Steph Bagnarol is the kind of leader who makes things happen quietly, confidently, and with an unwavering dedication to the people around her. As ventureLAB’s Director of Partnerships, Sponsorships & Events, Steph is the driving force behind some of our biggest initiatives, from high-profile government roundtables to our flagship global summit, HardTech.
But Steph didn’t come from the tech world—her path here started in community halls and civic centres, rooted in local government and a deep commitment to building connections.
Before joining ventureLAB, Steph spent 8 years with the City of Markham leading major events and public engagement through the Corporate Communications team. When the pandemic hit, her team was at the front lines, delivering urgent messaging and helping keep the community informed. But as part of budget cuts, Steph, then a contract employee, was let go.
“I suddenly had time to think about what might come next,” she reflects. Through a longstanding partnership between the City and ventureLAB, she came across a job posting. The role had already been filled, but the hiring team saw something in her, and they called her back. That conversation led to a new opportunity in partnerships, and ultimately a new career direction.
Steph joined a much smaller ventureLAB and quickly made her mark on the partnerships team. With her deep experience in logistics, stakeholder engagement, and government relations, she helped build ventureLAB’s early partnerships function. She also jumped in to support events when needed, which eventually led to her full-time leadership of the Events & Sponsorships portfolio.
She played a key role in the transformation of HardTech, which began as a local pitch competition and has grown into an internationally recognized conference. One of her proudest moments? Pitching the idea to take HardTech to a new location and seeing it grow and come to life.
“It’s all about creating value,” she says. “If a founder tells me they landed a major lead, or a partner found meaningful connections, that’s what makes all the planning worth it.”
Steph now leads a growing team, delivering some of ventureLAB’s most high-profile events including the G7 Semiconductor Point of Contact Group, which brought together top government leaders and industry stakeholders.
Steph’s approach to leadership is rooted in respect, collaboration, and showing up. “I don’t believe in hierarchy when there’s work to be done,” she says. “If chairs need setting up, I’ll do it. It’s how I was taught to lead, and it’s what I try to model for my team.”
That hands-on mindset is one she’s carried since her early days at Spectrum Catering, where she worked at just 16 years old. What started as a summer job turned into her first taste of event management, and even now, she continues to work with that same company through ventureLAB events.
Her journey through Seneca College’s Visual Merchandising Arts program and Event Management certificate helped build the foundation, but it’s been her on-the-ground experience, and her willingness to evolve, that carried her career forward.
Outside of ventureLAB, Steph gives her time and energy to the things she loves most: her family, her community, and sports. A board member and coach for Georgina Minor Hockey and board member for Lake Simcoe Soccer, she manages youth programming, tournaments, and events—often alongside her two children, who are just as sports-obsessed as she is.
Whether she’s organizing a hockey championship or hiking Sulphur Mountain in Banff with her family, Steph brings the same values into every space: dedication, care, and a desire to make an impact.
While Steph didn’t always know this is where she’d end up, she’s exactly where she’s meant to be. “Careers don’t follow a straight path,” she says. “It’s okay if you end up somewhere different than you planned. What matters is that you keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up.”
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