Ray at Launch Academy in
Gastown. The offices are a
hive of activity, providing
space for staff, a rotating
roster of early-stage tech
startups, and well-behaved
dogs like Keopi.
MEMBER PROFILE
Ray Walia, CPA, CMA
Profile by Michelle McRae
Photo by Kent Kallberg Studios
CEO, Launch Academy
Award-winning entrepreneur and investor Ray
Walia has focused on making Vancouver a
hub for technology and innovation for more
than a decade. In this Q&A, the CEO of Launch
Academy shares his thoughts on tech life.
Is Vancouver a major tech hub yet?
Vancouver has come a long way over the last
10 years. Larger tech companies are setting
up offices here, we’ve seen some homegrown
successes, and our university programs, spe-
cialty developer bootcamps, and incubators
show that we’re committed to producing
homegrown talent and nurturing foreign
talent immigrating to Canada.
However, other cities around the world are
actively growing their own tech industries
too, so we can’t take our foot off the gas. We
need to keep reinvesting in our industry and
expanding our global reach.
Is that why you partnered with Canada’s
Start-up Visa Program? How does it work?
Having built multiple businesses in Canada
and invested in companies around the world,
I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of building a
tech company here, and the Start-up Visa
Program enables talented entrepreneurs from
54 CPABC in Focus • July/August 2018
around the world to do the same. As a desig-
nated program partner, Launch Academy can
provide a letter of support to assist in a compa-
ny’s application process. We only recommend
companies that have pre-existing relationships
with us. Those that don’t can apply for Maple,
a program we created to aid international
companies with their growth and expansion in
Canada and North America. Through Maple,
we provide a landing pad with resources,
mentorship, networking, and business match-
making to overcome the challenges that occur
when moving a business and family to Canada.
What is it about the tech startup world
that most inspires you?
For me, it’s really about the people I get to
collaborate with every day. They motivate me
to try my hardest to help them achieve their
goals and be successful. Also, it’s a lot easier
to build an online business on a global scale
than a brick-and-mortar one, so that’s another
big draw. And the challenges are dynamic,
because the tech landscape is constantly
evolving with new emerging technologies.
Combined with the responsibilities that
come with building a startup, it makes for a
pretty interesting day-to-day life.
What do you find most rewarding about
mentoring other entrepreneurs?
Helping them move past a massive roadblock.
When you can show them that the challenges
they’re experiencing aren’t career-ending—
they’re just part of the process.
However, a guilty secret to mentoring is that
I often learn more than I teach. Tech is chang-
ing so fast that no one is truly an expert in
anything anymore—or, at least, not for long. So
the onus is on entrepreneurs to stay current.
Mentoring and advising other startups is one
way to do this. It can expose you to new ideas,
new technologies, new solutions, and new
industries outside of your own.
What’s your advice for a new entrepreneur?
Be patient. The “next big idea” is often ideal-
ized as an overnight success, but it’s so far
from that. I work with entrepreneurs every
single day and see the blood, sweat, and tears
they pour into their work. The road to success
is not linear, and the majority of entrepre-
neurs fail completely before they succeed. You
just have to be patient and surround yourself
with like-minded people.
A longer version of this Q&A is posted at industryupdate.ca.