Victoria, Thank you. The Lessons Learned That Our Founders Are Still Talking About

By Teri-Lyn O'Hara  |  

On September 29, 2026, the Startup Canada team and partners landed at the Victoria Conference Centre in British Columbia’s capital, Victoria, for the second stop of our Startup Canada Tour. 

Founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders spent the day learning from people who have built, funded, and scaled businesses of their own. 

The day also featured the Startup Global National Pitch Competition, which started as a closed-door pitch, leading to the top five taking the stage for live pitches in front of the audience and judges. Ashlyn Newlove, Smart Sip Cream Co., won first place, taking home $8,500 and a spot in the Grand Finale in Mississauga on October 29, where $30,000 is up for grabs, and Erfan Rahimizadeh, Abroadin, claimed the People’s Choice Award and left with $1,000. Read the full recap here. 

Here are the Mainstage moments we’re still talking about!

The Ten-Year Overnight Success: How Outway Became Canada’s Largest Independent Sock Brand

Speaker: Rob Fraser, Founder and CEO of Outway

Rob opened the Mainstage on the morning of September 29 with the story of Outway, which took a decade of steady work, learning curves, and a cease-and-desist to become Canada’s largest independent sock brand. He broke down growth into the levers founders can pull: product, market, and channel, and how expanding into any one of them can open up the next chapter of your business.  

Additionally, he discussed how the role of the founder changes as the business grows. The founder’s job is to understand every area of the business deeply, and then figure out who you can hand each piece to. 

“Entrepreneurship is permissionless. You can create your own path.” – Rob Fraser

Key Takeaway: When doubt begins to creep in, flip the question… Rob encouraged founders to stop asking “what if it fails?” and start asking “what if it succeeds?”

Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey: Financial Strategies for Every Stage

Moderator: Andrea Nelson (Regional Director and Group Lead, Business Banking, BC and Yukon, Scotiabank)

Panellists: Brianna Blaney (CEO & Co-Founder, Pocketed, a Deloitte business), Ken Foster (Healthcare and Professional Banking Specialist), and Sim Dhanju (Executive Director, Sales Strategy & Partner Growth, Merchant Services, JPMorgan Chase & Co)

Sponsor:  Scotiabank

This panel tackled the money questions founders face at various stages, from finding funding to getting paid. These are some standout moments from our panellists: 

  • Look early and often. Brianna highlighted that it is never too early to start exploring funding, and to not be afraid to ask questions when you’re unsure. 
  • Plan your payments from day one. Sim encouraged founders to think about how they will accept payments early on. 
  • Start your data room now. Brianna mentioned the importance of keeping your financials, investor contacts, and pitch decks in one place. Referring to it as the snapshot of your business, which will serve you well in your funding conversations. 
  • Build a circle of mentors. Sim reminded founders in the room that you don’t need to rely solely on one mentor, and Ken emphasized the benefits of finding mentors whose strengths fill your gaps. 

“It’s better to have capital and not need it than to need it and not have it.” – Ken Foster, Scotiabank

Key Takeaway: It is rarely one source that funds a business. Explore every option early, from grants and loans to investment, and stay curious about what’s out there. 

How to Reduce Cart Abandonment and Recover Lost Revenue 

Speaker: Paul Gaspar (Director of Small Business, UPS Canada) 

Sponsor: UPS

Paul took founders beyond the checkout button, looking at what happens after the customer clicks “buy” and how those moments decide whether or not they return. 

Here’s what founders took away: 

  • Speed counts. Customers want shipping details the moment they click “order”. Send a confirmation email right away and use it to market to someone who has already purchased from you.
  • Make returns easy. A quick and painless return process helps build trust and gives your shoppers the confidence to order again.
  • Free shipping doesn’t exist. Paul said it. Someone always covers the cost, so the smart move is deciding how to build it into your pricing.

Key Takeaway: Customer loyalty is built after the sale. Every touchpoint, from the confirmation email to the return label, is a chance to turn a first order into a repeat customer. 

Pitch Perfect: The Deck, The Delivery, and The Deal

Moderator: Isabel Nolan (Director of Programs, Startup Canada)

Panellists: Rasool Rayani (Investor, Inovia Capital) and Andrew McLeod (Co-Founder and CEO, Certn)

Rasool and Andrew shared what it takes to win over a room of investors, from building the deck to closing the deal. Andrew kicked things off by delivering the pitch that first won over Rasool almost 10 years ago, when Certn was just starting out. 

Now, having raised over $150 million, here are the standout points that made the pitch work and what founders should take notes on for their own pitches. 

  • Hook them in the first 30 seconds. Speak to a problem your audience feels right away, and save the technical details for later. For example, Andrew opened his pitch by asking how many people in the room were landlords, since one in three British Columbians is one. 
  • Choose investors for what they unlock. Figure out what your business needs the most, whether that is customer access or credibility with larger clients, and look for investors who can bring that to your business. 
  • Keep investors in the loop. Rasool praised Andrew for consistently sending updates, both good and tough news. One of Certn’s largest investors came from Andrew reaching out to a loose connection for advice during a difficult moment in the press. 

“If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money.” – Andrew McLeod

Key Takeaway: A pitch works like a commercial, and its job is to earn the next conversation. You have to hook your audience early and build investor relationships long before you need the capital. 

From Pecan Farm to Beauty Brand

Moderator: Hannah White (Head of People, Canada, Pizza Hut Canada)

Panellists: Nancy Wingham (Co-Founder & CEO, Nuez Acres)

Sponsor: Pizza Hut Canada

Nancy Wingham sat down with Hannah White to share how Nuez Acres grew from her family’s pecan farm in Mexico into a beauty brand now on shelves in 500 Walmart stores across Canada. 

Here’s what Nancy shared with the founders in the room: 

  • Budget for packaging. Packaging is an important aspect of your business, and developing it alongside your branding can cost more than you expect. Make sure you include packaging in your budgeting. 
  • Put your products where buyers are looking. At the end of the conversation, an attendee asked Nancy how she landed the deal with Walmart. Nancy shared that after listing her product on RangeMe.com, Walmart reached out to her. 
  • Be ready for the big opportunity. When Walmart reached out, Nuez Acres needed capital to scale. The funding that they won from the Pizza Hut Equal Slice Pitch Competition helped make it happen, and the program’s mentors and resources added even more value. 

Key Takeaway: When asked what she would tell her younger self, Nancy shared that you should take the time to lift your head up and look at how far you’ve come. Watch for burnout, look after your mental health, and be gracious with yourself. 

Men in Tech | Presented by Toast 

Moderator: Ariel White (Program Design Lead and Facilitator, Alacrity Canada)

Panellists: Rob Fraser (Founder and CEO, Outway), Mike Anderson (Co-Founder, Echosec Systems, Intlabs), and Owen Madrick (Co-Founder and Former COO, Certn) 

For the second time at the Startup Canada Tour, the Men in Tech panel took the stage and put three men in the hot seat to answer the questions women in tech hear all the time. Ariel set the scene with these numbers: women receive just 1.8% of VC funding, and 41% of women in tech end up leaving the field, compared to 17% of men. 

The panel joked about their skincare routines, the biggest barriers to being a male founder, and who was watching their kids while they were participating in the conference. As Ariel pointed out, there wasn’t a single question about their businesses or expertise, and that was exactly the point. The second part of the discussion brought forward the conversation and importance of allyship to women in the workplace, and how it should look in practice. 

Here is what was discussed: 

  • Make yourself someone worth giving feedback to. Rob noted that people stop sharing feedback once they see you aren’t acting on it. 
  • Hold other men accountable. Mike pointed out that the pipeline into tech is more diverse than most teams, because toxic behaviour pushes people out. Leaders need to address it, especially when it involves key team members. 
  • Champion women in rooms they’re not in. Owen shared that he has seen qualified women hold back from roles that underqualified men apply for without a second thought. This led Ariel to urge men in the audience to speak up and put their hands up for women when those opportunities come up. 

Key Takeaway: Allyship shows up in everyday moments, from speaking up when you see poor behaviour to putting someone’s name forward for a role they’d be great in. 

Thank you, Victoria!

It was our first time in Victoria, BC, for a Startup Canada Tour stop, and we couldn’t be more grateful for how it turned out!

A huge thank you to our Presenting Partners, UPS, Scotiabank, and Pizza Hut Canada; to our Event Partners, ADP, Air Canada, and Meta; and to our speakers, volunteers, and attendees for making our first time so memorable! 

We cannot wait to see you at our final Startup Canada Tour stop of 2026 in Mississauga, ON, on October 29, 2026! Relive the memories from Victoria by checking out our photo gallery.