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Ashley Barby

Co-founder, Specsy

Retail Tech

Ashley Barby is a co-founder of Specsy, the Toronto company that sold optical retailers custom 3D-printed eyeglass frames, where she was chief operating officer. She came to it from fashion retail, starting her career at Holt Renfrew, and also founded FashionTech Toronto, a community for people working where fashion and technology meet.

Ashley hasn’t spoken on a TechTO, TechVancouver or TechWaterloo stage. This profile is here because Ashley co-founded Specsy, which appears in 1 talk in the archive.

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Quick answers

Did Ashley Barby co-found Specsy?

Yes. Retail Insider reported on January 23, 2019 that Ashley Barby was a co-founder of Specsy and its chief operating officer. STYLE Canada, on January 18, 2020, also described her as Specsy's COO.

How did she describe Specsy's business?

She told Retail Insider on January 23, 2019 that Specsy ran as a wholesale manufacturer, giving optical retailers a hardware and software platform rather than opening its own stores, and that the idea was to make one-of-a-kind 3D-printed glasses fitted to each customer.

What is FashionTech Toronto?

STYLE Canada reported on January 18, 2020 that she is the founder and producer of FashionTech Toronto, which she started after attending a fashion technology conference in New York with Specsy. The Create Community podcast described FashionTech on June 15, 2021 as a global community for people at the intersection of fashion and technology.

What was her background before Specsy?

She told STYLE Canada on January 18, 2020 that she began her career in fashion with a degree in textiles and clothing, and that her first job out of university was with Holt Renfrew. At the time she was also completing an MBA at Ryerson University.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 24, 2026