From Exit to Impact: Why The Donation to Sick Kids Mattered Most

Reflecting on the journey from a startup pledge to a meaningful contribution for children’s health.

I recently shared this story(video below) with a group of founders at a Sick Kids event hosted at the DMZ incubator at Toronto Metropolitan University. It brought back all the feelings that made this experience so powerful for me.

When Zensurance was acquired by Travelers in late 2018, it wasn’t just a professional milestone—it became a way to make a meaningful impact we had been planning for years. Early on, we pledged 1% of our options pool through the Upside Foundation, which encourages startups to give back when they reach an exit. The idea was simple: if we succeeded, we’d have the chance to support a cause close to our hearts. And when that moment arrived, we knew exactly where we wanted it to go.

Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto felt like the perfect choice. This isn’t just any hospital—it’s a place where children find hope, where families find support, and where some of the most groundbreaking work in pediatric medicine takes place. What comes out of Sick Kids doesn’t just impact children in Toronto or Canada; it changes lives worldwide. For me, as someone who believes in investing in children’s health and education as the keys to a better world, supporting Sick Kids was exactly right.

A short time after making the donation, this choice came full circle in a very personal way. My best friend had prematurely born twins who depended heavily on Sick Kids for their care, and I saw firsthand the incredible work they do. Then, another friend’s daughter was in a hospital in the U.S., and her doctors reached out to Sick Kids for a second opinion. These experiences showed me that Sick Kids’ impact stretches far beyond borders.

Directing this contribution to Sick Kids turned the Zensurance acquisition into something truly special. It wasn’t just about a successful business milestone anymore—it was about knowing that what we’d built could help fuel the vital work being done at Sick Kids. After all, entrepreneurs build businesses to make the world a better place, and this donation extended that same core value. That feeling—that our success could directly support children’s health—is one I’ll carry with me for a lifetime.

This experience taught me that true success isn’t just about financial milestones; it’s about the impact we leave behind. Building with purpose means our success can contribute to something much greater than ourselves.