Innovate & Caffeinate | Cofounder Chemistry - How to Build (and Test) a Founding Team That Lasts

Choosing the right cofounder can make or break a startup. Join us for a morning coffee session featuring an insightful panel of successful cofounders who will share their real stories, proven frameworks, and hard-earned lessons on building strong partnerships.

What you’ll learn:

• How to assess cofounder fit: values, decision-making styles, and accountability
• Healthy conflict & role clarity: setting up structures and founder agreements that work
• Early warning signs & repair strategies: what to do when misalignment shows up
• Actionable frameworks: tools you can take away and apply immediately in your own founder journey

Leave with fresh insights, practical strategies, and the confidence to build stronger cofounder relationships from day one.

Panel Speakers: 

Moderator: Jackie (Watt) Lauer is a seasoned leadership and workplace culture consultant, speaker, and EQ coach, with over 25 years of experience helping organizations align people, processes, and purpose. As Principal of Jackie Lauer, Leadership Consulting & Co

aching and founder of the Heart of Culture, she works with startups, scaleups, multinationals, and public institutions to build thriving workplace cultures grounded in trust, emotional intelligence, and the science of happiness.

A self-described “neuroscience geek with a no-BS approach,” Jackie empowers leaders and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen alignment, and embrace meaningful change. She has mentored over 70 technology startups at the Accelerator Centre and beyond, while also supporting executives at Communitech, Innovation Guelph, and high-growth organizations across North America.

Andre Hladio is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Intellijoint Surgical Inc., a Canadian medtech company specializing in smart navigation and surgical innovation for orthopaedics. Since 2010, he has been driving the development of technologies that improve precision in hip, knee, and other joint replacement surgeries, helping restore mobility for patients worldwide.

With both a BASc in Mechatronics and a MASc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Andre combines deep technical expertise with a passion for advancing surgical robotics, navigation, and optical tracking. His career reflects a balance of innovation and patient-centric caution, mirroring the unique dynamics of the orthopaedics field.

Dr. Nardine Nakhla is a pharmacist, educator, and leader specializing in minor ailments, non-prescription therapeutics, and patient self-care. Over 15 years, she has advanced pharmacy practice through teaching, research, advocacy, and innovation. Recognized with awards such as the Pfizer Bowl of Hygeia and multiple teaching excellence honors, she has contributed to leading pharmacy textbooks, public health initiatives, and regulatory reforms—including shaping Ontario’s prescribing regulations through the OCP’s Minor Ailments Advisory Group. As CEO and co-founder of MAPflow, a decision-support tool for minor ailment prescribing, Dr. Nakhla continues to drive innovation and empower pharmacists to deliver better patient care.

Dr. Andrea Edginton is a Professor and Hallman Director at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, where she also serves as Associate Dean in the Faculty of Science. An expert in physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, her research focuses on optimizing drug therapy for vulnerable populations, including children and patients with chronic disease. She is also Co-Founder and COO of MAPflow, a clinical decision-support tool for minor ailments, and has been recognized among Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 for her leadership in science and innovation.