23 September 2024 | Mississauga Convention Centre
Hosted by Canada Startup Association
AGAZ Summit 2024 was a gathering of builders, changemakers, investors, policymakers, and community leaders who came together with one shared belief: Canada’s entrepreneurial future must be inclusive, global, and impact-driven. The summit created a powerful space for honest conversations about what is working, what is broken, and what must change—especially for immigrant, BIPOC, and women entrepreneurs who form the backbone of Canada’s economy.
Across industry panels and lived-experience conversations, AGAZ Summit 2024 explored the real challenges entrepreneurs face after the “startup hype” fades, including:
Access to capital and closed funding networks
Difficulty scaling beyond early customers
Limited procurement opportunities for small businesses
Underrepresentation in media and policy discussions
Gender and racial bias in investment decisions
Burnout, isolation, and the hidden cost of resilience
Rather than stopping at problems, speakers and panelists focused on practical pathways forward grounded in experience, not theory.
Funding Needs System Change
Speakers emphasized that the funding gap is not about lack of talent. Women receive only a fraction of venture capital, and Black women even less. The issue lies in who makes funding decisions and which networks are prioritized.
Bootstrapping Before Investment
Entrepreneurs were encouraged to build businesses that work without depending on grants or external funding. Early traction, customer validation, and personal commitment remain critical signals for investors.
Scaling Is the Real Challenge
Starting a business is learnable, but scaling it is not easy—especially for immigrant founders navigating new systems, regulations, and networks. Growth requires partnerships, visibility, and access to buyers, not just mentors.
Procurement as an Untapped Opportunity
Canada’s procurement ecosystem remains risk-averse. Founders were advised to collaborate with larger companies already winning contracts instead of waiting for direct access.
Impact Is No Longer Optional
Impact-driven investment is growing. Businesses that integrate social, environmental, and accessibility outcomes—and can clearly measure them—are better positioned for long-term funding and relevance.
Media Shapes Legitimacy
Panelists challenged media organizations to move beyond token success stories and consistently spotlight SMEs and immigrant-led businesses that fuel local economies and job creation.
Women Entrepreneurs: Beyond Survival
Women leaders spoke openly about bias, imposter syndrome, and burnout. The message was clear: success should not require constant sacrifice. Collaboration, confidence, technology, and self-care are essential leadership skills.
AI as a Competitive Advantage
AI tools were positioned as powerful “digital teammates,” enabling entrepreneurs to move faster, reduce costs, and compete globally—especially those with limited resources.
AGAZ Summit 2024 closed with a strong call to action:
Entrepreneurs must build globally, collaborate locally, and own their stories.
Ecosystem leaders must open networks, not just doors.
Media must reflect the true diversity of Canadian entrepreneurship.
Policymakers must invite founders into decision-making spaces.
Communities must grow together, not in silos.
The summit reaffirmed a powerful truth: immigrants, BIPOC, and women entrepreneurs are not a niche—they are Canada’s economic engine.
