OFFICE HOURS

Office Hours: Your No-nonsense Support System

We're transforming our popular Mentor Roundtables into something even more useful—permanent Office Hours where you can join our experts whenever you need them. We heard you when you said you love the chance at honest, intimate conversations with people that can make a difference to your companies, so this year we’re building a dedicated Office Hours zone where founders, experts, and investors will be on hand to give you real advice throughout Wednesday and Thursday. 

No more strategic hovering or awkward networking to access people who know what they're talking about. Just drop in whenever your startup crisis hits—whether it's your imploding team, that pitch that makes investors wince, figuring out if your AI idea is just ChatGPT in a trench coat, or dealing with a board that questions your every move. No sign-ups, no gatekeepers—just direct access to people who've survived the startup gauntlet and can help you do the same.

THE SCHEDULE

Office hours are in session:

Wednesday, July 9th                   Thursday, July 10th

 11:00am-12:30pm                      10:30am-12:00pm
1:00pm-2:30pm                          1:00pm-2:30pm
3:30pm-5:00pm                          3:30pm-5:00pm

 

THEMES

Some of the themes you can look forward to:

Founder mental health
Building the team
AI & automation
Go-to-market
Venture fundraising
Non-venture financing
Founder skills & development
Managing boards & advisors
Pitching your story
Operations & Supply Chain
International Expansion
Community Building
Crisis, emergency & continuity
Partnerships & business development
Brand Building & Positioning
Mergers & acquisitions
Taboo topics

Office Hours Agenda

July 09

3:00 PM

Mentor Office Hours

Pitching your story

There are plenty of ways to tell your story, from the briefest of elevator pitches to the long-form conversations of podcasts. And it matters most when it's a placeholder for what you'll deliver. Hone your pitch and find your angle in our pitch office. See More.
General Partner & Co-Founder
Hustle Fund
CEO
2389 Research, Inc
Founder
T6 Talent Partners
Operating Partner
Maverix Private Equity
Entrepreneur
Osunatech
Mentor Office Hours

Go-to-market

What's your plan for capturing marketshare? And if you don't have one—how do you find it? See More.
Founder
Flashfood
Head of Product Design
Forum Ventures, AI Studio
Head of Insights
Carta
Expert-in-Residence, Growth
Techstars
Mentor Office Hours

Partnerships & business development

Learn what makes partnerships work and fail, and why business development is the key to long-term, wide-reaching growth. See More.
Principal
PartnerBuild Advisory
Chief Operating Officer | Integrator
The Farmers' Truck
General Partner
Enjoy the Work
Chief Operating Officer
Missiveapp
Mentor Office Hours

Founder skills & development

We'll discuss the transformations needed to turn an evangelist who promises the future into an operator who delivers it. See More.
Partner
C/R Strategy Partners
Founder and Managing Partner
Enjoy the Work
Co-author
Just Evil Enough
Mentor Office Hours

Brand Building & positioning

You must edit your customers' mental framework in ways that give you an advantage and stall your opponents. Let's learn how. See More.
2x Tech CMO
Startup Advisor, Exec Coach
Founder, Head of Research
The Difference Engine LLC
Mentor Office Hours

Venture fundraising Hosted by RBCx

In this Office Hours session we'll talk about building a network of contacts and keeping it warm, crafting the perfect pitch, and responding to questions in the room while leaving enough promise to earn the next meeting. See More.
Managing Partner
Globalive Capital
General Partner
SuccessVP
MD - Venture Coverage
RBCx

5:00 PM

Mentor Office Hours

Founder mental health

How do you find work-life balance in a journey that's often a marathon rather than a sprint? Let's have some frank conversations about founder mental health. See More.
Chief Operating Officer | Integrator
The Farmers' Truck
CEO
2389 Research, Inc
Co-Founder / CTO
Onix
Program Director
Alchemist Accelerator
Mentor Office Hours

Building the team

Join this group discussion to figure out complicated problems like team dynamics, recruiting, and motivation. See More.
Managing Partner
Enjoy the Work
AI Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem
Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Senior Director, Product
Alchemist Accelerator
Mentor Office Hours

B2B enterprise sales

From finding your first referenceable proof-of-concept users, to scaling an enterprise sales team, B2B sales is a unique beast, so we're devoting an entire Office Hours session to it. See More.
Principal
PartnerBuild Advisory
Head of Product
Roblox Operating System (Enterprise AI)
Founder, Head of Research
The Difference Engine LLC
Founder
ThinkersOne
Mentor Office Hours

Managing boards & advisors

We'll talk about managing your strategic advisors to keep the expedition moving towards its goal. See More.
Partner
C/R Strategy Partners
Founder
T6 Talent Partners
Operating Partner
Maverix Private Equity
General Partner
Enjoy the Work
Entrepreneur
Osunatech
Mentor Office Hours

Product management

Finding product-market fit is an iteration, a dance between what you build and who it's for. It's exhausting, often humiliating, and absolutely necessary. See More.
VC & Founder
Fonzi AI
Founder & Advisor
Paper Education
Head of Product Design
Forum Ventures, AI Studio
Mentor Office Hours

Venture fundraising Hosted by RBCx

In this Office Hours session we'll talk about building a network of contacts and keeping it warm, crafting the perfect pitch, and responding to questions in the room while leaving enough promise to earn the next meeting. See More.
Consumer Partner
Menlo Ventures
Managing Partner
Storytime Capital
MD - Venture Coverage
RBCx

7:30 PM

Mentor Office Hours

AI & automation

What are the implications of AI on how much startups raise, what competitive moats they build, and the return on investment they deliver? See More.
AI Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem
Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Managing Director
Good Ideas Only
Co-Founder / CTO
Onix
Mentor Office Hours

B2C customer acquisition

B2C marketing is weird, and constantly evolving every time a new trend or platform hits. Let's talk about customer acquisition and consumer marketing in the modern age. See More.
Founder
ThinkersOne
VC & Founder
Fonzi AI
2x Tech CMO
Startup Advisor, Exec Coach
Mentor Office Hours

Community building

Build a community that trusts you to understand it, support its values, and satisfy its needs, and you've got an army of advocates by your side. Let's talk about how to create and nurture your community. See More.
Principal
Hustle Fund
General Partner
SuccessVP
Expert-in-Residence, Growth
Techstars
Mentor Office Hours

International expansion

Join us to understand when to enter new markets, and how to expand without putting your existing markets at risk. See More.
Senior Director, Product
Alchemist Accelerator
Co-author
Just Evil Enough
Managing Partner
Storytime Capital
Mentor Office Hours

Mergers & acquisition

Whether you're assembling the pieces of a greater solution, rolling up competitors, or getting acquired, most startups are part of a merger or acquisition. It's a process that's as intimidating as it is inevitable, and you can prepare for it. Learn more about M&A here! See More.
Founder & Advisor
Paper Education
Managing Partner
Globalive Capital
CEO
AI4Eyes Medical Technologies Inc.
Managing Partner
Deloitte Ventures
Mentor Office Hours

Venture fundraising Hosted by RBCx

Raising money takes the right story and the right audience. In this Office Hours session we'll talk about building a network of contacts and keeping it warm, crafting the perfect pitch, and responding to questions in the room while leaving enough promise to earn the next meeting. See More.
General Partner & Co-Founder
Hustle Fund
CEO and Founder
Tre'dish
Managing Partner
Alyst Ventures
MD - Venture Coverage
RBCx

July 10

2:30 PM

Mentor Office Hours

Managing boards & advisors

We'll talk about managing your strategic advisors to keep the expedition moving towards its goal. See More.
VC & Founder
Fonzi AI
Managing Partner
Globalive Capital
Founder
T6 Talent Partners
Operating Partner
Maverix Private Equity
Entrepreneur
Osunatech
Mentor Office Hours

Product management

Finding product-market fit is an iteration, a dance between what you build and who it's for. It's exhausting, often humiliating, and absolutely necessary. See More.
General Partner
SuccessVP
Head of Platform Operations
Georgian
Founder & Advisor
Paper Education
Program Director
Alchemist Accelerator
Mentor Office Hours

Bootstrapping

How do you compete with deep-pocketed rivals when your runway is measured in months, not years? When do you say no to growth opportunities you can't afford? See More.
CEO and co-founder
Braindate
Podcast Co-Host, Author, Former CTO
Startup Different
Exited SaaS Entrepreneur | Chief Podcast Officer | Award Winning Author
Startup Different
Mentor Office Hours

Building the team

Join this group discussion to figure out complicated problems like team dynamics, recruiting, and motivation. See More.
Partner
C/R Strategy Partners
CEO and Founder
Tre'dish
Managing Partner
Alyst Ventures
Chief Operating Officer
Missiveapp
Managing Partner
Storytime Capital
Mentor Office Hours

Brand Building & positioning

You must edit your customers' mental framework in ways that give you an advantage and stall your opponents. Let's learn how. See More.
Head of Insights
Carta
2x Tech CMO
Startup Advisor, Exec Coach
Head of Product Design
Forum Ventures, AI Studio
Mentor Office Hours

The Legal Office Hosted by Osler

You can't ignore the realities of contracts, Nondisclosure agreements, intellectual property, and the framework of agreements on which a new venture is built—so let's talk about secrets and handshakes. See More.
Partner Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Associate Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

5:00 PM

Mentor Office Hours

Pricing & revenue strategy

Pricing isn't just picking a number that feels right—it's psychology, economics, and strategy wrapped into one decision that can make or break your business. How do you price something that's never existed before? When do you compete on price versus value? See More.
Consumer Partner
Menlo Ventures
Chief Operating Officer
Missiveapp
Exited SaaS Entrepreneur | Chief Podcast Officer | Award Winning Author
Startup Different
Mentor Office Hours

Partnerships & business development

Learn what makes partnerships work and fail, and why business development is the key to long-term, wide-reaching growth. See More.
Principal
PartnerBuild Advisory
CEO
AI4Eyes Medical Technologies Inc.
Senior Director, Product
Alchemist Accelerator
Co-Founder / CTO
Onix
Mentor Office Hours

Founder mental health

How do you find work-life balance in a journey that's often a marathon rather than a sprint? Let's have some frank conversations about founder mental health. See More.
Chief Operating Officer | Integrator
The Farmers' Truck
CEO
2389 Research, Inc
Program Director
Alchemist Accelerator
Mentor Office Hours

AI & automation

What are the implications of AI on how much startups raise, what competitive moats they build, and the return on investment they deliver? See More.
Managing Director
Good Ideas Only
Founder
ThinkersOne
AI Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem
Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Managing Partner
Enjoy the Work
Mentor Office Hours

Go-to-market

What's your plan for capturing marketshare? And if you don't have one—how do you find it? See More.
Expert-in-Residence, Growth
Techstars
Principal
Hustle Fund
General Partner
Enjoy the Work
Entrepreneur
Osunatech
Mentor Office Hours

The Legal Office Hosted by Osler

You can't ignore the realities of contracts, Nondisclosure agreements, intellectual property, and the framework of agreements on which a new venture is built—so let's talk about secrets and handshakes. See More.
Associate Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Startup Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

7:30 PM

Mentor Office Hours

Founder skills & development

We'll discuss the transformations needed to turn an evangelist who promises the future into an operator who delivers it. See More.
AI Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem
Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Founder
ThinkersOne
Founder
T6 Talent Partners
Operating Partner
Maverix Private Equity
Mentor Office Hours

Taboo topics

There's no such thing as a stupid question—but there are plenty of questions nobody asks, because they're taboo. We're creating round table conversations for the questions everybody ponders but nobody says out loud. See More.
Founder, Head of Research
The Difference Engine LLC
Co-author
Just Evil Enough
Founder and Managing Partner
Enjoy the Work
Mentor Office Hours

Pitching your story

There are plenty of ways to tell your story, from the briefest of elevator pitches to the long-form conversations of podcasts. And it matters most when it's a placeholder for what you'll deliver. Hone your pitch and find your angle in our pitch office. See More.
General Partner & Co-Founder
Hustle Fund
Partner
C/R Strategy Partners
CEO
2389 Research, Inc
Program Director
Alchemist Accelerator
Mentor Office Hours

Mergers & acquisition

Whether you're assembling the pieces of a greater solution, rolling up competitors, or getting acquired, most startups are part of a merger or acquisition. It's a process that's as intimidating as it is inevitable, and you can prepare for it. Learn more about M&A here! See More.
Entrepreneur
Osunatech
CEO
AI4Eyes Medical Technologies Inc.
Founder & Advisor
Paper Education
Mentor Office Hours

Crisis, emergency & continuity

You might not be able to avoid catastrophe—but you can plan your response. Learn how to anticipate and mitigate disasters so calamity doesn't destroy what you've built—and how to keep your cool. See More.
Podcast Co-Host, Author, Former CTO
Startup Different
Senior Director, Product
Alchemist Accelerator
Managing Partner
Enjoy the Work
Mentor Office Hours

The Legal Office Hosted by Osler

You can't ignore the realities of contracts, Nondisclosure agreements, intellectual property, and the framework of agreements on which a new venture is built—so let's talk about secrets and handshakes. See More.
Partner Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Associate Lawyer
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP