The 2025 Startup Canada Tour recently made its final destination stop in Mississauga, bringing together a powerhouse lineup of founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders to spark conversation, connection, and candid discussion about what it takes to scale a business in Canada.
The day was packed with lessons, from the gritty reality of early-stage funding to embracing failure as a critical component of success. Here are the key takeaways that founders can apply to their own journeys right now, organized by some of the main sessions that defined the day.
From Idea to Impact: My Journey Building a Business
Speaker: Michele Romanow (“Dragon”, CBC Dragon’s Den and Co-Founder, Clearco)
Michele Romanow kicked off the day by reminding the audience that entrepreneurship is messy and that “all the planning can’t prevent failure.” Drawing on her early venture, a luxury caviar farm, she shared her journey from pitching to realizing the massive capital needed, highlighting how even a pivot taught her essential resilience.
“There isn’t one great idea; there are hundreds of iterations from where you started.”
Her advice: get scrappy. That hands-on experience taught her the leadership and adaptability that fuelled her later successes.
Key Takeaway: Failure is unavoidable. Embrace the messiness and use early ventures, even unsuccessful ones, as hands-on leadership training.
Emerging Technologies and the Future of Small Business
Moderator: Kate Karn (Director, Public Policy and A/Coordinator, Mastercard Changeworks, Mastercard Canada)
Panellists: Amanda Parker (General Manager, Canada, Constant Contact) and Ali Taiyeb (Director: Partnerships & Ecosystem | Chair of the Board of Directors, Startup Canada, Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence)
This panel reassured founders that it has never been easier to start a business thanks to accessible AI technology. Ali also noted, “Never been a better time to build a business,” highlighting the potential to research, automate mundane tasks, and scale globally, all from a laptop.
The panel encouraged entrepreneurs not to be intimidated:
- Start Simple: Start small, try new tools, and use AI for mundane tasks and research. As the panellists advised: “Ask Chat GPT how to use it. Give it a problem and ask for a solution.”
- Focus on the Problem: Use new tech to build a solution that addresses a specific need, rather than accumulating tools that just sit on your browser tabs.
Key Takeaway: The barrier to entry for business creation is lower than ever. Stop waiting for the perfect moment and use AI to automate research and mundane tasks to rapidly scale.
Tips to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
Speaker: Paul Gaspar (Director of Small Business, UPS Canada)
E-commerce success hinges on converting browsers into buyers. Paul Gaspar delivered a practical workshop providing actionable steps for entrepreneurs running e-commerce businesses. Key components of a good shopping cart experience include:
- Allowing customers to store future purchases in their carts for later.
- Offering multiple payment and service options.
- Ensuring accurate time-in-transit details and providing order tracking.
Key Takeaway: A seamless and trustworthy online shopping experience, with clear and fair pricing, is crucial for minimizing cart abandonment and maximizing sales.
Thriving Through Failure: A Fireside Chat on Mental Health in Entrepreneurship
Moderator: Paul Gaspar (Director of Small Business, UPS Canada)
Panellists: Rachel Wong (Co-Founder, Monday Girl) and Sanjay Singhal (Co-Founder, Audiobooks.com)
This chat provided a crucial check-in on mental health, reminding attendees that the founder journey is not as glamorous as social media often suggests.
- The 95% Rule: Roughly 95% of the things you try are going to fail, but the 5% that succeed are what build your company. Don’t let the failures bring you down.
- Break the Isolation: Realizing you are not alone in your struggles is powerful. Telling others you are struggling helps others come forward with their own challenges.
Key Takeaway: Entrepreneurship is isolating, but seeking support and building a diverse network is critical for managing the mental load and using “failures” as building blocks.
Clearing the Path: Entrepreneurs on Overcoming Obstacles
Moderator: Priya Tshering Kabo (Field, People & Culture Business Partner, Pizza Hut Canada)
Panellists: Bilqees Grant (Co-founder & CEO, Helius Originals) Eddy Bucardo (Founder, Co-Owner, Unchained Athletics) and Nicole Teschl (Founder, SowSweet Greetings)
This open conversation brought together founders to share the unfiltered truth about the barriers they’ve faced, ranging from accessing capital to building essential networks. The discussion centred on what strategies actually worked for the panellists, what didn’t, and how the broader ecosystem, investors, government, and support organizations can better uplift and sustain those starting and growing businesses in Mississauga. The panel was a powerful reminder that every successful business involves navigating significant hurdles.
Key Takeaways: Overcoming entrepreneurial obstacles requires candidness, resilience, and a willingness to leverage external support. Founders should actively seek opportunities to share knowledge and hold the ecosystem accountable for better support structures.
The Power of Starting with Nothing
Speaker: Wes Hall (CEO of Kingsdale Advisors and Founder of The BlackNorth Initiative)
Wes Hall offered a deeply personal perspective on leadership and legacy, sharing how his grandmother’s resourcefulness, who raised 10 children on a plantation worker’s salary, taught him core entrepreneurial truths about maximizing value and quality.
Hall challenged the audience to redefine success. He urged founders to nurture confidence in their internal and external stakeholders, motivate their people, and give back to take notice of the needs around them. He concluded with a powerful takeaway: “Leadership is not a birthright.”
Key Takeaway: Leadership is built, not given. Define success on your own terms and use your values and roots to drive a confident, inclusive leadership style.
The Financial Deep Dive: Investing in Canadian SMEs: Competition and Financing for Economic Growth
Speakers: Flore Kouadio (Competition Bureau), Ann Minu Jose (Competition Bureau), Carleen Dehaney (FXO Consulting), Alieu Jallow (IDEA Mississauga), and Mana Nikaeen (BDC)
This session focused on financial strategy and the evolving lending landscape with experts from the Competition Bureau Canada and the BDC, among others.
- Data Readiness: When seeking funding, ensure your data is well-prepared and reliable before applying. Lenders, including BDC, look closely at the collateral package and prefer businesses that have done their homework.
- Embrace Grants: Grants provide valuable funding support, especially for early-stage founders facing a lack of traction, and are a great way to fund internships or co-op students.
- Open Banking is Coming: Canada’s Open Banking framework will significantly increase competition and innovation in finance, promising SMEs faster loan decisions and access to customized financial products.
Key Takeaway: Securing funding takes time and preparation. Prepare your data, explore all options (grants, loans), and understand that Open Banking will fundamentally change access to capital.
Scaling in Sauga: From Idea to Acquisition
Moderator: Donna Heslin, PhD (Manager, Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, IDEA Mississauga)
Panellists: Kareem Abdur-Rashid (Co-founder, Kare Chemical Technologies Inc.), Nabanita Nawar (CEO & Co-founder, HDAX Therapeutics), and Nissreen Chams (Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Bell Cyber)
This inspiring panel focused on how startups scale successfully in the Mississauga ecosystem. Local innovators shared their journeys from early-stage ideation and validation to fundraising, mergers, and acquisitions (M&A). The session highlighted how Mississauga’s ecosystem supports growth across critical sectors like life sciences, cybersecurity, and advanced tech. Founders shared challenges and wins, offering valuable insights into navigating high-growth pathways.
Key Takeaway: Mississauga offers a dynamic, sector-diverse ecosystem for high-growth ventures. Founders should leverage local resources and connections to successfully navigate validation, fundraising, and strategic exits like M&A.
The Final Strategy Panel: Securing the Bag – Financing Strategies for New Entrepreneurs
Moderator: Miguel Barrieras, Chief Community Banking and Impact Officer, BDC
Panellists: Mekisha Banks, Founder (EVERBELLA), Sarah Pick (Regional Director, Futurpreneur), and Susan Henry (Director, Community Impact and Financial Inclusion, Alterna Saving)
This panel focused on financial readiness and funding management. Experts shared actionable advice on securing funding, managing financial growth, and positioning your business for long-term success.
Before seeking funding, founders must:
- Validate Your Idea: Speak to your target market about price and product viability.
- Know Your Numbers: Understand costs, margins, and cash flow. A strong cash reserve (minimum three months) is essential.
- Get Coached: Seek advisory and coaching services to ensure viability and provide the confidence needed to move forward.
Key Takeaway: Financial discipline is non-negotiable. Before seeking external funds, ensure you have robust internal systems (like separating business and personal accounts) and a clear understanding of your core business numbers.
To Close Out: Helping the World See Indigenous Faces
Speaker: Jenn Harper (Founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty)
Jenn Harper spoke about turning personal tragedy, the sudden loss of her brother, into powerful advocacy. She described how her brand’s focus evolved to centre on Indigenous culture, representation, and sustainability.
After a successful pop-up where she interacted with Indigenous children who had never seen themselves represented in beauty campaigns, Harper understood the profound importance of her work. The result is a brand where culture and values provide a deeper meaning beyond profit, driving not only success but empowerment.
Key Takeaway: Purpose-driven business models, anchored by authentic culture and values, create a deeper meaning for your brand that resonates with customers and drives sustainable success.
Thank You, Mississauga!
The 2025 Startup Canada Tour stop in Mississauga was a dynamic and inspiring day, leaving attendees energized, informed, and more connected than ever. The candid keynote speeches, practical panel insights, and deep dives into funding and technology underscored the vibrant spirit of entrepreneurship in the Greater Toronto Area and Startup Canada’s commitment to fostering a thriving ecosystem for all.
From essential conversations around mental wellness and leadership to strategic sessions on securing capital and leveraging AI, the Mississauga sessions were packed with value at every turn. Entrepreneurs walked away with fresh ideas, new relationships, and renewed motivation to take the next step in their journey.
A huge thank you to our incredible partners, speakers, volunteers, and attendees for making it all possible.
As the Startup Canada Tour momentum continues, one thing is clear: when entrepreneurs come together, great things happen. We look forward to seeing you at one of the 2026 Tour stops! Until then, check out our photo gallery and the video of all mainstage sessions, capturing the key moments, speakers, and startup community that made it unforgettable.
