Scaling innovation with integrity—meet Igor Faletski
Igor Faletski is a Canadian tech entrepreneur known for building innovative commerce technologies. Immigrating to Canada as a teenager, he began his studies in Computing Science at SFU in the early 2000s, where he and fellow student John Boxall co-founded Mobify: a company that originated as a simple SMS tool to deliver TransLink bus times which they grew into a global digital commerce company later acquired by Salesforce.
Under Igor’s leadership, Mobify helped major brands create modern mobile experiences, long before it was industry standard. He later held senior product leadership roles within Salesforce and today serves as CEO and co-founder of Superpilot, an AI startup transforming commerce marketing.
A thoughtfully involved SFU alumnus, Igor serves on the Faculty of Applied Sciences External Advisory Board, supports students through co-op placements, and gives philanthropically to advance student experience.
Learn more about Igor in this Q/A:
What stands out as a highlight of your career?
I spent most of my career working in start-ups, with lots of ups and downs along the way. That said, one great thing about being a founder is never knowing what to expect next, and getting into wonderfully weird situations through the years that turn into great memories.
And there are so many! Coming up with crazy hacks to improve mobile shopping and winning the Starbucks contract as a team of 10 recent grads was one. Going to Kuwait to raise venture funding in near 50C heat was another. Driving to San Francisco in an overheating Ford Taurus with John to look for customers and getting our car towed within an hour of arrival because it was a street cleaning day, a third.
But if I had to pick just one, it would be taking our Japanese partners out for dinner in Gastown and on the way there, running into a beautiful girl who is now my wife.
How did SFU impact your career?
I like to joke that my “return on investment” for SFU was 24 hours—I met my business partner and a close friend of many years, John Boxall, in the very first class (CMPT100) on Day 1. It was a beginning of a great five-year SFU adventure, bringing many more life-long friendships, brilliant faculty, and learning a lot about the field, the world and myself.
Between going to SFU, doing several co-op placements and working alongside SFU grads since, I feel that my career already began the day I arrived to the Burnaby Mountain Campus for the first time.
What is a piece of advice you would like to pass along to current students?
When I graduated from SFU CompSci in 2007, the economy and the job market for new grads were tough. More than half of CompSci co-ops couldn’t get work placements. It was also the year that Vancouver start-up scene flourished with companies like Hootsuite, Clio, Unbounce and Mobify getting established—entrepreneurship unlocked the path forward for many.
Fast forward to today, and it’s easy to see similarities. While the overall economy isn’t great, the opportunities for new AI start-ups are incredible. It’s literally never been a better time to start a company; whether it’s a tech start-up building AI, or a service provider using it. If you can, start something new with your SFU friends—you won’t regret it!
Help us celebrate Igor at the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award event in Vancouver on April 16. Tickets will be made available through the Outstanding Alumni Awards website.