Being Canadian Might Just be the Best Way to Break into Silicon Valley

There is a PayPal mafia, a Facebook mafia. and a Twitter mafia. They’re all powerful networks of entrepreneurs and investors based in Silicon Valley.

Now, there is a “Canadian mafia” emerging. And it’s very strong.

It started to formalize with the launch of the C100 a few years ago. The organization is comprised of a select group of Silicon Valley-based Canadian entrepreneurs, technology executives, and venture capitalists, and has launched some amazing programs, like “48 Hours in the Valley” and the “Canada CEO tech summit.” But more important, it’s helped spur this Canadian angle that is starting to open doors in all sorts of places.

I spent the past month in the Bay Area and found that one of the most successful ways to get into a specific organization is to find out if there is any Canadian connection. And, interestingly enough, there are Canadians (or people with a connection to Canada) sitting almost everywhere.

You can find them in the big Internet companies like Google, Apple, or Facebook; you can find them in major tech blogs and among conference organizers; you can find them among VC’s or super-angels. And Canadians are actually starting to talk about a Canadian mafia and feeling proud about being part of this emerging community.

So the next time you are trying to get that important meeting, try the Canadian angle – it might be the most powerful way to break into the Valley.