MEET THE MINDSET TEAM
ALISON LAWTON - PRESIDENT
Alison Lawton is the Founder and President of Mindset Venture Group Ltd., which manages a CGP Fund based in Vancouver, Canada. Through this platform, she works with entrepreneurs who demonstrate a strong commitment to collaboration, innovation, and the practical realization of ideas that generate both social and economic value.
Alison is also a social venture catalyst and founder of the Mindset Social Innovation Foundation, dedicated to advancing collaborative, cross-sector solutions to complex global challenges. Through partnerships spanning the private sector, civil society, and government, her work focuses on designing and implementing innovative frameworks that address systemic social challenges.
She has collaborated with a diverse range of international organizations, including Virgin Unite, UNICEF Canada, the Clinton Foundation, and Dispensary of Hope, with a particular focus on advancing HIV/AIDS awareness and equitable access to essential medicines. Recognizing the transformative role of media in shaping public discourse, Alison produced the award-winning documentary Uganda Rising, which brought global attention to the issue of child soldiers in Uganda. She also co-founded the International Reporting Program at the University of British Columbia with Peter Klein, to provide journalism graduate students with opportunities to gain field experience around the world.
Alison currently sits on the board of directors of the World Refugee & Migration Council, supporting international efforts to address corruption and strengthen accountability in global governance. She is the author of a policy paper advocating for the strategic use of seized Russian state assets to fund reparations and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, advancing accountability-driven and impact-oriented approaches to post-conflict recovery and refugee protection. In parallel, she is engaged with an international network of donors supporting LGBTQ+ advocacy, including initiatives aimed at decriminalization and the advancement of equal rights.
An early investor in Acumen, one of the pioneering impact investment funds in the United States, Alison has also played a catalytic role in advancing social finance in Canada. She partnered with Virgin Unite to launch the Canadian MaRS Catalyst Fund and contributed to the development of Canada’s first social impact bond in collaboration with the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
LAURA SCHOENMAKERS, CFA - VP OF FINANCE
Laura joined Mindset Venture Group Ltd in 2013. She manages Mindset’s private equity investment portfolio and leads the due diligence process, as well as the quantitative investment analysis on new investment opportunities. She specializes in building financial models and has worked on a broad range of projects, including many SaaS and consumer businesses analyses, distribution waterfall structures, real estate investment proforma, and has created several financial models to support the development of self-sustaining not for profit organizations.
Laura became a CFA Charterholder in 2018 and holds a Bachelor of Business Economics from Maastricht University in The Netherlands. In her spare time she loves to go camping and snowboarding, cook up a meal for family and friends, and the highlight of all her travels is the local food!
KYLEN FOX - EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Kylen joined the Mindset team in 2025, and is known for her administrative acumen, systems-thinking approach, and impeccable organization. She plays a key role in developing and optimizing systems at a high level while ensuring the smooth execution of day-to-day operations. Highly pragmatic and detailed in her approach, she consistently evolves efficient workflows rooted in commitment to her team’s goals and mission. Balancing strategic initiatives with operational efficiency, she fosters collaboration and takes pride in enabling the Mindset team to focus on what they do best.
Five years of experience in real estate, including earning her real estate licence in 2022 from UBC Sauder School of Business, combined with several years as a Linguistics major at Simon Fraser University make her attention to the written word exceptional and thoughtful.
Outside of work, Kylen is an active member of Vancouver's live music community. She performs with multiple bands and serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at the Wise Hall, joining in late 2024 at a pivotal moment of financial uncertainty and helping steer the organization through a successful resurgence. Her commitment to community, culture, and meaningful contribution to the arts in her community is another reason she resonates with the Mindset team and the work they do together.
LAUREN CASEY - IMPACT INVESTMENT CONSULTANT
Lauren is an independent investment and governance consultant, with significant experience in the field of impact investing. She currently advises and works with Angel investors, entrepreneurs, and financial institutions, drawing on a diverse background to assist clients with investment decision making and corporate/business growth. Most recently Lauren worked as the first Investment Manager (and founder member of the Transition to Scale team) at Grand Challenges Canada, a $400MM plus Federal government-funded, non-profit organization that funds innovation in global healthcare.
Lauren has an Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, another in Justice Studies from Royal Roads University, and a Law degree (LLB) from the University of London. She has a prior background in law and finance, having worked in the natural resource, corporate governance, bio tech, and venture capital sectors in British Columbia since 2003. In addition to her consulting work, she is a director of a thriving health tech company based in Montreal and also volunteers with the entrepreneurship@UBC program, thereby aiding early start-up entrepreneurs to find their feet.
ALEXA PURSELL - INTERN
Alexa is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at Western University, specializing in Consumer Behavior within the Management and Organizational Studies program. With a strong passion for understanding the psychology behind consumer decision-making, she brings a detail-oriented, problem-solving mindset to every challenge. In addition to her academic pursuits, Lexy has served as an academic mentor for incoming university students, Vice President of Charity on her university dance team, and, most recently, as a Campaign Coordinator for the student council presidential election. Lexy has collaborative, innovative, and inclusive approach to leadership.
Alexa’s foundation in the performing arts, as a competitive dancer which instilled values of discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and confidence. She channels these skills into her work in life and in business, always striving to think outside the box and make a meaningful impact.