Bobbie Racette
Founder & CEOThe Virtual Gurus
Bobbie Racette is the Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus, a talent marketplace that leverages proprietary technology to match organizations with skilled Canadian and American fractional administrative workers. She’s on a mission to create employment opportunities for underrepresented individuals, who make up the majority of Virtual Gurus talent pool. Named as one of 50 Changemakers for 2021 by Report on Business magazine, Bobbie was also recently honoured by Startup Canada as Indigenous Entrepreneur and Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2021, Bobbie became the first Indigenous female to secure a Series A funding round of $8.4 million.
The Venture Capitalist Journey: A Fireside Chat
How to enter and succeed in your venture capital journey.
Moderated By: Sheena Brady, Founder Tease and Founders Fund
Bobbie Racette is the first Indigenous woman to close a Series A. Her startup, Virtual Gurus, is now worth $40 million. Built primarily once COVID hit in 2020, Virtual Gurus leveraged the pandemic layoffs of administrative staff by scooping them up for her own booming business, now employing close to 1,000 with a commitment to hiring underrepresented and minority staff members.
Michele Romanow is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Romanow is the co-founder of Canadian unicorn, Clearco. Clearco has invested more than $3.2B into 7,000+ companies making them the biggest e-commerce investor in the world.
Join these two Canadian tech titans as they discuss with Sheena Brady key decision points in their growth journey, what a Series A closing looks like from both the entrepreneur and the investor, and how to build your company with a commitment to sustainability and futureproofing.