We’re shining a light on the incredible tech talent right here in Victoria, B.C. Through our Community Spotlight series, we’ll be profiling some of the amazing organizations, innovators, and startups that are helping shape the future of technology on the island and beyond. From cutting-edge software to impactful social enterprises, stay tuned as we celebrate the people and ideas driving our local tech scene forward.
Today, we’re featuring Neil Henderson, CEO of Shift.
Neil Henderson, CEO of Shift. Photo: Shift
What inspired you to join this company?
After business school, I started my career as a Student Works Painting franchise owner where I met an extremely influential mentor who later joined Redbrick and convinced me to do the same. Having been with Redbrick, Shift’s parent company, for over a decade I still appreciate how fast-moving and entrepreneurial it is—that’s what inspired me to join the company and grow my career here in the first place.
How would you explain what your company does to someone outside your industry?
Shift is a browser designed for power users who demand control, efficiency, and effortless integration. Forget juggling multiple windows or wrestling with tab chaos; Shift empowers you to organize and streamline everything you do online, with dedicated workspaces, multi-profile management, and streamlined app access. It’s not just a browser—it’s your command center for the modern internet.
What’s a real-world example that best showcases the value of what you’ve built?
Shift can help to unlock productivity, organization, and efficiency online, saving users an average of four hours a week in wasted time and energy from switching between accounts, tabs, and context.
What’s been the toughest technical or strategic challenge so far—and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest strategic challenges that startups face is how to stay lean while growing fast. I can’t stress enough how important it is for companies, especially those that are bootstrapped, to guide their own destiny by being smart about how they spend money until they reach profitability or unlock a hypergrowth stage. And even when profitable, it's important to stay agile so you can be first-to-market with new features that are in the spirit of startup mode innovation.
What are you most proud of?
The amazing team that we have built at Shift. We have grown to over 60 people and are proud to be headquartered here in Victoria!
How would you describe the tech ecosystem in Victoria right now?
Vibrant, exciting, and growing. Victoria really is the place to be! I’m really proud to see our tech industry growing and driving economic impact for the island, the province and Canada more broadly. We have incredible talent in our backyard.
How has being based in Victoria shaped your company’s culture, product, or business model?
The Victoria tech community has been so supportive of Shift, and we couldn’t have gotten to where we are today without it. Each year we host Shift Connect, which is a yearly retreat for our entire team where we take advantage of all that Victoria has to offer, from kayaking to bike riding to a day at the beach. We also take pride in partnering with the local community to support people and the planet through our Shift Gives social impact program and becoming a carbon neutral company.
What would make Victoria an even stronger tech hub?
I believe we have strong talent, especially young entrepreneurs, who I hope will stay here and innovate. That’s why programs that help to nurture and prepare young people for entrepreneurship like Junior Achievement BC, where I’ve been a board member, are really important for the community. The more we can do to support and encourage entrepreneurship, the better.
What is Victoria tech’s biggest hidden secret?
One of Victoria’s real superpowers is its community culture. It's small enough that founders, investors, and developers can network casually and directly, but still big enough to support scaling. I think this has helped build resilient startups under the radar.