7 Gate started in 2015 with a mission to invest in those disadvantaged, from immigrant founders, female-lead startups, and tech refugees.

The Vancouver start-up scene is one to watch, especially as tech schools in the area begin to grow, conferences take off, and several coworking spaces have made it their home. The Silicon Valley of the North, as it’s sometimes called, is a supportive, encouraging playground for tech and international start-ups for sure. And 7 Gate Hub, a coworking space and venture capital firm in the heart of the Gastown neighborhood, is helping entrepreneurs specialising in technology, operational expertise, and venture capital with the right tools and support.

Along with being a modern, open space for fellow entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers, 7 Gate Hub is the perfect place to learn, collaborate, and celebrate the gift of working alongside like-minded peers. We spoke to Mahroo Vaziri, Academy Program Director at 7 Gate to learn more about their community.

When and why was 7 Gate founded?

7 Gate started in 2015 with a mission to invest in those disadvantaged, from immigrant founders, female-lead startups, and tech refugees.

We hear 7 Gate started by a group of serial entrepreneurs. Can you speak more on how being serial entrepreneurs guided 7 Gate’s’ mission?

With 7 Gate members being serial entrepreneurs in different countries, we all can understand the difficulties and struggle of immigrant life, like being at a disadvantaged and being a subject to new cultures, rules, and new ways to grow company. It’s shaped our experiences and knowledge to help guide and ease and advise fellow founders to scale and grow a company without limitations.

There is a variety of expertise around 7 Gate Hub Community, from architects and designers, to Blockchain developers and e-commerce startups

What special expertise and resources do you bring to entrepreneurs you work with?

We bring special expertise and resources in years of prior global professional business building, strong operational, engineering and entrepreneurial expertise. This includes key industry connections, and foresight to effectively strategies, including mentorship and scaling new businesses.

Tell us more about the 7 Gate Academy, how it came to be, and what results you've seen or hope to see in the future?

7 Gate Academy is an education center to elevate Vancouver's talent pool in the tech community. Through designing bootcamps in different emerging technology sectors we identify talented individuals, help them to enhance their technical skills and connect them to startup and corporate communities. Our bootcamps give participants hands-on experience, along with providing job opportunities. New ventures are born from 7 Gate Academy. As an example, Otrfay is a supply chain management platform on blockchain which was formed by 2 of the graduates of one of the "Blockchain for developers" cohort.

With 7 Gate members being serial entrepreneurs in different countries, we all can understand the difficulties and struggle of immigrant life, like being at a disadvantaged and being a subject to new cultures, rules, and new ways to grow company.

Tell us more about the companies/specialties within your community. And what could someone expect when joining the 7 Gate Hub?

There is a variety of expertise around 7 Gate Hub Community, from architects and designers, to Blockchain developers and e-commerce startups working from the Hub. Startups joining 7 Gate Hub have access to mentors and advisors from 7 Gate Ventures, as well as services other members offer.

What are some local spots members of 7 Gate love for lunch or happy hour?

7 Gate Hub is located in the heart of Gastown in Vancouver close to many restaurants and local cafes. Birds & Beets as well as Nelson the Seagull are our favourite cafes for afternoon meetings. For lunch Local restaurant and Tacofino are always delightful.

Why is the Vancouver and Canadian tech and entrepreneurial scene exciting to you and your team?

Vancouver is closest major Canadian city to the United States than any other city, a 40 minute drive to the border or a 2 hour flight to Silicon Valley. Vancouver is rated Top 15 Best Startup Ecosystems in the World. And Canada has a strong technical and design talent for much lower salaries than in the Valley.

Give us the top 3 to 5 signs of success that you look for in a startup?

Coach-able team or founder, understanding of their market, and product.

Looking at the Vancouver Start-Up Scene with 7 Gate Hub