The Upstart
A look at who’s doing what in the tech sector
JENNIFER TREMBLAY
Founder and CEO of Somm, an app for finding, pairing and buying wine COMPANY HQ: Distillery District FOUNDED: 2020 EMPLOYEES: 8
HOW MUCH YOU SPENT INITIALLY:
“$45,000 of my own money. It went toward building the minimum viable product and doing some market research.”
YOUR TURNING POINT:
“When we first launched, we had maybe 150 downloads a day. We decided not to spend much money on marketing campaigns, instead just telling friends and family about the app. It grew organically from there. Now, we get roughly 1,200 downloads a day.”
YOUR BIG-TIME BACKERS:
“We raised just over $2 million, with significant investments from KJSM Ventures and Highlander Wine and Spirits.”
THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED:
“If you’ve got a vision, surround yourself with really supportive people and don’t waste time on anyone else.”
THE WORST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED:
“‘Slow down.’ It’s demoralizing for young, ambitious people to hear something like that.”
HOW IT WORKS:
“It’s like having a sommelier in your pocket. Download the app, answer a few questions, then get wine recommendations, whether you’re staying home, eating out or shopping at the LCBO. It can also make suggestions based on variety, region, cost or pairing with a specific dish.”
EUREKA MOMENT:
“When quarantine started, I noticed an explosion in e-commerce in the food and beverage sector. People were embracing home cooking, but at the same time, very few of them knew much about wine. I wanted to create a fun, disarmingly simple tool to help people find the right pairings.”
TECH JARGON YOU HATE:
“The word ‘synergize’ is used way too often. I find it cringeworthy.”
COOLEST THING IN YOUR OFFICE:
“My dog Jarvis. He’s a basenji, a rare breed from Africa that kind of looks like a fox. We hang out all day, every day.”
APP YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
“I’m obsessed with realtor.ca. I love looking at interior design, and I find the Toronto real estate market fascinating.”
TYPICAL WORK-FROMHOME ATTIRE:
“Tennis clothes. I try to get out and play as much as possible, so I’ll often wear a tennis dress around the house.”
YOUR TECH ROLE MODEL:
“Marc Benioff from Salesforce. He was one of the first major CEOs to eliminate the gender pay gap at his company.”