A Global Lens, Shared Courage, and Stand-Out Demos: Reflections from Our Remote & Global Demo Night

Tonight’s Remote & Global Demo Night reminded us exactly why Canopy exists.

Across borders, time zones, disciplines, and lived experience, founders and panelists came together to do one simple but powerful thing: show their work. Not perfectly. Not finished. But honestly, bravely, and in public.

This was a high-calibre evening. Not because every answer was known, but because the questions were deep, the intent was clear, and the respect for craft was obvious.

The Power of a Global Panel

What makes a remote demo night special is the collision of lenses. When feedback comes from different geographies, industries, and life paths, founders don’t just hear opinions — they see blind spots and new possibilities.

We were fortunate to be joined by three exceptional panelists:

Kasper Hytonen

Founder of Synchro Social | Miami (originally Finland)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasper-hytonen/

Kasper brought a sharp commercial and go-to-market lens, particularly around positioning, pricing, and scalability — grounded in years of working with global coaches and thought leaders.

Sujitha Vummaneni

Cybersecurity Expert at Ripple | MBA Candidate at Cornell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujithavummaneni/

Sujitha consistently pushed founders into depth — asking the hard questions around security, verification, risk, and system design, especially where trust truly matters.

Anirudh Mendiratta

Senior Software Engineer, Netflix
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amendira/

Anirudh added a pragmatic engineering and systems lens, focusing on implementation realities, longevity, and what it really takes for solutions to outlive their creators.

Together, they created a feedback environment that was challenging, generous, and grounded — exactly what early-stage founders need.

Celebrating the Founders and Their Demos

The quality of the demos reflected something we see more and more in the Canopy community: founders building from lived experience, not abstract ideas.

Here’s a snapshot of each startup, in 24 words or fewer, as promised.

Role Resolve

Founders: Vikki Nolan & Sharlene Rudd
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikki-nolan-7b0393175/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharlene-rudd-81587423/

What they do:
A neuro-inclusive mental health intervention using therapeutic tabletop role-play to support adolescents’ emotional regulation, connection, and confidence before crisis points.

Role Resolve stood out for its depth of care, clinical credibility, and thoughtful approach to early intervention. The blend of psychotherapy, storytelling, and safe group dynamics resonated strongly with the panel.

MyVibe

Founder: Vineta Ploskija
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vineta-ploskija-8360a2224/

What they do:
A personalised subscription fashion service offering ethically sourced clothing, combining sustainability, styling expertise, and convenience for busy professionals.

MyVibe sparked a lively debate — exactly what strong early ideas should do. Pricing, returns, sustainability, and customer behaviour were all interrogated thoughtfully, helping clarify next steps.

HeirTrust

Founders: Michael & Lucky Nweke
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-nweke-msc-6a5580111/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingfavourjudah/ 

What they do (24 words):
A blockchain-based solution enabling secure, transparent inheritance of digital assets, ensuring crypto and on-chain wealth can be transferred safely to next-of-kin.

HeirTrust addressed a problem many people know exists but few are tackling seriously. The discussion went deep — into cryptography, verification of death events, decentralisation, and long-term resilience.

People’s Choice: A Hard-Won Win

In a very high-calibre field, the People’s Choice vote went to Michael and Lucky from HeirTrust.

This wasn’t a popularity contest. It was recognition of:

• The urgency of the problem they’re solving

• The conviction behind their vision

• Their willingness to engage fully with tough questions

• The scale of ambition paired with personal motivation

Winning People’s Choice in a room like this matters — because it’s your peers, mentors, and fellow builders who are voting.

Well done, Michael and Lucky.

What This Evening Really Represented

Beyond individual startups, this demo night represented something bigger:

• Founders learning to hold complexity without collapsing

• Panels modelling how to challenge without dismissing

• A community that values progress over polish

Remote doesn’t mean distant. Last night proved that global can still feel deeply human.

A Simple Call to Action

Every founder and panelist is open to conversation.

If something you read here sparked curiosity — whether about adolescent mental health, sustainable fashion, digital asset inheritance, or simply the founder journey itself — reach out to them directly.

That’s how this ecosystem grows.
One conversation at a time.

#FollowYourDreams

Watch back on youtube https://www.youtube.com/live/u7WttnEICB0