What you need to know about raising funds for your business

When you're just starting out in your own business, the venture-funding scene can be quite confusing. So many sources of capital -- but who are they, and when should you hit them up?

Eric Partaker, a CEO, coach and business writer, has produced a handy chart to help you understand the roles and functions of different funding partners.

This is pretty much commodity information, but Eric has summarized it very well. And he's helpfully added "red flags" to watch for at each level.  

Keep in mind that only 1% of startups will ever qualify for professional funding. And that every percent you give away early on could cost you BIG in the event of a successful exit.

Angels can be amazing first funding partners -- they're usually experienced entrepreneurs with lots of useful advice. But the longer you can grow your business with your own team and your own funds before you call for help, the less equity you will generally have to give up. 

One other caveat: Some entrepreneurs go looking for venture capital too soon -- when they clearly sh0uld be starting with risk-taking angels. The VCs will judge you for that, and remember. So make sure you understand this chart before you start dialing for dollars.

You can learn more about Eric Partaker's work, and the events he runs, at https://ericpartaker.com/the-ceo-accelerator.

"Listening isn’t a soft skill. It’s a competitive advantage.”

How do you build trust as a leader AND create a platform for ongoing innvation?

Through "reverse mentorship” - in which leaders actively seek feedback and advice from juniors in their organization. 

Canadian Business writer Sara Horowitz explores the possibilities in this Feb. 2026 article about Max Schramm, CEO of Calgary-based Lufthansa Technik Canada. 

"Each week, he sets aside time for reverse mentorship—a practice that flips the traditional mentorship model by having junior employees share their ideas and experiences with senior staff, creating a more holistic feedback loop and helping leaders like him make decisions that reflect a wider range of perspectives."

We all know that CEOs often feel constrained about opening up too much to team members of all ages and backgrounds. But Schramm says it helps him identify new opportunities, and challenges his own assumptions, such as work-from-home policies and technology trends.

Feedback is a gift, says Schramm.

"What matters to me is that reverse mentorship isn’t just a program, but a practice. If you aren’t genuinely interested, it won’t reach its full potential.”

Read the full story here.

Changing Canada's "Supplier Mindset"

Wattpad cofounder Allen Lau, now a venture investor (and one of the most modest brilliant people you could ever meet), just posted a great article on LinkedIn. It's about Canada's fundamental need for better, stronger entrepreneurs - and our chronic "supplier's mindset."

Here are some snippets:

"Canada invented modern AI. And yet, the most important AI companies are almost all based in the US.

We lost Game 1. But losing Game 1 does not mean the series is over....

The root problem is not talent, capital, or policy. It is a mindset.

We have collectively learned to think like suppliers, not owners. The largest and most valuable companies are technology companies, almost all based in the US, many co-founded or led by Canadians.

We do not have an auto industry. We have an auto supplier industry — collectively worth a fraction of the companies that own the customer relationship and set the rules. We signed EV deals to become suppliers again, taxpayer-subsidized, while the ownership and margin stayed elsewhere. The supplier takes the risk. The owner captures the upside.

The most important insight: the supplier mindset is not learned on the job. It is learned in school. Engineering schools are the single most underleveraged force in Canada's innovation economy.

The real call to action is not to encourage more entrepreneurship. It is to start and scale world-class companies here in Canada."

You can read Allen's full post here.