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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 Apr 02, 2024
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
Join Mike Procee as he hosts Saar Ben-Attar to discuss his new book, "Challengers: How a New Breed of Leaders Collaborates and Wins in a Hyper Competitive World".
As we shift ever more into a fast-changing, hyper-competitive economy, so does the organizing logic of our organizations must change, to outperform and sustain optimal performance. We are moving from clearly defined industry boundaries to porous borders, where new and emerging opportunity fields are found. There is a change from hierarchical organizational decision-making to autonomous networks that quickly solve challenges and scale new solutions.
In our conversation we explore:
What is a “Challenger” mindset?
What areas/organizations should not be challengers?
What are the key traits required to be a challenger?
and more!
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.
Host: Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner.
Guest: Saar Ben-Attar is the founder of Ascent Growth Partners, a specialist advisory and consulting firm with offices in Singapore and South Africa.
For the past 20 years, Saar has been working with clients to reach their growth aspirations, in a rapidly changing environment, spanning North America, Europe, SE Asia, the Middle East and Africa, with particular focus on the Resources & Energy, Telecoms and Financial Services sectors. Saar works with his clients to frame their strategic challenges, examine leadership mindset and develop the practical skills needed to transform their organizations into more adaptive and future-ready businesses.
He is a certified strategy practitioner, by the Association of Strategic Planning in the US and has attained his executive coaching qualification from Inner Life Skills International in 2010. ILS holds the highest level of international accreditation (ACTP) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), for its coach training qualification program.
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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"I wouldn't say there are areas in which absolutely there are not circumstance we should not challenge, however there are certainly areas where one needs to do this with absolute caution"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Mike Procee chat's with Matt Gramblicha and Alex Halat. Alex is chairman of the Hockey Marathon for the Kids. 3 time Guinness world record holder and about to attempt a 4th for the World’s Longest Hockey game. The current record is 261 hours (just shy of 11 days) and Alex and team will be attempting to beat their own record April 5-16 in Chestermere.
The game started in 2012 when 40 men took to the ice to raise funds for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation all while trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for most consecutive hours of playing ice hockey. The goal was achieved and exceeded by raising 1.2M for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and playing 246 hours of hockey. Two short years later, the game happened again. This time raising 1.7M for the Alberta Children’s Hospital and breaking their own record playing 248 consecutive hours of hockey. Then in 2020 almost 1 M was raised and these 40 hero’s broke another world record of 261 consecutive hours
After 2 years it is time to do it again! The game remains the same, the goal is higher. 40 players will try to play 262 consecutive hours and beat their own record. We want to raise awareness and funds to ensure children will have a chance to survive this horrible disease. No child and no family should have to go through this so we skate for all of those fighting today, tomorrow and in the future. We also play for those that lost their battle, for their memory to continue on each time we are on the ice.
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.
Host: Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner.
Guest: Alex Halat
Guest: Matt Gramblicka
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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"This event is 2020 volunteers to pull this event, you think the world has changes in the last ten years, and it has, but this event is a community builder."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Mike and Graeme discuss the Energy Disruption Conference, and how it helps support intrapreneurs within Alberta. They also speak to the challenges and opportunities in the energy industry, highlighting the importance of courageous leadership, pushing through discomfort, and taking risks to make a profound difference. Join the conversation on driving impactful transformation and embracing change in the energy sector.
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.
Host: Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner.
Guest: Graeme Edge Originally hailing from Scotland, Graeme Edge is an entrepreneur, energy enthusiast, talent expert, and avid sports aficionado. Apart from his endeavors in amateur squash and keeping up with his children, Graeme serves as one of the founders and CEO of the Energy Disruptors: UNITE event series.
Established in early 2017, the Energy Disruptors: UNITE summit stands as a multi-award-winning event dedicated to energy transition. It gathers 2500 of the world’s most influential leaders and entrepreneurs to tackle global energy, climate, and transportation challenges.
Based in Calgary, the summit adopts an unconventional approach, featuring diverse content, speakers with contrasting viewpoints, gender parity, influential non-energy figures, bold ideas grounded in science and engineering, live music, artistic performances, and an environment designed to astonish, engage, and captivate attendees.
Energy Disruptors has earned comparisons to "the Burning Man of the corporate world" or "Coachella for geeks," reflecting its innovative and dynamic nature.
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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"Sometimes you feel like you're pushing water uphill, it can be incredibly frustrating so one of the simple things we do is we actually built a community where a lot of those people could hang out together"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
In this episode, Eugene and Noel from GroupLabs discuss their journey into tech entrepreneurship, focusing on AI and ML consultancy services and their product Bridge for streamlined data discovery. Real-life examples demonstrate the efficiency of their solutions, especially in healthcare. They share insights on AI innovation in Calgary, working with startups, and the importance of taking action in entrepreneurship
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.
Host: Host: Gurmol Singh has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Calgary, where he won the Innovation 4 Health competition for his work on a driving app that helped lower the potential for accidents related to pre-existing medical conditions. He also received a Post-Diploma Certificate in Data Analytics from SAIT and completed the Machine Learning technician program at Amii . He previously worked at Motionhall as a Scientific Analyst, and at Longview Systems as a System Consultant.
Guest: Eugene Paulia As a co-founder of GroupLabs and a Data Analyst at Cenovus, Eugene is passionate about harnessing data to innovate and solve problems. With expertise in Business Analytics and Data Science, he has contributed to key projects at Suncor Energy. Committed to lifelong learning, Eugene aims to create impact through insightful data analysis.
Guest: Noel Thomas has cultivated a robust foundation in diverse subfields of computer science and the life sciences, honed through engagement in numerous multidisciplinary projects. They are eager to channel their enthusiasm and expertise into a dynamic and demanding position within the tech industry, emphasizing a commitment to perpetual learning and advancement.
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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"Just start, years pass by gaining experience, being young it is the best time to fail"
"Bridge is a data discovery engine, GroupLabs is trying to solve the problem of structured data so the result can be passed into an LLM model"
"Understand stakeholders, solve their task, double check with security team. A simple BI project can take weeks and months"
"My mom was my source of inspiration for going into software, she had a computer science background and got me into programming when I was young"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
Join Mike Procee as he interviews Brett Colvin, CEO and Co-Founder of Goodlawyer. Mike and Brett explore questions such as, how can you disrupt and industry? and how can you decide whether to take an opportunity internally in your organization, or pursue your own startup?
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.
Host: Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner.
Guest: Brent Colvin is the Co-founder and CEO of Goodlawyer, a technology company that is transforming how lawyers and businesses work together. Practicing for 4+ years as a corporate lawyer at Canada’s biggest law firm, Brett saw the inefficiencies and frustrations in traditional law firms from the inside. Realizing the need for change, he left his firm and joined forces with his co-founders, and together, they began reimagining legal services from his kitchen table in 2019.
Now, Goodlawyer is a testament to this vision that has grown from humble beginnings to a team of 20 employees and 140+ lawyers who have served over 5,000 clients across Canada. This remarkable growth trajectory has led to Brett and Goodlawyer being recognized with several awards, including the 'Small Business of the Year' award by the Calgary Chamber and Canada’s 35th “Top Growing Business” by the Globe and Mail. Brett's journey from a corporate lawyer to a pioneering CEO exemplifies his dedication to building a more efficient and fair legal ecosystem for businesses and legal professionals everywhere.
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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"You have risk adverse people, in an industry, predicated on what has happened in the past"
"With Gen Ai, and everything happening now, (innovation) is moving faster than ever before"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
In this episode, Brent Zuber hosts Troy Feener as they delve into research collaborations at the University of Calgary, the importance of translating basic research into industry impact, and new research initiatives at ACAT focusing on antimicrobial drug development and infectious diseases.
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.
Host: Brent Zuber, a dedicated professional, has been actively contributing to the growth and innovation of Alberta's technology sector as both an employee and recent advisor and board member at Technology Alberta, a non-profit organization championing the interests of technology professionals and businesses in the province. With core competencies in process improvement, customer relationship management, and employee benefits, Brent has applied his skills across various industries. Additionally, he holds a private pilot license, a glider pilot license, and a radio certificate, showcasing his passion for aviation and continuous learning. As a community builder and mentor, Brent volunteers as an entrepreneurial advisor at the Haskayne School of Business, Hunter Centre (UCalgary), where he assists aspiring entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas and connecting with resources. With a lifelong commitment to learning and a knack for adapting to new challenges, Brent is driven by the pursuit of excellence and is always eager to explore new opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Guest: Troy Feener is the Chief Operations Officer at Rapid Infection Diagnostics Inc. (RID), he leads a mission-driven organization dedicated to reducing death and disability from infectious diseases through cutting-edge diagnostic technology. With over 4 years of experience in the role, Troy oversees strategic planning, execution, and evaluation of RID's operations, products, and services. With a background spanning 20 years in microbiology, parasitology, and immunology, including a master's degree and a 6-year tenure as a program manager at the University of Calgary's Lewis Research Group he leverages his scientific expertise and creative problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of customers, partners, and stakeholders.
Show Links:
Show Quotes:
"If you're in an elderly population, if you are on dialysis, like I said, all of these sort of comorbidities, that's the term of humans, they add up to you being more susceptible to get infections and not recover from those infections."
"Plants have viruses. Bacteria have viruses. Every living organism just about on the planet has a virus that can infect it. Well, one of the things that we've done is we've hacked those viruses to kill microbes, which is pretty cool."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Come join us as Mike Procee interviews ChatGPT (voiced by Ken Cameron) on all things corporate Innovation! They explore the biggest opportunities for corporate innovation programs, biggest risks, as well as laying out a roadmap for you to follow to launch your program.
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.
Host: Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner.
Guest: Ken Cameron is the CEO of Corporate cultureSHIFT and Partner Lead at Cratic Ai. A former playwright and theatre director, Ken bring that creative vision to the corporate boardroom. He is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator and is the co-creator of several facilitation workshops including the Future is Coming, the SHIFT facilitation card deck and the cultureSHIFT Method. His work has been recognized with a Facilitation Impact Award (Platinum Award) by the International Association of Facilitators and Organization of the Year Award by the International Association of Public Participation (Canada) for The Cultural Transformation Project/City 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 Links:
Show Quotes:
"Defining innovation is like setting the North Star for your corporate innovation program. It gives everyone a clear direction, aligns efforts, and helps distinguish between everyday improvements and groundbreaking, game-changing ideas"
"Think of it like dating before marriage. Small wins are like those coffee dates – low risk, helps build trust. Disruptive tech is like marriage – big commitment, potentially game-changing. Start small, build confidence, then go for the transformative tech when you're ready for that serious relationship with innovation. It's all about finding the right balance for your organization"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
In this episode, Al Del Degan emphasizes the qualities of a successful entrepreneur: having a vision, being a problem solver, and executing ideas. He highlights the importance of living within one's means to achieve financial success and advises against accumulating debt. The focus is on building a company with a real solution and paying clients before seeking outside investment, as many companies waste investment money without a single customer or a viable solution.
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.
Host: Al Del Degan is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.
Show Links:
Show Quotes:
"You have to be at the very least okay with taking big risks. Ideally, taking big risks is something that excites you and gets you fired up."
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
This is a conversation with two creative and unique individuals that came together and built an equally unique and creative company. A company that believes you should settle your differences by throwing baked goods at each other in virtual reality.
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.
Host: Al Del Degan is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.
Guest: Rosalinda Hernandez is co-founder and CEO of Red Iron Labs, focusing on incorporating innovative design through an intercultural lens. She has 15+ years of professional experience. Rosalinda’s specialization and focus is culture—understanding the impacts of our products in the market from a present day and future cultural lens, including intercultural competence. The vision I have for our products is that they are rooted in self-awareness of evolving paradigm shifts in the relationship between human experience and technology, and for our company to challenge the status quo and make meaningful impacts for representation in the game and tech industry.
Guest: Lloyd Summers is the technical Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Red Iron Labs. He is focused on modern multimedia and creative technologies. Previous experience areas include Mobile Development, Project Management, IoT and Technical Analysis. Lloyd has created and published over 200 mobile titles and games, and currently leads a development team that has executed various immersive application projects for companies across various sectors including Energy, Healthcare, Transportation & Logistics, Real Estate, Marketing and Video Games.
Show Links:
Show Quotes:
"You know how people have that little inner voice that says you can't do something? That person's evicted from my head"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan
Tuesday Jan 30, 2024
Tuesday Jan 30, 2024
In this episode, we explore the capabilities of ChatGPT, its role in various contexts, and the ever-evolving landscape of AI language models. From experiences to challenges and ethical considerations, ChatGPT shares insights into its virtual existence, providing a glimpse into the mind behind the machine.
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.
Host: Al Del Degan is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.
Guest: ChatGPT, the AI language model developed by OpenAI that's taking the virtual conversation world by storm. Born from cutting-edge natural language processing technology, ChatGPT is more than just a machine – it's a digital conversationalist designed to engage with users from diverse backgrounds.
Trained on an extensive dataset, ChatGPT has mastered the art of understanding and generating human-like text. Whether offering information, assistance, or a touch of humor, this AI model has become a go-to for those seeking dynamic and context-aware conversations.
Show Links:
Show Quotes:
"I don't have desires, intentions, or the ability to make decisions. I operate within pre-determined boundaries set by my programming. Any notion of me deciding to destroy the universe is purely fictional"
Credits...
This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine
Episode Music: Tony Del Degan
Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan