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Award Spotlight – Maria Pacella wins Excellence in Industry at AWF Peak Awards 

It’s not every day a colleague wins an award, but today, I’m so proud to announce that Maria Pacella, managing partner of Pender Ventures, has won the Excellence in Industry award from the Association of Women in Finance! 

Pender Ventures started in 2018 with a pretty simple idea: by leveraging the firm’s Venture Capital roots, PenderFund is uniquely positioned to create a leading Canadian cross-over investment platform. An idea is one thing; steadfast execution in pursuit of turning that idea into a reality is another. With Maria leading the charge I think it’s fair to say we are well on our way. We’ve invested in almost a dozen high-growth Canadian companies, helped multiple companies exit and most recently, launched our second Fund. 

Having had the privilege of working alongside Maria for more than five years, I can say that none of this would have been possible without her leadership. Over those years, I’ve witnessed her strategic and results-driven approach to investing, her unwavering commitment to founders and her extraordinary talent for bringing people together to solve big problems. 

But Maria’s impact goes far beyond the tech sector. As a board member of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, she has played an active role in shaping the future of healthcare across BC. Through her work with the Canadian Venture Capital Association & Private Equity Association, Maria is constantly pushing the boundaries to drive innovation in Canada’s business community. 

Championing women and underrepresented entrepreneurs and addressing inequity in the worlds of finance and technology are causes that I know are particularly close to her heart, and she’s done some outstanding advocacy work in these areas. 

Maria has been an exceptional leader, role model and a true mentor. It’s fantastic to see her work and contributions recognized in this way. She’s truly earned it. Congratulations Maria, from myself and the whole Pender Ventures team! 

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