Bruce Croxon

Chairman, Round 13 Capital

Former Star of CBC’s Dragon’s Den

Co-Founder, LavaLife

Bruce Croxon made his mark as a digital pioneer by co-founding Lavalife and revolutionizing how people connect. Under his direction, he grew this early tech start-up into the marquee brand in online dating with over two million users. Partner, chairman and CEO, Croxon helped lead the company’s growth from four to 600 employees, achieving revenue of just under $100 million.

After its spectacular rise, he led the sale of the company for $180 million dollars. Since that time, Bruce has been active as both an investor and advisor in early-stage companies in the technology and hospitality sectors, continuing to expand the reach of his entrepreneurial successes. As an ex-Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, he adds a broad range of businesses and products to his portfolio that taps into his passion for digital media, health and marketing.

Croxon currently helms Round13, a company dedicated to investment in growth-stage digital Canadian companies. He currently co-hosts The Disruptors on BNN and CTV, a weekly show spotlighting Canadian business, and believes our entrepreneurs can hold their own with anyone in the world.

Entrepreneurship by Collaboration

There are successful maverick entrepreneurs – but they are the exception and stand out because of it. Most successful businesses are built of partnership and collaboration.

“The results of the group far outweigh those of the individual, every time,” says Bruce Croxon, digital pioneer and co-founder of Lavalife.

Bruce guides the audience along the exciting and intense entrepreneurial path, describing — through his own experiences and informed insight — what it takes to achieve success in today’s ever faster and demanding entrepreneurial environment.

Building a Corporate Culture by Design, Not Default

Clear vision and unwavering values are the driving force that built Lavalife into a 100 million dollar business. Often entrepreneurial success is defined retrospectively — not so with Lavalife, whose executive team were early adopters, not only of technology, but of organizational development strategy.

Bruce Croxon shares his philosophy for business growth and success, and how the impact of decisions guided by core values, benefits recruitment, culture, innovation, and ultimately success.

Marketing Lessons from a Social Networking Pioneer

Bruce Croxon shares marketing strategies and tales from the trenches from his vantage point at the helm of the very first online social network.

Having navigated Lavalife from its start in the 80s as Telepersonals, a telephone-based dating service, Bruce recounts how getting on-side emerging trends and influencing societal shifts revolutionized how people connect and led to Lavalife’s 97% brand recognition in Canada.