Why Windsor?
A lot of people have asked me that question over the past year, given that I live in Vancouver, while building Edison Financial with its headquarters in Windsor.
There are many reasons we chose the city as our home base and below are just a few of them.
1. Proximity to Detroit
Edison Financial wanted quick access to the brain trust at Rocket Companies across the river.
Our neighbors just over the border have been instrumental in helping us quickly execute on our growth plan with confidence. We’ve been able to tap into their decades of expertise and industry knowledge to bring a tech-driven digital mortgage experience to Canadians – with the goal of providing a seamless home-buying process for everyone throughout the country. Because of this partnership and proximity to Rocket’s team members, we’ve been able to build a fun, unique culture with a startup feel that is supported by the parent of the largest mortgage lender in the U.S.

Members of the Edison team celebrating “A Day at the Races” team event in downtown Windsor, with Detroit in the background.
2. Affordability
The cost of living in Vancouver and Toronto is a major headwind to startup businesses of all kinds. We have heard first-hand from our team members that they appreciate the ability to build an incredible career without the cost of a huge metro area. In fact, some have even moved from Toronto to Windsor-Essex, where they can live more comfortably.
3. Talent
Much like Shopify in Ottawa, being outside of traditional tech hubs has surprising advantages.
Talented graduates and professionals are hungry for opportunities that allow them to stay local. The pool of candidates may have less average experience than in the tech hubs, but the talent is abundant. It means we typically bring people on earlier in their career and nurture their development to create superstars, as compared to the turnover seen in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.
We have robust training programs for new team members to set them up for success and assist them in crafting meaningful, long-lasting careers that align with their passions – no matter the stage of their professional journey.

The Edison Financial team outside of their Windsor office in October 2020.
4. Partners
Windsor is a very collaborative city. Public and private entities alike are eager to make the area as welcoming as possible to current and future residents and companies. This provides a great environment for businesses to thrive – it’s been a tremendous feeling to know Edison Financial is supported by other companies of all sizes, as well as the city and nonprofit partners.
5. Opportunity for Growth
As a startup, Edison Financial has our sights set on achieving exceptional growth. With this vision, we require a home base that allows space to expand as we add new team members.
We’ve already seen tremendous success in our business model and are quickly outgrowing our current location, even with an in-office and work from home hybrid model. Windsor supports that growth through a wide variety of commercial real estate options as we progress throughout our journey.
We are so proud of the fact that we are growing to assist clients all across Canada from right here in downtown Windsor. For all the reasons I listed, and more, I hope you consider Windsor for your business.

Hash Aboulhosn began his career in the investment industry, transitioned into startups and eventually landed in the mortgage industry. Now, he combines his expertise and passions in perfect harmony as the president of a tech-driven mortgage startup. In his free time, Hash enjoys skiing, hiking, cycling and running.