Passion Led Us Here
This is the journey behind Art of Startup—the experiences, insights, and convictions that shaped the method guiding every founder we work with.
The Philosophy of Full Potential
We believe that entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools for solving real-world challenges—but only when the founder leads with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
The vision is simple, yet profound: By cultivating a culture of personal and collective excellence, we can build a world where collaboration and progress thrive—powered by the best of what humanity has to offer.
When founders operate at full capacity, everything changes. They make stronger decisions. They build deeper relationships. And they scale the impact they’re meant to make.
The founder is the business. When the founder breaks through, everything else changes.
We’ve coached hundreds of startups, led accelerators, launched brands, and built ecosystems around the world. We’ve walked beside founders through their first customer wins—and their hardest pivots. We’ve seen businesses with brilliant ideas stall out. We’ve seen teams run themselves into the ground chasing traction without clarity.
What separates those who break through from those who burn out? It isn’t just a better strategy. It’s a stronger foundation.
That foundation starts with mindset. Because when things get hard—and they will—founders don’t rise to the occasion. They fall back on what they’ve built internally.
That’s why we do this work—so when your moment comes, you don’t just react. You respond with clarity.
Art of Startup began with a shared conviction: That the biggest breakthroughs in business don’t come from working harder—they come from thinking differently.
We’ve spent decades working with startups—from the earliest spark of an idea to rapid-growth companies scaling across markets. We’ve coached founders through their first pitches, their toughest decisions, and the moments where everything felt like it might fall apart.
Art of Startup was built on a rare blend of experience—spanning startup ecosystems, innovation strategy, creative direction, and brand development. But what truly defines us is how we apply it. We’ve spent years guiding visionary founders through the moments that matter most: when they feel stuck, misaligned, or on the edge of something greater. We don’t just bring insight—we bring a new lens, helping founders reconnect with their purpose and step fully into the leadership their vision demands.
And what we saw again and again was this:
Founders don’t struggle because they lack ideas, drive, or talent. They struggle because they’ve lost connection—with their vision, their focus, or themselves.
Art of Startup exists to restore that connection. To help founders realign with what they believe, what they’re building, and who they’re becoming in the process.
Because when a founder gets clear, everything else follows. And when they operate at their full potential, they don’t just grow their business—they change the world around them.
Strategic Minds Behind the Method
Our experience, values, and approach come from years of walking alongside founders—and from doing the work ourselves.
Arthur Barbut
Arthur brings over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, and economic development. As the former CEO of a Canadian business accelerator, he worked with more than 300 startups—helping them secure investment, gain traction, and create over $50 million in regional economic impact. Arthur’s research and real-world experience converge around one core belief: when founders strengthen their mindset and social capital, they accelerate everything. Today, he helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs get clear, get confident, and grow with intention.
Chris is a brand strategist, mindset coach, and creative director with more than two decades of experience helping founders and startups bring their ideas to life. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, not-for-profits, and early-stage ventures, always returning to one truth: clarity creates confidence, and confidence drives growth. Drawing on his work with hundreds of startups at a Canadian business accelerator, Chris supports founders in aligning their vision with their message—and building brands that move with purpose.
Ready to Step into Your Full Potential?
The next version of your business starts with the next version of you.
Take the first step.
