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For Bobbie Racette, entrepreneurship wasn’t a part of the plan; it found her by accident.

“It’s probably one of the best accidents I’ve ever made,” she says. 

Racette, who is Cree-MĂ©tis, has had an unlikely journey. After being laid off during Alberta's oil and gas downturn in 2016, she decided to pivot. In 2017, she launched Virtual Gurus, a subscription-based talent marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled virtual assistants and AI-powered solutions. 

Towards the end of 2025, Racette made history as the first Indigenous woman to successfully sell a tech company. 

Now, she is focused on a new venture and strives to close the access gap in entrepreneurship.

On March 25, Racette will take the stage at the University of Calgary's Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., to speak about leadership, identity and impact as part of the . 

Building resilience and overcoming fear

Racette had just $300 to her name when she first started Virtual Gurus. 

While the idea excited her, the fear of rejection lingered. 

“Rejection is a hard thing to go through," Racette says. "As an Indigenous person, we’re rejected our whole lives. Eventually, you get in your own head and begin to reject yourself.”

Entrepreneurship became a turning point. “I had to try,” she says. “(Becoming an entrepreneur) became my medicine. It put me on a different path and made me a better person.”

As Virtual Gurus gained traction, her perspective began to change. 

“With every success, things started to slowly shift. Rejection began to fuel my fire. I wanted to prove people wrong. I truly believe that I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for rejection,” Racette says. 

Today, Racette uses her platform to empower others facing similar challenges. Serving as the chair of the , she is dedicated to creating pathways to the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

Being your own kind of entrepreneur 

Racette believes that entrepreneurship is rooted in discipline, resilience and truth. She believes that you need to open your own doors and confront your own biases. 

“Anyone can be an entrepreneur. I’m a queer, Indigenous woman with tattoos. People will judge you and stereotype you,” she says. “But being an unlikely entrepreneur is my greatest strength.

“My ultimate goal is to show people that it doesn’t matter who you are and what you look like. You can still be entrepreneurial.”

Today, Racette is focused on bringing her latest venture, Tapwi, to life. 

With a launch planned for late 2026, Tapwi brings together education, mentorship, capital readiness and ownership pathways into a single, integrated ecosystem. The platform is designed to make leadership and ownership more equitable, efficient, and accessible. 

“Tapwi is a platform that will give all underserved founders a single source of truth,” Racette says. “There are so many people who don’t have the support they need. With Tapwi, I wanted to address that.”

Those interested in joining this venture can join the waitlist to learn more. 

To learn more about Racette’s journey, register for her upcoming speaker event .