​“Going global” sounds like growth, but for many startups it becomes a focus-killer: new markets, new regulations, new operations, and a dozen hidden complexities that dilute what was working.

​In this panel, founders, operators, and investors who’ve lived international expansion from the inside will unpack the real tradeoffs behind global growth. Cameron Walker will share lessons from helping take Twitter global and from roles where the right decision was actually to shut down markets and refocus. Tobi (Cofounders Capital) brings a founder-and-investor lens, with experience expanding startups across Europe and launching early international partnerships. Zach Milburn (NOMAD) adds a perspective from building a globally distributed model in a real-world, operationally complex category, including international business and real estate development.

​You’ll walk away with:

• ​A framework to decide when global expansion is strategic vs distracting

• ​What “readiness” really means (product, GTM, ops, capital, leadership)

• ​Common failure modes: premature localization, support burden, complexity creep

• ​How to test international demand without committing the company

• ​When the best move is to pause or exit a market

​Recommend for: Founders and operators deciding whether to expand internationally now, later, or never.

​Speakers

​Cameron Walker

​Cameron Walker has more than 25 years of experience building and scaling businesses at companies including Twitter, Google, Disney/Pixar, and VF Corporation (owner of brands such as The North Face and Vans). Most recently, he served as President and General Manager of Name.com, a private equity–backed domain registrar.

​Earlier in his career, he led partnerships and business operations at Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group, a DARPA-inspired innovation lab focused on next-generation hardware, and held leadership roles at VF Corporation. He also ran Finance and Strategic Planning at Disney/Pixar.

​Cameron holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and serves on the board of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. He lives in North Raleigh with his wife and two children. Outside of work, he enjoys running and cheering on his kids at the soccer field.

​Tobi Walter

​Tobi is a former investment banker and serially successful tech entrepreneur, now a Venture Capitalist with Cofounders Capital in Durham. Originally from Germany, Tobi has now called Raleigh-Durham his home for the last 17 years. Tobi started his career with an MBA from Germany’s WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, before working in investment banking with Societe Generale in Paris, and Morgan Stanley in Frankfurt and London.

​In 2006, Tobi joined his first startup, studiVZ, widely known as "the Facebook of Germany". studiVZ grew to become one of Germany’s most visited websites and exited to a large German media conglomerate.

​Tobi then moved to the Triangle to co-found Shoeboxed, a SaaS fintech startup that empowered business owners to manage receipts, invoices and automated bookkeeping. After successfully exiting Shoeboxed in 2018, Tobi brought his finance and marketing skills to the team at Cofounders Capital.

​Zach Milburn

​Zach Milburn is the founder of NOMAD (nomad.homes), a Raleigh-headquartered proptech company developing high-quality, affordable housing communities connected through a digitally enabled global co-living ecosystem. He began his career in software consulting and later shifted toward building in “the physical” world at the intersection of real estate, technology, and community.

​NOMAD is creating a housing model designed for mobile, community-oriented residents, with options to rent, build, or buy within its network. Zach has experience with globally distributed teams, international business, and international real estate development. He brings a practical lens on when global expansion creates leverage, and when it adds complexity that can distract teams from focus.

​Moderated by Chase Summers

​Chase Summers is an operator focused on building and scaling software companies from early traction to global growth. He works with Valsoft Corporation, a Canada-based holding company that acquires and operates vertical market software businesses worldwide, supporting growth initiatives across an international portfolio.

​Previously, Chase was Chief Revenue Officer at Dataedo, a data governance platform, where he commercialized the business and built its global presence. He led and scaled customer-facing teams across the U.S. and Poland while expanding Dataedo's presence worldwide. He's led collaborations with organizations such as Disney, SpaceX, and the U.S. Treasury, and established partnerships across five continents.

​Location

​​Tin Roof

​​300 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603

​​​​Questions?

​​​​This session is part of Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. Click here to learn more about the event, plus get answers to your FAQs.

​​​​Track Supporter

​​​​​​Thank you to Narrasoft for supporting the Strategy Track at #RDSW26!