Meet Orchid Jahanshahi
ThinkrBelle founder, advisor & investor
Orchid Jahanshahi
Hi, I’m the founder of ThinkrBelle and a lifelong connector of dots across biopharma, health tech, and everything in between.
After nearly 30 years working across Canada and the U.S. in global pharma—from neurology to oncology, sales to strategy—I’ve worn a lot of hats (and heels). I’ve helped launch treatments, led commercial teams, supported patients, and driven DEI initiatives inside some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, including six Fortune 500s. If there’s a therapeutic area, there’s a good chance I’ve worked in it.
In 2020, I made a bold career pivot into the tech world. I joined two startups in the AI space—first to explore how we could bring thoughtful, responsible AI into health care, and then to help scale an AI-powered analytics company focused on sales enablement in the life sciences sector. I was new to tech, but not to asking the right questions about what innovation should actually do. And I believe this deeply: AI and technology should make us more human—not just faster or flashier.
I dreamed up ThinkrBelle to bring all of this experience together—blending deep pharmaceutical know-how with startup agility and an obsession with outcomes. At ThinkrBelle, we help biotech and pharma companies address their biggest pain points by identifying, procuring, and scaling the right health tech solutions so they can move faster, smarter, and with more impact.
I’m especially passionate about mentorship, particularly for upstart founders in life sciences. Through my work at Creative Destruction Lab, I help new entrepreneurs sharpen
their vision, avoid landmines, and connect to the right people and opportunities. I’m committed to ensuring underrepresented founders—especially women—receive the guidance, credibility, and investment they deserve. The playing field still isn’t level, but I’m here to help tip the scales.
I also serve on the board of directors for Kinark Child & Family Services and Canadian Entrepreneurs in Life Science, and I’m proud to be an entrepreneur in residence at the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship. I hold an MBA from the Ivey School of Business and speak English, French, and Persian.
When I’m not working, I’m usually swapping ideas with brilliant founders, getting inspired by my teenage son, or recharging with a strong coffee and a good view. I believe that meaningful change happens when experience meets heart—and that’s what I bring to every conversation.
Let’s make health care smarter, more connected, and built to truly serve.
Endorsements from clients, colleagues & mentors
"Orchid has been a phenomenal advisor, connector, and friend since I started working with her. She has provided my team and I with effective and pragmatic advice on fundraising, channel strategy and go-to-market strategy. Orchid’s vast experience and even greater network has been incredibly valuable to me and my firm. Most importantly, in the time we have been working together, I've discovered that she is just a great person, with a magnetic personality, and is someone everyone loves to work with. She is, in short, an indispensable advisor and mentor to any founder."
Keith Loo
Co-Founder & CEO
Skinopathy
"Orchid’s unique value proposition is that she has been able to marry her deep expertise in pharma marketing and sales, with her recently acquired expertise in tech (AI, Machine Learning and digital) solutions. She has the ability to visualize how pharma can leverage tech to deliver improved value for sales reps, marketers, clinicians, and most importantly, patients.
Orchid is very creative and an agile learner, who is looking to deliver innovation and value for her customer. I enjoyed working and learning how I can leverage tech better with Orchid as my partner."
Leandra Wells
VP & Business Unit Head,
GSK
"I have known Orchid for many years, both in professional and personal capacities, and our paths have crossed in several companies during our careers. Orchid is a skilled commercial leader in the biotech/pharma industry. She is a strong collaborator, is a strategic thinker and is passionate about building and leading teams. Orchid has deep experience in marketing and sales and she has worked at small startups to large pharmaceutical companies. More recently, Orchid has built knowledge in the technology world and the use of AI to improve business outcomes. She is a versatile and flexible leader, a trusted colleague and friend."
Stephanie Brown
President,
Santhera Pharma
"ThinkrBelle pioneers a new frontier by democratizing the commercialization of HealthTech innovations and leveraging the expertise of Canadian pharma leaders.
This invaluable resource fills a critical gap in our ability to vet startups, currently reliant on less-than-reliable word-of-mouth for strategic investment and partnership decisions. ThinkrBelle promises to streamline this process, empowering us to make confident, informed choices for our business' future."
Rahul Rani
Assoc. Director,
Digital Enablement
GSK
"Orchid is a fantastic connector of people, business needs and innovative ideas. She is a passionate advocate for the world of data and AI and makes the complex simple when connecting her deep understanding of pharmaceutical sales and data science. Orchid's energy, enthusiasm and great communication skills make her a pleasure to work with and a joy to spend time with."
Julia Brown
VP Oncology
Janssen
"I found Orchid to be a very passionate, externally focused and innovative business leader during our time together at Novartis. It was a pleasure for me to learn from Orchid as she has a very unique skill of identifying, hiring and building highly diverse and talented teams - I have not experienced many leaders who identify and hire new talent as well as Orchid."
Pierre Bourdage
Chief Commercial Officer
Sandoz
Orchid is one of those rare executives who naturally serves as an inspiring mentor, building diverse high performing teams. With her knowledgeable Pharma & Life Sciences background and experiences, Orchid exhibits strong interpersonal skills and a unique capacity to align product innovation to meet customer business objectives. These qualities translate in her ability to achieve quantifiable milestones aligned with the company's go-to-market strategy.
Tony Cascio
Senior Advisor, Growth Services
MaRS Discovery District
