It Takes a Village to Raise a Tech Company

For more than twenty years, the BCTIA has promoted the idea that there is incredible power in having a strong network, and that when we work together, across sectors, functional areas, and job-levels, we can truly help companies grow. Today we are formalizing that process by launching the BCTIA Expert Network. To kick things off we’ve assembled a group of volunteer experts whose ‘superpowers’ lie in several key business areas, and their mission, like ours, is to help your tech company grow.

Since the launch of our accelerator programs in 2010, we’ve provided companies with access to seasoned entrepreneurs, known as Executives-in-Residence. These growth generalists were based on their sector-specific expertise, helping client companies at a strategic level. The BCTIA Expert Network extends that support by offering functional-coaching, focused on solving specific growth challenges that companies face.

No Entrepreneur is an Island

As a growth-stage CEO, we understand that you are essentially the entire “executive team”, and you find yourself making decisions about everything from digital marketing to talent attraction to investor strategies, and nobody knows it all – no matter what they claim.

Our belief, proven by five years and close to 600 accelerator clients, is that by having a quick discussion with a seasoned practitioner, growing tech companies can save time, money, and a lot of frustration when solving problems they’re not equipped to deal with on their own.

Lessons from HyperGrowth

During our HyperGrowth program, cohort companies had the privilege of not just receiving mentorship from the CEOs of some of Vancouver’s best technology companies, but also training from the functional leads at companies like ACL, Hootsuite, Microsoft, and BuildDirect.

We have seen the value of these deep discussions on important functional topics, and we have designed the Expert Network to provide a similar level of access to a broader group of companies.

Who are the Experts?

Our experts have a range of experience, having worked for home-grown tech companies like TIO Networks (Steve Barha) to global tech giants like AVG Technologies (Ross Paul) and include both founders and functional experts such as venture capitalists like Jim Charlton, formerly of GrowthWorks. The range of expertise includes Finance, Marketing & Sales, Product & Technical, and Talent.

Each of our volunteers knows what it’s like to build a tech company, and struggle while doing so. Our experts understand that it can be lonely work growing a startup, and they are very excited to give back and share their experiences and learning to help you avoid the pitfalls that tech companies all-too-often face.

When asked why he wanted to be an Expert, serial Founder and CTO Julien Sellgren said, “along the way, you learn to rely on others for support. Finding a community, and surrounding yourself with experienced advisers, can be a tremendous help.”

We couldn’t agree more.

To meet our experts and see their ‘superpowers’, click here.

Are you interested in joining the Expert Network, or know someone who should?
Contact Clayton Racine Weir, Client Services Manager, at cweir@bctia.org for details.