Pitch and Plunge
Details
Startup Grind Toronto is partnering with RCVRI to host an evening that blends startup grit with physical and mental recovery.
We are inviting founders to step up and pitch their ventures to a panel of active investors - not from a stage, but throughout RCVRI's world-class facility. By removing the formal slides and the traditional stage, we are creating a space for more natural, organic conversations while rotating through contrast therapy.
Who should be in the room?
Founders & Builders: Whether you are buying a ticket to pitch or just to join the conversation, this is for those who prioritize mental performance as much as business growth.
Investors & Angels: VCs looking to meet founders in a transparent, high-engagement environment that goes deeper than a standard deck.
Ecosystem Partners: Leaders who value wellness, longevity, and high-performance cultures.
What you’ll learn
How to communicate your vision clearly and concisely without the crutch of a slide deck.
Gain firsthand experience with contrast therapy (cold plunge and sauna) and learn how it impacts stress management.
Real-time reactions from our investor panel in a setting that encourages honest, unfiltered dialogue.
A strictly limited, private session (max 25 people) designed to foster deeper relationships through shared experience.
Run of Show
7:00 PM: Arrival & Registration
7:15 PM: Welcome & Investor Introductions
7:20 PM: Pitch Rotations & Free Flow Contrast Therapy
8:30 PM: Event Wrap-Up
Ready to pitch? Select the "Founder Pitch" ticket at checkout. Only 10 slots available.
About RCVRI
RCVRI Toronto is a wellness and recovery studio designed to help people recharge, perform better, and feel their best. Located in Toronto, RCVRI offers science-backed recovery modalities including hot and cold plunges, traditional saunas, red light therapy, compression, and PEMF to support physical recovery, reduce stress, improve sleep, and optimize overall well-being.
Agenda
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Hosted By
Ankur Sethi, Director
Ankur Sethi is a seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist with over 17 years of experience building and scaling consumer businesses across technology, finance, and healthcare. He has led ventures from inception to over $350 million in annual revenue and $2 billion in valuation, combining operational excellence with a deep understanding of evolving consumer behavior.
Daria Tilikanova, Co-Director
Daria Tilikanova is a business and startup coach who helps founders and service-based entrepreneurs build scalable businesses with clear strategy, strong positioning, and predictable revenue systems.
Originally from Russia, she founded and sold two education companies before moving to Canada, where she shifted into full-time mentoring for early-stage and growing founders.
Daria has worked with 200+ entrepreneurs across tech, education, wellness, and agency-based businesses, guiding them from first clients to stable growth and team building. Alongside her private practice, she is a Venture Fellow at Winner Capital, supporting startup evaluation and founder readiness for investment.
Her coaching combines business structure, mindset work, and execution clarity - helping entrepreneurs grow without burnout or chaos.
Lydia Emanuel,
I run a consultancy that focuses on Talent Strategy and Operations for fast-moving companies. Instead of just hiring people, I build the systems that help businesses scale without the chaos.
I also lead Events and Sponsorships for Startup Grind Toronto, connecting the best brands to our local tech community.
Diana Subbotkina,
I help grow the Toronto startup ecosystem through Startup Grind Toronto, connecting founders, investors, and operators through curated events, partnerships, and community initiatives.
My work focuses on bringing the right people into the room and creating opportunities for meaningful connections and growth.
Shabs Badsha,
Sukanta Goswami,
Inquisitive entrepreneur connecting and collaborating with earlystage ventures by investing time and energy in bringing new ideas and concepts to the market.
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Global Partner
Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind)
Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com.
Partners
Winner Capital (https://winner.capital)
Winner Capital is an early stage to growth stage syndicate fund investing across North America
RCVRI (https://www.rcvri.co/en-ca/)
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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-toronto-presents-pitch-and-plunge/.
