Bobbie Racette

Bio

Bobbie Racette is the Founder of Virtual Gurus, the inclusive talent marketplace she built from a $300 idea into a multi-million-dollar company and ultimately led through a successful acquisition. A Cree-Métis, queer woman and trailblazer, Bobbie made history as the first Indigenous woman in Canada to close a Series A funding round and the first to build, scale, and successfully sell a tech startup. 

A self-described “unlikely entrepreneur,” Bobbie’s journey defies convention. After being laid off during Alberta’s oil-and-gas downturn in 2016, she transformed rejection into reinvention. Driven by grit, purpose, and a vision for a more inclusive future of work, she built Virtual Gurus as a platform that empowers underrepresented talent while helping companies scale with intention. 

Her leadership reshaped the virtual assistant and talent marketplace landscape, channeling economic opportunity into communities historically excluded from tech and traditional employment. Along the way, Bobbie earned national recognition, including Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Special Citation, and the Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business. 

Beyond her business success, Bobbie is a sought-after speaker and a respected force in ecosystem building. She serves as the inaugural Chair of the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation, Chair of QueerTech, and sits on the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation Board - where she pushes for Indigenous empowerment and real access for diverse founders. 

Guided by the mantra “no is not an option,” Bobbie’s career reflects relentless resilience and a commitment to truth — shaped in part by her early years hitchhiking across continents in search of identity and purpose. Today, she continues that mission through Tapwi, mentoring founders, amplifying underserved voices, and pushing for systemic change in how we build, fund, and support new ventures.