Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada)

As a mentor at the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, l play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of accounting professionals. I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with aspiring CPAs and guide them as they progress through the CPA program.

Mentor

Xen Accounting

Portfolio company acquired from the Equiom PE Group

Partner - Strategic Advisor

Nex CPA

Boutique financial services for vc backed businesses.

Principal

Vasco

B2B SaaS that engineers growth to scale 10x faster.

Fractional CFO

Equiom Group

A Private Equity Group providing sophisticated clients with professional service expertise.

Managing Director - Canada

Board Member - Canada

MailChannels

MailChannels is a Vancouver-based SaaS company that protects companies against malicious email threats.

- Model budget and cashflow to determine free cashflow and financing needs
- Monthly review of cashflow and month-end discussions held with the CEO
- Budget to actual variance analysis provided to the CEO and Board
- Track key metrics (MRR, MRR Expansion, MRR Retraction, EBITDA, ARPU, ARPA)

Rise Branding

Rise Branding is a Toronto-based branding and communications agency that partners with leading multinationals in the B2B space.

- Financial modeling to determine free cashflow, breakeven analysis, financing needs, and key revenue/direct cost/opex drivers.
- Quarterly review of cashflow needs with CEO
- Budget to actual variance analysis provided to executive management.

Cloud Accounting Firm that is 100% digital. Acquired by the Equiom Group on Nov. 1, 2018.

- Startup ecosystem in tech, fintech, and venture capital 
- Advisory & consulting services (financial modelling, SRED, fractional CFO)
- Reporting (financial statements, quarterly reports to limited partners, board packages)
- Tax (indirect, direct, payroll)

Senior Manager

Aon Risk Solutions

NYSE: AON
- Full cycle accounting under IFRS
- Budgets, fixed assets, month-end
- Federal excise tax

Senior Accountant

BMO Wealth Management - Canada

TSX: BMO
- Analyze equities
- Operated in the money market funds, equities, and derivatives.
- Licensed investment representative with IIROC

Equity Specialist

Startup advisor

I help modern businesses scale by optimizing their cash flow, finops technology, and tax compliance.

In April, Sonder (Airbnb rival) said it had entered its “next era.”
By November, it entered bankruptcy court.

Just months ago, the hospitality startup announced $18 million in new financing and a partnership with Marriott that promised to “redefine modern travel.”

They called it a transformation — complete with talk of “balance sheet strength,” “synergies,” and “long-term value creation.”

Then, last week, guests at Sonder properties got emails telling them to pack up and leave by 9 a.m.
Some found their luggage in hallways. Others paid thousands to rebook last-minute.
The “next era” didn’t last long.

This isn’t just another scaleup flameout.
It’s a reality check for a culture that still confuses raising money with making money.

Sonder wasn’t short on vision or capital — it was short on sustainability.
And when a business is built on narratives instead of numbers, every new round just buys time, not traction.
Because capital is a magnifier.
If your model is strong, it fuels growth.
If it’s weak, it speeds up the crash.

So here’s the real takeaway for founders:
Your next funding announcement shouldn’t sound like a finish line.
It’s the starting gun — and the clock’s already ticking.

Hasan Shahariar, cpa

I advise vc backed startups and build their accounting architecture.

Sometimes I sit down as a CPA, list out all the taxes we pay in Canada, and genuinely wonder if the government is trying to speedrun every possible revenue tool in the OECD.

Income tax? Of course.
Sales tax? Mandatory.
CPP, EI, EHT, WSIB? Naturally.
Carbon tax? Twice, if you’re in the wrong province.
Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, luxury goods? Taxed, taxed, and extra taxed. Property tax? Absolutely.
Vacancy tax? Spice it up.
Import duties?  Chef’s kiss.

The list goes on and on.

At some point, you stop reading the list and start laughing like you're in a Marvel movie post-credit scene...because there’s always one more!

And what’s eye-popping is when you compare us to similar countries:

Germany
Higher taxes in some areas, BUT universal healthcare that works, high-speed rail, vocational training pipelines, and infrastructure that isn't collapsing.

Australia
Lower overall tax burden than Canada, with faster healthcare access, and simpler business regulation.

New Zealand
Simpler tax code, fewer layers, better digital government services. And nobody there has ever heard of “Part VI.1 tax,” which already puts them ahead.

Meanwhile, here in Canada? We’re paying for public services that feel increasingly stretched, delayed, or just plain confusing.

I love this country, truly.

But even as a CPA, when I map out all the taxes individuals and businesses pay, my reaction is basically:

“This system is crazy.”

If Canadians are going to keep funding this many revenue streams, we should at least expect transparency, simplicity, and services that match what other advanced economies have already figured out.

Founders don’t burn out because they stop caring. They burn out because they never stop.

This week, I'm in Kelowna for OFFSITE, a full-day retreat for founders hosted by Accelerate Okanagan.

Sessions on brain performance, leadership resilience, and the neuroscience of focus — plus drinks at Soma Craft Cidery to round it out.

I’m going not as an accountant, but as an entrepreneur who’s still figuring out how to build ambitious companies without running on fumes.

If you're building in B.C, comes say hi.

Catch me at Accountex Canada this week with Joey Steben, CPA Auditor. 

Caught up with the cloud father Ryan Lazanis, CPA reminiscing the good old days at Xen Accounting.

When Ottawa says it’s “spending less to invest more,” my accountant brain twitches a little — because just a few pages later, they reveal a $78 billion deficit.

That’s like saying you’re cutting back on coffee…while financing a Tesla.

For years, federal budgets have been about rescue. Subsidies, grants, wage supports — lifelines for small business owners trying to survive inflation and high interest rates.

But this one feels different.

Budget 2025 quietly shifts Canada from rescue mode to builder mode — from handouts to productivity bets.

Ottawa’s pouring billions into what it calls “nation-building” priorities:
$115B in infrastructure
$25B in housing
$30B in defence
$110B in productivity and competitiveness

This is a map of where opportunity will flow next.
If you’re in construction, logistics, clean tech, AI, or advanced manufacturing, these investments ripple right into your world.

If not, you’ll still feel it — stronger supply chains, new contracts, and a bigger push for domestic production.

The fine print?
It’s designed to crowd in private investment, not hand it out.
BDC gets another $1B for venture funding.
EDC gets $2B for export financing.
Procurement rules are changing so small suppliers can finally compete.
Instant expensing stays.
And soon, investors will be able to use RRSPs and TFSAs to invest in private small businesses.

It’s quiet, but it’s powerful. Ottawa’s betting on builders.

Every budget tells a story about who a country chooses to bet on.
This year, that story points squarely at entrepreneurs.
The question is — are you?

Because this isn’t a budget for spectators.
It’s a budget for builders.

Founders talk about performance. Rarely about recovery.

I’m in Kelowna today for OFFSITE — a retreat for founders, investors, and leaders to hit pause and recharge.

The sessions? Less “how to scale faster.”
More “how to stay sharp when everything’s moving fast.”

Biggest takeaway so far: you can’t grow a business sustainably if you’re running on fumes.

Sometimes the best investment isn’t in your company — it’s in yourself.

#founders #leadership #startups #Kelowna #performance

I spent Hallows Eve terrorizing the neighborhood kids 😬, and my front doorbell captured it all 👻.

Candy was given in consideration for the early childhood trauma. Win-win for all.

taplio

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