Thank you for joining Tuesday’s Inner Circle Deals & Capital session and, if you didn’t make it, you missed out!

Below is a summary of the key discussions and presentations from the meeting. 

Fred Paatz – Express Business Funding (EBF)

Fred Paatz, founder and owner of EBF, opened the session by sharing the background, history, and long-standing success of EBF as a factoring and working-capital provider in the Canadian market.

He then announced news for the first time inside the Inner Circle: the launch of EBF Capital Corp. This new entity will continue to offer factoring, while also expanding into additional credit products, including:

  • Asset-based lending (ABL)
  • DIP loans
  • Other structured private-debt solutions

If you’re looking for private debt, working capital, or opportunities to co-invest alongside EBF, Fred encouraged members to reach out.

His presentation is available HERE, and he can be reached at fred@ebf.ca.

Shane Cardwell – Naturalis Botanicals

Shane Cardwell, Co-Founder and CEO of Naturalis Botanicals, introduced the company and outlined its positioning within the botanicals and wellness market. He provided an overview of the business, its operations, and its current growth path, and noted that Naturalis is raising capital to complete a non-brokered public listing. He also highlighted where strategic partnerships could further accelerate their plans.

Members who see alignment in the botanicals or wellness space—or who have an interest in emerging consumer and specialty product companies, including participating in the upcoming public listing—are encouraged to connect directly with Shane for a deeper discussion.

Shane can be reached at shaneecardwell@gmail.com.

Mark Wilk

Mark presented the Ellis Gaston Memorial Lunch in support of Movember which will be held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at The Bottom Line in Toronto.

More details are available in the attached poster HERE.

As always, we invite Inner Circle members to bring forward business challenges, investment opportunities, and capital-raising initiatives for upcoming sessions. If you’d like to present a deal or capital-raising opportunity, workshop a live challenge in your business, or share a case study that others can learn from, please reach out to our team to reserve a presentation slot at an upcoming Inner Circle: Deals & Capital session.

Thank you again for your continued engagement and collaboration. We look forward to seeing you at the next session.