Business Real Talk
Candid conversations for entrepreneurs building real businesses.
Candid conversations for entrepreneurs building real businesses.
Business Real Talk is a live event series created for entrepreneurs who want honest conversations about growth, strategy, and the realities of building a business — without hype, buzzwords, or sales pitches.
Each session brings founders and business leaders together to share what actually works, what didn’t, and what they wish they’d known sooner.
Most Recent Session:
Mission to Market — Turning Purpose into Profit.
A key theme from the night: When mission and market work together, impact grows.
Our speakers shared valuable insights:
Nivatha Balendra — Pivoting isn’t failure; it’s momentum.
Natasha Liberman Santos — Building a mission is easier with the right support around you.
Mark Cigos & Sabrina Silvestri— Lead with your mission to attract meaningful partnerships.
Léa Hein — Funders look for clarity—know your purpose and your numbers.
Real Conversations. Real Solutions. Real Connections.
“‘Business Real Talk: When Everything’s on the Line’ was a great event to learn about well successful entrepreneurs and their life stories/careers. Their losses and achievements were inspiring for people like me, who have experience, and needed to be reminded of that nothing’s really on the line, but your time. It’s time to jump out of the cliff and see the new journey that’s about to start!”
Past Business Real Talk sessions
Photo by Edmond Chung Photography
When Everything’s on the Line
June 6, 2025
Hosted by Desjardins Caisse des Technologies, this no-holds-barred session packed 80+ entrepreneurs and business owners into one room for an electric night of unfiltered stories and hard-earned lessons.
With Andy Nulman steering the conversation, panelists Nima Jalalvandi (Ready Plan Go), Stéphanie Jecrois (Technovation Montréal), Karim S. Leduc (Dulcedo Management), and Marlee Rabin pulled no punches—sharing the real deal on high-stakes decisions, failure, and what it really takes to stay standing when the pressure’s on.
Redefining Failure as Fuel for Success
February 6, 2025
We launched Business Real Talk at SAP’s stunning downtown space with a powerhouse panel of women business leaders who showed up ready to get real. The takeaway? Failure is what you make of it—how you define it, how you let it shape you, and how you use it to fuel your next move.
Led by moderator Nogol Madani (Glee Factor), panelists Lisa Barbusci (Fisika), Juliette Brun (Juliette et Chocolat), Kiana Gomes (Cocktail Bomb Shop), Anie Rouleau (The Unscented Company), and Kim Sullivan delivered an unapologetic, wisdom-packed conversation that cut through the noise and got to the heart of entrepreneurial grit.
Stay Connected
Business Real Talk is an ongoing series.
Future sessions will continue to bring founders and business leaders together for practical, experience-driven conversations.
Join the mailing list to hear about upcoming discussions.
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