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Lawrence Krimker: Entrepreneur, Investor, and Philanthropist

My name is Lawrence Krimker, and I am an entrepreneur who has built and scaled multiple businesses across various industries. My journey in entrepreneurship began with a window cleaning business that I started with a $3000 government summer grant while attending the Schulich School of Business. Despite numerous challenges and mistakes, I managed to scale the business to 80 employees, all while still in university.

Following the success of my window cleaning business, I ventured into media with CG Media Inc. I ran a national competition seeking promotional models to represent their university, voted by their peers. The winners were featured in a calendar sponsored by major brands like Bud Light, Comedy Network, Budweiser, and Extreme Fitness, which we sold on campuses across the country. This initiative garnered significant media attention, including an article in the Toronto Star.

My next venture was in the tech industry with a startup called Paystack. Paystack focused on building a unique checkout ecommerce platform for mobile. I went through Ycombinator, moved to Palo Alto, raised $7 million, and ultimately sold the company. This experience was transformative, allowing me to secure investment from some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley.

After Paystack, I founded Simply, a company that I bootstrapped and grew through acquisition to over $1.5 billion in assets. I consolidated 12 companies and expanded the workforce to 400 employees. Simply received numerous accolades, including being named the Best Place to Work and Best Place to Work for Women for seven consecutive years. I was honored with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award multiple times.

In addition to my entrepreneurial ventures, I am an active investor with over 100 investments managed through my family office. My investment strategy is thoughtful and hands-on, and I remain actively involved in managing my portfolio.

I am also passionate about mentorship and philanthropy. I have run programs to help at-risk youths, such as the one at the Jane/Finch mall, which aimed to inspire and support young entrepreneurs. I have made significant donations to the Yorkville Jewish Center and sponsored kids to attend summer camp through JCC. My work with Covenant House and other charitable organizations has been recognized in various publications, including the Toronto Star.

Through my career, I have focused on building strong company cultures based on relationships rather than superficial perks. My management philosophy emphasizes the importance of genuine connections and creating a supportive work environment.