Chris Stairs

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT CHRIS STAIRS

I’m a strategic business development leader and venture consultant with 25+ years of experience helping organizations and Founders grow, adapt, and scale. My background spans corporate executive roles, global event leadership, and startup advisory, giving me a unique perspective on how to operationalize vision into measurable results.As Co-Founder of Sales Primer, I developed a proprietary SaaS tool to help Founders achieve \"Sales-Readiness\" — turning sales strategy into structured systems that drive investor confidence and predictable growth. Over the past decade, I’ve guided more than 150+ early-stage ventures through financial modelling, fundraising, and go-to-market planning, contributing to over $15 M in startup capital raised.Previously, I directed $130M in global revenues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, managed international reseller programs across 75+ countries, served as VP of Sales for a publicly traded EdTech company during a successful tech reverse take-over, and acted as Director of Special Projects during the International relocation of the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA Franchise). As part-time / periodic faculty member, mentor, and venture advisor with SFU Beedie School of Business, SFU VentureLabs, BCIT, and Tamwood Global StartUp School, I support Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through my involvement with both post-secondary academic institutions and innovation accelerators — helping Founders bridge the critical gap between concept and commercialization.Parallel to my professional career, I have served for 15 years as President of the Jericho Sailing Centre Association, providing steady governance and long-term strategic oversight for one of Vancouver’s most recognized and beloved community institutions.I’m passionate about venture acceleration, strategic transformation, and leadership development — helping teams and founders build the clarity, systems, and strategy they need to move from idea to impact.Advisory & Faculty Roles: SFU VentureLabs | BCIT | Tamwood Global StartUp SchoolBoard Leadership: President, Jericho Sailing Centre Association (15+ years)Focus Areas: Venture Strategy · Business Development · Financial Modelling · Sales System Design · GovernanceSpecialties: Strategic planning, research and feasibility, operational start-up, business development, business transformation, budgeting, process design, systems investment/installation, project management, change management, board development, public presentations, training and education.