The Start-up Visa: A Conversation with Launch Academy

Canada is a perfect landing pad for many businesses around the world who are looking to expand their businesses to North America and, with its Start-Up Visa Program, Canada supports launching innovative, globally-scalable business ideas from foreign innovators and entrepreneurs.

In this month’s webinar, we will dive deep into another Start-Up Visa incubator program to let applicants – as well as the professionals who serve them – know more about the available options. Since Joorney Business Plans Canada is not an immigration consultant, lawyer, or advisor, we are delighted to bring in our special guest to dive deep into the program and explain the steps involved in the process.

We’ve teamed up with Launch Academy, a designated organization of the Start-Up Visa Program. Join us as we sit down with Ray Walia, Co-Founder & CEO at Launch Academy, as we aim to answer the most pressing questions about the Start-Up Visa process, what it takes to obtain the letter of support, and how Launch Academy supports promising technology businesses in their development and growth.

Guest: Ray Walia is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in both the entertainment and technology sectors. Ray founded Launch Ventures which owns and operates a network of proprietary accelerators, innovation labs, and investment funds. The most prominent incubator is Launch Academy, Western Canada’s leading entrepreneurship facility, which has worked with more than 6000 entrepreneurs of which 300 have grown their startups to Seed and Series A stage and raised over $1.2 Billion in funding. Launch Academy is a designated provider for the Canadian Start-Up Visa Program. Ray has invested in over 30+ startups either personally or through his funds and was named Entrepreneur Mentor of the Year for 2014 and 2015, BIV Top Forty Under 40, G20 Young Entrepreneur, BC Tech Person of The Year Finalist 2018, and one of 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in British Columbia for 2021.

Host: Marianella Manzur has over 18 years of international experience in business development and consulting in strategy, management, business planning, business intelligence, marketing, and sales. Originally from Colombia, she has worked in an array of different industries in both Latin and North American markets. Marianella is an MBA graduate with postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School in strategy and sales as well as entrepreneurial essentials. Currently, as Director of Sales & Marketing and Head of Market Research of Joorney Global, she channels her broad and diverse business knowledge into helping hundreds of entrepreneurs, startups, and business immigrants achieve their goals every year.