Entrepreneurship Finance Conference

Richmond Hill is excited to host the Entrepreneurship Finance Conference on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. This free half-day virtual event is designed to support entrepreneurs from all backgrounds in navigating the evolving financial landscape with confidence and clarity.

Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to:

Hear from Allen Lau, founder of Wattpad, who successfully led the company's $754M CAD acquisition, as he shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey.
Gain expert perspectives on the key macroeconomic trends expected to shape the year ahead.
Discover accessible government funding opportunities designed to support business growth and improve cash flow.
Learn practical strategies for navigating debt financing and preparing your business for future investment.
Join an engaging panel discussion exploring what investors will be looking for in 2026, and whether your business needs an AI play to get funded.
Connect with fellow entrepreneurs, funders, and business support organizations during networking breaks and the Virtual Expo.
Be inspired by real-world success stories from local entrepreneurs.

Agenda

Entrepreneurship Finance Conference 2026 Agenda
Time	Event
8:30 – 8:45 a.m.	Virtual Networking
8:45 – 9 a.m.	Welcoming Remarks Anthony Ierullo, Director of Richmond Hill Centre and Economic Development Darlene Joslin, City Manager, City of Richmond Hill Mayor David West, City of Richmond Hill
9 – 9:30 a.m.	Address by Keynote Speaker Allen Lau, Co-founder and Operating Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Presentation by Simone Sherriff - Economic Development Officer, Outreach and Engagement, FedDev Ontario Topic: The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) Simone Sherriff will provide an overview of FedDev Ontario's business programs aimed to help businesses scale and innovate. Simone will highlight funding opportunities and their relevant eligibility requirements.
9.45 – 10:15 a.m.	Presentation by Pierre Cléroux – Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC Topic: BDC’s Economic Update: Navigating Uncertainty and Building What’s Next Join the BDC for a forward-looking economic outlook designed to help Canadian entrepreneurs navigate ongoing uncertainty and structural change. This session examines the forces shaping today’s economy and shifts the focus from simply reacting to conditions to preparing for sustainable growth, drawing on BDC’s latest economic outlook and business research. Participants will gain practical, actionable insights to support confident long-term decision-making and position their businesses to compete and grow in the next phase of Canada’s economic evolution.
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.	Question and Answer Session for Allen Lau, Simone Sherriff and Pierre Cléroux
10:30 – 10:45 a.m.	Break and Speed Networking
10:45 – 11 a.m.	Presentation by Michael Colucci – Manager, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) Topic: How SMEs can receive Funding to Protect their Ideas and Grow their Business with IPON This session will provide a brief overview of IPON and the education, advisory and funding support available to eligible Ontario businesses. Participants will learn why intellectual property matters to a growing business and how to recognize common forms of IP such as trademarks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets, and the first steps they can take to protect these assets.
11 - 11:15 a.m.	Presentation by Martin Blais, Senior Corporate Services Officer at Canada Revenue Agency and Nanda Nagarajan, Manager of the National Outreach, Engagement and Service Design team, at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Topic: SR&ED 2.0: Why Your R&D Spending Just got Twice as Valuable. The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program is the largest Government of Canada program supporting research and development (R&D) in Canada, providing more than $4.1 billion in tax credits to over 18,000 businesses annually. SR&ED tax incentives encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct R&D and innovate in Canada. Join Martin Blais and Nanda Nagarajan, SR&ED Outreach and Engagement Advisors from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), for an insightful overview of the SR&ED program, to learn more about: Eligibility requirements What expenses can be claimed Tools and services offered by the CRA And more!
11:15 – 11:30 a.m.	Presentation by Daryl Ching, Founder and Owner of Vistance Capital Advisory Topic: Why Good Businesses Get Turned Down: What your financial statements say before you say anything Most capital raises do not fail at the pitch or application. They fail weeks later in due diligence, and rarely because of the idea. This session covers what a lender, grant officer, angel or venture investor actually reads in a set of financial statements, the six things that quietly end the conversation, and what an owner can fix in ninety days before asking anyone for money. It draws on ten years in investment banking and current work advising private companies on raising capital.
11:30 – 11:45 a.m.	Question and Answer Session for Michael Colucci, Martin Blais, Nanda Nagarajan and Daryl Ching
11:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Break and Speed Networking
12 - 12:20 p.m.	Success Stories and Lessons Learned Hear from successful entrepreneurs as they share their stories and entrepreneurial journey. Seek inspiration, motivation, and learn the powerful ideas they have leveraged throughout their entrepreneurial tenure. June Jiao, CEO of TechBlazers Marvin Raftopoulos, Founder and Executive Producer of Jozi Media
12:15 – 12:20 p.m.	Question and Answer Session for June Jiao and Marvin Raftopoulos
12:20 – 12:50 p.m.	Panel Discussion: AI in 2026: What VCs are Funding and Whether Your Business Needs an AI Angle Learn which AI businesses are getting funded in 2026. Our investor Panel shares what is getting funded, what has become overcrowded, and whether your business actually needs an AI angle to compete. Attendees will leave with a clear read on where the capital is flowing and what that means for their next 12 months. Moderator: Michael Logue – Project Manager, Development Partnerships, City of Richmond Hill Panelists: TBA
12:50 – 12:55 p.m.	Question and Answer Session for Panelists
12:55 – 1 p.m.	Closing Remarks, Introduction to Virtual Expo and Open Networking
1 - 1:30 p.m.	Event Partner Booths

Speakers

Entrepreneurship Finance Conference 2026 Speakers
Speaker Bios
Allen Lau, Co-founder and Operating Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures Allen Lau is Co-founder and Operating Partner at Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage deep tech venture capital firm focused on the next frontier in computing and its applications, reshaping large-scale behaviour, driven by the collapsing cost of intelligence. The firm is renowned for writing the crucial ‘first cheque’ to promising startups that later became world-class companies, such as SkipTheDishes, BenchSci, Printify, Story Protocol, Ideogram, and Ada, among many others. He is also the co-founder and former CEO of Wattpad, the world’s leading social storytelling platform. Allen led a global team that leveraged AI and data to disrupt the entertainment industry. Under his leadership from 2006 to 2022, Wattpad grew into a community of 100 million users, raised US$120 million from top VCs around the world, was acquired by the South Korean internet conglomerate Naver for US$660 million in 2021, and was subsequently spun out as part of the separate NASDAQ-listed company WEBTOON (WBTN). Allen is a visionary serial entrepreneur, a leader in Canada’s tech community, and a sought-after speaker and authoritative voice on entrepreneurship and the innovation economy. Twice named one of the Top 50 Most Influential People by Toronto Life, Allen has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Canada's prestigious Report on Business Magazine, among other publications. He also serves on the board of MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest urban innovation hub; the Openmind Research Institute, a non-profit organization focused on conducting AI research to better understand minds; as well as various startups in which Two Small Fish has invested. Allen received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Toronto’s Electrical Engineering program. In 2020, he was inducted into the Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction at the University of Toronto.
Simone Sherriff - Economic Development Officer, Outreach and Engagement, FedDev Ontario Simone Sherriff is a public servant with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. With nearly 10 years of experience in government relations, Simone's role is to raise awareness of the government programs and services available to help businesses and not-for-profit organizations strengthen and diversify economies across the region.
Pierre Cléroux – Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC Pierre Cléroux was appointed Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC in 2012. He leads a team of experts who analyze economic data to identify business and sector trends impacting Canadian entrepreneurs. A seasoned speaker, he helps business owners understand the risks and opportunities presented by the economic environment. Mr. Cléroux is also responsible for providing economic analysis and advice to the Bank’s senior management team and supervises all marketing and industry research activities. Over his 25-year career as an economist, he has held several influential positions that had a direct impact on entrepreneurs in Canada and abroad.
Michael Colucci – Manager, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) Michael Colucci: Michael is a Canadian and U.S. patent agent with more than 20 years of experience in intellectual property (IP), spanning both private practice and in-house roles. Currently, he serves as Intellectual Property Ontario's (IPON) Manager, IP. Throughout his career, Michael has worked across the full spectrum of IP activities, including administration, analysis, patent landscaping, portfolio development, and strategic IP management. He has led the implementation of value-driven IP management approaches designed to align IP procurement and protection strategies with broader business objectives. Michael brings a passion for client education and engagement, helping innovators understand and leverage IP as a strategic business asset.

Martin Blais, Senior Corporate Services Officer at Canada Revenue Agency Martin Blais is a member of the Outreach and Engagement team, within the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Martin joined the CRA in 2012 and has been involved with the SR&ED program since 2019. Martin aims to help more businesses conduct R&D in Canada.
Nanda NagarajanManager of the National Outreach, Engagement and Service Design team, at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Nanda Nagarajan is a member of the Outreach and Engagement team, within the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He has a background in Engineering, has worked in the academic and private industry sectors, prior to joining the CRA in 2013. Nanda is passionate about bringing greater program awareness and support to businesses conducting R&D in Canada.
Daryl Ching, Founder and Owner of Vistance Capital Advisory Daryl Ching is the founder of Vistance Accounting, a Toronto-based firm delivering controller-level accounting and fractional CFO advisory to owner-managed businesses across Canada, helping owners find where margin leaks and cash gets trapped, and preparing them for the moments when lenders and buyers look closely. He spent over a decade in investment banking, beginning at RBC Capital Markets structuring multi-billion-dollar transactions and later leading debt and equity financings at boutique firms. He now brings that same discipline to companies that get judged by lenders and buyers without the benefit of a capital markets team behind them. Vistance was named CanadianSME Small Business of the Year in 2024. Daryl has delivered his Financials Tell Stories session nearly 50 times to CEO peer groups across the country. He is a recurring guest on BNN Bloomberg and has written for The Globe and Mail and the Financial Post. He holds an Honours degree in Economics from Western University and is a CFA Charterholder.
June Jiao – CEO of TechBlazers
Marvin Raftopoulos, Founder and Executive Producer of Jozi Media Marvin is the founder of Jozi Media, a video production and photography company dedicated to helping brands tell powerful stories through impactful visual content. With a background in the film industry, he has grown Jozi Media into a trusted creative partner for clients including Netflix, HarperCollins Canada, Disney, Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Microsoft. He is passionate about combining creativity and strategy to deliver high-quality productions that drive results.