May 17, 2021Is Canada in line to be the next Silicon Valley?CHRIS ALBINSON CONTRIBUTED TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL Chris Albinson is the incoming CEO of Communitech and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist Change can sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention. As a Canadian venture capitalist based in California for the past 20 years, I’ve kept a close…Breakawaygrowth4 min readBreakawaygrowth4 min read
Apr 5, 2021Coming home to Canada, Owning the Podium for innovationComing home to Canada, Owning the Podium for innovation Snow and solitude make for great thinking time — Albinson to take on the role of CEO at Communitech on May 17, 2021 I am thrilled to announce that I will be taking on the role of CEO of Communitech as…5 min read5 min read
Jan 4, 2021Canada must reorient its immigration system for the 21st-century economyStampede out of Silicon Valley — Originally published in The Globe and Mail December 26th, 2020 A mass exodus has commenced in Silicon Valley. Last month alone, Oracle Corporation, Tesla Inc., Charles Schwab Corporation, SpaceX and Hewlett-Packard Company announced relocation plans. Amid the pandemic, companies and their employees realized that remote work offered an opportunity to…Immigration4 min readImmigration4 min read
Jul 9, 2020Senso.aiThe “it factor” Today, Senso.ai announced a new financing round — adding five new leading institutional investors. BreakawayGrowth couldn’t be more excited for the team at Senso.ai! Financing with five new investors is a great validation for any start-up, but to have secured this achievement in the middle of a pandemic is truly…4 min read4 min read
Jun 26, 2020#WeTheNorth — Canada quietly closes the gap with Silicon Valley in 2020C100 was founded as a cultural movement for all technology professionals to help Canadian entrepreneurs. The C100 is celebrating 10 years from its founding this week. A milestone worth reflection and excitement. …7 min read7 min read
Apr 10, 2020Breakaway had the opportunity to speak to Alex Lazarow author of a new book Out-InnovateBreakaway had the opportunity to speak to Alex Lazarow, the venture capitalist and author of a brand new book — Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs from Delhi to Detroit Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley. Below is a condensed version of our interview — for the full interview, please click…10 min read10 min read
Mar 20, 2020Coronavirus & Resiliency Part III :Social Distancing, Communication & Cash Flow Some good news first? Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it is a long tunnel. Make sure you have a 90-day plan so that you are proactive and are not a DiTHs (deer in the headlights). …Coronavirus8 min readCoronavirus8 min read
Mar 14, 2020Coronavirus & Resilience Part IIA medical perspective 11 things we learned As we predicted, we were not able to get through all of the material on the community meeting. In particular, Dr. Adrian Rawlinson’s perspective. Adrian is a fellow guru and has a pragmatic and balanced perspective on what we are all going through…9 min read9 min read
Mar 13, 2020Coronavirus & Resilience Part I :Be Prepared for Winter CV19 is a material adverse change for all of us. It is unlike anything we have faced in our lifetime. It is global, changing very quickly, and has likely to have severe impacts — both personal and business, both known and unknown. Sadly, we now know all of us will…7 min read7 min read
Nov 11, 2019WeWork vs Webvan — 20 Years Later History doesn’t repeat itself, but it certainly does rhymeChris Albinson, Co-Founder & Managing Director BreakawayGrowth Twenty years ago this month, Webvan — the online grocery delivery service — raised $375 million dollars in a blockbuster IPO. Seven months later in June 2000, they acquired their nearest competitor — the Amazon-backed HomeGrocer.com — in a $1.2B deal that would…Venture Capital9 min readVenture Capital9 min read
