Calgary startup Virtual Gurus has sold its Virtual Assistant division to U.S.-based Zirtual, marking what is believed to be Canada’s first tech exit by an Indigenous woman founder.
The deal, structured as an asset purchase, is part of Zirtual’s aggressive scale-up strategy to consolidate leading players in the virtual assistant market into a more integrated, AI-powered platform. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.
For Calgary’s tech ecosystem, the milestone underscores both the growing maturity of the region’s startup scene and the rising influence of Indigenous and women founders in shaping the future of work.
A Calgary Startup Built on Inclusive Innovation
Founded in 2016 by Bobbie Racette after being laid off from the oil and gas sector, Virtual Gurus began quite literally at Racette’s kitchen table. What started as an idea to match businesses with virtual assistants who were often overlooked in traditional hiring cycles became one of North America’s most recognized talent-as-a-service platforms.
Racette—an Indigenous, LGBTQ+ entrepreneur who originally trained in sign language and planned to become a teacher for deaf children—built Virtual Gurus around a fundamentally different premise: that remote work could be a powerful engine of inclusion.
Through an AI-enabled, human-curated matching model, the platform connected thousands of assistants from underrepresented groups with work opportunities across Canada and the U.S., including Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ workers, people with disabilities, and individuals in remote communities.
By 2023, the company had earned national recognition, including a place on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top 100 Growing Companies. Virtual Gurus ranked #91, reporting revenue of $5-10 million in 2022.
“This Milestone Isn’t Just Mine”
In announcing the acquisition, Racette emphasized that the exit represents far more than a business transaction.
“When I founded Virtual Gurus, my dream was to show that inclusive, human-centered innovation could grow and thrive,” she said. “This milestone isn’t just mine — it’s for every underrepresented entrepreneur who dares to build something meaningful.”
She noted that the platform created opportunities for thousands who “hadn’t always been seen or included in the workforce,” and expressed gratitude to those who supported the company’s journey.
Zirtual’s Expansion Continues
Following the acquisition, Elliot Schneier will assume the role of CEO of Zirtual, leading the company into its next phase of integration and growth. Schneier took the reins of Virtual Gurus from Racette earlier this year.
“The virtual assistant space is maturing fast,” said Kelly Schmitt, Chair of the Virtual Gurus Board. “This transaction creates the infrastructure to scale, integrate AI responsibly, and deliver the consistency enterprises expect.”
The deal is Zirtual’s fourth acquisition since February 2024, under the ownership of PennSpring Capital, following earlier purchases of Del.Trust (now Zirtual Paralegals), Delegated, and virtual assistant company Double.
A Meaningful Exit for Calgary’s Ecosystem
For Calgary, Racette’s exit is both symbolic and catalytic — a reminder that Alberta’s tech companies are not just attracting investment, but also reaching mature liquidity milestones that reflect strong, values-driven execution.
While the Virtual Assistant division now transitions into Zirtual’s growing portfolio, Virtual Gurus continues to be recognized for reshaping how inclusive remote work can scale, and for proving that Calgary founders can build globally relevant platforms that remain rooted in community impact.
Nice that this has been posted to media but the Virtual Assistants and clients have not been told anything.
Typical, based on my experience. I stopped using VG services for a reason.
Whenever a significant change happens in a company – always pay attention to a few things:
– why did this change happen (that has not been spoken of much but has been water-tested)?
– what might be the next change (also hints were probably dropped)?
– what is happening in the industry market/economy?
– what is happening in the local business market/economy?
– what is happening in the country market/economy?
I am not a VA nor a client. I am a watcher. There were signs. You and the other VAs and clients missed reading them. This is not a surprise to me. It does answer the questions.
Now
what will happen next?
ps- there will be more changes for the VAs and clients in the next 6 months – 2 years.
How do I know?
Same as when I buy something new — how will this fit in with what I already have? What do I have to change to get the “new” to fit in?
It blows my mind how comfortable people are sharing uninformed takes from behind a keyboard about a founder who built something few could ever replicate.
Let’s be clear.
Building a company from a kitchen table into a national success story that created real income for thousands of people across North America is hard. Achieving an exit is even harder. Doing all of that while pushing inclusion forward in an industry that has not historically welcomed Indigenous, LGBTQ+, or women founders is almost unheard of.
Yet somehow the loudest opinions are coming from people who have never taken a business from zero, never carried payroll, never navigated a growth curve, never made a call that impacts hundreds of families, and never been held accountable for anything beyond their own comment section.
To the folks critiquing timelines and internal communications.
To the ones saying “I saw this coming.”
To the ones implying they know how they would have done it better.
Respectfully.
You were not in the arena.
Exits are complex. Not public. Not tidy. Not linear.
They involve confidentiality, legal steps, negotiations, and human beings who deserve privacy and care. You do not get the play-by-play until the play-by-play can be shared.
Bobbie built a platform that changed lives.
She created opportunities for talent who had been overlooked for decades.
She showed Canada what inclusive innovation looks like at scale.
And she just made history with a milestone that raises the bar for every founder who comes next.
If you have not done what she has done, maybe pause before assuming you could have done it better… or been more perfect.
Celebrate her. Learn from her. Be inspired by her.
And if you want to critique someone’s leadership, build something first.
Then we can talk.
Speaking of uninformed takes from behind a keyboard… it’s pretty clear you’re not part of the VA community. Because none of the VAs who actually worked under Bobbie would be talking like this.
Let’s be honest: Bobbie didn’t create opportunities for marginalized folks — she marketed the idea of doing so. There’s a big difference. She ran campaigns preaching equity, but behind the scenes? Folks of colour and disabled VAs were tokenized while being paid wages so low they could barely cover groceries.
And sure — Bobbie changed lives.
But let’s not pretend it was for the better.
The fact that she sold the company to an American firm and handed her seat to a white man in his 50s tells you exactly where her priorities were. That’s not “inclusive leadership.” That’s branding.
I can’t count how many contracts were broken by Virtual Gurus. But when a company pays so far below a living wage that nobody can afford to take legal action… well, that’s not empowerment. That’s exploitation wrapped in good PR.
So before you lecture us about “being in the arena,” maybe check who was actually in it — and who was being used to build the illusion.
Hi Clara,
Just to be clear, I stepped down as CEO 5 months ago. Also all VA agencies pay around the same, it’s not meant to be a full time job.
Sorry the experience I created wasn’t for you. However know that the American Company has thousands of clients ready to be matched – I hope you move over with the company as one of the amazing 500 Canadian VA’s that are moving with it to get more work and earnings.
Glad I could at least have provided some fractional work from home for people who needed it.
Take care, and for what it’s worth – you matter and so does every VA that worked there.
Bobbie
Fyi. I asked the CEO to send out an email listing the benefits for the vas with the sale! I promise you’ll be happier Clara.
Hang in there
Hi Emily, the VAs and clients have infact been notified prior and the acquisition means no change for any of then except maybe better pay and access to more clients.
Hi everyone. I just wanted to share my own experience as someone who works as a Virtual Assistant and has many friends who are part of the VG community. I know conversations like this can get heated, but my day to day reality has been very different from some of the assumptions being made here.
Most of the people I know through VG come from underrepresented communities and identities. A lot of us are newcomers or Indigenous or LGBTQ2S+ or living with a disability or caring for kids or parents while trying to keep some sense of financial stability. For many of us this work has given us a chance when traditional workplaces felt closed or unwelcoming. That part matters more than people on the outside sometimes realize.
I love the work I do. I love the clients I support. And I love the sense of community that has come from working alongside other VAs who understand what it means to hold each other up. My closest friends in this field are brilliant and kind and doing their best every day. They are not the caricatures that show up in online arguments.
I am not here to argue with anyone. I just wanted to offer a real human perspective from inside the VA world because so many of us are proud of the work we do and the people we work with.