Saroosh Gull, the CEO of Eventcombo, an event tech software company that helps organizations with event registration, communication and data tracking, is relocating the company’s headquarters from New Jersey to Calgary.
The company, which currently employs 55 people and plans to invest $10 million over three years to expand its operations, cites Calgary’s growing tech sector as the main reason for the move.
Stephanie Babych: Why did you decide to move your company to Calgary?
Saroosh Gull: One factor was the type of business-development ecosystem that exists. Calgary has a good number of fintech companies.
The second factor was access to talent. [There is a] transformation that’s happening: there are people who are leaving oil and gas. And there are new graduates who are seeking employment in the tech spaces.
And then the third factor was a bit more intangible. It was more relationships that we were able to develop here and the warm welcome we received from these individuals and these organizations.
SB: What does the transition to Calgary look like?
SG: The strategy for us is to service Alberta from within Alberta, service Canada from Alberta, service North America from Alberta and service the world from Alberta.
Now, we are maintaining our US team, and we’re — from scratch — building up our Alberta native team. We’re planning on growing to about 250 plus jobs over the next three years. Our goal is to do the rest of our hiring in Alberta while we have our existing team that’s going to keep growing in the US and abroad, as well, because we’re a global company with global ambitions.
SB: How will the 250 jobs you’re creating impact Calgary’s tech sector?
SG: I know that it will draw more folks here. Since we made the announcement, we’ve gotten a lot of inbound from the neighbouring provinces and also from the East Coast. We’ve also got inbound from the States as well, where Canada, just like it was for us, is an attractive destination.
Those who were looking to move to Toronto after graduating from the University of Calgary can now find a home here. I think there will be less of a brain drain. I think we’ll retain talent here for Alberta.
SB: How has it been looking for real estate in Calgary?
SG: Calgary Economic Development has been really helpful in connecting us with some local real estate firms. We early on did some touring of Calgary, and we identified a good half a dozen properties that we could set up leases with and launch.
SB: How do your investors and your clients feel about this move?
SG: Our investors have been very supportive.
From a customer standpoint, it’s been really positive. We’ve seen an increase in demand, and we’ve seen an increase in buzz in the market. Everyone was shocked that we decided on Alberta and on Calgary. We love that because we want to bring attention to this beautiful city and this beautiful province.
SB: What does the timeline look like?
SG: We already have a couple of hires in Calgary… a VP of partnerships and a VP of growth. We have quarterly roadmaps, and I think in the next week or two, we’ll start posting. We have three core disciplines that we’re hiring in: IT, sales and marketing.
SB: And how does your family feel about the move?
SG: I have one word for you: Banff. When you pick up and relocate, it takes a lot of risk and convincing. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because you’ve got the Rockies here, you’ve got a good school ecosystem and the people are just so warm. You have a lot of wonderful outdoor spaces, and right now, the sun isn’t setting until after 10 p.m. I know winter isn’t here yet, but maybe we should do another interview in the winter.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The article was updated to include information about the current size of the company.
