From scholarship to startups: How Schulich Leader Eli Scott is helping shape the future of innovation

Aug 6, 2025

Eli Scott smiles and poses in front of a blue background

Schulich Leader Eli Scott. (Photo by Natalia Dolan nataliadolan_)

When Eli Scott (BSc 2023) received the Schulich Leader Scholarship in 2018, it was more than just an award – it was a turning point. “I remember I got the email and jumped into my mom’s arms,” she says. “It meant our family could afford school for both my sister and me. It changed things for my whole family.”

Now, two years after graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in cognitive science, Scott is making waves in the world of venture capital, leveraging her interdisciplinary background to invest in cutting-edge technologies – including many that harness artificial intelligence.

An academic pivot

Scott began her university journey in engineering science but quickly realized her interests spanned multiple disciplines. She made the leap into cognitive science – a program that allowed her to combine computer science, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy.

“My goals and the things that excited me didn’t change,” Scott says. “But my path became clearer. Cognitive science gave me a lens to look at AI not just from a technical perspective but from ethical, philosophical and societal angles too.”

Scott’s timing proved to be ideal. She started at U of T in 2018 – the same year U of T Professor Emeritus and Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “godfather of AI,” received the Turing Award. “U of T was the place to be if you were interested in AI,” she says. “People like Aidan Gomez (BSc 2018), who co-authored the Attention Is All You Need paper [credited with changing the AI industry and helping lead to the creation of ChatGPT], were coming out of this ecosystem.”

From AI theory to real-world impact

While Scott was captivated by the theory and potential of AI, her interest evolved into a desire to see innovation applied in the real world. During her third year, she interned at Georgian, a Toronto-based venture capital fund, working on projects related to environmental sustainability and cryptocurrency. That internship sparked a new passion: venture capital.

“Being in venture capital means every day I’m meeting someone with a completely different background – founders trying to build something from scratch,” Scott says. “The most important skill I took from my degree wasn’t knowledge. It was learning how to learn – fast.”

The Schulich scholarship was life changing for me. It allowed me to pursue my passions, bet on myself and take risks that I may not have felt confident enough in myself to do.

Today, Scott works at Wittington Ventures, affiliated with the Weston Group of Companies (owners of Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart and more). There, she evaluates Canadian startups for their potential to add strategic value to companies in the Weston portfolio.

The Schulich scholarship was life changing for me. It allowed me to pursue my passions, bet on myself and take risks that I may not have felt confident enough in myself to do.

“What I love most is the intersection of innovation and impact,” she says. “You look at a startup and ask: Can this idea move the needle in five years? Can it reimagine how a whole sector operates?”

The power of support

Scott credits the Schulich Leader Scholarship not only with giving her the freedom to pursue her passions, but also with helping shape the person she’s become. During a COVID-era summer, when paid opportunities dried up, the scholarship allowed her to volunteer in a research lab and gain experience she wouldn’t have otherwise had.

“It’s easy to give yourself credit for where you end up,” she says. “But not everyone gets the gift of not having to worry about finances during school. I remember every day of high school worrying about money. The scholarship took that weight off and let me focus on becoming who I wanted to be.”

It’s that humility – and drive – that continues to propel Scott forward. “I feel really lucky,” she says. “And I try not to lose sight of that.”

Established through the Schulich Foundation by businessman Seymour Schulich in 2012, the Schulich Leader Scholarships are widely considered Canada’s most coveted awards for students pursuing an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and entrepreneurship.

Valued at $100,000 each for science, technology and math programs and $120,000 each for engineering programs, the scholarships are awarded to just 100 high school students across Canada each year – including 10 attending the University of Toronto.