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R

Ryan Brooks

Co-founder, Ctrl V

Consumer

Ryan Brooks co-founded Ctrl V, the Waterloo virtual reality arcade that opened in 2016 and franchised across Canada, with Robert Bruski and his cousin James Elligson. CBC News described him in June 2016 as Ctrl V's CEO and the originator of the idea, a Waterloo native who studied theoretical physics and math at Lakehead University.

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

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Quick answers

What company did Ryan Brooks co-found?

Ctrl V, a virtual reality arcade in Waterloo, Ontario. CBC News reported on 2016-06-05 that Brooks partnered with Robert Bruski and his cousin James Elligson to create it, and the Canada Media Fund's Now&Next site described Brooks on 2018-08-24 as founder and CEO, one of Ctrl V's three founders.

Where did the idea for Ctrl V come from?

CBC News reported on 2016-06-05 that Brooks was thinking about a South Korean man who died in 2005 after playing video games for 50 hours straight, and wondered what would happen when gaming became so immersive that people forget about reality; he saw a need for a place to help regulate time spent in VR.

What is Ryan Brooks's background?

CBC News reported on 2016-06-05 that Brooks was born and raised in Waterloo, studied theoretical physics and math at Lakehead University, and was working as a supply teacher when Ctrl V opened.

What was Ryan Brooks's role at Ctrl V?

CBC News described him as Ctrl V's CEO on 2016-06-05, and Vending Times called him Ctrl V's chief executive on 2017-04-13. His current role has not been verified.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 18, 2026