History

In January 1992 James Drage started Drage & Co. Business Opportunities and Investments in his native Nova Scotia Canada. This was only a year after starting a career in business brokerage and M&A and also making his first angel investment. Over the next decade plus he invested in, purchased, co-founded and founded multiple businesses - he started with franchises and master franchise rights, next added "main street" businesses and eventually learned to find and assess crazy (read risky) ideas with large potential.

In 1995 he added Drage & Co. Property Opportunities and Investments. Although a side venture, the company grew quickly and over the next 25 years invested in and developed real estate; offered mortgage brokerage and private lending; operated a brokerage that was the first in Eastern Canada to be named to Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate, represented Christie's International Real Estate in the region and developed many other international connections; had a construction division building custom homes, manufactured homes (including Lindal Cedar Homes) and commercial projects. Perhaps most interesting, in 1997 the group opened a division that was one of, if not the leading broker of private islands in the world. Multiple projects, divisions and companies were sold through the years while James remained a licensed real estate broker for more 25 years until 2020.

Simultaneous with these projects James worked on several projects focused on creating startups that a strategic buyer would find valuable beyond a normal financial multiple. From 1997 - 2005 James started, built and sold 3 projects all based on the idea of building for a quick exit. He used systems and frameworks including most importantly identifying and filling gaps in a market and expanding the idea of Rembrandts in the Attic.

In 2005 he started Atlantic Venture Capital (AVC) the first private venture capital fund in Eastern Canada. AVC invested in 30+ companies over the next 15 years.

In 2010 the Drage Family Trust was created to help preserve and grow assets in a more professional, disciplined way.

2010 saw James co-found Precision Health Group (PHG). Initially intended to be a passive investment it grew to become a successful operator of homes for special care/needs, retirement and nursing homes, addiction treatment facilities, pharmacies and medical clinics. Most importantly, and the reason it deserves a specific mention, is that without this business the seed that resulted in the creation of Heroiq would never have been planted. The creation of the Ending Addiction Fund came from a December 2018 coaching session that would never have happened if PHG had not existed first – and without this HEROIQ would not exist today. The business also set up interest in, connections and future collaborations in numerous healthcare areas that are now central to HEROIQ.

Earlier in 2018 another now key event transpired that allowed this December session to have the impact it did. In 2017, AVC had a portfolio company fail that started a cascade of negative events – that eventually became positive. Failures in venture capital while never the desired outcome, are part of the risk inherent in the business model. This time instead of the normal "learn, adjust, refine and get up and keep going" that that normally happens, in 2018 James and his companies were attacked via character assassination sponsored by an angry co-investor.

While initially negative the experience led to a complete examination of how he was responsible for such a seemingly undeserved attack. Beginning around the time of the above mentioned year end planning session, began This involved almost 3 years of significant work, including brilliant coaches, friends and thinkers. The positive outcome was that by accepting 100% responsibility the assassination attempt failed. Not only did James feel the best and most successful ever but the result was the creation of Heroiq.

Between the above, in 2015 James founded Runway Finance Group to offer Venture Debt options. Partnered initially with a large US based hedge fund and later a number of family offices and UHNW investors.

In 2015 James founded Runway Finance Group to offer Venture Debt options. Partnered initially with a large US based hedge fund and later a number of family offices and UHNW investors.

In January 2021 James decided to take all of the learning from this life examination and combine it with his 30 + years of business, investing and connections. The practical change was taking the investment interests to the next level by combining and co-locating all of the many businesses and investments into a central vehicle. The main reset however was that going forward rather than focusing on financial return the focus would be on positively impacting the maximum number of lives - with the now obvious understanding that if you positively impact the lives of many people, you will be rewarded positively.

Return is not, and should not, only be measured in financial terms.

Inspired by many successful friends and supported by a cadre of professionals the plan came together over the course of the year and continued to grow and expand since.

HEROIQ is now located in Abu Dhabi UAE.

James Drage - the founder

James is a lifelong entrepreneur having started in "business" with not one, but two paper routes, one early morning and one afternoon as a young teenager. He started his first real business at the age of 15, with a 19 year old partner since he was too young to register it. Since those beginnings he has started, co-founded, purchased and invested in so many businesses he is unsure of the exact count, but it is safe to say it has been more than 100.

When asked what he does, rather than identifying as an investor or businessperson, James likes to say he is a goal setter, learner and thinker. He has followed a variety of planning systems since 1986 and has not missed annual, quarterly, monthly goal setting and planning in more than 30 years, and only missed weekly a handful of times.

On the learning front James normally reads for between 1 - 2 hours per day plus listens to podcasts or audio books (at 2-3X speed) for another 1-2 hours every day. Both the volume of content consumed, and the consistency over time has helped to mostly control an ADHD brain.

Beyond this self-education James followed a normal program of formal education doing undergrad after high school, followed by several years of work experience before grad school. Then almost 20 years later he returned for at late life master’s degree at INSEAD because that was where he had originally wanted to go but hadn't (sometimes accomplishing goals happens later than you wanted but the value is still there). While at INSEAD he was introduced to Systems Psychodynamics for the first time. It had such an eye-opening effect that he decided to start an even later life doctorate at the Tavistock (where Systems Psychodynamics was born). Both his thesis and dissertation applied systems psychodynamics to the venture capital industry.

The late-life education, and direction of his self-education and reflection were heavily influenced by a series of character assassinations. Living through them caused James to appreciate the importance of empathy, tolerance, caring and kindness. This improved focus has reshaped his approach to business in mid-life and led directly to the creation of HEROIQ and also his passion project investment of rebooting The 99 Kids.

James has also benefited from lifelong opportunities to attend conferences, seminars, trainings, retreats etc. and from being a member of peer groups such as YEO (now EO) and YPO, mastermind groups such as Genius Network and Boardroom, having numerous coaches from systems such as Strategic Coach, Exponential Organizations and The Arbinger Institute and industry associations too numerous to list.

James’ experience with having coaches was so helpful that he began requiring all portfolio companies to have one. Personally, because of his love of 'going big fast' and inability to be satisfied, he started taking coach training in the hope that he might learn the systems, frameworks, methodologies and tools faster than his coach was sharing them with him. After initially sharing things he was learning with portfolio companies, and often, anyone who would listen, he eventually became a coach formally. As evidence of how he approaches things once interested, he is currently certified as a coach, trainer or facilitator in more than a dozen programs and continues to add more as he finds new programs that seem positive. James prioritizes time to coach, usually Heroiq portfolio companies, because he finds nothing gives him as much energy and even joy.

As a thinker James spend a minimum of 10 minutes per day brainstorming and twice per week time blocks 45 minutes for a "thinking time" session.

James is a frequent speaker at conferences, events and for companies, sits on company boards, volunteers and always stays busy.

On the personal side James has been married to Lis, also a coach and recently a children's book author, for 35 years and has 5 adult children that continuously make him proud.

Heroiq Holdings manages the investments, creative projects, impact focused efforts and philanthropy for the Drage Family Office. It is the starting point to explore and support opportunities and interests.

Heroiq, the name, comes from the founder, James Drage's, belief that Heroic Intelligence is the best way to create profit and positive impact from both private investing and venture and collaborative philanthropy.