My career in tech starts in the unlikeliest of places – a graduate degree in poetry. As a nerdy kid, I always loved using tech, and that eventually translated into using it to explore novel ways to compose poems. Of course, it was pretty obvious pretty quickly that poetry wasn't going to translate into a full-time gig – so I started blogging about tech instead.

Shortly after grad school I began writing freelance for Om Malik, whose GigaOM blog was one of the original tech news blogs that focused in part on Silicon Valley, venture funding and startups. Om, now a successful investor, was and remains an incredibly important influence on how I thought about media, and how I think about building and growing technology companies.

From there, I went on to be the only writer on the founding team of BetaKit, Canada's premiere startup news publication. After a relatively short time there, I was hired by the co-Editor-in-Chief Alexia Tsotsis to join TechCrunch with a wide remit, but focusing primarily on Apple, consumer and Canadian tech.

As a two-time 'boomerang' at TC, it clearly holds a special place in my heart. It was then and still is now the single best place to get authoritative, insightful and intelligent news about venture, startups and tech. But ever curious, I left TechCrunch twice to see what it was like to work in one of the biggest technology companies in the world – Apple – and one of the fastest growing Canadian success stories – Shopify.

One thread connected all of this: A deep love for technology, and for the people who build it. Speaking to founders was always the best part of my job at TechCrunch, and to this day, nothing makes me happier than talking o someone who's truly passionate about what they're building, and how they believe they're going to help shape the future.

At OMERS Ventures, I'm very excited to get to continue to do that, and to dedicate more time than ever to helping founders succeed and thrive. My role means that I will extend and enrich the already amazing OMERS Ventures network, and create content that provides lasting value to experienced builders and first-time founders alike.

What should founders and others know about you?

One of my guiding principles is to 'find the fun,' which has always served me well, even in extremely high-pressure and high-stakes situations and working environments. I know that founders face more of that than most, and I will always be on hand to help navigate those challenges in ways that aren't just about surviving, but that are also about getting enjoyment and value out of every possible moment.