The SHIFT Syndicate team

Who We Are

A small team,
a long track record.

SHIFT_ is built in Montreal by people who have started companies, run a salon floor, and shipped software that other businesses depend on. We build for independent professionals because we have been them.

Joel Yaffe

Joel Yaffe

Co-Founder

Gen-X tech pioneer from Montreal.

Known for launching Montreal's first startup incubator in 1999. Ideas2Market incubated and launched several notable ventures, including mConcierge and GuestDriven, I Can Go Without, PotCoin, and the award-winning Apple Authorized Service Provider iTechnique. Today he is shaping a future with Arcana Concept — blending business strategy, intuitive design, and a commitment to tech-for-good.

Track Record

1999

Ideas2Market

Montreal's first startup incubator. The launchpad for everything that followed.

2005

iTechnique

Founded and operated the award-winning Apple Authorized Service Provider — Montreal in 2005, Toronto in 2009, best-in-class awards every year.

2010

mConcierge → GuestDriven

A mobile guest-engagement platform for hotels, named a Top 20 Company by the Canadian Innovation Exchange, with implementations in over 160 cities worldwide.

2014

PotCoin

Co-founded the 32nd cryptocurrency in the world — a secure, legal banking alternative for an industry the banks would not serve.

Now

Arcana Concept & SHELTR

A multidisciplinary venture lab, and a tech-for-good initiative fighting homelessness through QR donations, blockchain transparency and AI-driven insight.

Expertise

AI & Machine LearningBackend & CloudFrontend & UI/UXDevOps & ToolingOpSec & ComplianceAutomation & IntegrationWeb3 & BlockchainProduct & Project Management
arcanaconcept.comgithub.com/mrj0nesmtlTomes of Arcanajoel@shiftsyndicate.ca

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JB

Jeff Bernardini

Co-Founder

Full profile coming soon.

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Andrew Kanho

Andrew Kanho

Co-Founder

Engineer, builder, operator.

Electrical engineer and RBQ-licensed general contractor with twenty-five years of building businesses from the ground up — from telecom distribution to mission-critical power infrastructure. Today he runs KVA Protection, designing and delivering the systems that keep data centres and server rooms running, and brings that same operator's discipline to SHIFT_.

Track Record

2000

Intelco

Prepaid phone card distribution. The first venture, and the one that taught margin, logistics and how a retail channel actually works.

2010

KVA Protection

Power protection and critical IT infrastructure — UPS systems, PDUs, racks, cooling, generators, fire suppression and security — designed, engineered and delivered for data centres and server rooms.

2012

ExOfficio, South America

Negotiated and established sole distribution rights for the ExOfficio brand across South America, building the channel from scratch.

2026

SHIFT_

Co_Founder, Ops_Demon.

linkedin.com/in/andrew-kanhoandrew@shiftsyndicate.ca

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The Team | SHIFT_