Fuckup Nights Toronto: October 21
WTF is Fuckup Nights?
Failure is a part of any success story, but we don't talk about it enough. We've all been to plenty of events where people tell you how they hacked, hustled, and created their success, but very few where someone gets up and says "I totally messed up, and this is what you can learn from it."
Fuckup Nights Toronto is part of a global speaker series where stories of failed businesses and projects are shared. Each speaker is given 10 minutes and is able to use 10 images. After each speaker, there’s a Q&A session, as well as time for mingling and drinks!
Agenda:
6:30 - 7:15 pm: Registration, meeting fellow community members
7:15 - 8:45pm: Fuckup presentations + Q&A
8:45 - 11:00pm: DJ and more mingling with fellow community members!
Speakers:
Adam Lewis: Co-founder of Pluto
Adam Lewis is the co-founder of Pluto, a membership-driven fourth space and culture incubator in Toronto, as well as ManCamp, Canada's Premier celebration of masculinity. Before that, he ran partnerships and community at Othership. The learnings and fuckups came from failing at the same thing over and over: He built his first company to get closer to a woman, then lost her to it. He uprooted his life for another, and lost himself in her instead. Along the way came a failed business and failed relationships. This is the story of how his business failures were also relationship failures, and what it took to finally get both right.
Jon Rennie: Founder and Culinary Director of Odd Duck
Jon Rennie is the founder and Culinary Director of Odd Duck, where he leads a constantly evolving culinary program shaped by curiosity, flavour and a willingness to challenge convention. A George Brown College graduate, Jon has spent most of his career cooking in Waterloo Region. His philosophy is rooted in curiosity, learning from passionate producers and his own team, and challenging the idea that something should be done a certain way simply because “that’s the way it’s always been.” Discovery is a goal in itself, and he believes some of the most valuable ideas come from experimenting, questioning assumptions and being willing to get things wrong along the way.
Domenique Mastronardi: President of Beck's Broth
Domenique is the President of Beck’s Broth, the wellness brand turning comfort drinks like hot chocolate and coffee into protein-packed rituals. With a background in engineering and a love for all things wellness, she’s on a mission to make healthy food delicious and profitable. Over the past few years, Beck’s Broth has grown significantly, and has built a loyal following while gaining traction across the country. Their products are now carried in over 450 stores and on Amazon and they've recently raised a $500k seed round.
Exactly a year later, Dom is returning to our stage with a fresh Fuckup involving missing inventory, suspiciously good deals, and a discovery that came a little later than it should have. 🫠
GUEST HOST:
Juliana Casale: Founder of Balloon
Juliana Casale is the Founder of Balloon, a line of fruit-forward sparkling waters with a pop of flavor and just a few grams of the real stuff. No bland seltzer here, just pure deliciousness. 🎈✨ When Juliana’s not building her brand, she’s also a rockstar freelance marketer!
Juliana has been through the ups and downs of the startup world, but her journey hasn’t been all bubbly. In her own words, “I am a recovering startup addict.” She’s survived five layoffs and shared the story on our stage. Now she's back to host the night!
Additional Event Details:
Your ticket covers admission and you’ll be able to enjoy drinks and food available for purchase. Check out the menu here.
We can’t wait to celebrate the resilience of 3 amazing speakers who'll be sharing their failure stories with us. Come with an open mind, ready to embrace failure, and meet other members of our growing #FuckupNightsTO community!
Get Involved: