Laura Buhler
Marketing leader @ Stripe | Founder advocate | Community strategist
I lead global startup marketing and community strategy at Stripe.Previously, as Partner and first Head of Community at Felicis, I built our first community platform and launched partnerships, programs and event experiences to grow and engage our AI/ML network.Prior to my time at Felicis, I spent 6 years as CEO of the C100, a global tech nonprofit community that supports Canadian founders with investment and mentorship. C100’s cohort-based founder Fellowship, online Slack community, and programs activating tech executives from companies like Meta, Google, Shopify, and Cloudflare led to our scaling the C100 across major tech hubs. C100's early-stage Fellowship companies have raised over $5B in venture funding and created over $15B in market value.I spent the earlier years of my career in several roles at Gilt Groupe, a Series D startup backed by Softbank and General Atlantic. My team and I worked across product, engineering, creative, and marketing to launch new, revenue-driving businesses, including product partnerships in payments (MasterCard, Affirm, American Express).I’m an active angel investor and have held formal advisory roles in two early-stage venture capital firms.
📍 Current location: San Francisco Bay Area

work
Enabling entrepreneurship is one of the core motivating missions of my career.I build products and programs that serve entrepreneurs building the future in AI/ML, financial services, SaaS, and commerce.I am learning the craft of product marketing at Stripe, where I lead our global marketing efforts to reach the venture-backed startup segment. I have worked with technology founders both as a VC and as the former leader of global tech nonprofit, the C100.I have held roles across GTM in product marketing, community, business development, partnerships, and growth.
Stripe, Head of Startup Marketing & Head of Community Programs (current)
Felicis, Partner & Head of Community (2023-2024)
The C100, CEO, 2016-2022
Gilt Groupe, Growth, Performance Marketing, BD, Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, 2012-2016
McKinsey & Co., Business Analyst, then Project Manager @ WEF (Secondee), 2008, 2009-2012
board & nonprofit
Venture for Canada, Board Director, 2018-2023
University of Calgary Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership (CIEL), 2019-2024
Kiva.org, Kiva Fellow, Rwanda, 2009
Investing & Advisory
Boardy.ai - voice AI network "super-connector" (Investor)
Maple VC - pre-seed venture fund backing global Canadians (Limited Partner)
Pivot Subscriptions - circular economy, manufacturing, resilience (Investor)
Accrue Savings - solving for the American household debt crisis (Investor)
Luge Capital - fintech-focused VC fund that invests in early-stage companies in Canada (Investment Committee "IC" member)
LMNT.vc - seed fund backing robotics and industrial tech (Advisor)
What I really like to do
Inspire people around a mission, vision, and goals
Hire, lead, and work on teams of positive, hard-working, growth-mindset people
Connect founders with well-aligned investors, customers, and other startup people
Produce and host differentiated events that deepen relationships
Do analyses and make charts to tell stories with data
Learn new software skills and no-code apps for automation & productivity
Interviews I've done
Harnessing the Power of Community on A New Wave of Entrepreneurship with Scott Stirrett
Canada in the Valley: Owning the Podium on Confluence with Rana Sarkar
Global Canadians: The Tech Sector’s Secret Weapon on Disruptors with John Stackhouse
Tips to Scale Your Membership: A Case Study with C100 on Grype with Farhad Khan
Interviews I've led or hosted
Choose Possibility: A Conversation on Risk-Taking with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of Xero
The Inflection Point for Ecommerce with Boris Wertz (Version One) Noura Sakkijha (Mejuri), Ethan Song (Frank & Oak), and Adrienne Down Coulson (Rakuten)
Startup Playbook in a Sudden Downturn with Geoff Lewis (Bedrock), Janet Bannister (Staircase Ventures), and Michael Scissons (CareerList)
The COVID-19 Pandemic: a cyber-criminal’s “Nirvana” with Arif Janmohamed (Lightspeed), Galina Antova (Claroty), and Sanjay Beri (Netskope)
Planet Canada: How Canadian Expats are Shaping the Future with John Stackhouse (RBC)
Operating principles at work
Lead with magnetism, positivity, and transparency
Learn constantly. Never ossify.
Autonomy is earned through accountability (to people, to commitments, to deadlines)
Directness is kindness (but only after the emotions have passed)
Dissolve the ego (working constantly at this one)

Outside of work
I love eating and cooking.
History buff - theater, opera, art, books, and podcasts.
Always outside nordic skiing, downhill skiing, or hiking.
Nature lover and bird watcher.