Team – Sales Primer

Colin McWhinnie

Colin is an experienced Entrepreneur, Advisor and Speaker, focusing on Sales for early-stage and growth stage companies. He started Canada StartUp in 2005, a consulting company that helps companies move from sales strategy to execution. He is also a Managing Partner with Sales Primer™ (www.salesprimer.ca), a solution to help founders and their teams develop and operationalize a scalable B2B sales process with performance metrics. During this time, Colin has worked with hundreds of early- stage and growth companies in industries ranging from B2B/B2C SaaS, Robotics, MedTech, Fintech, Cleantech, Assistive Technologies and Cyber Security.

He currently serves as a Senior Sales Advisor with Volition Advisors, Alberta Innovates, OneEleven, the BCIT Venture Program, and is an EIR at Foresight Cleantech Accelerator. He has been a featured keynote speaker across North America, including the MIT Venture forum in Seattle.

Chris Stairs

Co-Founder of Sales Primer™ (www.salesprimer.ca), finance specialist for Volition, advisor with ERIN (Edmonton), instructor at BCIT, and an EIR at SFU VentureLabs, Chris has supported the commercialization of BC-based ventures across a broad range of sectors including construction management software, e-learning, workplace hygiene, therapeutic apparel, industrial
automation, event technologies, and bio-innovation. He has helped earlier-stage clients raise more than $12.5 million in combined grant, debt, and equity funding.

Chris began his career in sports marketing and tourism-hospitality, working for such global brands as the Olympics, FIFA, NBA, and the MLS. His first entrepreneurial experience was in the realm of anti-counterfeit authentication platforms.