UBC Okanagan Venture Mentoring Service (UBCO VMS) began as a pilot initiative in 2023 as a confidential mentoring program that connects innovators with a team of experienced volunteer mentors. Grounded in the internationally recognized MIT VMS model, it helps mentees strengthen leadership, sharpen decision making and scale their ventures while supporting the translation of research and innovation into impact.
Linkbase is one of the ventures that has been part of UBCO VMS since its pilot phase. In this Q&A, read all about Linkbase founder Shiven Khera, a UBC Okanagan alumus and entrepreneur building an AI-powered guest journey automation platform for the vacation rental and hospitality industry.
Tell us about yourself. Your background, your UBC connection, and what drew you to entrepreneurship.
I’m Shiven Vinod Khera, co-founder of Linkbase and a proud UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management alumni. My university experience was nothing but magical, filled with incredible people, amazing friends, inspiring professors and so many moments that pushed me to dream bigger. UBC gave me the confidence, community and energy to take an idea and turn it into a real company, and that’s what drew me so deeply to entrepreneurship. The UBCO VMS program run by Innovation UBC was a big part of it! I love building, solving real problems and creating technology that can make an impact far beyond where it started!
What is your venture, and why does it matter?
Linkbase is building an AI-powered digital check-in platform for short-term rental property managers, resorts and hotels, helping them deliver seamless self check-ins and smarter guest journeys from booking to check-out. We integrate with major booking channels like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, 40+ property management systems including Guesty and Hostaway, and global smart lock hardware brands like Salto, Schlage, Yale and August.
Instead of operators juggling scattered tools and manual tasks, Linkbase brings messaging, access, upsells, guidebooks, verification and more into one slick, powerful platform. We’re already supporting customers across Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and it’s incredibly exciting to be building global hospitality technology from UBCO!
What recent venture milestones are you excited about?
Linkbase has built an AI Unified Inbox for short-term rental property managers, resorts and hotels, and I honestly could not be more excited about it. It brings every guest message from different booking channels into one place, then uses AI to help automate over 80% of the inbox. But it is not just AI that replies, it is AI that understands the booking, the guest, the property and what needs to happen next. We already operate in six countries, and the vision now is to take Linkbase global and scale this technology rapidly across the hospitality industry.
How have Innovation UBC's programs supported your journey?
Innovation UBC and the UBCO VMS program have been absolutely incredible in supporting my journey with Linkbase. From the mentorship and programs to the constant encouragement, guidance and community, it has genuinely been one of the most meaningful parts of building the company. Kayla and the entire team have been so kind, supportive, and generous with their time, and I cannot be more grateful for how much they have helped me grow as a founder and more importantly, as a person. Programs like UBCO VMS have given me the confidence, structure and support to keep dreaming bigger and building Linkbase for a global future. UBC Okanagan has been part of Linkbase’s journey from day 1.
What's next for your venture? What are you working toward in the next 12 months?
Our next big goal is to rapidly enhance Linkbase’s AI Unified Inbox infrastructure so it can handle even more complex workflows and tasks for hospitality operators. We want Linkbase AI to go beyond answering messages and truly help operators run smoother, faster and smarter guest operations at scale. With customers already across six countries, we are now focused on global market expansion and taking this technology to hospitality businesses around the world. It is such an exciting stage because we feel like we are just getting started!
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