Work in Canada
Canadian Tech Leaders Launch Build Canada to Transform Innovation Policies
Canada’s technology leaders are taking bold steps to reshape the nation’s economic future. A new initiative, Build Canada, has been launched by a group of entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders from the tech ecosystem. The platform aims to provide actionable policy ideas to boost productivity, foster innovation, and attract global investments.
What is Build Canada?
Build Canada is a public platform dedicated to issuing weekly policy proposals. These proposals address Canada’s key economic challenges, offering real-world solutions to enhance the country’s competitiveness. The platform focuses on:
- Expanding Canadian products, services, and resources globally.
- Recommending reforms to improve productivity and attract investments.
- Cultivating a culture that values freedom and ambition.
According to Daniel Debow, former Shopify executive spearheading the initiative, “Entrepreneurs have industry-specific ideas but often lack the time to translate them into actionable policies. Build Canada bridges that gap.”
Key Policy Proposals
So far, Build Canada has released four impactful policy proposals. One notable memo, crafted by Martin Basiri, founder and CEO of Passage, focuses on overhauling Canada’s immigration strategy. Key recommendations include:
- Capping Humanitarian Immigration: Limit to 5% of Canada’s total immigration to prioritize economic growth.
- Fast-Track Immigration Streams: For graduates from the world’s top 50 universities and STEM/healthcare graduates from Canada’s top 10 universities.
- Expanding the Start-Up Visa Program: Granting immediate residency to entrepreneurs, fostering a thriving start-up ecosystem.
Basiri emphasizes a merit-based immigration system, focusing on skills over political or cultural factors.
Why Build Canada Matters
The initiative gains significance amid current economic uncertainties. As Andrew Graham, CEO of Borrowell Inc., stated, “The status quo is no longer effective. Canada urgently needs new strategies for growth and prosperity.”
Tech leaders supporting Build Canada include:
- Tobias Lutke, CEO of Shopify Inc.
- Michael Litt, CEO of Vidyard
- Brice Scheschuk, Managing Partner at Globalive
- Daniel Eberhard, CEO of KOHO Financial Inc.
- Ivan Zhang, CTO of Cohere Inc.
Their collective expertise brings credibility and urgency to the platform’s proposals.
Build Canada is expected to expand rapidly, with more entrepreneurs joining the movement. The platform is a call to action for policymakers to embrace bold, innovative ideas that can drive Canada’s economic future.
As Canada redefines its global economic position, Build Canada emerges as a beacon for growth, innovation, and prosperity.
