Canada’s Entrepreneur

Janice Liu is the founder of Retreat, a technology start-up, which connects users with last-minute, discounted premier spa and salon appointments in the city of Toronto, where Janice calls home. By day, Janice leads a consulting and engineering team at the consultancy firm, Magnet, that has a mission to engineer the future of marketing.

Terry Sydoryk is CEO of Chaordix which specializes in establishing online communities for brands like LEGO, Rust-Oleum, American Airlines and SMART Technologies so they can engage with consumers, fans and stakeholders on deeper level.

Doug Mochrie is the Founder and CEO of AIRO.LIFE, an innovative technology company disrupting the norm, and on a mission to bring the world free access to information, with a means to education. They do this with AIRO.LIFE’s Be Free Phone, where end-users no longer have to pay for smartphones and data plans and other incredible products that are currently being developed. Doug's journey and evolution to AIRO.LIFE has been an exciting roller coaster that led to his mission to help people and the planet. From action sports athlete to attending school for finance and marketing, then being accepted as a MARS Officer and Armoured Officer to injury to later starting a digital media company - Holeshot1 Media, his entrepreneurial journey is rich and filled with applicable insights for other entrepreneurs.

Lance Montgomery is CEO of HeyBryan, which is backed by the HGTV's star Bryan Baeumler, one of Canada's most trusted home renovation experts. HeyBryan is revolutionizing the home-maintenance industry with an app that enables people to effortlessly book small tasks around the home by matching homeowners with top-quality, local, vetted and approved home maintenance Experts.

Galen Nuttall describes himself as a father, husband, triathlete, photographer, volunteer and, of course an entrepreneur. Originally set for a career in teaching with a Masters in Education, he is a citizen of three countries and came to Canada nine years ago. Based in Belleville he’s been building a business in financial services across Canada. Galen is also a podcaster, a writer and a really interesting life observer.

Adam Kreek is one of North America’s top Management Consultants and Executive Coaches with degrees and certifications from Stanford University, UBC Sauder School of Business, and Queens Smith School of Business. He is a guest lecturer at the University of Victoria and teaches strategies and skills of self-leadership, leadership, high performance and perseverance to corporate and government teams globally through keynotes, workshops and online seminars. Adam has coached, trained and taught hundreds of thousands of people, including teams at Microsoft, General Electric, Mercedes-Benz, L’Oreal, Shell, YPO, EO, TEDx, and most importantly, Adam walks the talk. As an Entrepreneur, Adam runs two small corporations – KreekSpeak Business Solutions and Ergo Eco Solutions, a low carbon initiative that connects small businesses with small governments. A two-time Olympian, Adam holds 60 international medals, including Olympic Gold, and multiple hall of fame inductions. In 2013, Adam made the first ever attempt to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to America.

Fawn Annan describes herself a builder of ideas, teams, community and business growth. Her domain is digital media. I know her as an executive Leader and a high achiever in business. She know the world of IT and technology deeply and is driven by innovation and striving for Women’s recognition in business. Amongst her responsibilities, Fawn is the President and Group Publisher of IT World Canada/IDG Canada, the largest global IT media company located in 87 countries. In 2012 she received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award for her contribution to the IT industry. In 2017 she was awarded the MISA/ASIM Dennis Steen Award and the RBC/CATA Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation recognizing her contributions to the industry.

Francis Gagnon est le fondateur de Pratico Plastique, une entreprise dédiée à l'éducation des masses sur la réutilisation et le recyclage du plastique pour une grande variété de produits. Il est du type ""Idéateur"", ""Inventif"", ""Puriste"" et ""Rassembleur"". Il démarre toujours d'un enjeu ou d'une problématique et il prends le chapeau de l'architecte de solutions. Il va trouver 1000 solutions à un problème avant de réduire ce nombre et trouver la solution la plus viable. Il n'est pas un architecte, un ingénieur, un médecin ou un biologiste, mais il comprend beaucoup de choses, mais surtout il sait s'entourer des gens de qualité assurant la réussite d'un projet grâce à la co-création. Il aborde les modèles de coopérative, d'entrepreneuriat social, d'économie solidaire, d'inclusivité et d'économie locale avec grande affection. De toute façons, à quoi sert l'argent ou une entreprise si nous ne pouvons pas faire rayonner la communauté et les personnes qui composent les lieux où nous opérons ?

Louis Stack is President and Founder of Fitterfirst, a Calgary-based company leading the world to better balance with a wide selection of balance and wellness products. The company has been operational for the past 35 years and prides itself in providing exceptional customer service and staying up to trends in the health sciences. The overall goal of the company is to improve every customer’s optimal health through the use of specially designed products. Their mandate is, balance is the essence of movement; movement is the essence of life.

Regula Estermann est graduée du Collège MacDonald (McGill University) en gestion d’entreprise agricole en 2010 et détient également un baccalauréat en administration, mineur en économie de l’Université Bishop’s depuis 2013. Elle est co-propriétaire depuis 2016 avec son frère Martin de Ferme Estermann Inc. Ferme Estermann Inc. est une entreprise laitière de 320 kg de quota et de 500 acres en cultures. Régula est responsable de la gestion du troupeau, de la gestion des ressources humaines et de la gestion financière de l’entreprise. Regula parle couramment, anglais, français, allemand et espagnol et a un intérêt pour les voyages elle est aussi la maman de Léonie 1 an.

Shauna MacDonald is Principal and Founder of Brookline Public Relations, one of Canada’s leading boutique PR agencies. Starting her career in Boston and following in her father’s entrepreneurial footsteps, Shauna launched Brookline in 2004 after serving as Vice President and Managing Director of Western Canada for an international public relations firm, as well as the Marketing Communications Practice Leader for its Canadian operations. Now in its 15th year, Brookline delivers creative ideas, solid results, and a fresh approach (as a non-billable agency!) to countless brands across Canada, defining new industry standards for excellence and delivering newsworthy and memorable moments.

Bill Collins is President of Cascadia Seaweed. He has lived in four countries and been on most continents. He has been involved in scientific expeditions in oceans around the world and sold products into more than 40 countries, including 17 navies. Bill has authored more than 60 publications and given presentations on topics ranging from Grand Banks sediments to dredging in the Elbe River, Germany to Big Data. As part of a trio of owners in a high-tech manufacturing firm, he has products in 18 of the major passenger rail authorities in North America, taking an award-winning business from $3M net worth to over $30M.

En l'honneur du jour du Souvenir, nous sommes fiers de vous présenter un épisode spécial présenté par le podcast canadien et la Fondation du prince au Canada une œuvre de bienfaisance nationale créée par Son Altesse Royale le prince de Galles. La Fondation du prince au Canada est une organisation patrimoniale commune qui aide les anciens combattants dans leurs nouveaux rôles et activités après avoir servi dans les forces armées. Frédéric Verville est Vice-Président chez PilKi, une entreprise qui produit des infusions à base de thé du Labrador avec des ingrédients du terroir québécois. Il commercialise des tisanes naturelles, pour rendre accessibles à grande échelle les ressources de la forêt boréale. Cumulant sept ans d’expérience dans les Forces canadiennes, il est à ce jour technicien d’approvisionnement où il gère couramment le système de planification des ressources de l'entreprise et approvisionne la mécanique des hélicoptères. Il possède aussi un baccalauréat et une maitrise en théologie, qui lui a permis de développer des techniques de recherche rapides et une rigueur intellectuelle. Frédéric est en charge chez PilKi du développent web, du marketing digital, de l’approvisionnement et leur propre système de planification des ressources personnalisé. Nous sommes fiers de vous présenter cet épisode le jour de Remembrance afin de rendre hommage à tous les anciens combattants qui ont servi et continuent de servir le Canada. Pour en savoir plus ou faire un don à la Fondation du prince au Canada, visitez leur site web la Fondation du prince au Canada. Ne l'oublions pas.

Edmonton-based entrepreneur Courtney Buhler has turned a business that started as a lash lounge into a multi-million dollar global supplier and educator in the eyelash extension industry. She is founder and CEO of Sugarlash PRO.

Antonio Aleman est Président et Cofondateur de Hyumeet. Hyumeet facilite l'humanisation du processus de recrutement et va plus loin que le "match parfait". Nous permettons de concilier la personnalité, les valeurs et les intérêts des talents avec ceux des employeurs dès le début du processus. Plus précisément, Hyumeet innove dans le processus de recrutement en utilisant une approche de contrat psychologique, à savoir les ententes non écrites et les obligations informelles entre un employeur et ses employés en ce qui concerne leurs attentes mutuelles quant à la manière dont chacun s’acquittera de ses rôles respectifs. Dans une entreprise, le contrat psychologique peut inclure des éléments tels que le niveau d'engagement des employés, la satisfaction au travail et la qualité des conditions de travail. Hyumeet utilise cette approche et la met en valeur en y ajoutant des valeurs mutuelles, des besoins personnels et professionnels, des motivations personnelles et des traits de personnalité vérifiés pour correspondre à l'offre d'emploi et à la culture de l'entreprise. L'équipe Hyumeet est originaire de Québec! Connectez-vous avec Antonio Aleman en utilisant les liens ci-dessous: [email protected] Facebook Instagram

Wendy Giuffre is the President and Principal Consultant for Wendy Ellen Inc. She is also the co-author of The Only HR Best Practice You’ll Ever Need, coming October 2019. Wendy provides a grassroots, common sense approach that helps her clients to simplify their people management and create healthy, sustainable workplace cultures where people love to come to work. She is also a sought-after HR expert for the media, keynote speaker and contributor to various HR specialty print media. Wendy consults with small to medium-sized organizations in all industries based in and around Western Canada and US affiliates.

This Remembrance Day, we are proud to present a special episode brought to you by Canada’s Podcast and Prince’s Trust Canada, a national charity established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Prince’s Trust Canada supports veterans as they transition into new roles and businesses after serving in the Armed Forces. Kristin Topping is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who transitioned into entrepreneurship to create her business SweetLife Flora, based out of Ottawa. Entrepreneurship wasn't always the plan for Kristin, who served 21 years in the armed forces. But after a life-altering event, it was time to re-route her trajectory, and start something she was passionate about. With the assistance of the Prince's Trust Canada, she started SweetLife Flora, a thriving e-commerce venture that transformed Kristin's love for exotic and rare house plants, as well as indoor plant care, into a full-fledged business. Listen to Kristin's story about her transition from the military world to becoming an entrepreneur, and navigating a completely different lifestyle. We are proud to bring you this episode on Remebrance Day to honour all veterans who have served and continue to serve Canada. Visit Prince’s Trust Canada’s website to learn more about their programs supporting veterans or to make a donation. Lest We Forget.

Eric Gilbert Williams is a Canadian entrepreneur, business mentor, inventor and author in progress. He grew his last venture to 60 people, several million in annual revenue and reached the #20 spot for fastest growing company in Canada as per the Growth 500 list. As a teenager, he struggled with drugs and gangs but found redemption through embracing the Entrepreneurial Spirit with a laser like intensity. Eric is now helping other entrepreneurs with their businesses and is writing a book to help struggling teenagers and their families experience a similar type of redemption and success in life.

Laura Fortey is Co-Founder and CMO of REITIUM. REITIUM is a platform to speed up global real estate transactions with near instant clearing and settling, lower costs, reduce fraud and help democratize real estate.

John Hakim is a solutions architect with over 10 years of experience in building mission-critical systems for telecom, public safety, and enterprise internationally. Most recently his focus has been dedicated to building advanced solutions for the financial technology industry. As co-founder and CTO of Lenmo, John drives the engineering and operation teams. He is responsible for the application’s overall development lifecycle and product roadmap. Although he comes from a blue-chip company background he has caught the entrepreneurial bug and now is actively building Lenmo, a peer-to-peer lending app that connects people looking to borrow money with investors looking to make money.

Maria Greicer is Founder of OpenMLS, which is a marketplace for resale real estate. It connects home owners and people that are looking for homes, removing the need for a real estate agent.

Robert Price is one of the founders and the CEO of Bōde, a new peer-to-peer real estate platform that just launched in Alberta. Previously, Robertwas a senior executive at Alberta telecom disruptor Axia, which brought high performing low-cost fiber infrastructure to customers in Alberta, the US, France and Singapore. Robert thrives in leading high performing teams who deliver amazing customer experiences and meet critical revenue objectives. With Bōde, he's brought together an all-star team, including his father and sister, that is shaking up the real estate industry like never before.

Mark Doble is CEO of Alexsei - an advanced artificial intelligence platform delivering affordable and high-quality answers to legal questions in memo format. He is a lawyer and a software developer with a passion for leveraging software to make the law more affordable and understandable. He received his J.D. from Queen’s University. His new venture Alexsei is using artificial intelligence to transform the practice of law in dramatic fashion. In a previous life was a professional cross-country ski racer and coach. Mark also holds a patent for snow gliding devices that allows for non-linear flex in alpine and cross-country skis.

Sugeevan Shanmuganathan is Founder and CEO of The Dunya Project. The Dunya Project is designed to provide villages the power, technology and knowledge to use a community greenhouse to grow produce more efficiently and effectively.

Tara Clark is the founder, owner, and CEO of Vancouver-based social media agency, Social T. For the past nine years she has offered executive consulting, training and management to small and medium-sized businesses around the world. As a social media architect, entrepreneur, and speaker, Tara is focused on helping businesses think differently and use social media effectively in order to achieve their goals. She helps brands engage with existing customers and tap into new audiences using their social media networks. Passionate about empowering those around her, Tara believes in building lasting connections with business owners who share her entrepreneurial spirit.

Gabriel Musso is the Chief Science Officer at BioSymetrics Inc., which applies technology and machine learning to improve drug discovery & research, improve diagnostics & precision medicine and improve institutional operations and efficiency.

When Jose Azares launched his popular Calgary burger and milkshake chain, REGRUB, five years ago, he didn’t realize he was laying the foundation for his next entrepreneurial venture - NIDUM. This impact-driven startup solves serious staffing problems for restaurants and other high turnover industries while creating more opportunities for unemployed and underemployed Calgarians.

As CEO and Co-Founder of LoginRadius, Rakesh Soni has raised over $20 million for the company and built it into a leader in Digital Identity, securing over 1 billion user identities worldwide.

Bernadette Butler is Founder and CEO of StoryTap. StoryTap helps brands tell authentic stories through video. They have locations in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Canada's Podcast host Angela Barnard stopped to talk to Bernadette while at the 2019 Collision Conference in Toronto.

Shelly MacGregor is founder of Apex Massage Therapy which has been in business in Calgary for 25 years and has survived three recessions. She talks about her personal journey which led her into this industry.

Mike Gaspar is Co-Founder and COO of HealthCasa Ltd., which connects orthotic and podiatry practitioners with people that require a home appointment. It's the only on-demand service that allows people to book an appointment online with a practitioner of their choice, at a location of their choice, and on a day and time that is most convenient for them.

Adrian Moise is CEO & Founder of Aequilibrium - a Vancouver-based digital product development and design studio dedicated to combining an intuitive interface design with carefully crafted code, leading to an unforgetting customer experience.

Kane Willmott is the Co-Founder and CEO of iQ Office Suites, a luxury coworking company with locations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal. Kane has 20 years of sales and entrepreneurial experience, assisting in the startup of multiple real estate brokerages as well as a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. He is passionate about creating experiential environments where top performers can do their best work. He takes great pride in building strong teams, reinforced with a culture of service excellence. In addition to running iQ Office Suites, Kane oversees the operation of a real estate brokerage, Spire Commercial Realty, as well as a real estate investment company, Spire Capital Investments. He served as President of the Global Workspace Association and has done a number of speaking engagements promoting the use and implementation of coworking strategies for entrepreneurs, organizations, and owners of commercial real estate. Kane holds a Diploma in Property Management from George Brown College as well as a Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a registered real estate broker, a level 1 ski instructor, and Air 4 certified freestyle ski coach.

Dana Bouwman is Account Executive with Insight Insurance and Risk Management in Edmonton. She talks about being a young professional and being an entrepreneur in the past.

Géraldine Jippé (www.geraldinejippe.com) est une serial entrepreneure née à Paris et basée à Montréal depuis 11 ans. Spécialiste du digital et passionnée par les nouvelles technologies et le e-commerce, Géraldine co-fonde Watergeeks, une startup cleantech, qui associe économie circulaire, environnement et Intelligence Artificielle pour développer une place de marché de revalorisation des équipements industriels au sein de l'industrie 4.0 et plus particulièrement dans le secteur du traitement de l'eau. Fière gagnante du Coopérathon Canada 2018, Géraldine et son équipe remporte le Grand Prix du Coopérathon, le Prix Hydro Québec et le prix de la Fondation Suzuki. Elle élargit ses horizons entrepreneuriaux au sein d'incubateurs de renom comme le Centech (ETS), l'École des Entrepreneurs du Québec et NextAi (École de Dirigeants - HEC Montréal). Grâce à sa maîtrise en Gestion et Marketing de Y-School ( Ex-Groupe Esc Troyes, France) et des cours suivis à l’université McGill (Montréal) en marketing numérique, Géraldine acquiert des bases solides en administration des affaires, en gestion et marketing digital. Très engagée, Géraldine est très active auprès de la communauté entrepreneuriale montréalaise à titre de bénévole d’affaires, auprès de l’association des Femmes d'Atta, et à titre de mentor au sein de AquaHacking.

Todd Rutter is owner of A Cappella Catering in Edmonton. Todd talks about his entrepreneurial journey and how he went against advice to shut down his business years ago but decided to persevere.

Miguel Diaz is the CEO and Founder of Driven Performance Fitness a fitness transformation centre with 250+ members, helping them improve their health, fitness and mindset. After losing 80lbs Miguel became a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Fitness Nutritionist and dedicated himself to helping others get in shape without depriving themselves. Miguel has received Best Personal Trainer in the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Driven has received the award for Best Fitness Centre in 2018 and 2019 along with the 2019 Small Business of the Year award from the Nanaimo & District Chamber of Commerce. Miguel’s is all about helping people believe in themselves, believe and achieve better health and quality of life through fitness and nutrition. "No matter where you are at there is always hope, there's always a way. DO NOT GIVE UP!"

Paul Van Ginkel is a well-known and successful artist in Calgary known for his paintings depicting horses and western imagery such as cowboys and natives. He also is known for his paintings of flamenco dance and of Venice. On this podcast, Paul talks about juggling the artistic side of his personality with his business sense. Examples of his work can be found on his website.

Douglas Pipher is President of Gristmill Marketing in Ontario, a well-established marketing operation that has an enviable client list. Douglas is also an active entrepreneur that has worked and invested in many other growing entrepreneurial ventures – with great success... most of the time. And most importantly Douglas is a jazz musician and has a great story to tell about mixing his business and music passion. Take a listen – it is really inspirational.

Paven Nijjar is an owner with The Samosa Factory and Diamond Glass in Calgary.

Lauryn Vaughn is CEO and Founder of the upside, Canada’s largest online luxury resale retailer. Born and raised in a small town in Western Canada, Lauryn developed her passion for the resale market when she moved to Paris, learning how to look chic on a budget overseas. She recognized early there was a gap in the North American market for luxury resale, and created the upside in 2015.

Marnie Ashcroft is founder and CEO of Glow Juicery, with locations across Canada. Glow Juicery provides nourishing Juices, Cleanses or Raw Food that can be delivered right to your door.

Laura McKay is the co-founder of PolicyMe which is on a mission to make insurance simpler and cheaper for everyone who needs it. Laura’s a math nerd with a math degree from University of Waterloo with an actuarial focus. So not surprisingly PolicyMe has developed proprietary life insurance algorithms that are designed to recommend the best life insurance product for you. But Laura’s real passion, after a four year career working with a high profile consulting group in New York city, is to improve financial literacy, put an end to the industry practice of up selling / overprotecting and reduce frictional costs in the existing value chain.

Lorenzo DeCicco is chief executive officer for GAME CHANGER - as professional leadership organization that delivers sales and Executive mastery methodology focused on driving specific, predictable and measurable business outcomes. He's a former Telus executive with Fortune 500 experience and has a passion for soccer.

Josephine Kwan, Founder of Flow 2 Freedom Apparel, is a visionary and self-motivated entrepreneur with over a decade of diverse business experience in commercial real estate, sales and marketing, negotiations, acquisitions and dispositions, operations, finance and management. Josephine has a Bachelor of Human Kinetics from UBC, has volunteered with the Breakfast Club of Canada, Habitat for Humanity and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, has been a performance coach for CEO’s and Executives, and in her own consulting business reconnects visionary business leaders to their purpose, including operations, business development, marketing, team building and performance coaching then build their future business strategies and ensure effective and timely execution. Today, this Vancouver based entrepreneur is applying those techniques to her latest entrepreneurial pursuit, and is leveraging the power of a childhood trauma to transform the lives of niche elite athletes and active women with an innovative line of sustainable activewear.

Michael Buhr is the President and CEO of Filld, the last mile mobile fueling company that delivers fuel to vehicles so drivers and fleets never have to stop for gas again. Previously, he was the President and Co-CEO of Zerve, and has business and product experience at Apple, Adobe, and Palm. Michael holds a degree in Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.

A serial entrepreneur with extensive experience starting, growing & selling businesses, Raghwa Gopal is one of the most recognizable names in BC’s tech sector. In addition to his current role as President + CEO of Innovate BC, he’s a member of the Emerging Economy Task Force, the former CEO of Accelerate Okanagan, and started Kelowna’s first ever tech company.

Barbara Miller, a former pack and a half smoker is the founder of BMP Production and the creator of the BMP Method. In 2017 her 3rd improved edition of "How To Quit Smoking Even If You Don't Want To", won the Gold Seal literacy Award as it came back recommended by The US Review. Her book inspired her to teach the method in a one-day event. Now many years later she is preparing to tour across Canada and the US performing much larger 3-day interactive events. Barbara believes this needs to be a company benefit for workers.

Justine Barber is the co-founder of Poppy Barley, a BCorps certified footwear and accessory company that prioritizes foundational style and ethical manufacturing. Justine has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta (U of A) and a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent. Prior to starting Poppy Barley she worked in conflict prevention, and on Alberta's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. Justine is married with two young kids; in her (limited) spare time she enjoys running, reading and playing outside.

Craig Skauge is President and CEO of Olympia Trust Company in Calgary.