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J

James Elligson

Co-founder, Ctrl V

ConsumerWaterloo

James Elligson co-founded Ctrl V, the Waterloo virtual reality arcade that opened in June 2016 in a former BlackBerry building beside the University of Waterloo. He was its chief operating officer at launch; Ctrl V's franchising site lists him today as operations analyst. The chain now franchises locations across Canada and the United States.

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

Quick answers

Did James Elligson co-found Ctrl V?

Yes. The Cord, 2016-06-21, names Robert Bruski, Ryan Brooks and James Elligson as the three people behind Ctrl V, and UploadVR, 2016-06-01, reporting on the arcade's opening, lists Elligson as COO alongside CEO Ryan Brooks and CFO Robert Bruski.

What is his role at Ctrl V today?

Ctrl V's franchising site leadership-team page (virtualrealityfranchise.com/why-us/), checked 2026-09-20, lists James Elligson as Operations Analyst. The same page lists Robert M. Bruski as CEO & Co-founder; Ryan Brooks is no longer listed.

When and where did Ctrl V start?

Ctrl V's own timeline (virtualrealityfranchise.com/why-us/), checked 2026-09-20, dates the idea to January 2016, incorporation to February 2016 and the Waterloo flagship opening to June 2016, in a former Research In Motion (BlackBerry) building next to the University of Waterloo. The first Canadian franchise opened in Guelph in March 2017 and the first US franchise in Howell, New Jersey in January 2018.

Is Ctrl V still operating?

Yes. virtualrealityfranchise.com, checked 2026-09-20, is live, recruiting franchisees across Canada and the United States and listing awards through 2023. The consumer site ctrlv.ca returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches on 2026-09-20, so its content could not be independently verified.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 20, 2026