Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

See what the business community has to say.
 

LEONARD BRODY

PRESIDENT, CLARITY DIGITAL

“I have known David for some time. In his former career, he was one of the “go to” corporate finance lawyers in Vancouver and he was known for being excellent technically, but very business minded as well and a guy who knew how to get deals done. Having left that profession to become an investment banker and VC, he has expanded his business experience significantly. I think he is now uniquely positioned in Vancouver to provide corporate finance advice to entrepreneurs who need help structuring, financing and selling their companies. He makes a great board member and advisor and I would highly recommend him.”


LEE LAU

LEE LAU LAW CORP.

“David doesn’t get rattled. Always calm, cool yet laser-like focused. This stood him well in his stead as a lawyer and in whatever high-level role David is called on to take. David’s strength is his flexibility and breadth of experience. He’s seen good times and bad in the markets. He’s seen small, medium and big deals. And through all that he doesn’t get rattled and executes to plan; or over-achieving plan. David is a good man to have on one’s side. I could not recommend him more highly.”


STEVEN MACDONALD

EX-CEO, PARASUN TECHNOLOGIES

“I had the privilege of working with David on the Board of Parasun Technologies. David’s strategic insights and expertise on governance matters was a significant factor in enabling Parasun to rapidly grow revenues and EBITDA. In his engagement as one of our investment bankers, David’s M&A expertise helped delivered a high valuation and successful liquidity event for Parasun shareholders. David’s guidance and mentorship made me a much stronger CEO. I highly recommend him.”


JIM HEPPELL

PRESIDENT, BC ADVANTAGE FUNDS

“If you want to build and finance (and eventually sell) a company, talk to David Raffa. David is a true company builder and leader. He is an extremely capable Board member and has been highly successful in selling companies for their maximum value. I can’t recommend David highly enough.”


GLENN BINDLEY

CEO, REDLEN TECHNOLOGIES

“David is simply an excellent board member. He is an exceptionally strong strategic thinker, has broad knowledge of both governance and corporate finance and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves.”


HARRY JAAKO

PRESIDENT, DISCOVERY CAPITAL

“David is a very experienced legal and venture capital professional. He possesses deep knowledge of business fundamentals, financing process and structures, and he literally wrote the book on all forms of documents that a small business needs; including bylaws, capital structures, financing docs, shareholder and option agreements, and contracts of all kinds.”


TERRY VANDERKRUYK

VICE-PRESIDENT, COASTAL CONTACTS

“I had the good fortune of working closely with David Raffa and the BC Advantage Fund in 2004 and 2005. BCAF was an investor in Protox Therapeutics, with whom I was employed during that period.

David is an unusual combination of sound legal/business experience, pragmatism, entrepreneurial spirit and humor. I appreciated his down to earth approach, as did others that we worked with at that time.

In short, he’s a pro (and a good guy).”


BOB DE WIT

CEO, GREATER VANCOUVER HOME BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION

“Need to raise capital or invest it wisely into an early or growth stage technology company? Then David’s your guy. Rarely have I seen such a great combination of lawyer-operator-investor combined in one package as it is in David’s case. On top of that, David is a down-to-earth guy who I enjoy spending time with when the topic’s not business.”


SHARON BARNES

EX-CEO, RFIND SYSTEMS

“Two years before we sold RFind, we brought in David to act as our investment banker and advisor. He told us what needed to be done if we wanted to be acquired. He helped us position the company, corporately and structurally, and make it attractive for sale. A lot of people don’t do this well, so it was great to get that advice. He went away, and we started putting it all into place. Without that advice, a sale wouldn’t have happened. We subsequently reengaged David when we were ready to broker our deal and the results far exceeded our expectations. Any company looking to get to that next level would be well served to engage David in taking that next step. You don’t know what you don’t know but he does.”


MARGOT WHITE

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

“David provided our organization with outstanding counsel in Board governance and development. His collaborative approach makes him a pleasure to work with. He is insightful, knowledgeable, credible and readily commands the respect of his audience. As far as I’m concerned he is the “go to” person for governance advice.”


MARIA PACELLA

BEEDIE CAPITAL PARTNERS

“I have had the pleasure of working with David on a venture-capital backed company board of directors. His calm, objective perspective and knowledge of corporate law, venture capital, governance and general business savvy made him a great value-add board member and advisor.”


RON PALFERY

DIRECTOR & ENTREPRENEUR

“I had the pleasure to serve as Chairman on the board of an Advantage portfolio company with David. While some VC’s tend to be simply portfolio managers on their boards, David was a strong value added director. David worked well with Management and the board in a fast paced and entrepreneurial environment faced with business challenges and rapid growth. David was equally comfortable and effective working at the strategic level as he was rolling up his sleeves and drilling down into financing, governance and/or operations. David has expertise in corporate structuring, finance, governance and liquidity but he also provides strong, focused leadership in working with the team to identify issues (including the elephant in the room) and driving for solutions.”


COREY STEFFEK

SAUDI ARAMCO ENERGY VENTURES

“I had the pleasure of serving on a board of directors with David where we were co-investors of a venture-capital backed company. What makes David unique is his deep expertise in both corporate law and venture investing. His ability to analyze problems and develop solutions significantly contributed to the company’s growth as well as played a key role in how we shaped our strategy moving forward. I highly recommend David and would enthusiastically work with him again if given the opportunity.”


HANS KNAPP

PARTNER, YALETOWN VENTURE PARTNERS

“I’ve had the pleasure of serving on two corporate boards with David, most recently at Redlen Technologies. He is a valued member of the board and contributes materially in areas involving corporate finance, strategy and governance.”


DEREK SPRATT

CEO, MOBIDIA TECHNOLOGIES

“I have worked with David in many different capacities over the years. He stands out for his intelligence, experience and team-oriented approach to managing and financing businesses. David is very well rounded, somewhat unconventional, and always ‘on’. A pleasure to work with.”


SHARON BARNES

EX-CEO, RFIND SYSTEMS

“Two years before we sold RFind, we brought in David to act as our investment banker and advisor. He told us what needed to be done if we wanted to be acquired. He helped us position the company, corporately and structurally, and make it attractive for sale. A lot of people don’t do this well, so it was great to get that advice. He went away, and we started putting it all into place. Without that advice, a sale wouldn’t have happened. We subsequently reengaged David when we were ready to broker our deal and the results far exceeded our expectations. Any company looking to get to that next level would be well served to engage David in taking that next step. You don’t know what you don’t know but he does.”


TOM O’FLAHERTY

EX-FOUNDER AND CEO OF MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

“David is an all-round bright guy and a knowledgeable professional. All the way from corporate law to finance and governance. He is especially familiar with young emerging companies. I highly recommend him.”


ROB GOEHRING

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, TIO NETWORKS

“I worked with David when BC Advantage Funds invested in Contigo Systems, a startup that I co-founded. David was our lead partner and sat on our Board of Directors. He was an immense asset to our team and provided excellent input on strategy for the company as well as counsel on partnerships and negotiations where his background in law was a tremendous benefit. David was able to quickly synthesize a wide variety of data points and provide highly strategic advice and suggestions. Always fair, honest and forthright, I would definitely recommend David as an investor, advisor or board member.”