International Expansion & Localization in the AI Era for start-ups and scale-ups
As AI transforms how businesses operate globally, the playbook for international expansion is being completely rewritten. This panel brings together operators who've collectively scaled companies to $180M+ exits, built businesses from $5M to $120M in revenue, and driven 6+ successful exits across three continents.
Join us on January 29th for an evening of candid conversation about what actually works when taking your company international—from navigating regulatory landscapes to building local teams, and from adapting your product for new markets to leveraging AI to scale operations efficiently. Whether you're actively expanding, planning your first international move, or simply curious about the evolving landscape of global growth, you'll leave with actionable frameworks and real-world lessons from founders and operators who've done it.
This is a Vancouver Localization User Group event, focused on practical, experience-based learning. Come ready to ask questions, share your own challenges, and connect with others navigating similar journeys.
What you will take away:
When to expand internationally: Unit economics, market readiness, and timing decisions
Market sequencing: Choosing your first international market and building distributed teams
Bootstrap vs VC approaches: How funding affects expansion strategy
AI's evolving role: What's actually valuable in localization and international operations
Exit strategies and long-term positioning
SPEAKERS:
Diraj Goel – Founder & Growth Strategist, GetFresh Ventures
Diraj is a serial entrepreneur and growth advisor with over two decades of experience helping startups scale from first traction to successful exits. He's led growth strategies at WebCT (exited for $180M), Vision Critical (scaled from $5M to $120M), and Hootsuite (scaled beyond $100M globally). Through GetFresh Ventures, he's guided 60+ companies using his Growth by Design model—focused on cash-efficient, high-velocity growth without excessive capital burn. His portfolio has closed $50M+ in funding and driven 6 successful exits, helping founders build real businesses with sustainable enterprise value.
Emre Akkaş – Founder, Sea To Sky Labs | Former Founder & CEO, Globalme
Emre is a founder who’s been through the full startup rollercoaster, twice —bootstrapping Globalme from idea to a $10M revenue business, landing Fortune 500 clients like Amazon and Microsoft, and eventually exiting to a PE firm. Along the way, he learned the not-so-sexy truths about localization, international growth, and what actually scales. Now as Managing Partner at Sea to Sky Labs, he helps global startups expand into North America—minus the rookie mistakes. Now, he helps founders navigate growth with fewer wrong turns and more traction, both at home and internationally.
Patrick Noel Daly – Serial Entrepreneur & Founder, Icon Global Innovations
Patrick has built three startups successfully from idea to exit across IT, SaaS, aerospace, and healthcare. Now building his fourth company, he's expanding DreamCair and SimCair from Ireland into North America through licensing partnerships that have generated multiple millions in revenue in Ireland alone. Named Ireland's National Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999, Patrick moved to North America in 2020 and now mentors founders on international expansion through iCorps NSF. Author of "Just Start Up – A Guide to Building Startups."
Moderated by: Alejandra Huaman (LocLunch Vancouver + Powerling).
Who should attend?
Founders & Entrepreneurs
Product Managers & Operations Leaders
Localization Leaders & Marketing Professionals
Software Developers & Engineers
Linguists & Language Professionals
Anyone building or scaling products internationally
AGENDA
5:30pm: Doors Open / Social
6-7:45pm: Panel Discussion (bring questions!)
7:45-8pm: Open Mic for Attendees
8-8:30pm: Social
Our Sponsors
VLUG is extremely grateful for the support of our sponsors:
Northeastern University for partnering with VLUG and inviting us into their beautiful campus
Blackbird.io for providing refreshments
Event Policies
Event photos may be used by VLUG for marketing purposes
This is an alcohol-free event
Only attendees on our list will be allowed inside the Northeastern Campus
Bring a piece of ID and the Luma ticket (QR Code)
See you there!
– The VLUG Team.