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Inside CEO Summit: 6 Lessons from the Frontlines
- Panache Ventures
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
At CEO Summit 2025, some of Canada’s most forward-thinking founders gathered to share what it really takes to build — not just companies, but cultures, conviction, and momentum. From carbon removal to regulatory disruption, from remote rituals to fundraising fundamentals, the conversations were honest, unfiltered, and refreshingly actionable.
Here are the key takeaways and hard-won insights that stuck with us:
1. Start Small. Stay True. Build Big.
David Carney – Tailscale
Tailscale’s strategy? Start small. Earn trust with individual developers and small teams — then let that trust scale into enterprise adoption.
Carney’s takeaways:
Build simple, stage-appropriate tech.
Your company reflects your values — lead accordingly.
Conway’s Law is real: org structure and product architecture mirror each other.
Tailscale is now enabling the next generation of internet infrastructure, with “multi-tailnets” that connect teams across domains.
2. Carbon Removal Starts with Rivers
Luke Connell – CarbonRun
CarbonRun is solving a massive problem with a nature-based solution. By restoring rivers and enhancing alkalinity using crushed limestone, they enable carbon to be naturally stored for up to 90,000 years — a major leap from traditional carbon credit formats.
Their edge:
Durability and traceability.
Regulatory head start.
Long-term control of key inputs (like limestone).
3. When Good Drugs Get Lost, Biossil Finds Them
Anthony Mouchantaf – Biossil
Many safe and effective drugs are shelved-not because they are ineffective or unsafe, but because they were tested too broadly and lacked the patient specificity needed to succeed.
Biossil’s Lens
Biossil was founded to develop targeted therapies for biologically defined sub-groups.
Traditional models treat disease as one-size-fits-all - overlooking patient complexity.
Biossil skips the discovery treadmill by starting with safe, well-characterized phase II/III-ready drugs - dramatically reducing the time and cost to bring them to market.
4. Systems Thinking > Fast Solutions
George – Chief Transformation Officer, ACTO
Most leaders start with the solution. The best start with the system.
George emphasized that defining a problem clearly — and understanding all its interdependencies — leads to better, more grounded solutions. It’s not about answering fast; it’s about solving the right problem, deeply.
5. Culture Is Built in the Details
Roundtable: People & Culture
Culture isn’t a one-size-fits-all playbook. But a few things stood out:
Design your org in a way that aligns with your values — or risk internal friction.
Whether remote or in-office, rituals matter. Be intentional about how your team interacts.
Define roles clearly — especially for executives who weren’t part of the founding team.
Don’t make big decisions in back rooms — or you’ll lose trust at the top.
And when it comes to co-founders: the hardest conversations are the ones you most need to have. Don’t wait.
6. Fundraising in 2025: Be Strategic, Not Reactive
Roundtable: Fundraising for Growth
The fundraising landscape is shifting, but some timeless advice remains:
Raise 3x what you think you need — cash is comfort.
Optimize for growth, not dilution.
Momentum matters — fundraise in tight windows.
Treat board selection as seriously as investor selection; founder veto rights are key.
Between rounds, keep investors warm with curated updates.
Always build both the case for and against raising — it sharpens your strategy either way.
CEO Summit: Final Thoughts
CEO Summit wasn’t about playbooks. It was about principles. The kind of lessons that don’t show up on slides — but do show up in boardrooms, on bad days, and in the hard calls only founders can make.
From infrastructure to ethics, from science to storytelling — the frontlines of building are evolving fast. And it’s clear: the next generation of standout companies will be built by leaders who know what they stand for — and build with that clarity at every step.