizations including Covenant House, a Canadian youth homeless shelter and the Harbourfront Center, an arts and cultural organization located on Toronto's waterfront. He is currently a Director of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, one of the largest charitable organizations in the country.
He holds an Honors BA in business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business where he graduated as Gold Medalist; an MA in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government; and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he graduated with Distinction.
Job Titles:
- Founder & Executive Chairman at Flashfood
Job Titles:
- President, Diamante Urban Corporation Civic Development Corporation
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Operations
Bio
Julie brings more than 25 years of finance, reporting and administrative experience working with start-ups in an entrepreneurial environment. She oversees the delivery of timely and accurate financial information, government compliance, human resource strategy and administration as well as the day-to-day operation of our office. She also works closely with the 36 Investments and The Young Founders Funds on matters related to administration and compliance in NEXT companies.
Previously Julie has led teams in a variety of business sectors (not for profit, IT, entertainment, manufacturing), worked internationally in the Middle East, and is known for her creative problem solving and flexible thinking. She received her Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Fanshawe College. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Faculty at HEC Montréal
- Program Director, Next AI - Montréal
Bio
Julien is a member of the faculty at HEC Montréal as an adjunct professor of management and the lead for the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) and Next AI programs in Montreal. He has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Pages Group Corporation (Y.TO) in Montreal, Quebec. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Head of Media and Member of the Executive Committee of Solocal Group (formerly PagesJaunes Groupe), the publicly traded and incumbent local search business in France. Mr. Billot is also serving as a Board Member at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, Jogogo Media, a Montreal based company and Groupe Paris Turf, a French media group. Mr. Billot is a graduate of École Polytechnique (Paris) and from Telecom Paris Tech. He holds a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in Industrial Economics from the University of Paris-Dauphine.
Job Titles:
- Professor of International Business Diplomacy, Georgetown University
Marc Busch is the Karl F. Landegger Professor of International Business Diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and an Adjunct Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is an expert on international trade policy and law, the author of the book Trade Warriors and articles in academic journals in political science, international affairs and international law.
Organizations he has consulted include Booz Allen Hamilton, Bell Canada, McKinsey & Co., Monitor, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Health Canada, the United Nations and International Trade Canada.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder, GMP Securities
Job Titles:
- Community Manager, Next AI - Montréal
Bio
Kyle Winters joined NEXT Canada in May of 2019, as Chief Advancement Officer. In this capacity, he strengthened relationships with corporate partners, cultivated new donors and developed a robust alumni engagement strategy. In June of 2021, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer. Kyle is now responsible for maintaining a strong, transparent and productive relationship with NEXT's board of directors, emeritus board of advisors, and alumni advisory council. He is supported by an outstanding leadership team with subject matter expertise in programs, advancement (fundraising and alumni affairs), marketing and finance and operations.
Kyle brings more than 25 years of not-for-profit leadership experience to NEXT Canada. After two decades at the University of Toronto, he left his role as Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to join the leadership team at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, as National Vice President, Corporate Partnerships. Prior to joining NEXT Kyle served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research.
Kyle has secured gifts and negotiated partnerships at unprecedented levels of support in each of the organizations he has worked for. Additionally, he has managed teams that have received national and international recognition for their creative and professional accomplishments.
Kyle earned a Global MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and completed the EMBA certification program at the University of St. Gallen. He has also completed executive education courses in leadership and strategic negotiation at the Harvard Business School.
Kyle is an avid traveller, a collector of eclectic art and a leader who takes great pride in the accomplishments of his team. He is committed to supporting NEXT's mission of increasing Canadian prosperity through entrepreneurship.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of Linamar Corporation
Bio
Linda Hasenfratz is the Chief Executive Officer of Linamar Corporation, a diversified global manufacturing Company of highly engineered products powering vehicles, motion, work and lives. Linamar Corporation (TSX:LNR) is a diversified global manufacturing company of highly engineered products powering vehicles, motion, work and lives.
Hasenfratz joined her father's company in 1990 and worked her way up from the ground floor, experiencing all aspects of the business including running a machine, engineering and operations management. Since her tenure as the Chief Executive Officer started, Hasenfratz has grown the company from an $800 million enterprise to a $6 billion company. Hasenfratz' enthusiasm for the arts prompted her to join the Board of Governors of the Royal Ontario Museum in 2002. In 2012 Hasenfratz became the inaugural Chair of the Philanthropy Leadership Cabinet of the Guelph General Hospital. Involvement in charitable organizations continues to be an important focus for her. Hasenfratz has also sat on the Board of Advisors for Catalyst Canada since 2003.
In February 2017 Hasenfratz was announced as the Canadian Chair of the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. Hasenfratz' desire to see women progress in business to the top level of industry prompted her to participate in these two key initiatives. Strengthening her position as a Canadian and Global leader, Ms. Hasenfratz was appointed to the CIBC Board of Directors in 2004 and appointed Chair of their Management Resources Compensation Committee in the fall of 2015.
Job Titles:
- CEO & Co - Founder, Bridgit
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Strategic Management
- Director, Research Resources and Centres Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Rotman School of Management
Bio
Mara is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management and the Director of Research Resources and Centres at the Rotman School of Management. Marajoined the faculty at Rotman in 2003 after completing a Ph.D. in Economics at M.I.T.
Mara does empirical research in the areas of Industrial Organization and Organizational Economics. At a broad level, Mara studies how companies compete and how they organize themselves for competitive advantage. She is best known for her research on loyalty programs and vertical integration. Much of her work has been focused on the airline industry and she is recognized as an expert in this area. Mara's research has been published in top academic journals including the American Economic Review, the Rand Journal of Economics and the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics. Mara has been invited to present her research at a variety of academic institutions including the Harvard Business School, the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and Berkeley's Haas School of Business as well as at the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau.
Mara teaches courses in Competitive Strategy, Data Analytics and Business Problem Solving in Rotman's MBA and Executive Education programs. Mara was part of the small team of Rotman faculty which co-developed and co-taught Rotman's flagship Capstone course. Mara also developed and acts as the director of Rotman's "Data Literacy for Managers" program.
Job Titles:
- BUSINESS GOVERNMENT and / the GLOBAL ECONOMY
- Professor
Professor Busch has addressed a variety of institutions, including the Advisory Centre on WTO Law, the World Bank and the United Nations. He has testified before the US Congress on Airbus-Boeing litigation and the Canadian Senate on softwood lumber litigation. He previously taught at Queen's University and Harvard University and won several teaching awards, including the Frank Knox Teaching Excellence Award at Queen's University, MBA Society Teaching Excellence Awards at Queen's School of Business and the Thomas Hoopes Teaching Prize at Harvard University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Director of Founder Success
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Alignvest Management Corporation
- Chairman, ScaleUp Ventures Former President & CEO, Rogers Communications
Bio
Nadir Mohamed is Chair of Alignvest Management Corporation. Mr. Mohamed served as the President and CEO of Rogers, Communications Inc. from March 2009 to December 2013. He began his communications career more than 30 years ago. He joined Rogers Communications in August 2000 and served as President and CEO of Rogers Wireless from 2001 through 2005 when he was appointed President and COO of Rogers Communications Group. Mr. Mohamed has been engaged in a spectrum of community organizations and over the past few years has focused on Canada's innovation and entrepreneurship agenda.
He is the Co-Founder and Chair of Scale Up Ventures and Chair of the Digital Media Zone Advisory Council and is CEO in residence at Ryerson University. Mr. Mohamed serves on the Board of TD Bank Financial Group and Trilogy International Partners. He is also on the Board of Tennis Canada, UHN Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation and is a founding Board Member of Next 36/NEXT Canada. Mr. Mohamed was named by Bloomberg as one of the world's most successful immigrants and in October 2013 was honoured by the UN Association in Canada at their 2013 Global Citizens Dinner.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, NEXT Canada Emeritus Board of Advisors Vice - President, Power Corporation of Canada
- Founder and Honorary Chairman of Young Canadians
- Senior Vice - President of Power Corporation
- Vice - President, Power Corporation of Canada
Bio
Paul Desmarais III is a Senior Vice-President of Power Corporation and Power Financial. He acts as Executive Chairman of Sagard Holdings and Portag3, Chairman of Wealthsimple and Peak Achievement Athletics, and Vice-Chairman of Imerys. He is also a director of Great-West Life, Investors Group, Mackenzie, Pargesa, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, IntegraMed, and Personal Capital.
Before joining Power as Vice-President in May 2014, he was Assistant Vice-President in the Risk Management Group of Great-West Lifeco beginning in 2012. Previously, he worked in project management and corporate strategy at Imerys in France. He began his career in 2004, working for five years with Goldman Sachs in the United States, in the Investment Banking and Investment Strategy Groups, as well as in the Special Situations Group.
Mr. Desmarais is the Founder and Honorary Chairman of Young Canadians in Finance. He served as Co-Chair of the True Patriot Love 2014 Arctic Expedition to the Magnetic North Pole. Mr. Desmarais is the Chair of the Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop campaign.
Mr. Desmarais is the recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard College (graduating cum laude) and he holds a Master in Business Administration from INSEAD in France.
Job Titles:
- IT and Digital Security Consultant
Job Titles:
- Agente Logistique, HEC Montréal - École Des Dirigeants
Job Titles:
- Founding Chairman and Co - Chair, NEXT Canada and Managing Partner, Alignvest Management Corp
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President & Head of Sustainability and Diversity, BDC
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations, Next AI - Montréal
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO, Purpose Investments
Job Titles:
- Venture Manager, Next AI - Montréal
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Managing Partner, Alignvest Management Corp
Bio
Tim Hodgson is a corporate director and currently serves as Chair of Hydro One. He also serves on the boards of Dialogue Health Technologies and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). Timothy was formerly Managing Partner of Alignvest Management Corporation from 2012 until his retirement in August 2019. He was Special Advisor to Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, from 2010 to 2012. From 1990 to 2010, Timothy held various positions in New York, London, Silicon Valley and Toronto with Goldman Sachs and served as Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs Canada from 2005 to 2010, with overall responsibilities for the firm's operations, client relationships and regulatory matters.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Brookfield Funds
Job Titles:
- Professor, Université De Montréal, Scientific Director, Mila Canada CIFAR AI Chair Scientific Director, IVADO
Bio
Yoshua Bengio received a PhD in Computer Science from McGill University, Canada in 1991. After two post-doctoral years, one at M.I.T. with Michael Jordan and one at AT&T Bell Laboratories with Yann LeCun and Vladimir Vapnik, he became professor at the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research at Université de Montréal. He is the author of two books and more than 200 publications, the most cited being in the areas of deep learning, recurrent neural networks, probabilistic learning algorithms, natural language processing and manifold learning. He is among the most cited Canadian computer scientists and is or has been associate editor of the top journals in machine learning and neural networks. Since ‘2000 he holds a Canada Research Chair in Statistical Learning Algorithms, since ‘2006 an NSERC Industrial Chair, since ‘2005 his is a Senior Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and since 2014 he co-directs its program focused on deep learning. He is on the board of the NIPS foundation and has been program chair and general chair for NIPS. He has co-organized the Learning Workshop for 14 years and co-created the new International Conference on Learning Representations. His current interests are centered around a quest for AI through machine learning, and include fundamental questions on deep learning and representation learning, the geometry of generalization in high-dimensional spaces, manifold learning, biologically inspired learning algorithms, and challenging applications of statistical machine learning.