Event category: Breakouts

Events

November 18, 2021

02:05 PM - 02:45 PM EDT

Room 214 2021-11-18 40 MINS

How To Find Your Investor Soulmate and Raise Your Series A, B and Beyond

You might get the opportunity once in your career to build what can truly be a VC-backed company.   What metrics suggest that you have a venture-scalable company? Why do some early-stage ventures fail to grow beyond seed-stage? 

In this session you’ll hear learnings from very fast-growing companies that have successfully moved from bootstrapped to VC-backed. 

Moderator

DAVID ROZIN

Vice President & Head

Roynat’s Technology & Innovation Banking

CHARLOTTE BORGOGNONI

Investor

iNovia Capital

DAVID LITTLE

Managing Director

Dentons

PAUL VALLÉE

Founder & CEO

Tehama

02:05 PM - 02:45 PM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-18 40 MINS

The ABCs of Partnerships in B2B SaaS

The importance of the partnership function is often misunderstood, yet by the end of the decade it is estimated that 2 out of 3 B2B SaaS purchases will flow indirectly. In this panel, you will join partnership experts to learn more about the immense value partnerships can have on your B2B SaaS company, the different types of partnerships that exist, what to look for when selecting partners, and key tactics to activate partnership programs within your organization. 

Moderator

STEF REID

Director of Marketing

L-Spark

NICOLETTE LOPES

Lead Channel Partner Manager

PartnerStack

RIAZ SIDI

Founder and CEO

AdPuzl

TYRONE LINGLEY

Head of Partnerships

Ally.io

01:15 PM - 01:50 PM EDT

Room 214 2021-11-18 35 MINS

Psst… You’re Missing 20% of Your Market! Why Website and Product Accessibility Makes Cents

Good accessibility standards are good for business and increase your audience size. With 20% of the Canadian population living with a disability, it makes sense to ensure product and website accessibility.  Several provinces are mandating that online content be more accessible and many companies are scrambling on how to implement the updates … fast. 

Learn what to keep in mind when developing a new product, or how to bring current online content up to speed with digital accessibility expert David Hale. 

DAVE HALE

Co-Founder

Craft & Crew

01:15 PM - 01:50 PM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-18 35 MINS

Don’t Let Rejection Rule You… Let it Fuel You

7 Steps to Leverage Pain to Unlock Personal & Professional Growth 

90% of startups fail and the founders behind them often silently struggle with extreme stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout.  

While mental health isn’t a topic that’s readily discussed when it comes to entrepreneurship, it is vital to the success of any startup.  

 In this session, Lloyed Lobo, Co-founder, and President of “Soonicorn” Boast.AI shares 7 steps entrepreneurs can use to turn pain into personal and professional happiness from his experiences as a gulf war refugee, 2x failed startups, and almost dying due to COVID-19. 

 Specifically, Lloyed will share: understanding and preparing for the types of rejection and failure, tactical strategies for navigating anxiety and stress, how to build a support network, how to share safely and vulnerably, how to disassociate yourself from attachment, how to refocus and re-energize when you’re backed into a corner and best practices for peak mental, physical, and business performance.

LLOYED LOBO

Co-Founder & President

Boast.ai

11:10 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

Room 214 2021-11-18 35 MINS

Two Year Countdown to Launch Your IPO Rocketship

2021 has been a banner year for public market recognition of SaaS in Canada.  The recent rush of IPOs is frothy by any standard.  Mark Shulgan, Head of OMERS Growth Equity (OGE), shares his unique insights on scaling businesses from growth to IPO-readiness. An IPO holds companies to a higher standard — for finances, disclosures and delivering to plan, therefore setting it up for a stronger future. It would seem that many of the next generation of SaaS Founders may exit via IPO. 

Moderator

NEELAM BRAR

Director, Technology & Innovation Banking Group, Western Canada

Roynat Capital/Scotiabank

MARK SHULGAN

Managing Director and Head

OMERS Growth Equity

11:10 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-18 35 MINS

Your DIY Guide to DEI: Taking Strategies for Inclusion from Idea to Action

As companies strive to elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as an organizational core value, many struggle with how to implement change at a systemic level. DEI practitioners Sage and Sharon will help to unpack this complex challenge and share tactical tips on how to integrate DEI as a functional and integrated part of your business structure by addressing specific issues with processes and systems in the day-to-day of your business, operations, and culture. 

SAGE FRANCH

Founder & CEO

Crescendo

SHARON NYANGWESCO

Founder & CEO

QuakeLab

10:25 AM - 10:55 AM EDT

Room 214 2021-11-18 30 MINS

How Fellow App Prepared for its $24 Million Series A Fundraise

Canadian companies are raising growth rounds left and right, and it’s so exciting to see Fellow’s $24 million Series A round added to that list. While COVID-19 tailwinds helped the company close a round in just two weeks, Aydin, CEO and co-founder (and 6x SAAS NORTH emcee) credits the company’s intense 30-day preparation process as a huge factor in their success. Take a look inside how Fellow prepared for its Series A fundraise and learn the steps that you can follow too. 

Moderator

SEAN SILCOFF

Business Reporter

Globe & Mail

AYDIN MIRZAEE

CEO + Co-Founder

Fellow

10:25 AM - 10:55 AM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-18 30 MINS

Founder Led Marketing

Startup founders often struggle to know when and how to make their first marketing hire. Learn strategies to avoid common timing pitfalls and tips for approaching the hiring process more thoughtfully.  

You will learn: the essential elements of marketing to help founders figure out what kind of marketer they need, knowing the right time to add a marketer and when to start planning and how to establish the issues the hire would tackle. 

ALEX SHIPILLO

Director of Growth Marketing

Clio

MANUELA BÁRCENAS

Marketing Manager

Fellow.app

RIA RIAZ

Head of Marketing

MESH/diversity

November 17, 2021

02:40 PM - 03:20 PM EDT

Room 210 2021-11-17 40 MINS

Navigating the Capital Conundrum: A Discussion on When, How and Why to Raise Capital to Grow your Business

It is a challenge for bootstrapped entrepreneurs to know WHEN the best time is to raise capital and to evaluate the different capital options available to determine what is best to drive growth.  The Canadian tech ecosystem is flush with liquidity at present and lenders, VCs and other investors alike are competing for the best businesses. Hear from lenders and entrepreneurs about their practical experiences navigating these challenging waters and exploring different sources of debt and equity financing opportunities.

Moderator

IRFAN DAYA

Managing Director, Central & Wester Canada, Technology & Innovation Banking

National Bank

JANICE DINER

CEO & Founder

Horizn

PATRICK DESROCHERS

President & Co-Founder

Ubiweb

TREVOR SIMPSON

Associate Partner, Private Debt

FirePower Capital