IFL Dinner w/ Marcelo Cortes - Faire, A Canadian Unicorn
Networking & speaker session with a full dinner included. Secure your seat now! Only 25 spots are available for this private gathering.**
Join IFL Toronto for a dinner and speaker session with Marcelo Cortes, Co-Founder and Chief Architect at FAIRE
Speaker Bio:
Marcelo Cortes is the Co-Founder and Chief Architect of Faire, a global wholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands worldwide. Founded in 2017 through Y Combinator, Faire has grown into a multibillion-dollar technology company, facilitating over $8 billion in cumulative brand sales, serving more than 100,000 brands across 120 countries, and raising over $1.5 billion in investment from prominent investors, including Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners. In November 2025, Faire achieved a $5.2 billion valuation through an employee share transaction and reported an annualized revenue run rate exceeding $500 million.
As Faire's former Chief Technology Officer, Marcelo played a pivotal role in building the company's technology infrastructure and scaling its engineering organization to more than 300 engineers across six international offices. He also established Faire's Canadian headquarters in Kitchener-Waterloo, helping position Canada as a major centre for the company's technological development and global expansion.
Originally from Brazil and educated at the University of Waterloo, Marcelo developed his passion for technology and entrepreneurship while growing up around his family's small business. In his current role as Chief Architect, he focuses on long-term technological innovation, particularly leveraging artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and decision-making for independent retailers. His entrepreneurial journey reflects a commitment to building globally competitive technology companies and empowering small businesses through innovation.
Topics of Discussion:
Empowering Brands and Retailers to Strengthen Unique Character
This intimate dinner offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with peers and thought leaders, exchange bold ideas, and gain insights to lead with greater impact in times of transformation.
📍 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀
Date: Monday, October 26th, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Dress Code: Business Casual
Venue: The Joneses - 33 Yonge Street, Unit 100 Toronto, ON
*By purchasing a ticket, attendees agree to be photographed at the event, and photographs may be posted on IFL Toronto social media channels