It's time for
SUPERCHARGEd CAPITAL
We use people, process, and technology to find, acquire, and grow resilient businesses.
Jim Gunderson
Operations / General Partner
Jim brings 30 years of experience leading growth, operations, and strategic execution across startups and large enterprises. He currently leads operations and expansion at Mint Smartwash, Canada’s largest express car wash brand, where he has scaled teams, improved quality KPIs, and driven multi-province growth. Previously, Jim held national leadership roles at Martin-Brower, a division of Reyes Holdings—the sixth most valuable privately held company in North America—where he oversaw quality, safety, sustainability, and innovation across the McDonald’s supply chain. He also helped build Blackline Safety from an early-stage Calgary startup to a publicly traded global tech firm. At 1864 Ventures, Jim focuses on investments where operational excellence, aligned governance, and hands-on support can create lasting value. He holds an MBA from Queen’s University and brings a founder-focused, execution-driven mindset to every deal. Jim is Gwich’in, First Nations and a proud Calgarian, with a deep belief in community, integrity, and building for the long term. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father of three, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu enthusiast, and lifelong reader.
Mike Whitford
Business Development / General Partner
With nearly two decades of leadership across private equity, industrial operations, and executive advisory roles, Mike brings a pragmatic, founder-focused mindset to every investment. In addition to 1864, Mike is an executive in the North American mining and commodities sector. He is also the founder of Whitford Consulting, a boutique advisory firm supporting CEOs, boards, and founders through growth, restructuring, and strategic inflection points. Throughout his career, Mike has led large commercial operations, corporate turnarounds, and capital structuring across sectors including energy, infrastructure, and industrials. He is known for combining hands-on execution with long-term strategic thinking, especially in underappreciated or transitional environments. At 1864 Ventures, Mike focuses on identifying opportunities where deep operational support, collaborative governance, and patient capital can create sustainable outcomes for both investors and operators. A proud Métis entrepreneur and Calgary resident, Mike holds a graduate degree from Queen’s University. Outside of work, he’s a dedicated father of 2, golf and hockey enthusiast, and always scouting the next underdog success story.
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Patrick Rousseau
Founders / General Partner
With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Patrick specialize in creating impactful solutions across various industries. His background in Industrial Design empowers him to develop user-friendly products that resonate with consumers. As a co-founder of a publicly traded company recognized as a leader in its market, He's honed his skills in strategic growth and innovation. His diverse experience spans starting, managing, and advising businesses, giving him a comprehensive understanding of commerce from grassroots initiatives to large-scale operations. His work has garnered attention from notable outlets including CNBC, G4TV, Engadget, and Wired, reflecting his commitment to excellence and innovation in every venture. He is passionate about leveraging technology and design to solve complex problems and is always open to connecting with like-minded professionals.
Emily Kneteman
Public Affairs / Founding Service Partner
Emily brings over 15 years of experience in strategic leadership, policy development, and stakeholder engagement across the public, nonprofit, and health sectors. Her expertise includes building and scaling organizations, leading cross-functional teams, crafting compelling advocacy strategies, and navigating complex government and regulatory landscapes. Emily helps support a purpose driven consultancy that merges strategic insight with deep sectoral knowledge. She is focused on driving meaningful change by aligning innovative thinking with practical execution. She enjoys travelling with her family and supporting her community.
Paisley Churchill
Public Affairs / Founding Service Partner
Paisley brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. She has worked with hundreds of startups, scale-ups, and support organizations across Canada, helping them navigate funding, commercialization, and product strategy. As a consultant, she has advised more than 20 companies on grant writing and business planning, helping unlock millions in non-dilutive capital. Over the course of her career, Paisley has helped launch more than 30 web and mobile applications, bringing a practical understanding of how digital products move from idea to execution. Building on this experience, she founded The Tech Translator, a company dedicated to bridging the gap between business and technology. Her work focuses on helping non-technical founders and business leaders understand the software development process, make better product decisions, and avoid costly missteps. When she’s not working with founders, she’s probably on the mats training jiu-jitsu or spoiling her two dogs.
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Caleb Clark
Marketing / Founding Service Partner
Caleb is the Co-founder of Hook + Ladder, a full service digital brand and performance marketing agency where today he serves as the Chief Partnership Officer. He has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, sales, team leadership and strategic partnership development across multiple B2C and B2B industries. As a service partner at 1864 Ventures, Caleb focuses on accelerating the growth of portfolio businesses by ensuring clear market positioning and supporting on marketing strategies designed to solidify market presence and drive growth. Outside of work, Caleb is passionate about spending time with his wife and two young girls while finding as much extra time as possible to watch and play sports!
David Heisz
Finance / Founding Service Partner
David brings over 25 years of exceptional leadership credentials and deep financial markets expertise, combining CEO/COO experience, strategic transformation and M&A capabilities, and proven track record in driving organizational growth and operational excellence. A seasoned executive from RBC with comprehensive experience in the capital markets and financial services eco-systems, David now consults executive teams in large and small businesses on maximizing strategic performance outcomes. As a Chartered Professional Accountant, he brings deep analytic thinking with strategic vision to identify opportunities in all environments. He has governance experience and is currently enrolled in the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) program. Outside of work, you can find David enjoying being active in cycling, skiing, or hiking in the mountains, or exploring recipes in the kitchen with his 5 kids.
John Carpenter
Innovation / Founding Service Partner
John brings over 30 years of experience in technology leadership, digital transformation, and venture scaling across ecommerce, AI technology, and mobile platforms. John's expertise includes building companies from concept to acquisition, scaling high-performance engineering teams, and driving AI-powered innovation strategies. John has served as CTO for multiple ventures, serving organizations from 10 to 100+ staff, and leading startup and scaleup companies through successful acquisitions. He has co-founded global technology platforms, built engineering cultures from the ground up, and guided teams through rapid growth phases. As a fractional CTO and technical advisor, John helps startups and scale-ups navigate complex technical challenges, implement data-first strategies, and develop high-performing engineering organizations. His hands-on leadership approach combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision to transform both teams and technology.
Tonny Lam
Marketing / Founding Service Partner
Tonny is the CEO & Co-Founder of Hook + Ladder Digital, a marketing firm that specializes in scaling multi-location businesses and B2B companies. Prior to Hook + Ladder, he was a Consultant at Accenture, where he advised Fortune 500 clients on strategic transformation, technology implementation, and process optimization. At 1864 Ventures, Tonny serves as a Founding Service Partner, supporting portfolio companies with go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition, and marketing operations. He brings a founder’s mindset and an operator’s discipline to help early-stage businesses gain traction and scale with intention. Balancing his career, Tonny cherishes opportunities to travel with his family, engage in competitive badminton, and pursue his passion for lifelong learning.
OUR FOUNDING PARTNERS
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Traditional venture capital funds often rely on a high-failure-rate model. Private equity funds, while more stable, can be rigid, slow-moving, and overly financialized. Our model intentionally blends the best of both worlds and is built on people, process, and technology. We de-risk our portfolio through the acquisition of proven, profitable companies, while capturing high-upside opportunities through selective acquisition. We pair this with a tech-enabled platform -- standardized playbooks, shared data, and AI tools that help us source, evaluate, and support businesses more effectively. But what truly differentiates us is our Service Partner model - an engaged group of experienced professionals in law, finance, operations, and beyond — who invest their time and expertise alongside their capital. This means our portfolio companies get hands-on help to achieve much greater growth.