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Innovation in Motion: The Founders, Insights, and Moments
A packed edition featuring Maxwell’s rise with Blossom Social, the Health Toronto recap, new partner perks, and everything coming next at TechTO.
Alex at TechTO
November 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
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🌟 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
Maxwell Nicholson is the CEO of Blossom Social, one of Canada’s fastest-growing fintech startups and the social network redefining how retail investors learn, connect, and grow. With 500,000+ members, $4B+ in linked assets, and recognition as one of Apple’s Top 25 Apps for 2025, Blossom has become the community for next-gen investors.
But the journey wasn’t glamorous. Blossom spent 2.5 years with slow traction, countless rejections, and skeptics who didn’t believe that people would openly share verified portfolios. Maxwell and his team held the conviction that transparency was the future of investing - and they were right. Today, Blossom is partnered with major global players like State Street, Nasdaq, and the NYSE and has scaled from $1.1M to nearly $4M in revenue in just one year.
Blossom isn’t just an app - it’s a movement. A community built through authenticity, influence, and relationships so strong that 20+ creators invested their own money to join the mission.
What You’ll Learn at Canadian Rocketships:
How Blossom built the #1 community for retail investors
The strategy behind verified portfolios, trust, and a product that reshaped how young people approach investing.
Why founder grit matters more than speed
Maxwell’s honest truth: it took 3 years to hit $1M - and then everything exploded. What kept them going when growth was slow?
How influencer partnerships became their unfair advantage
The secret sauce behind their 50,000 monthly signups and why creators became part-owners.
Building a co-founder team that actually works
Why complementary skills - not friendships - make or break a founding team.
The leadership philosophy that unlocked scale
Maxwell’s superpower: leaders don’t make every decision - they build teams who do.
🚀 Meet Maxwell at Canadian Rocketships 2025
He’ll be taking the stage on December 1 at Toronto City Hall to share how Canada’s newest breakout fintech scaled community, revenue, and trust all at once.
🩺 Health Toronto Recap: A Night That Moved the Ecosystem Forward
Health Toronto brought together one of the most diverse and energized healthtech audiences we have seen this year - founders, clinicians, researchers, investors, operators, and innovators all gathered at OneEleven with one shared goal: to build better care.
From the moment the doors opened, the space buzzed with thoughtful conversations about everything from AI-powered care solutions to biotech advances, patient-centered design, and the realities of innovating within Canada’s healthcare system. It was the kind of night that reminded everyone why this community matters.
💡Real Stories From Builders in the Trenches
Our lineup of speakers offered an honest look into what it takes to push healthcare forward:
Vishar Yaghoubian, CEO & Co-Founder, Toothpod - Showed how smart dental-care devices and connected data can help people take control of their health long before they reach a clinic.
Laird Russell, CEO & Co-Founder, ExaCare AI- Shared how his personal journey led him to transform post-acute care for seniors using AI and better operational tools.
Trevor McKee, CEO, Astraea Bio - Opened the door to the power of spatial biology, high-dimensional imaging, and the future of precision medicine.
Feiran Zhou, Venture Commercialization, Ontario Centre of Innovation - Brought a unique investor/operator perspective on supporting early-stage founders innovating in life sciences and healthtech.
Chenny Xia, Founder & CEO, Gotcare - Spoke about reimagining home-care delivery in Canada and why equity, design, and community matter when building for real people.
Together, they painted a powerful picture of where healthcare is going - and how much opportunity exists for those willing to innovate at the edges.
A huge thank-you to our community leads who set the tone:
Amr Galal , Vijesh Vijayan, and Aman Desai, who helped frame the night with insight, warmth, and a deep understanding of healthcare systems.
We are grateful to OneEleven for hosting us in a space that feels like home for Toronto’s builders.
📸 Photo gallery here
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🎥 Full talks coming soon on YouTube
🌱 What’s Next: Health Toronto 2026
If Health Toronto 2025 showed us anything, it is that this community is ready to build the future of healthcare together. And we are already looking ahead.
Health Toronto returns in 2026 - bigger, bolder, and with even more voices shaping what innovation in care should look like.
Expect:
New founders solving emerging problems
Clinicians stepping into tech leadership roles
Breakthroughs across AI, biotech, diagnostics, and care delivery
Policy leaders and investors pushing the ecosystem forward
Rooms full of people who want to build, collaborate, and accelerate change
Save the date; you won’t want to miss it!
🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS
TechTO Canadian Rocketships 2025: Monday, December 1 @ 6:00pm - REGISTER HERE
YC Alumni Holiday Party 2025: Wednesday, December 3 @ 6:00pm - APPLY HERE
Together Toronto: Monday, January 12 @ 6:00pm - REGISTER HERE
Commerce Toronto: Wednesday, January 21 @ 5:30pm - EARLY-BIRD TICKETS HERE
Health Toronto 2026: Wednesday, February 25 @ 6:00pm - EARLY-BIRD TICKETS HERE
Don’t forget to lock in your year of TechTO! Subscribe to our full events calendar
🔥 PARTNER PERKS
Our Directory helps you find our community’s favourite service providers and businesses that we stand behind. Check out a few perks from our partners:
Unlock a Free Finance, HR or GTM Strategy Session with BrightIron (Save up to $500!) BrightIron offers fractional Finance, HR, and Go-to-Market support so startups can access senior expertise without full-time hires.
Get a free 1:1 strategy session with one of their functional experts to level up your Finance, HR, Sales, or Marketing roadmap.
15% Off Your First Penetration Test with Stingrai (Save up to $1,500!)
Stingrai simulates real-world attacks using certified ethical hackers + their PTaaS platform to keep your security ahead of threats.
TechTO members get 15% off their first penetration test - including a free scoping call, full vulnerability report, and remediation retest.
🤝 GET MORE WITH TECHTO
If you’re looking for more ways to connect with the tech world, our TechTO Membership is a great way to interact with others building in the space.
Our membership program already supports hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals building the next best companies in Canadian tech. Take advantage of exclusive members-only events, and opportunities to meet those who will inspire your next big idea. Learn more about our Membership options here.
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