MEET THE MINDSET TEAM
ALISON LAWTON - PRESIDENT
Alison is the Founder and President of Mindset Venture Group Ltd. a boutique private equity firm based in Vancouver, Canada. She was one of three founding partners of ideaPARK, a publicly listed technology incubator, before founding Mindset Venture Group Ltd.
Portfolio investment exits include Persona, acquired by Nestlé Health Science; Daily Harvest, acquired by Chobani; Coterie, acquired by Mammoth Brands; and Chef's Plate, acquired by HelloFresh. Mindset Venture Group partners with entrepreneurs who demonstrate a strong commitment to collaboration, innovation, and the practical realization of ideas that generate both social and economic value.
Alison's passion is Mindset Social Innovation Foundation. She has been a catalyst for the advancement of social finance, was an earlier investor in Acumen Fund, has partnered with Virgin Unite to launch a social impact fund Amplify Capital, and supported Canada's first health-related social impact bond with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Public Health Agency of Canada. She has also partnered with organizations including UNICEF Canada, Clinton Foundation and Dispensary of Hope on access to medicines, produced the award-winning documentary Uganda Rising, and co-founded the International Reporting Program at UBC. She currently sits on the board of directors of the World Refugee & Migration Council.
She holds a Master of Arts in Applied Science in Communications Studies from Simon Fraser University.
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 meticulous organization. Highly pragmatic and detailed in her approach, she drives the development of administrative and organizational systems that allow teams to work seamlessly together and access information with ease, while ensuring the smooth execution of day-to-day operations. Balancing strategic initiatives with operational efficiency, she fosters collaboration and takes pride in enabling the Mindset team to focus on what they do best.
She has five years of experience in real estate administration, 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.
Kylen is also an active member of Vancouver's live music community. She serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at the Wise Hall, joining in late 2024 at a pivotal moment of financial uncertainty, helping to steer the organization through a successful resurgence. In her spare time, she is an active performer in the Lower Mainland music scene. bands in the Lower Mainland. Her commitment to meaningful contribution to arts & culture 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.
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.