University of Waterloo students and alumni are among the world’s most sought-after tech talent – now, more are turning that edge into startups, and Waterloo has become a booming hub for Canada’s Hi-tech and AI economy. In this dialogue, an investor/tech social innovator and a start-up owner will share their Waterloo and entrepreneurial experience, and have a conversation with audience on themes from Waterloo’s co-op culture, Silicon Valley experience, to how Canada may benefit most from its tech talents in the era of AI.
Free English online event, transcript of translations in different languages available on Zoom.
Time: Sunday June 21, 2026 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)
Zoom registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QImvZ0TGTO67PlxXbfalhg
Zoom will open 15 minutes prior. Please be on time. Thanks!
Guest Speakers and Topics
Jerry Jiang is an entrepreneur, angel investor, observational sociologist, and founder of Akatos, the Waterloo founder residency. He helps highly ambitious and relentless founders move faster by focusing on core business principles: customers, urgency, and rate of growth. Jerry studied entrepreneurship and finance at Babson College, America’s #1 school for entrepreneurship. He previously cofounded Etho, backed by BoostVC, and also actively invests into real estate.
Jerry will talk about his unconventional life path, and why he started a founder residency in Waterloo. He will also share his observation on what entrepreneurship programs could easily miss, the ongoing entrepreneurial golden age, and his reflection on why failure is a necessary ingredient on the path towards progress.
Eric Liu is a University of Waterloo dropout who left in his sixth year after co-oping at a wide range of companies. He is now the co-founder of Totalis, a startup building in the prediction markets space, and is currently part of the YC Accelerator.
Eric will share his perspective on the startup environment and ecosystem at the University of Waterloo, and how Waterloo’s co-op culture, technical community, and builder mindset have shaped his path. He’ll also talk about how he became interested in starting his own company, and what it has been like building a startup in San Francisco through YC (Y Combinator).
Everyone is welcome! For inquiries, please contact info@eawlc.org. Thanks!
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