Tired of the perfectionism and polished narratives dominating entrepreneur events, Amanda and Shahr set out to bring authenticity back into the spotlight. They created a platform that showcases the real journeys behind entrepreneurship, stories of risk, sacrifice, resilience, and reinvention.
As professionals themselves, Shahr, a venture capitalist with Plug and Play, and Amanda, a lawyer, co-founder of OP Lawyers, and co-founder of a local café, were exhausted by events asking founders, “How are you so successful?” instead of the questions that uncover who entrepreneurs become when things fall apart.
They knew the truth: success isn’t luck. It’s early mornings, late nights, lost paycheques, failed business models, collapsing markets, and partners who walk away but entrepreneurs keep moving forward anyway. They do it not for accolades, but to build something meaningful and lift their communities. So Amanda and Shahr launched a platform in 2019 to shift the narrative, showing that behind every celebrated win is grit, heartbreak, rebuilding, and relentless optimism.
These are not highlight reels; they’re identity-shaping failures that created the entrepreneurs Calgary celebrates today. In Calgary, F*ckup Nights YYC brings this raw honesty home through a quarterly speaker series that invites four respected founders, creators, and leaders to share the stories nobody else will.
We laugh. We learn. We grow. We build a community that treats failure not as shame, but as fuel.
What to Expect at a F*ckup Nights Event
- 4 fearless speakers sharing one powerful failure + what they learned
- 7–10 minute stories with slides – no fluff, no filters, laughs and tears
- Connection, drinks, and community – a safe space for vulnerability, networking, and big laughs
Next Event: April 30, 2026
Tickets on Showpass:
https://www.showpass.com/fuckup-april30/
MEET OUR F*CKUPPERS
MEGHAN HUCHKOWSKY
DOODLE DOGS
Doodle Dogs has been Calgary’s favourite pet boutique since 2016, serving fresh diets, functional gear, and next-day delivery with the kind of service dogs (and their humans) obsess over. By 2023, siblings Meghan and Corey were riding high: two strong locations, a new warehouse, a SE acquisition, and a shiny Marda Loop build on the way. Even a fire couldn’t stop them, they rebuilt bigger and better.
Then 2024 hit like a freight train. Costs exploded, spending shrank, and suddenly four stores and two mortgages were producing the same revenue they once made with a location closed from fire. Payroll ballooned. Construction stalled. Cash vanished. Time for hard decisions.
They sold a warehouse. Reworked their perks program. Shut down Marda Loop after brutal construction wiped out access. Ate a $267K loss. And when lease rates skyrocketed on their rebuilt store, they walked away from that too.
But one win kept them going: their SE acquisition is now on track to beat last year by 30%, proof they weren’t done yet.
Through chaos, fires, expansions, and a few major “WTF” moments, Meghan and Corey have stayed scrappy, smart, and stubborn. They’ve learned resilience the hard way, and they’re building a 2026 shaped by grit, growth, and catching the screw-ups before they land.
NAHEED KURJI
CYCLICСА
Failure has been the most consistent theme in Naheed’s life, not as something to avoid, but as proof he was operating where growth happens. Missed opportunities and stalled paths never felt like losses; they were signals to push harder. Before biotechnology, he tried almost everything: working in construction, hauling equipment, bouncing at a nightclub, painting houses, and training clients at a gym. Each job taught him to move quickly, learn fast, and leave what didn’t fit. Later, while studying biomedical sciences at the University of Ottawa, his grandmother passed away due to a preventable medication error. That moment shifted everything. He became far more interested in fixing systems than treating symptoms.
His work in international development deepened that belief. When he entered the MBA program at the University of Toronto, a startup competition changed the trajectory of his life. That’s where he met his co-founder, Jason. His idea, using computational methods to understand how drugs interact and fail, which reconnected everything he cared about. Together, they founded Cyclica. Their biggest challenge wasn’t science, it was storytelling. Investors couldn’t fully grasp the vision. They heard “no” more times than they can count. Each rejection forced refinement. They built quickly, stubbornly, and with sleeves rolled up.
That persistence eventually led from a student business plan to a globally recognized platform and ultimately an acquisition by Recursion Pharmaceuticals. If entrepreneurship has taught him anything, it’s that failure isn’t the opposite of progress, it is the mechanism that creates it.
And still, none of those failures compare to the story he will share at F*ckup Nights on January 29, 2026.
BRAD FIELD
HOMES FOR HEROES FOUNDATION
With nearly six decades in Calgary, Brad embodies the spirit of Western Canadian entrepreneurship. He launched his first incorporated business at just 12 years old, kickstarting more than 45 years of building companies across transportation, healthcare, real estate, consulting, and fire suppression, with work that has taken him across borders and industries.
A lifelong commitment to community service runs alongside his business career. Brad has supported children’s charities, addiction recovery, and housing initiatives for vulnerable populations. Today, as CEO of the Homes For Heroes Foundation, he’s honoured to serve Canada’s Veterans and help create meaningful, lasting impact.
Grounded in gratitude and fueled by optimism, Brad continues to tackle each new challenge with a drive to strengthen communities and ensure those who’ve served our country receive the respect and support they deserve.
With decades of experience, he is no stranger to setbacks. His story reflects hard-earned lessons in choosing the wrong partners and the profound impact those decisions can have when you’re working to build something extraordinary.
JAYME MINOR & ADAM JONES
MAXGREEN
Named to Top 40 Under 40 nearly a decade apart, business partners Adam Jones and Jayme Minor each took very different paths into the window and door industry, paths that eventually converged into one powerful partnership.
Adam earned his Business Degree with Honours at just 20 and quickly learned the real world teaches harder and more valuable lessons than any textbook. After rising through sales and management, leading a branch to over $IM in additional profit, and weathering a failed consulting venture, he launched MAXgreen Windows & Doors, now a $100M company. Adam’s strengths in strategy, systems, and team development continue to guide both the business and the entrepreneurs he mentors.
Jayme’s journey began on the factory floor at 18, building doors by hand. He worked his way through every role, eventually becoming one of Canada’s top window sales reps with more than $75M in sales. His early connection with MAXgreen and Adam grew into a partnership in 2018, helping fuel an extraordinary 590% growth. Jayme is also open about his recovery journey, using his platform to support mental health, host major sober events, and uplift those who can’t access care. A performer at heart, well known as the Calgary Flames “Trumpet Guy”, he brings energy and joy to everything he does.
So what could possibly go wrong? Together, Adam and Jayme bring resilience, expertise, and authenticity to the forefront as they reflect on the consequences of neglecting mental and physical well-being, sharing how it nearly cost them everything.
