News Editor
In 2015, Bobbie Racette found herself at a crossroads. Working as a safety technician in Calgary’s oil and gas industry, she was hit hard by layoffs and struggled to find another job. After countless interviews and rejections, Racette realized that her identity as a queer, Indigenous woman with tattoos might have contributed to her challenges in the conservative job market.
“I couldn’t get a job no matter how many resumes I sent out,” Racette recalls. With mounting frustration, she turned to the growing gig economy and decided to offer her services as a virtual assistant on Upwork. But competing in a crowded global market meant bidding as low as $2 an hour for work, and she quickly realized this wasn’t sustainable. Determined to change her situation, Racette, despite having no business experience, decided to start her own company.
In 2016, Racette launched *Virtual Gurus*, a virtual assistance platform that would provide opportunities for marginalized communities, including Indigenous workers, to find quality remote work. With just $300 to her name, Racette’s vision took off. In its first year, *Virtual Gurus* generated $300,000 in revenue.
Racette’s commitment to empowering underrepresented groups was her guiding force. “Working with Indigenous folks is my north star,” she says. Her long-term goal was to ensure that these communities could work from home while remaining connected to their roots.
By 2020, her company had grown to employ over 40 staff members and had provided jobs for more than 2,000 people across Canada and the U.S. *Virtual Gurus* also secured $8.4 million CAD in Series A funding, and today, the company is valued at over $50 million. Racette plans to hire 5,000 Indigenous workers by 2026 through partnerships with employment centers in Indigenous communities, where she provides training and technology resources.
Despite her success, Racette faced numerous challenges. She endured 170 investor rejections before landing her first major investment and struggled to lead a growing team as the company scaled. To overcome these obstacles, she enrolled in leadership courses at Harvard University, learning to be the leader her business needed.
“Who I am now as a leader is tenfold different from who I was two years ago,” Racette says. She emphasizes the importance of growth, both as a leader and as a mentor to the next generation of women in business, particularly in tech.
Racette also believes in the power of sharing her story to inspire others, especially young women. “The sky’s the limit — nothing’s holding you back,” she says, encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to break barriers and live their own stories through business.
What began as a $300 gamble has now blossomed into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, with Racette determined to create meaningful change for marginalized communities while paving the way for future entrepreneurs to rise above their challenges.
