Last year while I was travelling, I found out about an event outside of Toronto called Fireside. At the time, it sounded like a pipe dream to me.
Since I was about to leave my previous job, and this was an event that brought together investors, founders, and startups and threw them all together at a summer camp and took away all their gadgets for the whole weekend.
What I was excited for and expecting was a weekend filled with incredible people in startups and tech. I was excited to disconnect, go water skiing, hear some awesome talks, and just go to this event knowing literally not a single other person there.
What I didn’t expect was how that lack of technology and social hierarchy would create an incredible environment for forming deep, meaningful relationships with people in the most unexpected ways possible. The relationships I built at that event were without a doubt the foundation of my career as the Community Manager at Lighthouse Labs today.
To this day, every event I go to, the people I always am the tightest with are those I met at Fireside in 2016.
Really really looking forward to another incredible experience in 2017.
This looks awesome! I've been to Camp Walden many times before, and the space is literally magic. I trust this will be the retreat Canadian founders need. Looking forward to it!!
@joshlilien Trying to get some more Montreal founders and startups out here to connect the Toronto/Montreal tech scenes a bit more. Would love for you to spread the word over there.
Fireside was like no conference I have ever attended. The environment and the programming really did enable authentic connections to develop organically. I am still in touch with everyone I met there and am grateful for having met my bunkmate who I now consider a very close friend. I have nothing but amazing things to say about Fireside. If you're not going this year, you are really missing out on something special and unique. At this point, it's a can't miss event!!!
@whatsupanna wow thanks for the amazing kind words. It's so fun hearing stories from alumni about things that came out of fireside that we don't even know about, like new friendships! So excited to welcome you back this year Anna!
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