In this episode, Jennie Gilbert is back for her fifth episode to share her insights on ‘quiet quitting’. While this is a relatively new term, quiet quitting has been called other things in the past. Jennie helps you understand what it really means from the perspective of leadership and employees. She breaks down how workplace culture, career changes, and the pandemic might have played a role in the reemergence of “pulling back” in the workplace.
Read MoreIn this episode, discover the real implications that robotics and artificial intelligence will have on our world with Dennis Kambeitz, CEO of EZ-Robot. The World Economic Forum predicts that 1BN will need retraining by 2030 as technology continues to change how we work, play and live. We are on the cusp of the largest workforce transition in history, and it will affect all of us. Dennis shares what EZ-Robot does to train students and teachers about robotics and shares his journey of raising funds through crowdfunding and venture capital.
Read MoreIn this episode, learn about the incredibly transformative powers of nanotechnology from Ghada Nafie, President and Co-Founder of Litus. Ghada brings decades of engineering experience optimizing and improving the oil and gas industry. Now, she has turned her focus to lithium production and mining. Litus is a patent-pending product that uses nanotechnology to selectively harvest lithium directly from aqueous sources, which not only improves the quality of lithium available for things like electric vehicles but also improves living standards by reducing environmental harm. Discover how science, technology and real-world problems are colliding with this episode.
Read MoreIn this episode, learn about the realities of health & safety from Gus Minor, Chief Innovation Officer at Sofvie, a software company with a goal to build a culture of safety leading to zero harm at work. As a former underground worker himself, Gus knows first-hand the dangerous realities of many industries, particularly mining and construction. Discover how digitizing health & safety leads to more positive outcomes than zero harm and the mindset that leaders require to undertake a digital transformation journey.
Read MoreIn this episode, you’ll learn why Plug and Play Tech Center has its name. With three core areas of support — corporate partners, start-up acceleration, and investment — this organization helps corporations plug into existing start-ups to solve their company challenges. Lindsay Smylie, Director of Alberta at Plug and Play Tech Center, shares the founding story of the organization as well as how the acceleration of investment in Alberta drew them into our ecosystem. She also talks about how collaboration in this space has a global ripple effect.
Read MoreIn this episode, hear from the Executive Director of Start Alberta, Samanta Jovanovic. Samanta shares with us the organization's inception and how collaborative efforts between the A100, Alberta Enterprise Corporation, Venture Capital Association of Alberta and many community partners helped make it a reality. As our province continues to be shaped by start-ups and investments, Samanta is spearheading a depth of understanding of these arenas with Start Alberta. Under her guidance, we gain the ability to shed light on the total number of start-ups and scale-ups in our province as well as provide data on the tech industry that can inform and influence entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers alike.
Read MoreIn this episode, you’ll learn about the story of 1616, a non-profit foundation created by NHL player Andrew Ladd and his wife, Brandy. They teamed up with Meredith Wolff, a lawyer and charitable consultant who helps athletes and entertainers do high-impact strategic philanthropy. Andrew shares his mental health journey and the ‘a-ha’ moment that helped him realize our youth, particularly in hockey, don’t have four core proficiencies that can aid them when things get tough: competence, confidence, connection, and character. The valuable lessons learned by Andrew and Brandy in founding 1616 are applicable no matter what industry you’re in.
Read MoreIn this episode, Krista Rabidoux will help you get clarity on cross-border tax advisory. As a Partner at Andersen, a global provider of tax services for people, businesses and corporations, she has plenty of expertise to share. If you’ve been dreaming of heading down to the Bahamas to work this winter, Krista might burst your bubble with her insights on which tax laws apply to remote workers. After this episode, you’ll have clarity on the ins and outs of taxation, tax treaties, and the difficulties you may face if you try to get too creative.
Read MoreIn this episode, you’ll hear from Brahm Klar, General Partner of Round13, a Toronto-based tech-focused venture capital fund. Brahm shares his insights into the evolution of venture capital in Canada from the early aughts until today - including some of the new challenges VC funds face to stay competitive and differentiate themselves. He shares his perspective on why Western Canada has been so successful when it comes to innovative businesses, as well as what Western Canadian businesses should keep in mind when trying to compete against Toronto or Silicon Valley.
Read MoreIn this episode, Iggy is back on the show to talk about his passion for helping organizations with culture, brand and investing in leaders and employees. After a successful run as COO and CEO of Tundra Process Solutions, which was acquired by Wajax in 2021, the Wajax team knew he had the capabilities to grow into the CEO role. So they gave him the chance with vigour.
But what has the process been like? And what key leadership lessons has he learned along the way? Tune in to find out!
In this episode, we’re returning to school with David Finch, Professor and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University. David shares some of the unique challenges faced in post-secondary education. From disparate goals at institution levels to lengthening life expectancies, the rewards promised by a degree no longer make sense in our increasingly evolving world.
David also shares what he’s learned through his research on tenure professors and their real-world experiences. What does that mean for our economic growth? And what could future learning ecosystems look like? Listen in to find out!
Read MoreIn this episode, you’ll hear from Michael Hebert, Associate of Venture Capital at NGIF. He shares the story of how NGIF is leading the way in cleantech investment to lower emissions in the gas sector. You’ll learn about the key differences in NGIF’s model compared to other VC funds, why facilitation and collaboration are so important to their success, and the role that champions play in moving ESG forward for a better energy future.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kayla Browne discusses the lack of diversity in the architecture field in Canada. She explains how this problem starts at the university level, where there is a 50:50 split between women and men in classes. Once women enter the workforce, they are drastically underrepresented, making up only 20% of professionals in the field. Kayla has seen firsthand some of the obstacles that prevent women from succeeding in this male-dominated industry. However, she remains hopeful that organizations like Building Equity and Architecture, which promote diversity and equality through a cross-disciplinary approach, will help to close the gender gap. This episode is sure to give you plenty of food for thought, no matter what industry you work in.
Read MoreIn this episode, Robert Price discusses the disruptive plans of his company, Bode. They aim to revolutionize the home buying and selling industry by digitizing the entire experience for both buyers and sellers. This not only makes the process easier and less confusing for Canadians but also improves the industry overall. Learn how they have approached funding and growing their business, as well as what focus they are keeping in order to ensure success.
Read MoreIn this episode, Chief Revenue Officer of ZeroKey, Richard Simpson, shares the unique journey of the company from a guerrilla marketing video in Barcelona in 2018 to closing a Series A funding round in 2020. This Calgary-based company is revolutionizing what digitization can do in logistics, industrial manufacturing, oil and gas and more. ZeroKey hyperaccurately tracks any asset you need with its real-time location systems by digitizing entire environments. Find out how they achieved their incredible growth trajectory.
Read MoreIn this episode, the Founder of Chic Geek, Kylie Woods, shares the troubling data about women in technology. Kylie’s experiences as a woman in technology led her to found Chic Geek. While more and more women join STEM fields, there’s a critical attrition point where many leave — and don’t return. This episode will give you key insights into how diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) can be baked into your organization, ensuring a psychologically safe workplace where everyone can show up exactly as they are. She also highlights the need for people in positions of privilege to embody true allyship — because to change the narrative it’s going to take everybody’s efforts.
Read MoreIn this episode, hear from Billy Rideout to get his insights on the Alberta innovation and investment scene. As the CEO and Visionary of Exergy Solutions, a company that helps out start-up firms by enabling them to take their unique technology to market quickly through advanced design-built solutions, he understands how to de-risk innovation and new technology and foster an environment where taking a chance is not only safe, but preferred. Thanks to his previous senior roles at Suncor, Billy intimately understands the difficulty bureaucracy can have on innovation and why clutching your million-dollar idea to your chest hinders progress.
Read MoreIn this episode, hear from Kai Fahrion and Gursh Bal, co-CEOs of Zeno Renewables, who are on a mission to install solar panels on one million homes by 2030. They share their bullish outlook on solar energy and how it can improve our society in multiple ways, from creating jobs to reducing carbon output and energy costs. You’ll gain a clear understanding of solar energy and its potential to transform our world for the better.
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