In this episode of Tank Talks, we delve into the grassroots movement that's turning heads across Canada’s innovation ecosystem: Toronto Tech Week. Joining us are two of the powerhouse organizers behind the festival: Julia Baird of Golden Ventures and Taha Hossain of Daybreak Studio. With Collision saying goodbye to Toronto, Julia and Taha stepped up to fill the void, co-creating a decentralized, nonprofit, and radically inclusive tech festival that’s rallying an entire city.
From organizing 200+ events across 24 neighbourhoods to collaborating with giants like Shopify and Google Cloud, Julia and Taha break down how Toronto Tech Week came to life, what makes it truly different from traditional tech conferences, and why it matters so much to Canada’s next generation of founders, investors, and builders.
What’s the future of community in tech?
How do you run a 5-day, 200+ event festival without a central committee?
Can a city-scale tech festival really be open-source and inclusive?
How Toronto Tech Week Was Born (00:02:37)
Why Collision’s exit left more than just a calendar gap
The spontaneous conversations that sparked a movement
What it took to rally 40+ early partners and full-city support
Decentralized by Design: What Makes This Festival Different (00:04:50)
The open-source structure and why it works
Student-led, VC-supported, builder-run: a new way to “conference”
Why side events became the main event
Social Media & The Rise of Momentum (00:08:50)
How Toby Lutke, Twitter, and memes helped launch the idea
Rallying the community with retro vibes and real voices
Why the diversity of events is by design, not accident
Designing the Streetcar-Inspired Website (00:11:13)
Taha’s inspiration from his Toronto commute
Gamifying city navigation with local flavour
How retro tech, TTC lines, and nostalgia created an authentic experience
Logistics of a 24-Neighbourhood Tech Week (00:17:44)
The hidden support of the City of Toronto
Navigating across the city on foot, by bike, or by subway
Why decentralization adds to the magic
Building a Global Platform from a Local Base (00:25:08)
How CDL and other partners brought international attention
The snowball effect of global participation
Why leaders like Chamath Palihapitiya, Geoffrey Hinton & Harley Finkelstein matter
What to Expect: From Hinton to Homecoming (00:17:44)
Previewing the biggest events, from BetaKit Town Hall to Netflix’s CTO
What excites Julia and Taha most on the calendar
How every community, from AI to CPG, is represented
Hosting an Event? Here's How (00:34:27)
How the event application process works
What types of events are welcomed (hint: all of them)
How organizers can tap into tools, space, and city support
The Ripple Effects: Why This Matters (00:31:22)
Why Canadians are everywhere but rarely recognized
Why Toronto Tech Week is a "homecoming" for global talent
How this might plant seeds for the next wave of innovation
Advice for Founders & Attendees (00:35:58)
Why Toronto is the easiest place to make real friendships
What the organizers hope every visitor walks away with
How optimism and belief drive long-term impact
As cities everywhere chase the next big tech event, Toronto may have just found the blueprint: open, grassroots, volunteer-led, and deeply local. Will other ecosystems follow its lead?
Toronto Tech Week is a weeklong, citywide collection of events to connect and celebrate the tech community. Happening on June 23-27, 2025, it's an open platform for anyone to join or host events to showcase Toronto globally as a city where anything is possible.
About Julia Baird
Julia Baird is the Head of Platform & Operations at Golden Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Toronto. She’s also one of the founding organizers behind Toronto Tech Week. Julia brings deep experience supporting startups and venture ecosystems and has been instrumental in building the strategic partnerships that power this new community-first festival. When she’s not coordinating 200+ events, she’s championing Canadian tech talent and empowering founders to scale their impact.
About Taha Hossain
Taha Hossain is the founder of Daybreak Studio, a design and technology studio based in Toronto that partners with high-growth startups to craft impactful brand, product, and web experiences. As one of the founding organizers of Toronto Tech Week, Taha led the creative direction behind its now-iconic streetcar-inspired website and brand identity. His work blends playful design with deep cultural context, making tech feel approachable, authentic, and unmistakably Toronto.
Connect with Julia Baird on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliabaird/
Connect with Taha Hossain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tahahossain/
Visit the Toronto Tech Week website: https://www.torontotechweek.com/
Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1
Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/
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