Exclusive Event

Corner Office TO: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur

We hosted a conversation with Allen Lau, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Wattpad and Co-Founder and Operating Partner at Two Small Fish Ventures, where he shared lessons from building one of Canada’s most iconic tech companies, from bootstrapping to a $660M acquisition, and reflected on how reinvention, leadership, and strong fundamentals continue to guide his work with the next generation of founders.

BrainStation Toronto
Event Recap
Nov 26, 2025

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Allen Lau

Co-Founder

Allen Lau

Co-Founder

“My advice to new founders and engineering grads is simple: follow what energizes you, not what impresses others. Build things, experiment, fail, learn, and double down on your superpower, the thing you do better than almost anyone else.”

- Allen Lau, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Wattpad and Co-Founder of Two Small Fish Ventures

Allen Lau

Co-Founder

Allen Lau is the Co-Founder and Former CEO of Wattpad, the world’s leading social storytelling platform with a global community of 90 million readers and writers. Under his leadership, Wattpad scaled from a Toronto startup to a cultural phenomenon, with stories adapted into books, films, and series worldwide. In 2021, Wattpad was acquired by Naver for US$660M. Beyond Wattpad, Allen is a mentor, investor, and advocate for Canada’s tech ecosystem, helping founders focus on building revolutionary startups.

More Upcoming Events

Dec 09

Leaders in Fintech

Designing the Bank of the Future

Join us for an inside look at how design leaders are building the bank of the future.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
482 Front St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON
$35

Discussion Topics:

Reinventing the Banking Experience
Trust, Compliance and Confidence
Personalization and AI in FinTech

Dec 09

Leaders in Fintech Designing the Bank of the Future

Join us for an inside look at how design leaders are building the bank of the future.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
482 Front St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON
$35

Discussion Topics:

Reinventing the Banking Experience
Trust, Compliance and Confidence
Personalization and AI in FinTech

View Event

Dec 17

Product Evenings TO

Building Products That Win the Rider

Join Lyft product leaders Béatrice Bunieski and Kristen Shi for an inside look at how Lyft designs, prioritizes, and measures products that create lasting value for riders.

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EST
482 Front St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON
$25

Discussion Topics:

Lyft’s Approach to Product
Building to Win the Rider, Not Just the Ride
The Insight Engine Behind the Product

Dec 17

Product Evenings TO Building Products That Win the Rider

Join Lyft product leaders Béatrice Bunieski and Kristen Shi for an inside look at how Lyft designs, prioritizes, and measures products that create lasting value for riders.

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EST
482 Front St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON
$25

Discussion Topics:

Lyft’s Approach to Product
Building to Win the Rider, Not Just the Ride
The Insight Engine Behind the Product

View Event

Jan 14

Design Evenings TO

Building Design Teams That Scale

Join Lenny Laurier, Director of Product Design at Intuit, for an inside look at building design teams that thrive across startups and enterprise organizations.

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EST
482 Front St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON
$25

Lenny Laurier

Director of Design

Discussion Topics:

Scaling Design Teams for Impact
Balancing User Experience, Platform and AI
Cross‑Functional Collaboration and Strategic Leadership

Jan 14

Design Evenings TO Building Design Teams That Scale

Join Lenny Laurier, Director of Product Design at Intuit, for an inside look at building design teams that thrive across startups and enterprise organizations.