UGLY TALK: THE WORLD CHANGED. DID YOUR GTM?
While every Canadian brand aim of going global, the reality of the Canada-U.S. border has become a minefield of friction. Most founders talk about scaling in the States but few talk about the 2025 turmoil. The industry ignores the tariffs, the tax traps, and the geopolitical shifts that are quietly eroding margins. The ugly truth is that the strategies that worked two years ago are now the very things holding Canadian brands back from 2026 growth.
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Gain a tactical 2026 growth roadmap built on the actual lessons learned by peers during the 2025 trade turmoil.
Acquire practical solutions for cross-border friction including tariffs, taxes, and duty complexities that are currently eroding your margins.
Hear unfiltered hot takes on the U.S. market and global expansion strategies that founders only share behind closed doors.
Connect with a curated room of retail professionals with decision making power and active founders who prioritize progress over optics.
Identify clear signals for when to rejig your supply chain to survive future geopolitical shifts without burning out your team.
🙋 Who's Getting In This Room
Active Founders from the Toronto eCommerce scene
Retail Executives and Corporate Professionals managing high-growth brands.
Operators and Logistics Experts who live in the world of cross-border friction.
Community Partners dedicated to lifting the Toronto D2C ecosystem.
🎤 Who's Taking the Stage
Jennifer Boville - Co-Founder & CEO of Farm Girl
Jennifer Boville is the Co-founder and CEO of Farm Girl, a Canadian food brand disrupting the breakfast aisle with better-for-you cereals and pantry staples made with simple ingredients and classic flavours. With a background in marketing, sales, and brand strategy, she has scaled businesses across telecom, technology, and CPG sectors to over $100M. A nutritionist, certified spin and TRX instructor, and mom of two, she is passionate about helping families make healthier choices without compromise—an approach that shapes how she builds and leads the Farm Girl brand.
Kevin Bache - Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Phoenix Digital Health
Kevin Bache is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Phoenix, Canada’s most trusted digital health clinic. A product-focused CEO with a background in software development, design, and pharmaceutical advertising, Kevin co-founded Phoenix in 2019 after growing frustrated with the state of healthcare delivery in Canada. Phoenix was accepted into Y Combinator in 2021 and has since grown into one of the largest digital health companies in the country, raising a $50M Series A in 2025. Phoenix specializes in treating ED, hair loss, and weight loss — all virtually, with discreet delivery of prescription medication coast to coast.
Becky Quach - Founder & CEO of Cherrypick
Becky Quach is the founder and CEO of Cherrypick, a fast-growing children’s lifestyle brand redefining modern play. She turned a $5,000 investment into an eight-figure business in under three years, scaling primarily through a DTC-first model across North America. With 15+ years in brand and digital marketing at leading CPG companies, Becky blends corporate strategy with scrappy execution. She is also a mom of two, sharing the realities of building a high-growth eCommerce brand while raising a young family.
Lisa Diep - Co-Owner of Peace Collective
Lisa is the Co-Owner of Peace Collective, a Toronto-based apparel brand known for its community-driven approach and purpose-led storytelling. With over a decade of experience in operations, Lisa has led the scaling of complex supply chains across global manufacturing, retail, and eCommerce channels. Peace Collective has developed licensed collections in partnership with major professional sports leagues and teams, including organizations across the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. Her expertise spans licensed product development, compliance, and end-to-end supply chain execution—bringing collections to market from concept through delivery while maintaining tight timelines, operational efficiency, and strong margins.
Moderator:
Jamil Bhuya - Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Otherhalf Studio
Jamil Bhuya is a serial entrepreneur and eCommerce operator with a background spanning restaurants, consumer brands, and digital commerce. He began his journey building Burgers n’ Fries Forever, then transitioned into DTC as co-founder of Yellow Beauty, a brand retailed by Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Today, he’s the Managing Partner of Otherhalf Studio, a senior-only Shopify design and development studio helping 7–9 figure brands grow through conversion-focused design. Jamil also serves as a Growth Advisor at Ecom North and Managing Partner of Partner Meetup, where he helps founders, operators, and partners turn relationships into real business growth.
💬 What We Do Not Sugarcoat
The 2025 Look Back: Honest storytelling about the pivots that saved or sank brands during the last year of trade instability.
The 2026 Look Ahead: Where the smart money and energy are moving in global eCommerce.
Cross-Border Realities: Tactical advice on navigating tariffs, duties, and shipping friction.
Supply Chain Rejigging: How to build a resilient operation that can survive geopolitical swings.
The U.S. Market: A BS-free assessment of what it actually takes for a Canadian brand to win in the States today.
🤝 Who's Hosting It
Otherhalf Studio We build beautiful, conversion-optimized websites that actually drive revenue— the otherhalf your brand’s been missing.
🤝 Who's Backing This
Tiktok - Make your day.
Phoenix is Canada's most trusted telehealth clinic for men, empowering patients to take charge of their health with personalized treatment options and the guidance of licensed providers.
Hire VA Staff - We make it easy for ecom brands and agencies to grow by providing top talent - trained on tools they use daily, at a fraction of the cost of local hires
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (featured on Apple News + Google News).
⭐ About Ugly Talk:
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
Official Website: UglyTalk.com
🗣📢 Important Notice for Ugly Talk Attendees
Admission & Confirmation
Attendance is by approval only. Approved guests will receive a confirmation email along with a calendar invite. Invitations are non-transferable. Additional event details will be shared as the event approaches.
Code of Conduct
By attending, you agree to:
Maintain respect and professionalism, adhering to all venue rules, policies, and applicable laws.
Refrain from harassment, discrimination, unwelcome sexual advances (verbal or physical), intimidation, or inappropriate photography/recording.
Report any violations to the event hosts immediately.
Violations may result in immediate removal from the event and exclusion from future invitations.
Liability & Risk
Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The event organizers, hosts, sponsors, and venue are not liable for personal injury, lost or stolen belongings, or any other damages incurred during the event.
Media Consent
By attending, you grant the event organizers and affiliated entities the right to capture, use, and distribute photos, videos, and audio recordings of you for promotional, marketing, and other lawful purposes, including digital and print media, advertising, and social media. You waive any right to inspect or approve the final materials and release all claims related to their use.
Communications
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Agreement
If you do not agree to this Code of Conduct, please refrain from attending the event.
Official Event Page: [Link]