Alumni & Donors
Isabel Bader Theatre
Location Details
93 Charles St W
Toronto, ON
M5S 2C7
Toronto, ON
M5S 2C7
On Tuesday, March 31 from 5:00–8:00 p.m., you will have the opportunity to see the top six teams present at the Grand Finale of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Business Plan Competition.
The Annual Business Plan Competition provides an opportunity for students at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy to bring together their clinical and business skills to create novel solutions that can improve individual patient care and have a positive impact on the wider healthcare system.
The top three teams will be awarded a total of $10,000.
1st prize - $5,000
2nd prize - $3,000
3rd prize - $2,000
New this year: Refreshments will be available ahead of the competition.
Registration
Register by March 20, 2026
Judging Panel
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Sherif Guorgui Sherif Guorgui is a dedicated pharmacy leader and advocate with over 25 years of experience across community, corporate, regulatory, and advocacy sectors. He is the co-CEO of OnPharm-United, a network of over 600 independent pharmacies across Ontario. Sherif is an active volunteer in the profession. He currently serves as President of the Community Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). He also serves as a Board Member of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, and the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. Previously, Sherif served as President and Chair of the Ontario College of Pharmacists and was Vice President of Pharmacy at the Ontario Pharmacists Association. Sherif created and led numerous initiatives to promote the profession to policy makers and stakeholders, such as the Leaders in Pharmacy global leadership series, featuring pharmacy leaders from around the world with dedicated seasons focused on Women Leaders in Pharmacy, Young Leaders in Pharmacy, Entrepreneur Leaders in Pharmacy, and Advocacy Leaders in Pharmacy. He co-founded HERizon Rx, an initiative supporting women in pharmacy leadership and entrepreneurship. He established Independent Pharmacy Day in Canada and led various successful advocacy campaigns on behalf of independent pharmacy and the profession at large. Sherif’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including the Excellence in Women Allyship Award, the Global Top 100 Healthcare Leaders Award, the Voice of Pharmacy Award and the FIP Fellowship Award. |
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Akeel Jaffer Akeel Jaffer is the Vice President of Loblaw Pharmacy Operations, where he oversees the strategic direction and operational excellence of over 400 pharmacy locations across Canada. A passionate advocate for community pharmacy, Akeel is a licensed Pharmacist and an alumnus of the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy. He further honed his business acumen by earning an MBA from the prestigious Schulich School of Business. His extensive career includes successfully operating multiple Shoppers Drug Mart locations and serving four years as SVP of Peers Relations. Outside of his professional life, Akeel enjoys spending quality time with his family, exploring the outdoors, and engaging in racquet sports. |
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Smita Patel Smita Patil serves as Vice President, Retail Member Relations and Professional Affairs, McKesson Canada where she leads national initiatives that advance professional practice, strengthen banner member/ franchisee engagement, and support the long term sustainability of community pharmacy. A licensed pharmacist in Ontario for over 20+ years, she is a dedicated advocate for the pharmacy profession and represents the interests of independent pharmacy owners in matters related to policy, professional standards, and business viability. Known for her strategic leadership and commitment to collaborative stakeholder engagement, Smita contributes to initiatives that enhance patient care, elevate professional excellence, and advance the role of pharmacists within the healthcare system. She is deeply committed to fostering the development of future leaders who will shape the advancement of pharmacy practice. |
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Jamie Stiff Jamie Stiff joined Genesys Capital in 2002 and became Partner at the firm in 2007. During his career at Genesys, he has been responsible for investments in several early-stage portfolio companies that cross a multitude of clinical disciplines and technology areas. Current board affiliations include Enspire DBS Therapy, Feldan Therapeutics, Giiant Pharma Inc., and Veralox Therapeutics, Inc. Past board affiliations include Allostera Pharma, EBT Medical, Fairhaven Pharmaceuticals (Acquired by Liminal BioSciences Inc. NASDAQ:LMNL), gIcare Pharma, Inversago Pharma (Acquired by Novo Nordisk) Interface Biologics, Matregen, Naurex (acquired by Allergan NYSE:AGN), NeurAxon, StemPath, Therapeutic Monitoring Systems and Zelos Therapeutics. Mr. Stiff also volunteers as a board member for BioteCanada, and as an advisor to the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) and Medicine by Design and as an associate with the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL). Prior to joining Genesys, Jamie worked at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in the genetic diagnostics field. This experience, combined with an academic background in biology, has provided significant technical knowledge of many areas of life sciences. Jamie completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. |