FoundersBeta, a platform dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, hosted its first ever in-person event this week, drawing a sold out crowd of founders, professionals, and startup enthusiasts eager to connect offline.
The milestone event marked a new chapter for the organization, which has primarily built its community online. The evening combined networking with a panel discussion featuring three experienced entrepreneurs who shared practical lessons from the front lines of building companies.
The speaker lineup included Viler Lika, Founder and CEO of SingleKey, an established Toronto based proptech company. Lika spoke about the realities of scaling a business, the importance of persistence, and the need to stay close to real customer problems.
He was joined by Mark Bania, an exited founder, who reflected on his entrepreneurial journey and offered candid insights on customers, sales, and navigating the ups and downs of startup life.
The third speaker was John Marzo, Co-Founder and CEO of airfairness, a company that helps travelers claim compensation for flight disruptions. Marzo focused on creative and low cost strategies for finding early customers and proving product value.
A central theme that emerged throughout the discussion was the importance of clearly defining your ICP, or Ideal Customer Profile. All three speakers emphasized that founders must deeply understand who their customer is, where they spend time, and how to get their attention in practical and scrappy ways.
One memorable example came from Marzo, who explained how airfairness used automated social listening to identify travelers complaining online about delayed or cancelled flights. The company would respond in real time with helpful information showing how their product could solve that exact problem.
The approach was simple but highly effective. Engage potential customers in the moment they feel frustration, demonstrate empathy, and present a solution while the pain point is still fresh. According to Marzo, this strategy helped the company generate meaningful traction without relying on expensive marketing campaigns.
Across the panel, the message was consistent. Successful customer acquisition is less about big budgets and more about creativity, speed, and truly understanding customer behavior.
The event was supported by a strong group of community partners, including SingleKey, Mindful Snacks, Bonsai Growth Solutions, Crafty Ramen, cansulta, and airfairness. Their involvement helped create a lively atmosphere with food, refreshments, and opportunities for genuine connections among attendees.
Eric Rafat, Founder and CEO of FoundersBeta, said the event represented a new kind of experience for Canadian entrepreneurs.
“Our goal is bring a new stage for founders to share their stories. We are incredibly delighted to be working with some incredible partners like Mindful Snacks, Bonsai Growth Solutions, SingleKey, Bonsai Growth Solutions, cansulta, airfairness, Crafty Ramen and others to bring this format to life,” Rafat said.
“Canada needs this format where it’s more signal than noise as massive tech meetups don’t work.”
Attendees echoed the same sentiment. Sandeep Todi, Former Chief Business Officer at Truly Financial, praised the more focused and intimate approach.
“Let’s bring on more curated sessions like this, where it’s about shared experiences and peer learning and not about loud halls with loud talk,” Todi said.
FoundersBeta organizers explained that the purpose of the event was to bring the local startup ecosystem together in a more personal and interactive setting. The sold out turnout demonstrated a clear appetite for more thoughtfully designed gatherings within the entrepreneurial community.
With the success of its first live event, FoundersBeta plans to host additional events in the near future, continuing its mission to connect founders, share knowledge, and help startups grow.
For those who attended, the evening served as a reminder that while building a company can be challenging, having a strong community makes the journey a little easier.
