The Founder Institute, the World's Largest Startup Accelerator, is in the final stage of testing demand for opening a new chapter in Toronto for the Summer of 2014.
The testing phase ends soon (Jul 29, 2026), so if you'd like to help bring this great program to Toronto, please fill out this form today and spread the word. It only takes five minutes, and there is no obligation.
Over the last few weeks, the feedback we have received in Toronto has been positive, and we have received a large amount of support from local startup and economic development organizations. In addition, we have reached out to some of the area's top technology entrepreneurs to support the program.
We are humbled by the list of top local and global entrepreneurs that have pledged their support to mentor new companies in a Toronto Founder Institute program.
This list of entrepeneurs includes:
- Aaron Baer: Partner, Renno & Co
- Aaron Albert: CEO and Co-Founder, Mine'd
- Abdel Ali: Investment Analyst, Relay Ventures and Alate Partners
- Adeo Ressi: CEO, Decile Group / VC Lab
- Alan Trieu: Senior Director, Sales , Cinchy
- Alexander Mc Isaac: Principal, Strategic Investments and Women in Tech, BDC Venture Capital
- Alexander Jager: Founding Partner, Amplifier Advisors
- Ambles Kwok: Head of Engineering (Toronto) / Co-Founder, Thumbtack / Therapia
- Amir Alikhanzadeh: CEO and Co-Founder, Madlipz
- Andrei Poliakov: CEO, APX Lending
- Andrew D'Souza: Founder and CEO, Sfoundation
- Anna Hu: CEO and Co-Founder, Brizi
- Aran Hamilton: President & Co-Founder, Vantage
- Ashley Martis: Co-Founder & CEO, StartupFuel
- Ashley Hahn: Head of Startup Developer Ecosystem, Canada, Google
- Aurélio Araújo: CEO, Leadfy
- Ayhan K. Isaacs: Head of Global Growth, Founder Institute
- Balaji Gopalan: Independent Product Management Educator, Mentor, Consultant and Advisor, self
- Ben Sanders: CEO and Co-Founder, Davispier.ca
- Ben Baldwin: Founder, Upteaming.com
- Bilal Tariq: Technical Talent Connoisseur , GuruLink
- Bob Kyryliuk (CEO-P2P): CEO & Founder, CEO-P2P.com
- Brice Scheschuk: CEO, Globalive Capital
- Bryan Gold: Co-Founder and CEO, #paid
- Bryan Smith: Co-Founder & CEO, ThinkData Works Inc.
- Callum Travaglini: Strategy & Program Manager, Office of the CEO, Wealthsimple
- Chevonae Walcott: Associate, Relay Ventures
- Chris Ye: Co-Founder, Uken Games
- Chris Hobbs: President, TTT Studios
- Chris Adams: Founder and Managing Partner, Adams Hamilton
- Christopher Leacock: Founder , Jillionaire LLC
- Corey Gross: CEO, Sensibill
- Cory York: CEO and co-Founder, PowerStores
- Craig Asano: CEO, National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada
- Dan De Mers: CEO and Co-Founder, Cinchy
- Daniel Bishun: Economic Development Officer , City of Brampton
- David Winterstein: CEO, Velocia
- David Jorjani: Founder, Qatalyst Labs
- Derrick Fung: CEO, Drop
- Dinah Davis: Founder, Code Like A Girl
- Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
- Drew Lindsay: Co-Founder, GuruLink
- Duncan Brown: Partner, Penrose Partners
- Dustin Betz: Director of Operations, White Rose Ventures
- Edmundas Balčikonis: CEO and Co-Founder, Eddy Travels Inc.
- Erich Ko: CEO, Hop In Technologies
- Eropa Stein: CEO, Hyre
- Favour Ori: Founder, CEO, Payday
- Fion Lee-Madan: Technical Co-Founder, COO and Customer Success, Fairly AI Inc.
- George Bordianu: Co-founder & CEO, Balance
- Gilberto Gandra: Founder, Gandra & Co
- Graeme Millen: Director, Technology Banking, Silicon Valley Bank
- Hamid Akbari: CEO, BlancLink
- Hamoun Karami: CEO and Co-Founder, Smartbin.io
- Haoyang Liang: Director of Product Development, Orbiseed
- Harsh Pujara: Co-Founder, Actuality
- Hussam Ayyad: Chief Accelerator Officer , Highline Beta
- Idowu Akinde: MD/CEO, Impact Hub Lagos
- Ignacio Castro: Managing Partner, 128vc
- Ilya Brotzky: Founder and CEO, VanHack
- Jack Liu: CEO and Co-Founder, Orbiseed (Techstars 2020)
- Jafar Owainati: Co-Founder, Loopio
- James Meier: CTO, Synervoz Communications
- Jason Atkins: General Partner, 360insights
- Jeff Hohner: President, Tecumseh Capital Ltd.
- Jelmer Stegink: Program Director, DMZ Innisfil
- Jennifer Turliuk: CEO and Founder, MakerKids
- Jeremy Potvin: Founder, World of Angus
- Jeremy Glassenberg: Product Management, APIs, Developer Experiences, Marketplaces, API Strategist
- Jeremy Kuo: CEO, Ever
- Joe Parenteau: CEO and Co-Founder, Fable (Techstars 2020)
- Jonah Midanik: COO & General Partner, Forum Ventures
- Jonathan Ip: Founder, Iterative Law
- Jordan Jocius: Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Founder Institute
- Joseph Dales: Co-Founder & Director, RHA Partners
- Juanita Lee Garcia: Executive Director, The Upside Foundation of Canada
- Kayla Isabelle: Executive Director, Startup Canada
- Kesem Frank: Founder, Mavennet and AION
- Kevin Gervais: CTO @ Touchless, Co-Founder @ Auto Genius, Statflo, Touchless
- Konata Lake: Partner
- Kristine Beese
- Kweku Essien
- Kyle Collier: Co-founder and CEO, Phaze
- Lance Cottrell: Founder, Feel the Boot
- Lucas Porter-Bakker: Head of Product and Design, PDS
- Luke DeCoste: Entrepreneur in Residence, Davispier.ca
- Maarij Rehman: CEO, Envoi
- Majdi Alnabih: CEO, ZipLunch Inc
- Mara Rada: Chief Operations and Strategy, Loon (loonbio.com)
- Marat Mukhamedyarov: Managing Partner, Good News Ventures
- Marcello Tommasi: Co-Founder & COO, Envoi
- Mark Smith: Canada Startup Ecosystem Lead, Amazon AWS
- Maryam Nabavi: Founder and CEO, Babbly (Techstars 2020)
- Matt O'Leary: CEO and Co-Founder, Treasure Financial
- Matt Lee: Investor, Dr. Matt Lee Family Office
- Mercedes Bankston: Venture Partner, Loyal VC
- Michael Young: CTO, Reuters News and Media
- Michael Kosic: Founding Partner, Loyal VC
- Michael Collins: Founder | CEO, Periculum
- Michele Romanow: Co-Founder, Sfoundation
- Mike Suprovici: Head of Acceleration, VC Lab
- Mike Hollinger, Dentons LLP
- Mike Apted: Principal Solutions Architect - Startups, AWS
- Milad Zabihi: CEO & Cofounder, Peekage
- Mohan Markandaier: Managing Partner, Good News Ventures
- Nabil Fahel: Head of Partnerships and Community, Terminal, Inc.
- Neha Khera: Venture Partner, 500 Startups
- Nicole Verkindt: Founder and CEO, OMX
- Noah Dolgoy: CEO, Tread
- Noah Wallach: Founder, Hope OS
- Onyeka Akumah: CEO, Treepz
- Pamela Draper: CEO, Bitvo
- Paul Parsons: Partner, Metaii
- Peter Ma: Co-Founder, MixPose
- Philippe LeBlanc: CEO, Flixel Photos Inc
- Phillip Gales: CEO, inate.ai
- Pooja Viswanathan: CEO, Braze Mobility
- Preet Singh: Founder, Designx
- Rain Takahashi: Founder and CEO, Jauntin
- Ravin Shah: Co-CEO & Founder, QuickTapSurvey
- Raymond Luk: CEO, Hockeystick
- Reuven Cohen: Managing Director, Alystic Holdings
- Richard Hyatt: Co-founder, BlueCat Networks
- Robert Whiteside: Director, Founding Partner, Treemark Capital
- Ron Gentile: Founder, Moodfit
- Ron Benegbi: CEO, Uplinq Financial Technologies
- Roy Pereira: CEO and Founder, Zoom.ai
- Russell Brand: CEO & Founder, Responsible Solutions Limited
- Ryan Micheletti: Head of Global Operations, Founder Institute
- Ryan Perera: CEO and Co-Founder
- Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
- Sameer Khan: Sameer Ahmed Khan, Social Champ, Inc
- Sami Dalati: Cofounder, Brizi
- Sanjay Nediyara: Founder and CEO
- Sara Bentham: Director, Georgian College Entrepreneurship Centre
- Saroop Bharwani: CEO and Co-Founder, Senso (Techstars 2018)
- Sean Yo: Product Management Fellow, ISPMA
- Sergey Kalnish: CEO, SmartHire
- Seun Sanni: COO, PayFi
- Sharoon Thomas: CEO and Founder, Fulfil.io
- Shibin Muhammed: Portfolio Manager, Techstars Canada
- Sina Roshan: Cofounder & CPO, Peekage (Techstars 2020)
- Slawek Potasz: CEO, CarScanner
- Sodruldeen Mustapha: Co-founder and CTO, Raenest
- Steve Dixon: SMB Leader (Canada), Apple
- Sunil Sharma: Managing Director, Founder Institute Toronto
- Tarun Sachdeva: GM, Wattpad
- Tauseef Riaz: Cofounder ConsidraCare, Stock Target Advisor and Mashkraft, ConsidraCare.com
- Thomas Park: Partner, BDC Deep Tech Fund
- Tom Lowden: Head of Labs, US East and Canada, WeWork Labs
- Tony Sabeta: Partner / Patent Agent, Aird & McBurney LP
- Tovit Neizer: Chief Storyteller, Yellow Bricks
- Tracy Leparulo: Founder, Untraceable
- Trevor Longino: Founder & CEO, CrowdTamers
- Tyler Bryden
- Uchi Uchibeke, Chimoney
- Vatsal Shah: Co-founder, CTO , Speak Ai
- Victor Wong: Managing Director, Operations, Flipp
- Vikas Gupta: CEO, AVARA
- Will Greenblatt: Co-Founder & Managing Director, OutLoud Speakers School
- Yemi Oluseun: Growth & GTM For FinTechs, The Change Hive
- And many more to be announced.
In the Founder Institute's structured, step-by-step program, these mentors will provide promising startup entrepreneurs in Toronto with expert feedback and support to build their companies. In addition, participants are not required to quit their day job to participate, so they can begin building a business around their ideas without putting their livelihood at risk.
If we get enough demand to officially launch a Toronto Founder Institute chapter, then we will secure approximately 10 - 20 additional mentors. In fact, in most Founder Institute semesters the ratio of Mentors to Founders is greater than 1:1.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 9,000 companies form and improve their business ideas, develop their marketing strategy, create an advisory board, recruit co-founders, improve their pitch, launch a product, prepare to raise capital, bootstrap to profitability, generate revenue, and more.
Help bring this world-renowned program to Toronto and fill out an Interest Form today.
