On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2019. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Shawn ↗
In their words
The market has told us that everyone's in agreement: the best way to explore is to live like a local does.
When it comes to discovery and planning, Google tells us that 85 percent of people actually do this after they arrive at their destination.
We're big believers that adventure doesn't have to be limited to just travel. There's a lot of amazing things to do right outside your front door.
Around the web ×2
Quick answers
Who is Shawn Hewat?
The co-founder and chief executive of Wavy, the Toronto company she started in 2018 with Peter Kotzeff and Neshay Ahmed. In 2025 she was named a mentor for Althra, a new Vancouver incubator.
What did she demo at TechTO?
The first version of the Wavy app at TravelTechTO in February 2019: pick your interests and a region, and it returns a few curated activities near each other, with a local tip and who to bring.
What does Wavy do now?
It sells software and experiences companies use to run team culture for distributed staff. The pivot came at the end of 2019, after businesses started asking to book the local experiences Wavy had curated for travellers.