Feature Speaker
We are honoured to feature former Dragon's Den star and digital pioneer Bruce Croxon!
Bruce will talk about some of his lessons learned and career highlights including:
-Co-founding Lavalife in 1988, growing it to 2,000,000 users and then selling it for a stunning $180,000,000!
-Running Round13, a company dedicated to investing in growth-stage digital companies.
-Co-hosting BNN Bloomberg's 'The Disruptors.'
-Investment in the health and wellness sector.
Global Pitch Competition
The evening will kick off with a Global Pitch Competition where local startups will have a chance at winning a heavily subsidized exhibition space at Startup Grind's Global Conference in Silicon Valley in February 2020!
Startups include:
Judges include:
Feature Organization
WeWork has recently arrived in Calgary and will be opening their spaces this fall. Hear from Community Director Brianna Iverson on how they intend to work with Calgary entrepreneurs to help implement their mission of creating a world where people work to make a life, not just a living.
Managing Partner - Round13 Capital
Feature Speaker
Regional Director-Technology Group, Western Canada & Atlantic - BDC
Global Pitch Competition Judge
Founder and Senior Managing Director - Purdy & Partners Inc
Global Pitch Competition Judge
Director, Capital Formation - TSX Venture Exchange
Global Pitch Competition Judge
Community Director - WeWork
Feature Organization
Bruce Croxon is a former Dragon's Den star and digital pioneer!
Some career highlights include:
-Co-founding Lavalife in 1988, growing it to 2,000,000 users and then selling it for a stunning $180,00000!
-Running Round13, a company dedicated to investing in growth-stage digital companies.
-Co-hosting BNN Bloomberg's 'The Disruptors.'
-Investment in the health and wellness sector.
I have over 20 years of experience providing subordinated debt, mezzanine, equity and commercial debt financing. As the Regional Director-Technology Group for BDC, my team will be providing early-stage debt financing, up to $1M and advisory services to support technology companies (software, hardware, SAAS, clean-tech, biotech, etc) in western Canada and Atlantic. The companies we support have some level of revenue but expected timeline to reach breakeven point is ~18 months out. Previously, as a Director at BDC Capital, which is a leading Canadian mezzanine and equity fund with over $575 million in capital under management, I funded several Management Buy-Outs, mergers and acquisitions, expansions, wealth monetization and growth capital projects.
I completed my Chartered Business Valuation Designation (CBV) in 2008 and hold a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan.
Specialties: Technology financing, Management Buy-Outs, mergers and acquisitions, equity, subordinate financing, mezzanine financing and debt financing.
With 24 years in Private Fund and Portfolio Management, early stage structure and finance, business plan development Rob Purdy is one of the top investors in Canada. This includes being an early stage co-founding investor in one of Calgary's most visible new companies - Benevity.
Rob is a third generation Calgarian and founded Purdy & Partners Inc. (PPI) in late 2008 – envisioning the opportunities to create a unique local private equity firm focused on start-ups and ESVs. Passionate about “Building”, Rob anchors the team with a broad spectrum of business experiences and operational insight across numerous sectors. With a keen understanding of innovative applications centered in the Industrial Infrastructure, Technology & Energy spaces, he has led a successful career of managing portfolios of capital and direct investments in private companies. Rob is responsible for overseeing the Firm and the Funds as the Managing General Partner.
Prior to launching PPI, Rob spent 16 years in portfolio management at RBC Dominion Securities, Canaccord Capital, and Peters & Co. Focused on private equity finance and public equity investment and trading, Rob built and managed a diversified base of private investors, corporate clients, and institutional accounts. Rob holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Calgary.
Kyle Araki is the Director of Capital Formation at the TSX Venture Exchange. Kyle oversees both the Listed Issuer Services and the Compliance and Disclosure Teams based in Calgary. Kyle is responsible for a team of professionals who are dedicated to listing quality applicants on the TSX Venture Exchange and enhancing the reporting and dissemination of information from public issuers. Kyle analyzes, summarizes, and recommends actions to be taken on a wide variety of transactions from companies seeking to list on the TSX Venture Exchange, and from companies already listed.
Directly responsible for managing the delivery of contracted Managed Services and Solutions as defined in the Statement of Work to the Customers satisfaction for the Western Accounts. Accountable to manage revenue and profit margin targets and identify and recommend business process and output related solutions for each customer.
Startup Grind Calgary
Chapter Director, Chairman
See Bio
Chad Ford is the founder of the Startup Grind Calgary Chapter. From his leadership, Calgary has become one of the most successful chapters of Startup Grind’s 600 cities around the world. He has interviewed some of Canada’s most prolific entrepreneurs including: W. Brett Wilson, Bruce Croxon, Manjit Minhas, Walker McKinley, Dan Themig, Nicolas Beique and Sandi Gilbert. He is a strong believer that successful entrepreneurship is the key to a vibrant economy and culture.
A prolific volunteer, in addition to his work with Startup Grind Calgary, he is also a Board Member of the Calgary Combative Sports Commission and mentor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's Energy Asset Management program.
A passionate entrepreneur himself, Chad founded Sunexo Solutions, a software company which developed the industry leading IRIS software. IRIS has been used by over 500 energy, resource development and infrastructure projects across North America.
The primary focus of his career has been based around regulatory and stakeholder engagement for major projects. He has worked directly with many of the largest resource development, infrastructure and energy companies in North America by helping them improve their stakeholder engagement efforts with technology. Additionally, he has direct on-the-ground engagement experience including being the main company representative in an indigenous community for a contentious energy program in northern British Columbia for almost a year.
In recognition of his contributions to improving the energy industry in both his professional and volunteer work, he was awarded the Rising Stars award for 2019 from the Daily Oil Bulletin.
He is also a veteran of the Canadian Forces where he served in the infantry which included a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006
