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Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast showcases those who are contributing to and / or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta. Rainforest Alberta is a world-class community of dreamers and doers, connected by a common goal of making Alberta fertile ground for building, developing, and growing innovative ideas into sustainable ventures. https://rainforestab.ca
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Al Del Degan I have been involved in software development for more than 25 years. I have started companies, lead companies and worked for companies - doing many different things. I am honored to be considered a leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem, and I give back as much, and often as I can. When I am not working or podcasting, you will find me pursuing my passions of photography, crypto investing, and wood working along with the occasional round of golf.
Margo Purcell I help organizations and teams to uncover hidden talent; and generate ideas that lead to transformational change . Creative, driven and engaging learning and development professional with over 18 years of progressive achievement in training and development, consulting, public engagement, advocacy, customer service and coaching. As a skilled leader with an established reputation for creating environments for executive teams to shift perspectives; trusted advisor for major corporations to facilitate discussions that lead to achieving desired results in complex and distributed corporate environments. Energy, Higher Education, Not-For-Profit, NGO and other large-scale organizations say; "Margo's presence and facilitation skills were able to help us get unstuck and to clearly see where our team's landscape had to shift and most importantly helped us figure out how to shift it". When you are ready for a different landscape - www.opentopossibilities.ca
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out. We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Al chats with Margo about her childhood as a shy, but curious kid always exploring a path of self-discovery. Armed with a growth mindset and insatiable curiosity, with the help of some wonderful mentors along the way, Margo found her calling as a facilitator and coach helping companies get their teams working smoothly and communicating effectively.
Show Quote:
"This is the difference in how a company performs or not, how their employees engage, or not. We saw that this was what was really, really needed and we needed to be able to think differently to create the solutions that we need for the challenges we face."
"It's okay to follow what comes easily to you because it is likely to be meaningful, engaging, and you're going to deliver fantastic value for others."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Wunmi Adekanmbi immigrated 10 years ago from Nigeria where she was a post-secondary instructor and researcher, and led a youth empowerment non profit. Wunmi is passionate about people, information and solutions - in that order. She is a strategist and a connector. Her greatest motivation is creating coherent value streams across organizational functional units using a systems thinking approach. She strives to inspire confidence and intentionality in leadership, equip teams to execute from a big picture perspective, and harness community inter-dependencies. Wunmi is the Organizer and host of Immigrant Techies Alberta, a tech enthusiast group for skilled immigrants who are in or are interested in pivoting to tech careers and startups.
Mark Botkin is a Biochemistry Grad of U of S, has spent time at prominent U of A labs doing medical research. He’s been part of a number of challenging start-ups primarily designing computers and software for communications and construction. Mark became knowledgeable in 3D modelling which has allowed him to model & design a bicycle seat to give people a choice other than the traditional saddle. Product website: https://www.xenomorphix.com/
Gary Gunthorpe is an accomplished Senior Executive and Entrepreneur with demonstrated success spanning medical devices, agricultural instrumentation, oil patch, industrial, and oil and gas. Leveraging extensive experience delivering strategic, commercial, and operational results at startup and pre-startup enterprises, Gary is a valuable asset for a company requiring advisory related to product definition, organizational structure, process improvements, seed round investments, or technical capabilities. His broad areas of expertise include operational excellence, co-investment networking, cohabitated space, business transformation, technical advisory, and sales and marketing optimization.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out. We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Wunmi chats with Gary and Mark about how things have changed over the past 40 years for the innovation ecosystem in Alberta. They discuss some of the challenges with starting a company around a physical product rather than a software solution.
Show Quote:
"Once you graduate from university you get a key, it's called a degree. It's only a key, you gotta go open locks and find the one you like."
"Software is the hardest thing because you ask anyone to give you a guestimate of time and costs and outcomes of a software idea, I have never heard of anybody getting even close to right. With hardware we can get pretty close, within 20 percent."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Rebecca Finley-Schidlowsky - Rebecca is a Management Consultant who specializes in Governance and Strategic Planning. She has worked with hundreds of Boards and Senior Management Teams in the startup, private enterprise, not-for-profit and public sectors across Canada. Rebecca has been the Board Chair and Governance Committee Chair of Next Gen Men for the past 4 years and has led the development of the organization’s Board and Committee structure from the ground up. An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Rebecca has also had the privilege of being a guest speaker for MBAs/EMBAs at The Drucker School of Management based in Claremont, California (USA). Rebecca runs a Governance Basics Blitz Workshop targeted at not-for-profits and associations that has welcomed participants from Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, California, Spain, and New Zealand. Rebecca and her colleague Jeff Homer, host workshops specifically targeted at helping startups understand governance complexities.
Gayathri Shukla is the founder of Campfire Kinship, a social enterprise on a mission to unlock the power of empathy through human-centered solutions. Gayathri is the first certified instructor to bring an innovative method of storytelling to Calgary, called guided autobiography. As a coach and facilitator of this method, Gayathri empowers individuals and teams in discovering their authentic gifts, while creating spaces of belonging. Gayathri’s expertise in human-centered design also extends into her professional role leading digital transformation strategy and innovation in Mining. Gayathri is a Professional Engineer with over 17 years of technical and leadership experience in the energy sector. She holds an Electrical Engineering degree from University of Calgary, and an Executive MBA from Queen’s University with a certification in social impact. She is a proud mom of two kids, and a volunteer Board Director at Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out. We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Summary:
Rebecca sits down with Gayathri Shukla - an engineer turned community builder to discuss important themes like: the importance of nurturing those around you by listening intently to genuinely connect, the shift towards "human-centric" design and leading with empathy.
Leveraging the wisdom of the community through stories is Gayathri’s forte. The stories and lived experiences of our customers hold the key to innovation. Because they are closest to the action, they know their pain points and they also often come with a treasure trove of insights. Listening to the stories of others and learning from diverse perspectives result in serendipitous ideas and connections - much like Rainforest’s ecosystem analogy. When these insights are combined with data, this can result in game changing innovations, as well as better adoption.
Show Quote:
"It's important to encourage people to share their stories and voices so that we can build a genuine community of empowered people."
"We need patience and courage combined with listening intently with empathy to build bridges."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.
Pratik Patel Pratik Patel is the founder of Mundii, an online membership-free wholesale retailer that offers direct delivery of bulk-size products via Mundii website. Before devoting his work fulltime to Mundii, Pratik founded OYO Cater which has since closed its operations due to COVID-19. Pratik is also a restaurant owner. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Pratik has been a professional cricket player representing Canada at the U-15 and U-19 levels. He holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree with a Minor in Architecture from University of Calgary.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out. We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Quote:
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Adam Ludgate Adam is a technical leader who is involved in the startup/tech community and is enticed by new and innovative ways of solving problems with technology. He has worked previously with the likes of IBM Canada, AOL UK, tech startups in London's 'Silicon Roundabout' as well as with a variety of oil & gas software firms in various software development and leadership capacities.
Randy Thompson Randy Thompson Founder and CEO of Valhalla Angels (formerly VA Angels). 2018 National Angel Capital Organization Angel Investor of the Year and 2014 Startup Canada Angel of the Year. Founded Alberta SuperNet & Khyber Pass Entertainment. Randy is a part owner of the Peterborough United FC soccer team out of the UK
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out.We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Randy & Adam discuss the state of the Canadian & Albertan tech scene as it relates to angel investment, entrepreneur incentives and the impact of government grants. The discussion revolves largely around 2 blog posts from earlier in 2021
https://alexdanco.com/2021/01/11/why-the-canadian-tech-scene-doesnt-work/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/right-way-valley-vs-rest-world-r-stewart-randy-thompson/
Show Quote:
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Peter Beaudoin manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.
Umair Tazeem is an entrepreneur with a passion for impact through technology. Currently building Embold: An innovative platform that allows advertisers to connect with micro influencers to run highly targeted campaigns. With over 5000 influencers, advertisers can reach millions of Canadian customers and engage them with original content. Embold works with advertisers in Canada, USA and Europe to help them reach new customers in Canada. Outside of Embold, Umair spends his time staying active biking, playing basketball and tennis.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out.We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Join Peter Beaudoin as he talks with Umair Tazeem, Founder of Embold, a Calgary based influencer marketing company. On the show we discuss how Umair built the company from 2018 to today, where they manage over 5000 influencers across Canada.
Show Quote:
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Patrick Wu Patrick is a freelance graphic designer, UX designer, and marketing consultant with a background in biotechnology and life sciences commercialization. His career has taken him across a wide range of areas, from sales and marketing, government advocacy, ecosystem development, and now design. Since 2016, he has since been an active member in the Rainforest community, advocating for technology, innovation, and life sciences in Alberta.
Colton Rhyason A friendly dude who has dabbled in sustainability, recreation and the startup world. Avid traveler, beer drinker, and Limer.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out. We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Patrick and Colton talk about Startup Calgary, how our local innovation ecosystem has been changing, his past startups, kayaking, and everything in between.
Show Quote:
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Christopher Drobot is a passionate cheerleader for the potential of the Edmonton region. Although not directly an entrepreneur himself, his extensive experience in business operations and now mortgage lending help focus his excitement on the ideas that can see the city grow. He is involved in the push to bring a world-class aquarium to the city, is completing an MBA, and – together with his wife – homeschools his two children. The parallels between entrepreneurialism and homeschooling have been many, and he sees an overarching lesson in both: you have to create the world you wish to see.
Dan Belostosky Dan has made his mark in a number of industries – notably, having been a co-founder of Belonett Media (once the largest independent billboard network in Alberta), a Venture Partner with Panache Ventures, a Founder of boutique investment firm Otto Capital (which focuses on tech and real estate startups), to his current role as Founder of HonestDoor (which as a business meant to introduce radical transparency to the real estate industry is in many ways a mix of all of the above)
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out.We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Dan tells us the "why" of Honestdoor, on how his own experiences in the industry led him to realize there's a large problem of missing data in the real estate world, and that consumers would be better-served by having easy and free access to that data without needing an intermediary to step in (such as a real estate agent, an appraiser, etc.). He goes through the process of building a business - how the challenges you end up facing are often not the ones you ever expect - and how growing in a smaller market like Alberta presents both benefits and challenges.
Show Quote:
"Ultimately I found a lot of holes in the real estate industry, and I thought that the first thing that we would try to disrupt would be data and access to data - and it seems like it’s worked and people have really responded through our site."
"There will still be a place for Realtors, but what we see is about making the process more efficient"
"What we’re proud of is the HonestDoor Price and where right now that’s changing monthly, we think it should be updated even more frequently and in real time as new translations and data come in. We think that’s what people want to know"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Rebecca Finley-Schidlowsky - Rebecca is a Management Consultant who specializes in Governance and Strategic Planning. She has worked with hundreds of Boards and Senior Management Teams in the startup, private enterprise, not-for-profit and public sectors across Canada. Rebecca has been the Board Chair and Governance Committee Chair of Next Gen Men for the past 4 years and has led the development of the organization’s Board and Committee structure from the ground up. An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Rebecca has also had the privilege of being a guest speaker for MBAs/EMBAs at The Drucker School of Management based in Claremont, California (USA). Rebecca runs a Governance Basics Blitz Workshop targeted at not-for-profits and associations that has welcomed participants from Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, California, Spain, and New Zealand. Rebecca and her colleague Jeff Homer, host workshops specifically targeted at helping startups understand governance complexities.
Dr. Jana Rieger is a global leader in functional outcomes assessment related to head and neck disorders. Over her 20-year career in this field, Jana has held roles as a professor, clinician, researcher, and now, entrepreneur. Jana raised $2.5M in grant funding between 2014 and 2019 to develop the Mobili-T: a wearable device that uses software-enabled biofeedback technology to deliver a proven method to regain swallowing function for the 500 million people globally who are suffering from a swallowing disorder because of common medical conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's Disease, or head and neck cancer. In 2017, Jana spun a company out of the University of Alberta in order to move the technology from the lab and into the hands of the people who needed it. With her leadership, the True Angle team graduated from the Creative Destruction Laboratory in 2019 – one of the most highly-regarded business accelerators in Canada, and from the MATTERHealth Accelerator in Chicago in 2020. Jana raised over $1M in funding from angel investors, and was awarded an additional $780K in grant funding for True Angle. True Angle has now entered the US market with the Mobili-T, with plans to expand globally. Over the course of her academic career, Jana started and built several world-class programs from scratch. Early in her academic career, she raised $2M to plan, set-up, and deploy an innovative health outcomes assessment program that is internationally-renowned and credited as the gold standard in the field. From that program, Jana employed her expertise in team building and brought together thought leaders from 4 different countries to participate in an innovative international research network, the Head and Neck Research Network (HNRN). As founder and first director of that network, she developed policies and procedures, databases, privacy impact assessments and ethical approvals for the group, creating a strong foundation for governance. Over the years, Jana has been recognized as excelling in thought leadership. She has functioned at a director level within the health-care system in Alberta to bring together diverse groups of clinicians, researchers, and policy-makers. In her role as CEO of True Angle, Jana now brings her skills in fund raising, innovative program development, international team building, and thought leadership to the table to commercialize a remote digital technology that has the potential to change the lives of millions of people globally.
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out.We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
Rebecca interviews True Angle founder and CEO Jana Rieger to discuss important topics like what it takes to make the jump from being an academic to an entrepreneur, advice for female entrepreneurs and her thoughts on the growing Alberta startup ecosystem!
Show Quote:
"I love what Alberta is doing right now and with a coordinated effort, we could become a real powerhouse for new innovation in all sectors."
"It's important for us to have female leadership, it's to set the stage for the wheel to start spinning so that younger women can look at [entrepreneurship] as a potential option for them in their career and lives."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Wunmi Adekanmbi Wunmi Adekanmbi immigrated 10 years ago from Nigeria where she was a post-secondary instructor and researcher, and led a youth empowerment non profit. Wunmi is passionate about people, information and solutions - in that order. She is a strategist and a connector. Her greatest motivation is creating coherent value streams across organizational functional units using a systems thinking approach. She strives to inspire confidence and intentionality in leadership, equip teams to execute from a big picture perspective, and harness community inter-dependencies. Wunmi is the Organizer and host of Immigrant Techies Alberta, a tech enthusiast group for skilled immigrants who are in or are interested in pivoting to tech careers and startups.
Yoyin Familusi Yoyin Familusi is a Business Strategist and Business Development Professional with over 17 years’ experience in Management Consulting, Enterprise Development and Business Planning. She has worked in corporate and nonprofit environments both locally and globally facilitating collaboration between organizations to improve success and business profitability. At Business Link, she provides leadership for the small business strategists team as they provide support to Albertan entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur herself, she thoroughly enjoys sharing her experience through facilitation bringing invaluable experience to clients and partners in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is a dancer and an avid reader who loves the smell of new books!
Please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. If you are interested in being either a host, a guest, or a sponsor of the show, please reach out.We are published in Google Podcasts and the iTunes store for Apple Podcasts We would be grateful if you could give us a rating as it helps spread the word about the show.
Show Summary
We discuss how Business Link is providing support for entrepreneurs and business owners at all scales and stages in Alberta. Yoyin also shares how she innovates in her personal life both as a mom and a new Canadian entrepreneur.
Show Quote:
"Innovation is process improvement. It's about continuously making things better for the end user."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.