​JOIN US: Schulich Startups VIP Session Featuring Allen Lau, Co-founder of Wattpad & Operating Partner at Two Small Fish Ventures (powered by Desjardins)

​We are excited to continue our Schulich Startups VIP Series with an exclusive session featuring Allen Lau, one of Canada’s most influential entrepreneurs and investors.

​This event offers a rare chance to hear Allen’s brand-new keynote — the first time he’ll be speaking on stage about the themes of his provocative new op-ed on the future of Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

​Allen will explore why ownership, not just participation, is the ultimate prize in entrepreneurship, and why Canada must urgently rethink how we support, scale, and retain world-class companies if we want to compete globally. This session will be an intimate and thought-provoking conversation with a founder and investor who has lived this journey from both sides.

​What is a Schulich VIP Session (sponsored by Desjardins)?

​Our VIP sessions provide an intimate and thought-provoking conversation with some of the most influential figures in Canada’s innovation and investment ecosystem. This session will offer attendees a rare look at Canada’s current challenges around talent, capital, and IP retention — and an honest conversation about what needs to change.

​About Allen Lau & Two Small Fish Ventures

​

​Allen Lau is Co-founder and Operating Partner at Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage deep tech venture capital firm focused on the next frontier in computing and its applications. The firm is renowned for writing the crucial “first cheque” to promising startups that later became world-class companies, including SkipTheDishes, BenchSci, Printify, Story Protocol, Ideogram, and Ada.

​Allen is also the Co-founder and former CEO of Wattpad, the global social storytelling platform that reshaped how stories are created and consumed, with over 90 million monthly users before its acquisition by Naver in a deal valued at over $750 million.

​With his deep experience as both a founder and investor, Allen brings a unique perspective on how Canada can move from being a talent exporter to a value creator — and what it will take to anchor ownership, IP, and prosperity at home.

​Event Highlights

​🔹 Exclusive Keynote: Hear Allen Lau’s brand-new keynote on Canadian ownership, innovation, and sovereignty, delivered for the first time.

​🔹 Allen’s Journey: Learn from Allen’s path as the co-founder of Wattpad and his current role backing deep tech ventures through Two Small Fish.

​🔹 Candid Conversation: Explore the urgent questions raised in Allen’s op-ed: Why does Canada lose its best founders, ideas, and IP — and how can we change that?

​🔹 Networking Opportunities: Connect with a curated group of entrepreneurs, investors, students, and ecosystem leaders.

​Event Details

​📅 Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025

​⏰ Doors Open: 5:30 PM EST

​🎤 Keynote & Q&A: 6:00 – 7:45 PM EST

​🤝 Networking Reception: 7:45 – 9:00 PM EST

​📍 Location: Schulich School of Business (Keele Campus)

​Registration

​Due to the exclusive nature of this event, registration is essential. Please ensure your attendance if you register. If you are unable to attend, kindly cancel your registration at least 48 hours in advance so we can accommodate others.

​This event is powered by Desjardins.

​The Schulich Startups VIP Series is generously sponsored by: Zeifmans LLP, R&D Legal, North Horizon Holdings, City of Toronto, TiEToronto, Tangentia, and Investor Quotient Canada.