Bobbie Racette, founding CEO of Virtual Gurus and the first Indigenous woman in Canada to raise a Series A round, is transitioning to serve as the company’s president. COO Elliot Schneier has been named the new CEO.
Schneier joined the Calgary-based company in May 2024 and has been instrumental in scaling operations and launching VG Connect, a receptionist chatbot.
“I’m grateful Bobbie will continue to shape our vision while we scale a company that reflects the future we want to see,” Schneier stated.
Prior to Virtual Gurus, Schneier held executive roles at Ohio-based Zirtual, Fundable, and Startups.com. In a LinkedIn post, Racette praised Schneier’s expertise in scaling and exiting large scale-ups, noting his strong strategic acumen. As CEO, Schneier will focus on expanding Virtual Gurus’ platform, exploring new markets, and integrating AI-driven solutions, according to Vicki Laszlo, VP of Marketing at Virtual Gurus.
In her new role, Racette will spearhead the company’s purpose and impact projects, strengthen enterprise partnerships, and boost brand visibility across North America, while maintaining oversight of Virtual Gurus’ mission. Laszlo mentioned that the company’s purpose-driven efforts extend beyond job creation to include community programs and wraparound support services.
“What began with a mission to create space for underrepresented talent has grown into an international platform delivering real economic impact,” Racette commented. “This next chapter allows me to expand that impact while empowering new leadership to take us further.”
Founded by Racette in 2016, Virtual Gurus is a gig work platform that pairs remote assistants with businesses needing support in bookkeeping, marketing, and customer service, with a focus on employing individuals from historically underrepresented groups. Virtual Gurus has provided over 800,000 work hours and paid $15 million in wages to its community of virtual assistants.
Racette initially bootstrapped the company, facing initial challenges in securing funding due to its focus on diversity and inclusion, as she shared in a 2022 BetaKit interview. She later secured an $8.4-million CAD Series A round and formed partnerships with organizations like Mastercard, Bank of Montreal (BMO), and Telus.
In discussions with BetaKit in May 2024, Racette outlined Virtual Gurus’ plans to expand into the U.S. and aim for a Series B round by the summer’s end, targeting predominantly American investors as 65 percent of the company’s revenue was generated in the U.S.
“When you have predominantly already hit the market here [in Canada], you really have no other choice but to open into other markets,” Racette explained.
Virtual Gurus has not yet announced a Series B round but confirmed that Racette recently finalized the initial tranche of the next funding round. Laszlo stated that the round closed last week but withheld the financial details. Addressing questions about the Series B timeline, Laszlo emphasized the company’s focus on alignment and creating long-term value over speed.
“Our goals remain on track. We had strong interest from partners and chose to move forward with this initial tranche while continuing to evaluate strategic opportunities,” Laszlo remarked, indicating that the new funding will support Virtual Gurus’ platform growth and VG Connect.
Virtual Gurus has named former Benevity CEO Kelly Schmitt as chair of its majority-women board of directors. Other board members include Racette, Schneier, Telus’s Ka-Hay Law, The51’s Shelley Kuipers, and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners’ Althea Wishloff.
“As we evolve, I’m grateful Bobbie will continue to shape our vision while we scale a company that reflects the future we want to see, one that’s inclusive, tech-enabled, and deeply human at its core,” Schneier expressed.
Earlier this year, Racette was appointed board chair of QueerTech, a nonprofit based in Montréal, and holds the same position at the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation.
Feature image courtesy Bobbie Racette.