Canada is the move: Building in Waterloo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Last week, the Faculty of Engineering and the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business hosted Canada is the Move, a conversation exploring the ambition, energy and connections driving Waterloo’s growing technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The conversation, moderated by Professor Chris Holt, brought together Michael Litt (BASc ’10), co-founder of Vidyard and Garage Capital, and Jocelyne Murphy (BASc ’25), co-founder of Wygo, and Chris Albinson, Managing Partner of True North Fund.

For Murphy, Waterloo’s ecosystem has played an important role in Wygo’s journey. She credits Conrad School's Enterprise Co-op program, the Pearl Sullivan Scholarship for Community Leadership and Waterloo’s Accelerator Centre with giving her team the financial freedom and support to establish Wygo’s foundation before raising venture capital. Wygo was also the official platform powering this year’s Waterloo Tech Week.

The conversation highlighted what makes Waterloo a unique place to build: a dense network of students, alumni, founders, mentors and community partners who share ideas, make connections and create opportunities for one another.

At the Conrad School, we see that ecosystem in action every day. Through programs like E Co-op, students have the opportunity to test ideas, build ventures and develop the relationships and experience that can help carry their entrepreneurial journeys forward.