Shaking up the world of online event ticketing
Name: Graeme Davis Age: 28 Position: Co-founder and CEO of Brüha, an entertainment and online ticket provider. It is an innovative product suite that includes an interactive website, iOS and Android products to create a comprehensive personalized user experience for discovering local entertainment, thereby increasing ticket sales for Brüha’s customers (event promoters).
Job description: As acting CEO, I oversee all business development for Brüha. This includes contributing to product development, designs, marketing, advertising and general business networking, as well as customer acquisition and having oversight of legal and financial developments.
Is this the job you thought you’d be doing?
Sitting here now, it’s hard to imagine a time I thought of doing anything else. Prior to founding Brüha, I had founded a tech startup called ShowDom in 2012. Before that, I worked on a family business that was entrepreneurial in nature.
Through most of my teens and 20s I’ve been working the hustle, more recently building software businesses and teams. I’ve felt very comfortable in a leadership role and learned to find solace in the stress that comes with the position. Some days more than others, I put a lot of effort in trying to balance my work and personal life.
Advice to others on launching a career:
The key attribute that ultimately wins the career game is the person you are becoming. Whatever industry you hop into, it’ll become apparent quickly that those who rise to the top do so because they are well-respected and hardworking. These individuals listen to others first, will stay late to complete work, carry themselves intelligently, make an effort to connect with people, do right for the team and are generally well-liked.
Roots: My connection to Hamilton dates back two generations. Both my father and his father attended Westdale Secondary School. Dad was a baby boomer, the result of the fortunate return of my grandfather from the Second World War. He grew up on Locke Street. My aunts, uncles and grandparents continue to live in the city and my parents now live in Stoney Creek. I was born at McMaster Hospital and grew up in Grimsby.
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/bruhaexclusive
iPhone, Android or BB? Both! Brüha has an iPhone app and an Android app.
Recent Tweet or FB update: Register & reserve your spot for @GenerationZ_’s upcoming networking social @comotiononking on July 11th!
Networks: Brüha is part of the Forge Incubator in Hamilton, affiliated with McMaster University. We are also a client with the Hamilton RIC Innovation Factory headquartered in McMaster Innovation Park. We work with local hubs including the Hamilton Hive and the Downtown BIA. We have a great customer base in the city spanning from the Hamilton Film Festival, Pop-up Hamilton, Vintage Marketplace, FirstOntario, I Heart Beer Festival, and a dinner event this summer on the historic McQuesten High Level Bridge.
Favourite restaurant in the downtown:
The new Nique, off James and Vine, is a must. They also run chef battle events (tickets can be found on Brüha).
Best feature of life in Hamilton:
Suddenly, it has become somewhat “cool” to say you live in Hamilton. Take it for what it is, but it would appear that word is getting out. Hamilton is becoming a next destination to live, do business and find quality eats.
What would make Hamilton a better city:
A stronger tech ecosystem, and advocacy. Software, hardware, manufacturing or academic — regardless, it’s paramount that Hamilton defines itself as a regional hub for innovative technology businesses versus a bedroom community for those who want cheap mortgages and to catch the GO Train to their jobs in Mississauga or Toronto.
I spoke in more detail about my thoughts on the tech scene in Hamilton in a recent blog post: http://blog.bruha.com/startingtech-startup-hamilton/
Contacts: https://bruha.com; graeme@bruha.com; https://facebook.com/bruhaexclusive
Quote: “When you finish a quote by stating who said it, doesn’t it kind of distract us from what it is that is being said?” — Graeme Davis, entrepreneur, philosopher and CEO @Brüha.
If you know a Hamilton professional who would make a good candidate for this profile series, send an email to shenderson@thespec.com