Inside Ivey
Step into the world of Ivey Business School through the eyes of its students. Whether navigating the program, embracing leadership opportunities, or forging lifelong connections across the globe, these firsthand stories showcase the ambition and impact of Ivey students. Real voices, real experiences, and real insights into life at one of the world’s leading business schools.
When HBA student Natalia Brkic pitched herself to Michele Romanow – tech entrepreneur and star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den – she didn’t expect a reply. A bold email, paired with a self-made pitch deck and relentless follow-up, led to Brkic shadowing Romanow on the show’s set. The moment crystallized her entrepreneurial mindset: think big, move fast, and never wait for permission.
At Ivey, that drive has only accelerated. From launching campus initiatives to running the Ivey Sports Leadership Conference like a startup, Brkic is building the kind of founder experience that turns ideas into impact.
In the Q&A below, following her recent appearance at Western Angels’ Demo Day in Toronto, Brkic reflects on taking risks, building resilience, and earning investor trust.
Q&A with Natalia Brkic
You had the chance to shadow Michele Romanow – what was that experience like?
Walking into the room with Michele was one of those rare pinch-me moments. Once the initial shock of being on the Dragons’ Den set wore off, I focused on what mattered: showing up, working hard, and proving why I belonged in that room. Being in an environment where people are constantly building, growing, and thinking bigger – it pushes you to create something of your own.
Michele is easily one of the most knowledgeable and experienced founders I’ve had the opportunity to get to know. From creating her first company in university to growing Clearco into what it is today, she is a powerhouse. What really stood out for me is how much she values founders who approach problems from a different angle – those who aren’t afraid to rethink the rules. It wasn’t just about working with her; it was about learning how she thinks and how she operates with both conviction and creativity.
Did Michele share any advice or insights that influenced your thinking as a founder?
Oh, so many! One that stuck with me was when she pointed out how often early-stage entrepreneurs speak in hypotheticals – saying things like “I think” instead of “I know,” or “if we raise” instead of “when we raise.”
Being able to transparently speak about your financial successes and how you plan on overcoming hurdles are big indicators of why she should bet on you. As a founder, you need to know your metrics inside out. Not just top-line revenue, but what’s driving your customer acquisition cost, life-time value, churn (customer attrition rate) – all of it.
Before she invests, Michele wants to see that you have the conviction to achieve what you promise. When she invests, Michele will collaborate with you to help your company surpass its potential, but first, she wants to see that as a founder, you’re willing to do whatever it takes to become a business that can – and will – grow. Michele said she once took chalk and wrote messages on the sidewalk outside the building of a company she wanted to work with.
This was bold. She took the reins and made it happen, reminding me that being a founder isn’t about sticking to the status quo. It’s about taking risks, being capital-efficient, and thinking differently.
How has your Ivey experience shaped your approach to entrepreneurship?
Ivey has given me a safe space for trial and error. I’ve met a lot of aspiring founders who are too scared to build because they’re worried about what others will think when something goes wrong. But at Ivey, there’s this amazing culture through the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey, Momentum, and other campus innovation hubs. Rather than letting failure derail your motivation, these communities help students learn how to pivot and recover from missteps.
Since arriving on campus, I’ve been privileged to play a role in shaping parts of the entrepreneurship community. I have been involved with initiatives ranging from pitching at miniPitch to joining the Founders Program and co-founding Founders Chats.
For me, co-leading the Ivey Sports Leadership Conference was the experience that shifted my perspective completely. My co-chair and I intentionally approached it like a startup. We had the opportunity to test unconventional ways of reaching customers and build strategic partnerships with global companies. I remember picking up the phone to do cold calls and even sneaking into events to land a deal. For any Ivey student interested in gaining hands-on experience simulating what it’s like to build a startup, I genuinely believe this is where you should start.
Every day at Ivey, I am reminded that innovation isn’t just something that you discuss in class – it’s something you practice. Whether applied to an extracurricular or a startup, it is a trained muscle that becomes part of who you are and shapes how you think.
What were you looking forward to most in attending Western Angels’ Demo Day?
Honestly, I was excited to see founders come full circle – from walking Western’s halls to launching a company. With all the momentum around artificial intelligence (AI) in Canada right now, I was also excited to see some new use cases that address pressing issues from a different lens. AI is frequently changing how founders think about solving problems and changing what is possible. We’re seeing improvements in company productivity that are making the industry more competitive. Based on the pitch presentations, the group showed firsthand how AI is visibly helping our alumni founders not only strive for the top, but create a roadmap that will take them there.
In a fireside chat between Eric Morse, Executive Director of the Morrissette Institute, and Kevin Sullivan, President of KMS Capital Ltd, at Western Angels’ Demo Day, we explored how important access to Canadian venture capital is for startups across the nation. Kevin talked about his early investments and how his role at KMS Capital continues to fuel his passion for investing in Canadian talent.
As I watched investors engage in the event, I heard many great insights and saw the interest in further exploring investment opportunities. The main verdict? Different investors, with different cheque sizes, all left with the same impression. How proud they are to have the opportunity to discover and support more Canadian startups. It’s moments like this that remind you why Western Angels’ Demo Day matters.
Why is it important to build a community for entrepreneurs and investors from Ivey and Western to gather?
If Ivey and Western want to be recognized among the world's top schools for entrepreneurship, we need to keep showing up for our founders. That means more visibility, more mentorship, and more investors who believe in the student journey from day one.
I’m a big believer that experience is the best teacher. Being a competitive platform diver taught me what it means to face fear head-on. It’s true that leaping never gets easier, but with the right support system, you find the courage to go for it every time. Similar to being an entrepreneur, when you’re making big decisions, having a supportive community makes all the difference. Learning from not only your peers' failures, but also celebrating each other's successes.
Given your experience with Dragons’ Den and Western Angels’ Demo Day, what do you think are the keys to pitchers really connecting with their investor audience?
The first key is that you have to know your numbers. No question. But beyond that, you need to put the investor in the shoes of the customer. Help them feel the pain point. That’s where the connection happens. You’ll be pitching investors in elevators, at trade shows, and at events like Demo Day. A good practice is to break your problem down into simple terms, highlight the customer's pain, and explain why your solution matters now. Then make it personal: what gives you the advantage to solve it better than anyone else?
If you’re working with co-founders, investors will be watching how you interact. Do you trust each other? Is there tension? Investors aren’t just betting on your idea, they’re betting on you. They want to know if you can deliver when things get hard. So, pitchers who highlight what makes their team the right one for the job are more likely to break through to the investor and secure the investment.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, what is the biggest challenge to taking that first step, and how do you meet that challenge?
Fear of failure. Every founder faces it. Many hold off until they have the “perfect” idea before they start building, for this very reason. But the early stage isn’t about perfection – it’s about being scrappy and adaptable.
Instead, you should channel your energy into speaking with and understanding the stakeholders who experience the pain from the problem. Ultimately, you want to understand a) Is there a real need and market for a solution?, and b) Is there a willingness to pay? From there, the fun begins to find product market fit and to build a minimum viable product.
When you work backwards from customer pain points, it will help give you the conviction to build and overcome that feeling of overwhelming uncertainty. If there is anything you take away from my experience, please let it be this: fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
Don’t build an app if what your customer really needs is a product, a community, or something completely different. Listening to your target audience will lead you to pick the right focus. I’ve seen founders burn out chasing five directions at once, leading to failure. Instead, you have to focus your energy on becoming the best at one thing and then building on that.
What advice would you give a student or alum wishing to take the stage and pitch at Demo Day?
My first piece of advice: start strong. Show that you are passionate about solving a problem – and make sure that passion resonates with everyone in the room.
Even though passion is a great starting point, it’s not enough. You also have to understand your valuation and clearly explain how an investment is going to accelerate your company's growth – that’s what separates a good pitch from a great one. You need to show that you’re going to protect and grow that investor’s capital. This is where your founding team should be a strength you lean into. Do you have industry experts? Are your skills complementary? Show the full picture of what you can achieve together as a team.
Finally, show with confidence that you know everything about your business. You are the expert of your company and shouldn’t be reading from cue cards or memorizing a script. You need to be able to adapt your presentation based on audience cues or to recover if you stumble on your intended pitch direction.
Beyond embracing the resources at Ivey and Western, here’s my broader advice to anyone building a business or career: I believe opportunities come in three ways:
1. You get lucky;
2. You build a network of long-term relationships; or,
3. You create your own.
If you are in a position where you haven’t been lucky yet, or you're just starting to build relationships, then step back and find creative ways to carve your own opportunities aligned with your goals.
Whether it's drawing chalk messages on a sidewalk or knocking on doors to make connections, you have to be creative – that’s the founder’s mindset and the key to your entrepreneurial success.
The Ivey/Western group in Toronto at Western Angels' Demo Day (L-r: Eric Morse, Miles Leslie, Sherry Shu, Aditi Basdeo, Simon Chou, Alison Chen, Natalia Brkic, Aariz Nathani, and Sarah Buck).
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