🌟 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

Assel Beglinova is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and the Co-founder & CEO of Paperstack, a capital platform helping CPG and e-commerce brands grow without giving up ownership or control.

Before launching Paperstack, Assel spent five years in finance, working across high-net-worth tax planning and small business lending. That experience gave her a front-row seat to a problem many founders know too well: great businesses being constrained not by demand, but by how capital is structured.

At Paperstack, Assel is changing how modern commerce brands access funding - designing solutions that align with cash flow, growth cycles, and real operational needs, rather than forcing founders into one-size-fits-all financing models.

At Commerce Toronto, Assel will unpack:

• How today’s retail, CPG, and e-commerce brands should think about capital in 2026

• Common funding mistakes that quietly limit growth

• What founders can do early to stay flexible, resilient, and in control

Her perspective sits at the intersection of finance, operations, and founder reality — making this a must-hear session for anyone scaling a consumer or commerce business.

🛒 Commerce Toronto - Where Commerce Gets Real

Commerce Toronto is where Canada’s retail, e-commerce, CPG, and tech communities come together to talk about what is actually working right now - from scaling distribution and conversion, to financing growth, to building brands customers come back to.

On Wednesday, January 21, more than 200 founders, operators, brand builders, and industry leaders will gather at the Rotman School of Management for an evening of honest conversations, practical lessons, and high-signal networking across the commerce ecosystem.

What you can expect

• Founder talks & fireside conversations with leaders who have built, scaled, and exited real commerce businesses

• A community open mic spotlighting what attendees are building right now

• A curated on-site CPG Marketplace, where emerging brands showcase their products and stories

• Meaningful networking - plus an off-site afterparty to keep conversations going

Featured speakers include

• Alan Nowogrodski, CEO & Founder of Superbar — on AI-powered selling and conversion at scale

• Beckie Prime, Founder and CEO of Beck’s Broth and ​Domenique Mastronardi, President and Partner at Beck’s Broth — on building a modern wellness brand consumers love

• ​Assel Beglinova, Co-founder and CEO of Paperstack — on financing growth without dilution

• ​Marie Chevrier Schwartz is the CEO at RETHINK Retail and Strategic Advisor at TechTO — on brand strategy, scale, and leadership

If you are building, operating, or investing in commerce - this is one of the most valuable rooms you can be in this January.

💬 COMMUNITY PULSE

This is the TechTO community in real time.

These are unfiltered reactions, comments, and conversations happening across our social channels - founders, operators, and builders sharing what resonated, what sparked ideas, and why these rooms matter. If you have been part of the conversation, you might spot yourself here.

🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS

• Commerce Toronto: Wednesday, January 21 @ 5:30pm - LAST TICKETS

• Together Toronto: Monday, February 2 @ 6:00pm - EARLY-BIRD TICKETS HERE

• Sales Toronto 2026: Wednesday, February 09 @ 6:00pm - 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

🎤 Know Someone Who Should Be on the TechTO Stage?

We’re always looking to spotlight founders, operators, and builders with powerful stories; the kind that inspire, teach, and move the Canadian tech community forward.

If you know someone whose journey deserves the mic - from early stumbles to breakout momentum - we want to hear from you.

Help us bring fresh voices and new perspectives to future TechTO events and podcasts.

NEXT BIG GIGS 💼

Here are a few new roles across Canadian tech worth a closer look this week — spanning engineering leadership, hands-on product building, and operations at growing startups:

• CoLab Software is hiring a VP of Software Engineering (Full-time, Remote Canada) to lead and scale a high-impact engineering organization. This role is built for a seasoned startup leader who has grown teams through rapid scale and can balance hands-on technical depth with long-term strategy. You will shape product delivery, partner closely with Product and Design, support GTM and customers, and sit on the senior leadership team of a fast-growing SaaS company applying AI to real-world engineering workflows.

• SuiteSpot Technology is looking for a Senior Software Engineer, Capital (Full-time, Toronto / Hybrid) to help build and scale its PropTech platform used by the top multifamily operators in North America. You will own features end-to-end across Angular, Node.js, and MongoDB, ship quickly to production, and work closely with customers. Ideal for engineers who thrive on ownership, fast iteration, and seeing their work make an immediate, real-world impact.

• Taalas Inc. is hiring an Operations Manager (Full-time, In-person, Toronto) to help bring structure and efficiency to a growing tech organization. This role spans operations, finance support, HR coordination, onboarding, and internal systems. It is a great fit for someone early in their operations career who wants to grow alongside a startup and take real ownership of day-to-day execution.

Looking to hire or get hired? Check out the TechTO Job Board to see 1,000+ opportunities and learn how to get your companies jobs featured.

🤝 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.