Fireside Chat w/ Doug Barker @ Northwood Family Office | Whiteboard Stories by WVG
Finding your path after graduation isn’t always straightforward. Let’s talk about what really works.
Join Waterloo Venture Group and Northwood Family Office for the Waterloo Tech Week edition of Whiteboard Stories, our monthly fireside chat series.
This time, we’re sitting down with Doug Barker, Manager of Client Relationship & Development at Northwood Family Office. As part of the Growth team at one of Canada’s leading Multi-Family Offices serving some of the country’s wealthiest families, he focuses on building meaningful relationships and creating value across the ecosystem - often by connecting the right people at the right time.
Doug graduated from the Environment and Business program at the University of Waterloo. During his co-op terms, he worked in tech sales before joining the digital consultancy Rangle.io, where he saw firsthand what it takes to scale as the company grew from 50 to 300 employees in under five years. He then moved into the family office world, first at a Single-Family Office where he supported portfolio companies and gained experience working through complex transactions, and now with Northwood, where he helps families navigate the intersection of wealth, family, and legacy.
He often assists early-stage founders and is a strategic advisor to a few, having helped raise pre-seed rounds and make key industry connections. Doug is also the co-founder of Run to Give Toronto, an initiative that has grown into a platform for local charities and businesses to share their stories and raise awareness for their causes.
In this fireside chat, you can expect:
Insights on how to find the right team, mentors, and advisors
Practical steps on how to actually get a job in the space
A primer on family office education and the Northwood approach
From the whiteboard to the real world. Whiteboard Stories by WVG.
Build with us or inquire at [email protected].
We are official event hosts with Waterloo Tech Week 2025, a celebration of what’s been built here, and what’s still to come. We’re building something great together. September 8-11, 2025. waterlootechweek.ca.