If you’re familiar with the Vancouver tech scene, then you know (or know of) today’s guest: Ray Walia.
Walia is an investor and entrepreneur, and notably one of those human lynchpins needed to hold a community together.
“This is not just at a federal or provincial level, it’s also municipal. The City of Vancouver, in my nine years, hasn’t done anything in the tech space.”
Recently, BetaKit broke the news that Ray’s Launch Academy incubator program was moving fully remote, meaning Vancouver has lost one of its longstanding physical hubs for innovation and incubation.
At the time, Walia also told us that part of the decision to downsize and take LaunchPad virtual was related to a lack of government support. On today’s episode, Ray openly shares his frustration over the lack of support he and others have received trying to build a meaningful ecosystem in Vancouver.
But hey it’s not all bad right? Trulioo, Clio, Dapper Labs, Abcelera! Vancouver tech is blowing up! Dan Burgar, president of the Vancouver VRAR Association, joins to run through all the Vancouver tech companies people are talking about, as well as all of the companies people should be talking about, but aren’t (and why that is).
It’s, at times, an intense conversation, filled with excitement, optimism, and maybe a sense of foreboding. Ray Walia knows what it’s like to grind it out. He knows what Vancouver tech is on the precipice of. He knows it’s their moment to lose.
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The BetaKit podcast is hosted by Douglas Soltys & Rob Kenedi. Edited by Kattie Laur. Sponsored by Nugget.ai. Produced with support from TWG.
