The Waterloo Mafia — Inaugural Retreat
September 11–13, 2026 · By invitation only
Tech is full of mafias. Canadians have just been too shy to name one of the biggest of them all. So we're making a room — no stage, no sponsors, no badge scanners. A small, deliberately chosen group of Waterloo founders and operators, a campfire, and a weekend for the conversations that only happen when the conference floor empties out.
The shape of it
Friday — Roll in from 4pm. Catered dinner at 6 with a short welcome, then a fire at the back of the park and introductions the way they should be done: no slides, no timer.
Saturday — Slow morning. Hike the Francois trail or do nothing at all. Catered lunch, then an afternoon of fire talks — honest conversation about financing in the AI era, ownership, and what's actually BS now. Late afternoon, we board a bus to Niagara wine country for a tasting and dinner at Trius Winery. Bus home. Fire's still going.
Sunday — Brunch, slow goodbyes, out by 11. Timed so you're charged up for Waterloo Tech Week.
Where you sleep
Pick what suits you:
Bring your own RV — pull-through site, discounted
Yurt crew — bunk with the mafia, no washroom, discounted
Shared room — a bed in a 2BR or 3BR unit
Private room — solo room in a shared unit
Family — private large unit (trailer or cottage), bring the crew
All meals, the wine tour, and the bus are included. The point is the people, not the agenda.