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Visiting Founders Share their Impressions of the Canadian Startup Ecosystem

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Visiting Founders Share their Impressions of the Canadian Startup Ecosystem

In September 2019, the DMZ welcomed five companies from countries around the world to participate in DMZYYZ, a two-week, intensive soft-landing program in Toronto designed to accelerate business growth through access to coaching, customers, capital and community in Canada.

The participating companies included:

On the final day of the program, we sat down with each founder to chat about their impressions of the Canadian startup ecosystem. Here’s what they told us…

1. Canada’s diversity and openness is a strength

 
In 2018, Canada welcomed 321,065 immigrants. Almost 1 in 5 Canadians speak more than one language at home. Canada’s population reported 250 ethnic origins and ancestries. These are just a few of the statistics that reflect Canada’s diversity. 

Canada’s diversity, progressiveness and openness is often seen by people at home and abroad as a strength, since these attributes have a positive relationship with a healthy economy and thriving society. The founders we spoke with agreed.

“Before coming to Toronto, I hadn’t imagined a city like it existed,” said the founder of Brazil’s RioAnalytics. “You hear people say that Toronto is a great city, but you really have to come here to experience it. I want my team, as well as my family, to be exposed to this level of diversity.”

Kata Ludvig, the co-founder of BankZee from Hungary agreed, adding: “The thing that surprised me most about Toronto and the DMZ community was the openness of its people. People from around the world move here, and it’s easy to see why – Canada is accepting and diverse, making it a great place to run a global business.”

Banksy’s founder had an additional perspective on the matter, saying, “Being a female founder, I didn’t know what to expect. But I felt absolutely supported during my time here.”

2. Canadians care about creating impact – not just profit

 
Social enterprises are on the rise, Millennials and Gen Z are asking more questions about impact, and climate change is an issue that’s top of mind. In Canada, social and environmental issues are talked about openly and often – and our visiting founders noticed that too.

The founder of Jamaica’s SmartTerm commented, “Going into the Investor Zone, we saw that the investors here have interests beyond simply making money – they’re interested in our ideas and the impact we’re trying to make to improve education. Finding thoughtful investors who actually believe in your mission is really exciting and encouraging.”

Creating positive impact is not only good business, it’s also the right thing to, and many of our international founders noticed that this is a prevalent attitude in the Canadian startup ecosystem.

3. Support for startups in Canada is extensive

 
Our visiting founders shared a similar sentiment: Canada offers superior support for both domestic and international startups.

Handiss’ founder discovered that through the DMZYYZ, he was able to test and validate his idea in a Canadian market. “Having B2B meetings here in Canada showed me the pain points people are facing and how we could adjust our business model to bring our business to Canada,” he said. The founder of SmartTerm added to this point, saying, “I learned that the way we explain, sell and offer education in Jamaica is different from the conversation in Canada. So, when we tap into the Canadian and North America market, we’ll have to pivot our messaging a lot. I wouldn’t have known the extent of this had I not been here on the ground.”

The founder of Banksy also agreed that Canada is a great place to grow a startup. In fact, while she was here, she was able to meet with four of the five major banks, secure a large customer, and expand her network substantially. “Coming to Canada through a program like the DMZYYZ is a major boost for your startup. For a foreign company, like mine, it’s a gateway into the Canadian market, and you get to tap right into the middle of the network, surrounded by experienced mentors and customers.” 

A similar sentiment was shared by Attila Balogi, the founder of Zyntern. He said, “If you’re thinking of coming to Canada or North America, there are lots of incredible resources to help you. Being part of DMZYYZ saved me months – if not years – of time, plus money. Before I arrived, I was already being connected to the right people in Canada. It’s a faster, more curated route than doing it alone.”

Want to learn more about DMZYYZ and how to apply? Check us out at https://dmz.torontomu.ca/dmzyyz/.

Three Lessons About Burnout and Mental Health in the Workplace

On October 8, 2019, as part of Mental Health Illness Awareness Week, the DMZ , Inkblot Therapy and the Ryerson Career & Co-Op Centre proudly partnered to organize a half-day event called Investing in Inclusion: Burnout and Work-Life Balance.

At the event, attendees heard honest and engaging firsthand accounts of burnout and workplace stress from keynote panelists:

  • Julie Sabine (Moderator), CMO, Inkblot Technologies
  • Cherry Rose Tan, Founder & CEO, For Founders by Founders
  • Hamza Khan, Managing Director, Student Life Network
  • Jason Tafler, CEO & Founder, Unyte
  • Sara Asalya, Graduate Student, OISE & Ryerson Employee

Why talk about burnout and workplace stress? Well, according to findings from Statistics Canada, 20% of Canadians will experience burnout at some point in their life. In addition, almost 40% of Canadians suffer from workplace stress, attributed most commonly to inflexible schedules, long hours, constant connectivity, tight deadlines and a lack of vacation time. By talking openly and bravely about their personal experiences, the panelists shone a light on these statistics and raised three important lessons:

1. Burnout can happen to anyone, at anytime

Although we often associate burnout with life in the high-pressure corporations, it’s prevalent across all industries and places of work – from the corporate world, to the public sector, to the startup ecosystem.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health defines burnout as, “a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress,” and says symptoms of burnout can include:

  • Feeling emotionally drained and unable to function at work or in other areas of life
  • Experiencing physical symptoms like back aches, headaches, loss of appetite or disrupted sleep
  • Becoming increasingly withdrawn and reclusive, and feeling disengaged
  • Calling in sick to work more often, lacking motivation and having difficulties getting things done
  • Experiencing a drop in confidence, feeling like a failure or having feelings of helplessness

Symptoms can affect individuals in different ways, and burnout often creeps up slowly – especially during busy times. 

Jason Tafler shared that, for years, he relentlessly chased after success, worked hard, and checked off all the boxes he thought he should. Yet, the results of his achievements weren’t good health and happiness. In fact, they were the quite opposite. One day, when he was sitting in a board meeting, he started to feel unwell. It was during a particularly stressful period at work where he was pushing himself to the limits. He looked down at his hands and saw, to his alarm, that they were turning yellow. He realized that something was seriously wrong and that he needed to get to a hospital immediately.

Jason recounted, “At that meeting, I wasn’t thinking about what I had achieved at work, or how much money I had in the bank. All I was thinking about was whether or not I’d make it to the hospital and, if I survived, how I needed to start focusing on what was really important to me.” Jason learned at the hospital later that night that he was suffering from internal bleeding, stating, “I worked myself to the point where I literally almost bled to death.”

Hamza Khan’s experience with burnout was different, yet many of the underlying factors were similar. Hamza always considered himself a high performer and believed that achieving success meant pushing himself hard. “I didn’t have a healthy relationship with work and I believed many unhealthy myths about success and productivity,” he shared. He said social media only worsened the problem, where ‘inspirational’ quotes on his feed about productivity, achievement and happiness added to the stress he already felt. 

As a result, Hamza started to burn out. He missed deadlines, his performance was lackluster and he started to suffer from long depressive episodes. He recounted experiencing an identity crisis at one point, where his expectations of himself weren’t matching his performance at work. It wasn’t until he realized that there was something very wrong that he started reaching out for help and making changes in his life.

Stories like these show that burnout can sneak up on any of us, at any time – even if we think we’re immune or following the right path.

2. It’s time for companies to talk openly about mental health

With one in five Canadians experiencing burnout at some point in their life and almost half of us suffering from workplace stress, it’s time to make changes in the workplace to support mental health and wellness. But how can we do this?

Cherry Rose Tan spoke about her experiences with workplace stress and said, “In the startup community, it’s time for founders to talk more openly about mental health and create safe spaces to share what they’re going through personally or at work. Instead of talking to me about your IPO, talk to me about how you’re feeling.” 

For Cherry Rose, a healthy work environment isn’t about creating room for a ping pong table, it’s about creating room for honest dialogue around the realities of mental health. After going through a series of traumatic events in her life, and wondering where she could turn to for support, she realized that she probably wasn’t alone. Having brave conversations is a way we can support each other and mental health in the workplace. 

Sara Asalya offered a similar viewpoint. After migrating to Canada, Sara landed a job that seemed good on paper. But she soon learned that the company cared more about sales quotas than about taking care of their employees. Despite mounting responsibilities at home and the stress of being in a new country, she pushed herself hard and kept going. “I felt so alone,” she said. “I wanted to be successful at work and a perfect mom at home, and there were high expectations. I was scared to bring up anything at work because I feared they’d question whether or not I could handle the job.”

When Sara reached her breaking point, she realized that she needed to unlearn what she had been taught about success, and instead take care of herself first. She also realized that her workplace had undermined her mental health due to its unhealthy power dynamics and micromanaging. “Most chronic workplace stress goes unnoticed. It’s time we talk about that,” said Sara.

3. New resources and communities are offering additional means of supporting mental health

There are many ways to support mental health – some conventional and some that are taking new approaches. Our panelists shared how they’re contributing to developing new and promising means of supporting mental health:

  • Inkblot is revolutionizing mental health care by offering confidential and convenient support – any time, any place. Inkblot’s Employee Mental Health Services create more positive and engaging workplaces and are utilized by forward-thinking organizations including the DMZ, League, 500px, tucows and TribalScale. Julie Sabine is the CMO at Inkblot.
  • For Founders by Founders is a mental health movement for the tech industry where founders and investors can pledge their mental health stories as survivors or allies. For Founders by Founders is based on the premise that change happens when we share our truth and have brave conversations. Cherry Rose is the Founder & CEO of For Founders by Founders.
  • Unyte offers a self-regulation device and immersive meditation experiences that leads users to reach new levels of calm and wellness. Using real-time biofeedback, Unyte provides an evidence-based guide that fosters a healthy coping lifestyle. Jason Tafler is the CEO & Founder of Unyte.
  • Fresponsibility is a word that means “a workplace culture that encourages self-managed co-workers to enjoy responsible freedom within a decentralized decision-making climate and minimum hierarchy.” Fresponsibility is built around five pillars: autonomy, radical transparency, open communication, people first, and intrinsic motivation. Sara Asalya is working to advance the concept of fresponsibility.

Burnout and workplace stress can be experienced by anyone, at any time, and dialogue is an important step to calling out the factors that contribute to unhealthy situations.

Will Koffel Talks About How to Make Difficult Tech Decisions at Your Startup

On October 4, 2019, Will Koffel will take to the stage as keynote speaker of this month’s First Fridays, presented by Google for Startups in partnership with the DMZ.

As Google Cloud’s Head of Startup Ecosystem for the America’s, Will Koffel has been leading technology-focused startup teams for over 20 years. His keynote talk will be focused on the topic “Making Tech Decisions”. In advance of the event, we sat down with Will to ask him some questions.

DMZ: Will, can you tell us a bit about your professional background and how you became involved in the startup ecosystem?

Will Koffel: I’ve been deeply embedded in the startup ecosystem my whole career. While completing my Computer Science studies at MIT in 1998, I joined the founding engineering team at Akamai Technologies, experiencing the original dot-com boom (and bust!) from a front-row seat. I’ve been a 6-time serial CTO and startup founder since, and I’ve worked with hundreds of startups as an advisor, investor, mentor, and consultant. My most recent startup, Qwiklabs, was acquired by Google Cloud in 2016. I was then presented with the unique opportunity to work at Google and help build and support the startup ecosystem I’ve been passionate about for 20 years.

DMZ: In your leadership role at Google, what are you currently focused on achieving or advancing?

Will Koffel: We believe that Google Cloud offers the best suite of infrastructure and services for most early-stage startups. We’re focused on raising awareness of Google Cloud and its unique offerings for early-stage startups (like superior developer experience, DevOps with Kubernetes, BigQuery and other data tools, Firebase mobile, and top ML/AI solutions).

One of the key ways we do this is by partnering with accelerators and incubators like Ryerson DMZ, who refer startups directly into our program, pre-approved for up to $100,000 in Google Cloud credits to start building.

We’re also committed to working with startups to remove barriers they may face by providing technical expertise, community networking events, introductions to other teams at Google, and by increasing their visibility in the ecosystem. First Fridays is a great example of this.

DMZ: What are the most important challenges and opportunities facing startups today, especially when it comes to agile product development and technology decisions?

Will Koffel: Many of the challenges that startups face haven’t changed since I was getting started in the 90s, like how to hire great talent, how to close that first critical enterprise customer deal, and how to decide where to focus limited resources in a seemingly endless backlog of feature requests. Each of those topics warrants a separate interview of its own!

When it comes to selecting technology, startups face a wide assortment of choices. They are trying to choose from among the many open-source tools, the landscape of inexpensive and polished API-first services, and from multiple great choices for fully-managed public cloud infrastructure and advanced machine learning/AI solutions.

The biggest challenge for early-stage startups is uncovering the best practices for how all these tech puzzle pieces fit together. Deciding where to adopt cutting-edge tech, and where to anchor on tried-and-true approaches has never been more difficult. The tech choices many startups make today represent a bet they’re placing on the future of their product and business agility, so getting good advice from a tech lead, their community, and their vendors is paramount.

DMZ: What can attendees expect to learn during your First Friday keynote talk, “Making Tech Decisions”?

Will Koffel: I’m so fortunate to work in ecosystems all over the world, and Toronto is one of my favourites, where we see great engineering expertise, plenty of investor attention, and emerging companies creating real value. We’ll be digging into some of my favourite themes and practical advice, including Developer happiness, offloading the undifferentiated heavy lifting, opportunity-driven development, and maintaining technical optionality for the future.

We’ll also discuss anything that attendees want to explore! There’s plenty of time for Q&A, which is always the best way to surface the shared issues that are top of mind for startup founders and tech leaders.

———


First Fridays Canada is presented by Google for Startups. Visit the website for more information and to sign up: FirstFridaysCanada.com

About Will Koffel:

Will has been leading technology-focused startup teams for over 20 years, as a serial venture-backed CTO, founder, and application developer. In addition to his operating roles, Will has served as an advisor, consultant and mentor-in-residence for many Boston area startups. He joined Google in 2016 by way of a startup acquisition, and is honoring his startup roots by bringing the best Google Cloud solutions to great early-stage companies. Will received B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Music Composition from MIT. He lives with his family in greater Boston.

Six reasons your startup needs social media (even if you don’t think it does)

Here are the top six reasons for building your online presence.

Different startups need different platforms (you don’t need them all)

Linkedin and Twitter are great platforms for verbal communication. They don’t focus as much on visual assets, though a good mix of both is effective. Instagram and Facebook, on the other hand, are visual platforms, so you have more opportunity to show off a physical product. No matter the platform, keep copy simple, clear and to the point to further each posts’ impact.

Control your narrative

Clients are going to look up your company on Google. Make sure they are seeing what you want them to rather than seeing other businesses with similar names pop up in the search bar first. This is called SEO (search engine optimization). If you don’t manage your image, your image will manage you. A recent article by Search Engine Journal informed readers that, “In addition to optimizing for your own website, you must also optimize for the Google search experience in 2019.”

Free advertising

Yes, investing in ads or a social media management platform is also wise but when you’re starting out, simply having twenty minutes a day dedicated to posting on social, liking and engaging with other accounts via comments and direct messages, can be extremely beneficial. Community management is key when it comes to startup social channels.

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Chinese proverb

Tomorrow is too far away, and will you really do it tomorrow? Make those accounts now.

Analytics, analytics, analytics

Social media gives you the unique opportunity to test new ideas and get almost-instant direct market feedback. With new business-friendly features, you can track success rates of different posts or gain insights into who follows your company. Another form of data that comes from social is positive customer reviews. Overall, more data = more business.

People like a good story

An easy way to stand out from competitors is to be relatable. Show the faces behind the company, your office space and team hard at work. When people see who you are as a company, they will feel more drawn to you as opposed to a company with no social context. As well as feeling drawn to you, they will also be more inclined to trust your company. In a recent Forbes article on the subject, they state that, “In this environment, businesses can no longer afford to be faceless entities.” If Forbes says you need a story, you need a story.

*Bonus*

What you’ll need

For any social platform, you’ll need:

  1. A clear, high resolution logo to use as your profile photo. Your profile photo should be the exact same on all platforms for consistency.
  2. A tagline that clearly explains your company’s mission. Again, keep it short, clear and impactful.
  3. Consistency – be sure to post at least once and a while so your page doesn’t collect dust.

DMZ Sandbox is proud to announce the Basecamp 2019 university cohort winners!

6 weeks, 15 companies, 35 workshops, 3 prizes of $5,000!

The Basecamp program allows DMZ to get back to its roots – helping student entrepreneurs build viable, sustainable businesses. The six week annual summer program provides customized, intensive coaching and mentoring from DMZ EiRs (Entrepreneurs-in-Residence), workshops headed by the likes of Google and culminates in a pitch competition. Its university cohort just wrapped and all three of the winners are Toronto Metropolitan University students! 

By the end of the program, winners don’t just receive a $5,000 prize, they also have a validated business model tailored for long-term success and receive the opportunity to become a ‘DMZ Fellow’. The fellow network provides up-and-coming entrepreneurs the opportunity to immerse themselves in the startup ecosystem with access to Ryerson’s Zone network, ongoing coaching from DMZ EiRs and other resources that prepare them for DMZ’s official incubator, validator or accelerator program. 

“Canadian post-secondary students are the future pace-setters and will determine the success of our country,” says Natasha Campagna, director, DMZ Sandbox. “The Basecamp program allows skilled, talented, creative students to get the experience they need to manage a business, get introduced to STEM and become the innovative leaders of tomorrow.”

So, who won $5,000? 

Omar Said, Founder of Smart Eyes

Omar is an Electrical engineering student at Toronto Metropolitan University and a promising tech founder. Smart Eyes is a mobile application that uses real-time video processing tool to show visually impaired users the objects obstructing their path. “My participation with the program was instrumental in driving my business forward.The mentors I connected with included founders who raised millions of dollars in funding like Henry Shi, founder of DMZ alum company SnapTravel, who was recently funded by Steph Curry!”

Kartik Balasundaram, Founder of Scuto

Kartik is a Business Technology Management student at Toronto Metropolitan University and founder of Scuto. Scuto’s platform enables photographers to accept payments, generate new clients and receive dispute management services. “With the help I received, I was able to learn about the fundamentals of finance for early-stage startups, refine my business and effectively tell our story to people who aren’t our customers.”

Annie Chen, Founder of Menuless

Annie is an Interior Design at Toronto Metropolitan University and founder of Menuless, an ordering application that saves customers time by allowing them to make their bill payments directly from their phones. Through her participation in Basecamp, Annie brought forward her passion to make a global impact through design thinking and technology. Her biggest takeaway from Basecamp was learning how to get out of her comfort zone. “I learned that coming up with an idea is easy, but running with it and trying to make it a reality is hard. I learned to always put yourself in uncomfortable situations, because that is how you learn and improve the fastest. The hustle never stops and neither should you.”


Look out for updates from the upcoming Basecamp high school cohort, set to take place July 22 – August 21 – truly the next generation of tech entrepreneurs!

Have an innovative business idea but don’t know where to start? We’ve got a program for you. Visit dmz.to/sandbox to learn about our programs, or follow us on Instagram at @DMZSandbox.

Reach out directly to our Sandbox programs lead Haseeb Khawaja at haseeb1.khawaja@torontomu.ca.

 

Who’s behind 6ixbuzztv? How the brand is going from Instagram to international empire

If you’re a Canadian on Instagram, you’ve most likely heard of 6ixbuzztv. The page with over one million followers has become the pulse of Toronto and its one-of-a-kind (and internationally recognized) culture.

With a following that includes Champagne Papi himself (Drake) to politicians like Ontario Premier Doug Ford, 6ixbuzztv has turned its Toronto (aka ‘the 6ix’) culture into a business with smart, yet subtle, branded content.

If this is your first time hearing about 6ixbuzztv, crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under and check out some of their most popular posts:


So who are the people behind the 6ixbuzztv brand? Are they just another Instagram meme and gif page? Why is it getting so much attention?

Today marks 6ixbuzztv’s two year anniversary, and we’ve received the exclusive opportunity to interview the individuals behind it (a startup that is part of the DMZ roster).

Learn about their start, how they would describe what they’re doing, and where they see all of this heading, below.

How did 6ixbuzztv start out?

August 2017 – when I was attending George Brown College. It was called ‘NorthBound Buzz’, but then was switched to 6ixbuzztv. People quickly found the page’s humour was unique and very Toronto-centric. Through sourcing content and adding clever captions which were both comedic and informative, the account slowly started gaining traction.

Did you have any goals when starting out?

We found the way traditional broadcast shares news to be too traditional, censored, and un-engaging. And Canada has never had a platform that included breaking news, hip-hop and entertainment talent. As a team, we wanted to create a brand that also highlights stories, situations and relatable moments that never make the news, while also providing music artists an opportunity to receive much needed attention.

How do you get your content?

People DM (direct message) us (2000+ a day) on Instagram. Also, just searching online, you’d be surprised where the best videos are found.

How would you describe 6ixbuzztv today?

Canada’s #1 media outlet for buzzin’ news, entertainment, and hip-hop. Since then, we’ve fostered a unique community that is loyal to the Toronto brand, but is still relevant to the rest of the world.

Tell me more about the entertainment company you’re looking to grow 6ixbuzztv into?

  1. Given that there’s no new age media outlets in Toronto, we wanted to give artists and entertainers a platform in which they can engage with an audience that traditional outlets have a difficult time reaching.
  2. Given that we represent Toronto and Canada as a whole, we want to engage with the larger community to create positive change. This includes new initiatives like Cleanup Day, ThanksGiving Food Drive, Christmas Toy Drive, and more.
  3. We want to create an experiential stream that runs exclusive events, concerts, and festivals that bring out our community and the best of our culture.

How do you pick the brands you work with?

Ideally, we like working with Canadian brands, specifically those that are innovative and open to engaging with our immediate community. However, we are growing out various other streams within the 6ixbuzztv brand and each one is open to creating great activations and curated campaigns.

Where is 6ixbuzztv headed next?

We want to continue growing original content series (i.e., not only content aggregation), while we work to release our website and app. You can look out for a special announcement from 6ixbuzztv in Fall 2019.

It’s clear that 6ixbuzztv isn’t your ordinary popular Instagram page, as the founder and partners behind the brand are far from ordinary. Time will tell how the rollout of their subsidiary brands will resonate with their growing audience. Given the household names that are clamouring to work with them and their hyper-engaged following, it’s safe to say that the 6ixbuzztv brand is destined to only go up from here.

 

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6ixbuzz is a proud member of the DMZ Black Innovation Programs (BIP), a free program designed to support very early-stage Black tech founders around the world with the aim to help them validate their business ideas and build their first prototype and MVP.

Isaac Olowolafe Jr. talks Black Innovation Fellowship

Diversity fosters innovation, but looking at some tech accelerators across the country, you may not find the most diverse crowd.

That has, at least, been the experience of Isaac Olowolafe Jr., founder of the Toronto-based asset management firm Dream Maker Corporation.

When Olowolafe Jr. launched Dream Maker Ventures, the tech-focused investment arm of the company, the entrepreneur noticed something across the ecosystem: almost everyone was Caucasian. 

The son of African immigrants, Olowolafe Jr. didn’t see his community represented within Toronto’s startup community. To solve that problem, Olowolafe Jr. partnered with the DMZ to launch the Black Innovation Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help Black entrepreneurs achieve success. 

Sitting down with BusinessCast host Robert Gold, Olowolafe Jr. traces his own journey as a business leader and outlines some of the barriers entrepreneurs from racialized communities face when trying to launch their own enterprises. 

But it’s not all bad news. Olowolafe Jr. takes us through what needs to be done to diversify Canada’s startup community at-large, and how the Black Innovation Fellowship is doing just that.

Listen below.

DMZ startup pitches at Tsinghua University’s President’s Cup

Last month, DMZ Sandbox was invited to attend the President’s Cup at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China – the number one educational institution in Asia.

Now in its sixth year, the President’s Cup – an initiative that aims to discover, cultivate and enhance students’ entrepreneurial skills – took place as part of the university’s incubator x-lab.

And this year, for the first time, the conference extended its invitation to international delegates. Representatives from Germany, Georgia, Japan, Singapore and Canada participated as a result.

“Canada’s participation in international pitch competitions importance is two-fold. For entrepreneurs, it broadens their understanding of global business markets. For Canada, it positions us as a powerhouse on an international level” says Peter Bowie, DMZ Advisory Council Member.

RTA School of Media graduate and DMZ’s Sandbox Student Grant recipient Josh Gonsalves, founder of Contraverse – an end-to-end VR production and distribution company for innovative and exceptional story-driven virtual reality – attended to represent the Canadian delegation.

Each presenter had a five minute pitch, followed by a question and answer period. The audience included investors from high-calibre investment firms and global influencers.

We spoke to Josh about what he learned from this exciting experience.

Learn about your audience

Knowing your audience prior to an international competition is crucial to ensure you speak the masses’ language. It’s not limited to your choice of words when presenting, but understanding that coupling your presentation with effective visuals and simple messaging allows global investors and entrepreneurs to gain a better grasp on your product.

“The DMZ’s pitch coaches helped me shape my presentation effectively through the use of imagery prior to pitching at the President’s Cup” Josh states.

Challenge your comfort zone

Josh powered through the nerves that came with presenting to a large audience.

“I now have a lot of empathy for individuals that get butterflies and nerves right before presenting. It was a humbling experience. I knew I was representing an entire nation and I told myself  – for the next 12 minutes I need to shut all these feelings of discomfort off.”

Embrace a global perspective

“Being around similar mindsets with a global perspective on business helped me work through different challenges.” Josh explains how delegates discussed different obstacles they’ve faced as first time entrepreneurs, from raising investment rounds, to prototyping and resource availability from different parts of the world.

For Contraverse, pitching in Beijing and gaining feedback from world-leading investors was invaluable. Tsinghua University is eager to welcome back Toronto Metropolitan University’s entrepreneurs next year at the President’s Cup.

Have an entrepreneurial idea but unsure about where to start? Visit the DMZ Sandbox to learn more about our programs.

Sampler this: Marie Chevrier talks the future of digital marketing

Consumers love free samples. But there’s something illogical about the tried-and-true marketing method.  

Entrepreneur Marie Chevrier saw the problem with this tactic when she was a brand ambassador in university.

While handing out sample products to anyone who would walk by, Chevrier realized there had to be a better way to strategically utilize the power of free samples.

Fast forward to today and Chevrier is the CEO of Sampler, a startup that helps brands distribute physical product samples to digitally targeted customers.

Chevrier joins BusinessCast host Robert Gold to take us through her journey starting Sampler, from simple idea to effective marketing engine, and how her company is reorienting sample-marketing in the digital space.

Amazon has even taken notice. The e-commerce behemoth began offering targeted product sampling as a way for brands to increase sales earlier this year.

That may seem like bad news for Sampler but, for Chevrier, hearing that Amazon was entering the same space as her company was the best day of her life.

Chevrier takes us through why that’s the case and the future of digital marketing in this edition of the BusinessCast Podcast powered by The DMZ.

Free samples not included.

Three takeaways from our newest program, DMZYYZ

The DMZ is giving international entrepreneurs a chance to experience Toronto’s growing tech ecosystem with the launch of our newest venture, DMZYYZ.

The two-week intensive soft-landing program aims to help growth stage startups integrate within the Canadian ecosystem.

Last week, we wrapped our first cohort comprised of nine companies from seven countries. Visiting entrepreneurs flew in from Lebanon, Hungary, Chile, Jamaica, Norway, Brazil and Uruguay.

A day within the first week of DMZYYZ consists of intensive-programming, back-to-back workshops and desk time to debrief about the information you’ve consumed.

In the second week, participants get VIP access to a world-class tech conference. This cohort gained access to Collision, the largest and fastest-growing North American tech conference. Their participation resulted in locking in 20+ potential customers, hiring talent from Toronto, and pitching to global partners.

Here are the top takeaways from the startups’ time at the DMZ.

Challenge your assumptions

“A lot of my presumptions about product changed significantly after being a part of this program. Defining the right MVP is important to gain quality customer retention, and the entrepreneurs-in-residence at the DMZ helped refine that,” reflects Hussein Salman, Founder of FindANurse, a Lebanese startup aiming to change the face of caregiving within the MENA region. “As a reputable university-backed accelerator with a large community, being part of this program has given me the confidence to now build necessary relationships with potential investors.”

Make meaningful connections

The DMZ is a place that is filled with opportunity – be it from workshops to investor meetings and connections to serial entrepreneurs. “The calibre of network within the DMZ community is huge. The amount of knowledge transfer that happens within the conversations you have is close to none.” Zoltan Czikos, Co-Founder of Hungarian-based startup, Neticle says. The startup aims to boost business decisions with automated text-analysis.

Create global impact

Through worldwide perspectives during the DMZYYZ program, companies were able to learn more with a growth mindset and feel empowered. “We built something on a small island and were looking for the feedback that we got at the DMZ. The thing that stuck out to me the most is that you can make a global impact no matter where you’re from. The ability to bring a fresh perspective to highly regarded individuals within Canada, empowers me as an individual as well.” Conrad Mathison from It’s Pixel Perfect, a Jamaican based startup, aimed at helping brands stand out in the digital space through creative content.

Applications for our second cohort of DMZYYZ are now open. Apply here.

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