Founder, Trek.iQ | Transforming Accessibility through Real-Time Data & Street-to-Seat Navigation | Helping Businesses Market Their Physical Reality and Foster Inclusion
For most, accessibility is a series of compliance checkboxes or an architectural afterthought. For Avery Cote, it was the fundamental architecture of his upbringing. Growing up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Avery’s worldview was shaped not by textbooks, but by the lived realities of his family. With a great-grandfather who was a disabled veteran and a grandmother who dedicated her life to fostering individuals with disabilities, Avery learned early on that the world was rarely built with everyone in mind.
Today, as the Founder and CEO of Trek.iQ, Avery is turning those childhood observations into a technological revolution. He is not just building a startup; he is dismantling the barriers of uncertainty that prevent millions of people from participating fully in their communities. Guided by the philosophy that “access is love,” Avery’s journey from a high-pressure retail manager to a visionary tech founder is a masterclass in empathetic leadership and the power of solving problems in one’s own backyard.
The Roots of Empathetic Leadership
Avery’s story begins in a household where service and resilience were the primary languages spoken. Growing up with his twin sister in Fredericton, he witnessed firsthand the logistical and emotional hurdles faced by those with disabilities. These experiences instilled a core leadership lesson that remains the heartbeat of his career: “True innovation begins with empathy. Watching my family navigate a world not built for them taught me that a leader’s job isn’t just to manage a team, but to dismantle the barriers that prevent others from participating fully.”
His formal professional education began in an unexpected place—behind the counter of a local McDonald’s in 2016. Earning the New Brunswick minimum wage of $10.65 an hour, Avery wasn’t just flipping burgers; he was studying systems thinking and the “people-first” mindset required to keep a service chain moving under pressure. “While it was worlds away from the tech and startup space I operate in now,” Avery reflects, “that role was my training ground for high-pressure environments and the importance of every single ‘link’ in a service chain.” This early exposure to high-volume environments provided a pragmatic grounding that would later define his approach to large-scale operations.
Scaling Impact and Corporate Rigor
Avery’s career trajectory took a significant leap during his extensive tenure with Walmart Canada. Rapidly ascending through the ranks to become an Assistant Manager, he found himself responsible for total box operations in high-volume stores generating up to $85 million annually. It was here that Avery honed his ability to lead diverse teams and execute complex store tours for C-suite executives, including the COO and CEO. However, the call to create direct social impact eventually led him back to the academic and entrepreneurial world at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).
As a leader within Enactus, Avery spearheaded “The Fair Market,” a project that delivers affordable groceries to students with an average savings of 42%. This initiative wasn’t just a grocery store; it was a proof of concept for Avery’s belief in the “Student-Founder” hybrid. Subhash Mathew, Branch Manager and Advisor at RBC, observed Avery’s impact during the grand opening of the market, noting: “The students running this market aren’t just managing a shop; they are developing the critical skills—leadership, financial literacy, and operational management—that are in high demand in today’s workforce. Seeing these students take 100% ownership of this business is the kind of entrepreneurial spirit RBC loves to champion.”
A Vision for Universal Navigation
In 2025, Avery transitioned from managing retail environments to re-engineering them through Trek.iQ. As an accessibility engine, Trek.iQ provides real-time data and street-to-seat routing for attendees with disabilities. The goal is to solve the “uncertainty gap”—the hesitation a person feels when they aren’t sure if a venue can actually accommodate their needs. By providing businesses with a solution to market their physical reality, Avery is helping them draw in a demographic that has historically been overlooked. His leadership at Trek.iQ is defined by a refusal to accept the status quo. To Avery, a project is never truly finished until it is inclusive: “If it isn’t accessible, it isn’t finished.”
Under his guidance, Trek.iQ is evolving into a scalable, profitable business that maintains its soul by staying rooted in the disability community. Avery encourages the next generation of leaders—particularly Gen Z—to skip the traditional linear path and dive straight into the deep end of problem-solving. “My advice is to embrace the ‘Student-Founder’ hybrid. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect time’ or a degree to start building. The world is changing too fast for a traditional linear path. Your lived experience is your greatest competitive advantage.”
Defining a Lasting Legacy
As Avery looks toward the future, his focus remains on scaling Trek.iQ to become the global standard for real-time accessibility data. He envisions a world where “street-to-seat” navigation is a seamless reality for everyone, regardless of physical ability. His leadership philosophy remains anchored in the words of Alice Wong: “Access is love.” For Avery, this isn’t just a business venture; it is an act of human connection. “We aren’t just building navigation tools; we are facilitating the ability for people to show up for their lives and their communities. When we design for the most marginalized, we create a better experience for everyone.” His journey reminds us that the most impactful leaders are those who look at a gate and see not just a lock, but a key that hasn’t been made yet.
Editorial Note
Avery Cote’s journey from the front lines of retail to the helm of a transformative tech startup serves as a powerful reminder that leadership is most effective when it is personal. By bridging the gap between operational excellence and deep-seated empathy, Avery is not just navigating the world—he is making it easier for everyone else to find their way, too.
