Building a tech startup no longer requires a million-dollar seed round or a 10-person dev team. In the era of modern cloud computing and generative AI, tiny teams can ship scalable, production-grade products overnight—if they know how to architect lean from day one.
Join AWS Student Builder Group Laurier and Startup Lab Laurier for an evening focused on the intersection of cloud economics, startup architecture, and tactical venture growth. Whether you are a business student with an idea, an aspiring product manager, or a student founder working on your next MVP, this event is designed to give you an actionable roadmap to launch and scale cost-effectively.
### What to Expect
- Keynote: The $0 to MVP Playbook; Aaron Brighton (Senior Startup Solutions Architect at AWS) breaks down how non-technical and hybrid founders can leverage modern cloud architectures to launch rapidly without burning runway. Discover how to avoid early technical debt, keep idle costs near zero using serverless, build with generative AI, and access startup programs like AWS Activate.
- Networking & Refreshments Connect with local student founders, innovators from Startup Lab, and tech enthusiasts. Food and drinks will be provided.
- Fireside Panel & Practical Scaling Discussion A hard-hitting panel featuring Rohini Gaonkar (Sr. Developer Advocate at AWS), Brett Gillett (Founder & Cloud/GenAI Specialist at Curious Orbit), and surprise guest panelists from the local tech ecosystem. They will discuss real-world architectural tradeoffs, cloud finance (FinOps), and what actually works in production.
### Event Schedule
| Time | Agenda Item |
| ---- | ----------- |
| 6:00 PM – 7:05 PM | Keynote + Q&A: The $0 to MVP Playbook with Aaron Brighton |
| 7:05 PM – 7:30 PM | Networking Break: Meet founders, connect with speakers, and grab food |
| 7:30 PM – 8:45 PM | Industry Speaker Panel: Featuring Rohini Gaonkar, Brett Gillett, and guest experts |
### Who Should Attend?
- Aspiring Founders & Business Students: Learn how to scope MVPs, lead technical initiatives, and apply for up to six figures in AWS startup credits.
- Student Developers & Hackers: Learn architectural best practices directly from AWS architects to ensure your projects scale reliably without surprise cloud bills.
- Early-Stage Startups: Gain practical insights on integrating GenAI with Amazon Bedrock, streamlining infrastructure costs, and navigating cloud economics.
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:45 PM EST
Location: Tentative location inside Wilfrid Laurier University (Exact room details will be emailed to registered attendees prior to the event)
Cost: Free (Registration required; spots are limited)
Bring your questions, connect with the builders shaping the ecosystem, and learn how to scale your startup from day zero.
