Founder / COO @PORCH – helping 1M immigrant entrepreneurs succeed in Canada

I’m driven by entrepreneurship and a deep belief that access to the right people and resources can change lives.

I founded PORCH to make the journey easier for immigrant entrepreneurs. Not just the business side, but the personal side too. From navigating a new country to finances, relationships, and belonging. I believe community, when done right, is one of the most powerful forces there is. Canada’s diversity is incredible, and the opportunity here is endless when people are supported properly.

I didn’t have a single “aha” moment that made me want to be an entrepreneur. It’s something that’s been part of me for as long as I can remember. Watching Dragon’s Den with my dad. Spending long car rides to hockey games coming up with business ideas. Building things always felt natural to me.

That curiosity turned into action through entrepreneurship classes in high school, youth business competitions, and starting small ventures of my own. By my final year at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, I knew it was time to stop preparing and start building something real.

Along the way, I worked with companies like Intuitive AI, Look Media, and Knoow, and even launched a custom charcuterie board business during the pandemic. Those experiences taught me how demanding and humbling it is to build and run a company.

In October 2022, I founded PORCH. It’s a curated community of international entrepreneurs who have been there, done that, and are still doing it. They come together to support each other, share knowledge, and grow both personally and professionally.

It feels full circle from those nights watching Dragon’s Den. I now get to pursue this journey alongside my co founder, my friend, and my dad. I don’t take that lightly.

We need more community like this. Let’s build a better way forward.

Countries I’ve visited:
Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Morocco, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Australia, Dominican Republic, United States, Vatican City

Hunter Weitzman

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Hello 👋 

My name is Nino and I'm a Georgian immigrant 🇬🇪 and entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. In my past lives I studied and worked in the US, Western Canada, and Colombia prior to making my way here. I'm passionate about helping immigrants succeed in the countries of their dreams - starting with Canada 🇨🇦

Co-Founder & CEO at Immitracker 🕒: the Waze of immigration. We're building an immigration application tracker and service marketplace for immigrants relocating to leading countries. Interested in moving to Canada or Australia? Check us out! 

Follow me for new episodes of the My Immigrant Story podcast: I share the stories, guidance, and advice of skilled professional Canadian immigrants! 

Professionally, I'm a Freelance Project Manager, Operations Lead, and Product Owner. I have 7+ years of experience in the tech industry with a particular focus on building and maintaining client relationships, Agile / Scrum, and helping startups build and scale their products and operations. I excel at working on high-growth tech projects with cross-functional, multi-cultural teams.

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The Battle

Hunter Weitzman

Nino Melikidze

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