First Believers: Both Sides of the Table
Before it's obvious. Before it's proven. Before it's consensus.
Someone believes first.
If you’re into startups, tech, or VC, this is the room to be in. Whether you’re building already or just getting started, pull up and meet the people shaping what comes next.
You don’t need to call yourself a founder. Plenty of UBC students are already building: running a club, shipping a side project, pushing a lab idea past what the assignment asked for. The word founder can come later.
First Believers: Both Sides of the Table is for students from any faculty who are exploring entrepreneurship or an idea of their own. Bring what you have started, or just your curiosity.
How the afternoon unfolds
Pranav Vinod, Director of ROC Scouts at FRV, opens with a clear view of how FRV thinks about student founders, early-stage companies, and the path from an idea to building something real.
Omar Asaker, Co-founder & CEO of MyTrials.ai, sits down with Omar Eldesouky, Venture Analyst at FRV, to revisit the early days of MyTrials and the moment FRV wrote the company’s first cheque. Their conversation brings together the founder’s experience of building through uncertainty and the investor’s perspective on backing an idea early.
Then it's your turn: a short guided activity matched to where you are, whether you're curious, exploring, holding an idea, building, or growing and scaling.
We close with time to meet other students and the FRV team.
You'll leave with
A clearer picture of what early-stage building actually looks like
A next move that fits where you are right now
New people to learn from as you explore and build
A resource kit, sent to you after the event
Details
We start on time, so arrive a few minutes early.
Dress code: Business Smart
We may take photos and video for FRV's channels. To stay out of frame, let us know at check-in.
Thank you to our Community Partners:
About Front Row Ventures
Front Row Ventures is Canada's leading university-focused and student-operated VC firm, with a presence on more than 20 university campuses across Canada.
Every year, we select and train approximately 100 outstanding students with diverse backgrounds. They review more than 700 student-led startups and invest $50,000 in the most promising ventures.
Register on this page, and follow FRV on Instagram and LinkedIn.