Immigrant entrepreneurs bring a tremendous amount of skills and talent to start new businesses in Canada. Many businesses in Canada have started with immigrants. Some say as high as 8 out of 10 startups in Canada are founded by immigrant entrepreneurs. Canada’s tech darling, Shopify, is the best example of this. Tobi Lütke started Shopify when he came to Canada from Germany. He was trying to set up an e-commerce shop for his hobby of snowboarding to sell snowboards. After going through much frustration with setting up an online e-commerce platform, he launched Shopify. Shopify went from a startup to an IPO and became one of Canada’s most valuable companies. There are plenty more examples of immigrant-founded companies in Canada. Another example would be the Waterloo-based fintech company called Vambora, founded by Mark Dickens, Laura Volpe Ferreira, and Amadeu Ferreira. The platform has gained significant traction as it is bridging the gap for newcomers in credit history and housing.
Immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada face unique challenges. Navigating the ecosystem and raising funds are some of the main hurdles immigrant founders encounter in Canada. Canada’s startup fundraising landscape is incredibly challenging for new immigrants. Many immigrant entrepreneurs require new capital, networks, and talent to transition from startup to scale-up.
Nouhaila Chelkhaoui is the Founder and CEO of Scale Without Borders. She recognized these challenges and launched Scale Without Borders. Under her leadership, she has created a new community for immigrants and talent in Canada. Scale Without Borders serves as a one-stop shop for newcomers in the tech industry in Canada, helping them access resources and tech jobs while partnering with great tech employers. The community is rapidly expanding to support thousands of immigrant entrepreneurs and talented individuals in Canada.
The Immigrants in Tech Summit is a flagship event organized by Scale Without Borders. It has grown to become the largest community offering networking and learning opportunities for both immigrant entrepreneurs and talent. Building the network for immigrants entrepreneurs is vital.
I am an immigrant and I’m in tech. I came from Morocco to Canada when I was 17 years old. After finishing university I somehow ended up in tech. I was lucky enough to lead an exciting career in tech. But I could see how newcomers would face barriers getting in and advancing in the industry. So, I initially thought it would be both necessary and impactful to create a space for newcomers in tech. But I definitely did not think it would morph into both a movement and an emerging business. But I’m glad it did!
– Nouhaila Chelkhaoui Founder & CEO at Scale Without Borders
This year’s event features some of the top speakers in the industry. The event attracts over 1,000 attendees, supporters, and talent. For the complete program, speakers lists, and ticket information check it out here.
For event registration be sure to grab your tickets here and use “Scaler” for 30% off the general and premium passes.
