Meet our Mentors
At an innovation and entrepreneurship centre, we feel having a strong mentor network is incredibly valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs. Our mentors provide beneficial guidance, support, and advice to help individuals navigate the challenges of starting a business. Our mentor network consists of experienced business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and industry-specific experts. They have a passion for working with new entrepreneurs and sharing the tips and tricks they have learned through their successful careers. Some have essential general business knowledge to share while others provide industry-specific insights to help navigate the unique challenges of entering a new market. At the Wood Centre, we are grateful for the time our dedicated mentors spend with our student founders. Our mentor network will continue to grow and evolve, to support our students across the many industries represented at the University of Guelph.
If you interested in becoming a part of our mentor network, please contact us.
John London
John has over 30 years of experience managing a wide variety of public and private businesses. His experience includes international Masters of Law degree, partnership at a Toronto Bay St. law firm, senior position at auto parts multinational, co-founder of public auto parts company, venture capital investing and CEO and board positions at technology and public pharmaceutical businesses. John’s current focus is business and academic board roles, including his roles at the Wood Centre as Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board and Executive in Residence.
Areas of Expertise:
- Legal
- Intellectual Property
- Investment Pitching
Steve Langford
Steve Langford is a consultant focused on coaching, training and mentoring. His specialties are process improvement, merchandising, negotiating, executive leadership, people management. A few highlights of his career include:
- A senior management role at Loblaw Companies from 1986 to 1990 where he managed teams responsible for the procurement of over $1 billion worth of goods for five different store brand lines. He was also a key strategist behind the development Loblaw’s President’s Choice and No Name Products brands.
- From 1990 to 1993 he ran Sunspun Foods, the foodservice division of Loblaw Companies.
- He was SVP of Merchandising at Shoppers Drug Mart from 1993 to 1996 where he centralized their purchasing and merchandising.
- In 1996 he became President and CEO of BC Hothouse Foods, a large greenhouse operation, where he expanded broker networks, negotiated new business globally and grew sales 140% to $150 million in just 2 years.
- In 2003, he joined Prizm Income Fund as chief purchasing officer, responsible for supply chain and merchandising for 400 KFC and 100 Taco Bell restaurants in Canada. Five years later he became Prizm’s President and revamped operations to focus on profitability and guest experience developing new products, market promotions and media plans.
Areas of Expertise:
- Branding
- Marketing
- MVP Development
Harrison Newlands
Director of Strategic Relations, Hoshi Internationl
Harrison has a diverse understanding of capital markets, having invested, advised, marketed and help found dozens of small to mid-cap companies and currently serves as the Director of Strategic Relations for Hoshi International. Prior to Hoshi Harrison was Director of Business Development at Fire & Flower, Canada’s leading independent cannabis retailer, and Research Associate for MacNicol & Associates in Toronto, Ontario. Harrison currently sits on the board for a local Ontario based charitable foundation and mentors students and startups at the University of Guelph, Ryerson University, and the Leaf Forward business accelerator.
The John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise is developing innovators and entrepreneurs at the University of Guelph. We look for innovative and sustainable solutions to economic, social and environmental problems. It is through this mission that we empower a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and a sustainable future. We instill in our students a sense of social responsibility and leadership, character-building values that help develop citizenship. We help to bring ideas to life!