Alanna Souza

As a first-generation Canadian, Alanna Souza was driven to push a little harder. She grew up in a small city where everyone knows each other. Her parents left their life behind to build a better one for the family. She’s always been determined to make it worth their while.

The pressure She placed on herself to achieve led her to pursue a degree in business. She didn’t know what investment banking was, but for me, it symbolized the progress She chased. She learned a lot working in banking, but She was searching for something else.

During university, She studied fashion and retail in Italy. That experience stuck with me, and She remained interested in the world of tech and e-commerce. She packed up her belongings from her desk at Scotiabank and headed for a new adventure in New York City.

She wasn’t sure what She wanted to do after grad school, but when She was offered a position in consulting that would allow her to work for various e-commerce companies across North America, She jumped at the opportunity. She loves problem-solving, but She also enjoys getting her hands dirty. Fortunately, this path led her to a new role working with her first founder at a hyper-growth luxury fashion e-commerce company in Montreal. She loved every minute of it. Being involved in strategy and operations as the company grew to over 1,000 employees was an incredible experience. She learned firsthand from an entrepreneur who built something from nothing. And she was absolutely getting her hands dirty. She did everything from designing the company KPIs to producing a fashion show.

Her entrepreneurial journey continued when She moved to London to work for a series B startup. Again, She found herself wearing multiple hats. She built the client onboarding journey and led a 20+ person sales and account management team. It was a blast.

Founders are so inspirational to me. She finds their energy and determination contagious.

Her future will always have uncertainties, but one thing She knows for sure is that She always wants to be involved in the startup ecosystem. When the opportunity came up to support entrepreneurs back in Toronto and work with Drive Capital, She knew She had to take it.