SIXTY DEGREE CAPITAL - Key Persons
Brett joined Sixty Degree Capital in May 2021 as a Principal.
Prior to joining, Brett co-founded and exited a Climatetech startup developing a solution to recycle spent lithium batteries sustainably. He also worked 7 years in investment in the energy and related technology sector, and completed several acquisitions and private equity investments with a total deal value over $1 Bn. In his role as senior investment advisor for Bankers Petroleum, Brett was leading the New Ventures initiatives for over 3 years, during which he was leading the transaction and post merger integration for cross border acquisitions which included a privatization deal in the TSX. He also worked for Hatch Ltd. in technical consulting roles for over 3 years and worked on technology and capital development projects with total capex size over $500 M.
Brett holds a master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto and a B Eng. in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University. In addition, he holds a number of patents in renewable energy and industrial AI applications, and is also a CFA charter holder.
Calista is the Operations Coordinator at Sixty Degree Capital, specializing in venture capital operations and fund administration.
Her prior experience includes project coordination, executive meeting preparation, and cross-departmental collaboration. She also excelled as a marketing developer in a fast-paced e-commerce company, expanding partnership opportunities and building long-term relationships.
With a degree in Mathematics from Queen's University, Calista brings analytical precision to her role, making her a quick learner and dedicated professional.
Chang Liu is a Research Scientist at Sixty Degree Capital, assisting with market research, technical diligence, and thought leadership with a particular focus on AI/machine learning and data infrastructure.
Chang is a 2nd year PhD student at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on mathematical optimization and machine learning. Prior to her PhD studies, she has worked as an Applied Research Scientist at Georgian Partners, a Toronto-based venture capital firm, where she held a variety of responsibilities including working closely with portfolio companies on their AI products as well as helping the investment team with technical due diligence.
Chang also completed her Master of Applied Science in Operations Research from the University of Toronto, and has received her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.
Cheryl joined SDC March 2021. She specializes in investments in biopharmaceuticals, healthcare tech and medical device sectors.
Prior to joining SDC, Cheryl co-founded a biotechnology start-up, Agropeutix, Inc., where she held both research and business development positions. She led research collaboration projects with big life science corporations, such as Perkin Elmer and Syngenta.
Cheryl holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Brock University. She graduated with Distinguished Graduate Student Award. Her research background is in gene expression, transcriptional control and genetic engineering. She received a B.Eng. in Biological Engineering from China's Northwest A&F University.
Cheryl has passed the CFA level III exam.
Dr. Lily Yi Li serves as the Managing Director of Sixty Degree Capital, where she has established herself as an accomplished leader within the healthcare sector, specializing in drug discovery and healthcare services across Europe, the United States, and Asia. With her profound expertise, Lily brings deep operating and scientific capabilities to Sixty Degree Capital, enabling her to lead successful portfolios, programs, and teams.
Since joining Sixty Degree in 2017, Lily has been at the forefront of healthcare investments, overseeing a remarkable portfolio of companies, including notable names such as Schrödinger (SDGR), Arcellx (ACLX), Monte Rosa (GLUE), Cincor Pharma (CINC, Acquired), Northern Biologics (Acquired), Engage Therapeutics (Acquired), Turnstone Biologics (TSBX), Korro Bio (KRRO), Thrive Health, Everside Health, Inspirna, Nextpoint Therapeutic, Reflexion Medicine, and many more.
Prior to her role at Sixty Degree Capital, Lily garnered invaluable experience as a pharmaceutical scientist, specializing in formulation, CMC, pharmaceutical modeling, and GMP system/plant design. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science, with a primary focus on Alzheimer's Research, from the University of Toronto. Both her undergraduate and master's degrees were also earned at the University of Toronto.
Jenny Lo is an Associate at Sixty Degree Capital, supporting investment in digital infrastructure and transformative software innovation.
Prior to joining SDC, she worked at Cathay Venture (the VC arm of the largest bank in Taiwan), where she led sourcing, diligence and supported portfolio companies and FoF positions across enterprise SaaS, fintech and martech verticals. She has also worked at 104 Corp (CVC for a major HRM company in Asia), Vanguard (fintech strategy), Micron, and Rubasse (a hardware startup).
Jenny grew up in Taiwan, graduated from Chiao Tung University, and finished her MBA at Rotman School of Business, where she was involved with the Creative Destruction Lab, helping early stage ventures.
Jiaojiao Ye is an Analyst at Sixty Degree Capital, where she is focused on the areas of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
She has over 10 years experience in cloud computing, and has worked as a product manager for a major Telcom provider, overseeing large-scale cloud computing products portfolios. She had worked closely with large enterprises such as Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco during her tenure.
Jojo has completed her MBA in Schulich Business School and holds master's degree of Information System engineering.
Ken Joined Sixty Degree Capital in May 2021 as an Investment Analyst. He acts as a science and market expert to help develop Sixty Degree Capital's biotechnology and healthcare investment portfolio.
Previously, Ken worked on drug discovery for regenerative medicines with biopharma startup Endogena Therapeutics; he worked on developing a diabetes cell therapy with biotech company Sernova; and worked with the Neurobiology Research Group at the Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research in Toronto, developing stem cell-based approaches to treat degenerative diseases of the retina and the brain.
Ken is also passionate about scientific outreach and education, and acts as a scientific consultant for the entertainment industry.
Ken holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto, as well as an M.Sc. in Kinesiology and B.Sc. in Physiology & Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
Prior to joining, Nate completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. He studied the genetic mutations and their molecular mechanism in cardiomyopathy. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Tsinghua University, working at the interdisciplinary of chemistry, synthesis, and biomedical research. Nate has passed CFA Level III exam.
A seasoned venture capital/private equity investor with a proven track record of identifying and investing in high-growth companies. He has extensive experience as a board member, executive and advisor in public and private companies. Former: Board Director for "China Wind Power" (TSX-V: CNW), and Board Director for "Environmental Waste International Inc." (TSX-V: EWS). CEO of Goldenmount Capital International Inc. Investment Advisor at "BMO Nesbitt Burns" and Senior Associate at "TD".
Robert has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, he also holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.
Thomas joined Sixty Degree Capital in February 2021.
Prior to joining, Thomas interned at a startup search fund, where he conducted due diligence on potential acquisitions, gaining hands-on experience in strategic evaluation, and showcasing his financial acumen. He also worked at Morneau Shepell as a Pension Analyst, managing transactions for mutual fund products.
Thomas holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Western University and an MBA from Schulich School of Business.
Tyler began investing for Sixty Degree as an Associate at the start of 2021 before being promoted to Principal in 2022.
Prior to working for SDC, he worked as an early employee of Edesa Biotech, a Toronto-based dermatology biopharma startup. At Edesa, Tyler was responsible for a diverse and essential range of tasks for any biotech: authoring regulatory documents, managing external research vendors, coordinating drug material manufacturing, clinical trial planning, building relationships with medical KOLs, initiating clinical sites, licensing activities, and fundraising (to name a few). Tyler was also involved in Edesa's flip from being a privately owned biotech to one that is listed on the NASDAQ.
Tyler graduated from the University of Toronto with a PhD in Molecular Genetics, from the lab of Dr. Kenichi Okamoto. Tyler's research was centered around developing new optogenetic tools to answer basic questions about learning and memory with applicability to dementia, Alzheimer's, and cognitive decline.
William joined Sixty Degree Capital in August 2020.
Before joining, William worked for Scotiabank and EllisDon in technology customer success management and business analysis roles. Previously, William worked for Accenture Singapore as a technology consultant on several large enterprise system implementation projects. William holds H.B.Eng in Information Engineering and Media from Nanyang Technological University. Currently, he is pursuing his MBA at Schulich School of Business, York University.