Jocelyne Murphy on the year tech showed up

Presented by North Guide, our year-end “What I Learned” series asked BetaKit newsmakers to share insights, ideas and lessons from the year in tech.

It was a mic-drop moment. In May 2024, Jocelyne Murphy sat in front of the CEOs and founders of some of the biggest Canadian tech companies, and described the challenges faced by her generation of young entrepreneurs.

“People are leaning in.”

Jocelyne Murphy

From the hiring and firing practices of some technology companies to the ongoing realities of remote work and a lack of shared space, Murphy described the environment in which young people were struggling to build. She said the sector needs to show up and create opportunities for the next cohort of entrepreneurs to connect in real life.

Here, Murphy describes what she learned from that moment, and why she and her co-founder Chris Oka have spent 2024 supporting the work of community builders through their company Wygo.

What I learned

For me, 2024 has emerged as the year of Canadians stepping up.

In May, I spoke at BetaKit’s first Town Hall. The room was charged with energy – tech leaders had travelled across the country to be part of the next wave of entrepreneurial momentum after years of pandemic-induced disconnection. 

I was struck by how quickly this group of people could mobilize when presented with a shared challenge. As I sat in that room, I felt a glimmer of Canada going for gold. 

I’ve felt it before. As a lifelong hockey player, I’ve grown up in an ecosystem that routinely produces international champions.

At age four, kids are strapped head-to-toe in padding and wobble onto the ice. They build resiliency by falling over and over again.

Players study the game intensely, shooting pucks in their driveways and spending early mornings perfecting their skating. Teammates, tournaments, and tryouts challenge players to better themselves each time they step on the ice. 

Thousands of coaches volunteer their nights and weekends to help kids navigate wins and losses, while referees support competition by ensuring safety and fairness.

Most importantly, robust infrastructure exists to support players at all levels, from house league to the big leagues.

When Canadian hockey teams go for gold, it’s about more than individual ambition. It’s about honouring the people who believed in you early, inspiring the next generation, and making your hometown proud. It’s the result of a culture that builds champions.

“I feel a groundswell coming—of entrepreneurs, peers, supporters, infrastructure, coaches, community, and culture.”

In the months following BetaKit’s Town Hall, I began seeing a world where Canadians applied this communal culture of going for gold to supporting our young tech talent. It got me VERY excited. 

Over the summer, my calls to action were heard – incubators opened their doors, companies reformed hiring processes, leaders continued to prioritize housing affordability and the cost of living, and industry veterans leaned in to coach and advocate for early-stage entrepreneurs.

I’ve loved seeing Canadians cheer for young people no matter where in the world they choose to develop their talent, just like we do when our up-and-coming hockey players get drafted to international teams.

Most importantly, there’s been a growing recognition that the best way to support top performers in Canada is by nurturing an ecosystem of competitors and collaborators.

Leaders across the country spent 2024 strengthening those communities.

Through Socratica, young people are exploring their passion projects in Canadian cities including Waterloo, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, London, Kingston, Victoria, Halifax, Hamilton, Guelph, and Calgary. On March 19th, 2025, the Socratica Symposium will put on a display of Canadian creativity, hosted (fittingly) in a Waterloo hockey arena. 

New Demos took Toronto by storm, under the leadership of Vin Verma and Tommy Trinh.

Shopify’s Builder Sundays set a sterling example of how established companies can support the next generation of founders and creatives.

In Kitchener, young builders had a space to collaborate thanks to Anthea Tawiah, Jakob Leveille and Dhriti Ghabani’s leadership of the Kitchen. Builders Club and Jesse Rodgers provided a place for people to “Just F’n build,” and Velocity, Communitech, Den 1880, and the Accelerator Centre continued to be huge supporters of young entrepreneurs.

From afar, I’ve seen Toki Hossain championing Vancouver and Evan McCann championing Calgary. 

There’s far more interest in community building than current infrastructure can support, and through Wygo, my cofounder and I will be stepping up to meet this need in 2025.

If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that when called into action, Canadians are able to tap into that early-morning, volunteer-hockey-coach enthusiasm. We show up for our team when it counts.

I’m excited to make Canada a place young people are eager to build their futures, and I’m excited to join the team of Canadians going for gold.

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