PORCH 💚

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a truly great PORCH 💚 event! It was such a joy to finally meet and catch up with Andrew Camacho and to reconnect with friends and classmates: Tetiana Kovalenko Denys Anokhin Oksana Mandii Pavlina Symonchuk and others! I was also happy to meet so many new people and have inspiring conversations. Events like this really help to expand our professional and personal circles, spark fresh ideas, and sometimes lead to unexpected friendships! Feeling grateful for the experience and the community 🤩

My Partners are better than yours ...Period. Last night at the PORCH 💚 Potluck, something different happened— For the first time, I wasn’t just attending an event as a Founder, Startup Enabler or Community builder, —I was there as Me. And For the first time, my husband joined me at an event. Not just any event—this one. He finally decided to stay in Canada and, like many newcomers, is still finding his rhythm here. Back home, he had a huge circle, a buzzing social life, and a loyal online following. Here, it’s quieter. But last night? It felt familiar. It felt warm. And that’s what made it more special. PORCH 💚—founded by the amazing father-son duo, Hunter Weitzman and Neil Weitzman (and let’s not forget the equally awesome wife/mom behind the scenes!)—has built more than a space. They’ve built a feeling. A gathering place where #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs show up with their full selves: stories, food, laughter, struggles, ambition—all of it. It’s the kind of partnership Canada Startup Association values deeply. Because #Porch doesn’t just host events. They co-create community—the kind that lets #Immigrants breathe, belong, and build. For me, #PorchPotLuck was a reminder that ecosystems thrive when they’re human first. Where business talk pauses so heart talk can happen. Where we stop networking and start connecting. To every founder juggling a million roles and still showing up with joy— And to every #Partner like Porch who makes “home outside home” real— You’re why #CSA exists. And you’re why we keep showing up.

The PORCH 💚 Potluck was a beautiful reminder that immigrant entrepreneurs—despite our diverse backgrounds—face similar hurdles and wins. Connecting with passionate founders in such a warm, relaxed setting was genuinely inspiring. Thanks to Neil Weitzman, Hunter Weitzman & Ting Zhou for organizing such a fun and inclusive event. As a proud partner of Porch, the Canada Startup Association is committed to supporting these immigrant journeys. We’re helping immigrant founders navigate the local startup ecosystem while opening doors to global opportunities. Here’s to building community and breaking barriers, one potluck at a time. Tehmina A Chaudhry HAMMAD SIDDIQUI #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs #CanadaStartups #StartupCommunity

The first exclusive member dinner of 2025 was a huge success! We had a wonderful dinner with Desjardins Ontario Credit Union filled with smiles, sharing stories, talking about challenges, learning from each other, and of course some delicious food. Thank you for your support Sophie Gingras, Kaouthar FAOUZI, MS, Nikolas Tremblay, Benjamen Pinsky! 💚 And huge credits to Linlu Zhang for the awesome video production! 🔥

The future of Canadian business? It’s bold, brilliant—and immigrant-powered. 🇨🇦 Last night’s PORCH 💚 Potluck was a powerful reminder that newcomer and immigrant entrepreneurs are not just participating in Canada’s economy—they’re redefining it. Thanks to an invite from Yulia Kan, I got to connect with some of the most driven, creative people I’ve met in a long time. Each story? A spark. Each dream? A step toward building a better, more inclusive Canada. Great food. Global ambition. Conversations I’ll be thinking about for days. Canada’s future might feel unclear—but the drive, vision, and resilience of these entrepreneurs make it brighter. 👉 Who’s one newcomer who’s inspired you recently? Tag them and let’s spread some recognition.

Last night’s PORCH Potluck was more than just an event — it was a celebration of cultures, ideas, and international entrepreneurship. From incredible food to inspiring stories, pitch prizes, and real connections — this community knows how to bring people together. PORCH 💚 is not your typical networking space. It’s a hub of support, opportunity, and belonging for immigrant entrepreneurs. Events like this remind me why community matters so much in the journey of building something meaningful. Thank you to the PORCH Foundation for hosting such a vibrant and empowering night!

HELP NEEDED! 🆘 We have over 100 people coming with dishes from their home country and we are worried you will miss out on trying food from over 30 countries in one night! We are truly just looking out for the Toronto community when we say that you are missing out on an awesome. 100+ people 100+ dishes $5000+ in prizes Endless games Lots of beverages (responsibly of course) Tons of fun We have a few spots left for anyone interested!

Founders looking for friends and family investment - here's what to do and what not to do.  A guy I never met before asked to meet. I recognized his name and I am feeling risky, so I say yes. 😀 The day comes, he gets on the zoom and... Everything goes to sh!t - he's in a cab and doesn't want to go on video - then he is walking and distracted - other people join him and he is talking to them instead of me Why did he want to meet in the first place? He wanted to tell me how awesome his company was and see if I wanted to invest. This was not clear to me and not the reason he gave me for booking the call.  ❌ He did not explain his business effectively ❌ He did not do a demo or even offer one ❌ He did not get to know me AT ALL and had not idea if I would be valuable investor. ❌ He was unprofessional and disrespected my time I cut the call short and said no thank you. HERE IS WHAT TO DO INSTEAD: 1. Create a short list of people that might be good investors (because they bring more than just $). If this is true friends and family - you likely know them already or at least have a warm intro to them. If you are doing this right, you already have a list  that know about your business and that you have been updating and keeping the relationship beautifully nurtured because you knew this day might come.     2. Reach out with a direct and polite meeting request - "𝘏𝘪 𝘕𝘦𝘪𝘭,  𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 15 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴?" 3. The Zoom Chat (in person is even better if possible)    - Be present focused, direct - no distractions. If you can't do this, don't do the call.    - Explain what's going on in the business and why you would like to get me involved. What value can I add strategically? and why do you need funds at this point?     4. If I was impressed in YOU (remember that's the key thing you are selling this early) and the business I will have asked multiple questions and you are off to the races. If NOT, I might be your guy tomorrow so ask if you can keep me updated. EPILOGUE: Saw a post from this person the other day, where he bragged about closing a funding round and they weren't even trying to fundraise. I literally spit out my drink.  Starting to not trust anything I read here.

We will giving away our first-ever PORCH Foundation grant at the potluck tomorrow! We launched the PORCH Foundation a few months ago – a Not-For-Profit organization to help level the playing field and support immigrant entrepreneurs and the companies that support them. We provide micro-grants to help immigrant entrepreneurs build their companies and get through tough times. Sometimes you just need a few bucks to get going. Tomorrow we are announcing the TWO winners of our first grant in partnership with Matrix Venture Studio ™️ of $1,500 each to support immigrant entrepreneurs. It’s not millions of $$$ but it can make all the difference in one’s journey. Let’s make that difference together. Dev Mitra 🇨🇦, Abhijitt Sankar Roy 🇨🇦, Yuvika Singh

As international professionals and entrepreneurs, how often do we find ourselves missing the feeling of true community? The kind where you don’t need to over-explain your story. Where food is shared freely, laughter flows easily, and everyone feels just a little more at home. (see pics) That’s exactly the energy we’re bringing to Porch’s biggest potluck ever… and you’re invited! Here are 5 reasons to RSVP right now: 1. It’s awesome. 2. It’s awesome. 3. It’s awesome. 4. It’s awesome. 5. It’s awesome. (And yes, we mean it every time. Not even counting all the fun stuff Neil & Hunter have planned for this one!) 💚Register here: https://lu.ma/snh4p1mw Brb, sourcing Mom’s recipe to recreate her famous Paneer Dum Biryani. Want a taste? You know where to find me this Thursday :) #PorchPotluck #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs #TorontoEvents #CommunityMatters #FoundersWhoCook