Connected Intelligence with Sonia Sennik

Daniel Debow is VP of Product at Shopify. Dan’s energy is contagious. He is a talented founder, leader, and an incredible bass player. Dan shares his insights from decades of his career, and makes the connection creating music in a group, and creating space for expression in the workplace. Daniel was CEO and founder of Helpful, a startup backed by Bessemer Ventures that was acquired by Shopify in 2019. Daniel was co-founder of Rypple, which was acquired by Salesforce in 2011, where he was SVP, Emerging Technologies. Prior to Rypple, Daniel was VP Marketing & Corp Dev for Workbrain, which was acquired by Infor in 2007. Daniel is an early-stage investor in over 100 technology companies including North, Layer6, Spell, Wealthsimple, Ritual, GoInstant, SkipTheDishes, Clearbanc, Kindred, Borrowell, and Clio. In 2015 he was recognized as Canada’s “Angel Investor of the Year”. Daniel holds a JD/MBA (Gold Medalist) from the University of Toronto, an LLM from Stanford University and a BA (Psych) from Western University. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and a Founding Partner of the Creative Destruction Lab, Root Down Studios, and 42 Developments.

Professors Ajay, Avi & Joshua, co-authors of “Power & Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence” share a bit about how to bring together a team of three creative, imaginative people – how they work together, form ideas, and ultimately shape a vision of the future of technology. “Power & Prediction” is being released Tuesday, November 15th. Ajay Agrawal is Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. He is the founder of Creative Destruction Lab, cofounder of Next 36 and Next AI, and cofounder of Sanctuary, an AI/robotics company. Avi Goldfarb is the Rotman Chair in AI and Healthcare and Professor of Marketing at Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Avi is also Chief Data Scientist at Creative Destruction Lab, a fellow at Behavioral Economics in Action at Rotman, a faculty affiliate at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Joshua Gans is the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategic Management at Toronto's Rotman School of Management. He is Chief Economist at Creative Destruction Lab, department editor (Strategy) at Management Science, and cofounder and managing director of Core Economic Research.

Michael Serbinis is the founder and CEO of League - a technology-focused health company powering the digital transformation of healthcare. Mike joins the podcast and shares his experiences creating, building, scaling, and exiting technology companies. We talk about his leadership superpower, and the difference between ideas and execution. With more than $1B of exits, Mike is a visionary leader and entrepreneur who has built transformative technology and platforms across several industries. Serbinis founded and helped build Kobo, Critical Path, DocSpace, and now League. Hundreds of thousands of people across the world use digital health platforms powered by League to access, navigate and pay for care. Mike is also the chair of the Board of Directors for the Perimeter Institute. He is also a member of the C100, the Business Council of Canada, board member for the CDL Rapid Screening Consortium, one of the first Fellows at Creative Destruction Lab, and the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. In 2020 he was awarded the prestigious Region Builder Award by The Toronto Board of Trade.

Christine Tovee (former CTO of Airbus Group) is authentic and passionate – she shares with us her wisdom acquired over decades working in heavy technological fields with great teams that know how to work together. Christine Tovee is the former Vice President for Research and Technology and Chief Technology Officer for the US arm of Airbus Group. Christine now focuses her career on organisational topics related to innovation and engineering. Through her company, CATx Technology, she is also a consultant to Toronto area technology start-ups on technology road mapping, strategy and organisational design. Christine is currently the Chief Technology Officer for space-tech company, Wyvern. She is a member of Canada’s Space Advisory Board, which provides advice on Canada’s space strategy to the Minister for Industry, Science and Economic Development. Christine also sits on the Department of National Defence (DND) Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition and is a mentor for the Space and Climate streams at Creative Destruction Lab.

David Butcher is the head coach of the Queen’s University Men’s Rugby team. David’s rugby career in Canada and the UK spans 20+ years, first as a professional player and now as a coach and sports development professional working with provincial and national teams. Since he took leadership of the Queen’s Men’s program in 2017, their record is 26 wins and 0 losses in the regular season, and 7 wins and 1 loss in playoffs. David has been awarded Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019 by Ontario University Athletics. In addition to his current role, Butcher is the technical resource coach, national A team assistant coach, national U20 coach and national scrum development coach for Rugby Canada. Before his work in Canada, David was the high-performance coach for Scottish Rugby. David truly embodies what it means to be an impactful leader on and off the rugby pitch. David talks about how to build and support amazing teams; and the critical importance of self-reflection in your daily practice.

Seema Lakhani is Chief Product Officer at Wattpad. Seema is known for her expertise in startup innovation, scaling tech companies and growing revenue. She is a champion of building products and companies that make the world better, especially for marginalized communities. Seema was awarded Canada's 50 Best Executives in 2020 by The Globe & Mail and Top 40 Under 40 in 2021. In her role as Chief Product Officer, Seema leads Wattpad’s Product Management, Design, Community and Ad Revenue teams and is responsible for championing Wattpad’s product vision. She has played a major role in growing Wattpad's reach to over 94 millions users around the world. Seema previously led the corporate development team at Torstar Digital, assessing and investing in new disruptive businesses in the consumer internet space, as well as supporting the Toronto innovation ecosystem and startups at MaRS Discovery District. Seema shares dispatches from her career at the intersection of creativity and business, her passion for theatre, epic hat collection, and the importance of telling our stories.

Tiziana Casciaro is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and the Marcel Desautels Chair in Integrative Thinking at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. Her research on organizational networks, professional networking, power dynamics, and change leadership has appeared in top academic journals in management, psychology, and sociology, and has received scientific achievement awards from the Academy of Management. Before joining the University of Toronto, she served on the faculty of the Harvard Business School. Thinkers50 has recognized Tiziana as one of the thirty thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led. Her research has been featured in the Economist, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, CBC, Fortune and TIME magazine. Most recently, she has co-authored the book Power, for All: How it Really Works and Why It Is Everyone’s Business (Simon & Schuster, 2021). Originally from Italy, Tiziana received her B.A. in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Organization Science and Sociology from Carnegie Mellon University. We talk to Tiziana about power structures, the importance of understanding interdependence while in a leadership position, and lemonade.

This episode brings back our recurring segment "Going Viral with Dr. Rosella" because the list of things we bring to work sometimes includes viruses(!) The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how and where we work, and made us all aware of the importance of public health. So, we invite epidemiologist Laura Rosella to chat about the state of global public health and its current main acts. Laura updates us on the status of COVID-19, monkeypox and polio. She talks about the scientific process and how we can use this to frame the information we read online. Professor Laura Rosella is a Canadian epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the University of Toronto, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics. Laura is the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Population Health Analytics Lab. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars and the inaugural Stephen Family Research Chair in Community Health at the Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners. Laura has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of epidemiology, public health and health services research. Her work has been featured in major news outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters, CBC, CTV, The National Post, and The Globe and Mail.

Darrell Kopke is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UBC Sauder School of Business and the Director at CDL-Vancouver. Darrell is an entrepreneur and business executive who specializes in high growth, omni-channel apparel and retail technology companies. He has led, as CEO, Kit and Ace Designs, Karma Athletics, institute B, Ædelhard and, most recently, Performance Tailoring Technology PLC. Darrell is considered a member of the group of founders of lululemon athletica (NASDAQ: LULU). He joined lululemon as General Manager and the sixth head office employee in 2001 and until the sale of lululemon to private equity in late 2005, he oversaw the company’s expansion from one store in Kitsilano and $1M in sales to 60 stores internationally, ~100% annual growth and $200M+ in sales. Darrell holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from Concordia University (1993) and his MBA from UBC Sauder School of Business (2001). Darrell is a member of the Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40 and was awarded a B Corporation Champion Award for his work on promoting social impact corporations.

Brice Scheschuk, CPA, CA is the Managing Partner of Globalive Capital. He was a co-founder and CFO of WIND Mobile as well as CEO of Globalive Communications. Brice has 25+ years experience building and operating companies at Globalive, WIND Mobile, Leitch Technology and PwC. He obtained his CPA, CA designation at PwC and B.Comm (Hon.) Finance from Dalhousie University. Brice served as a Maritime Surface Officer in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve. Brice serves on numerous boards and advisory committees (public, private, and not-for-profit) and is a mentor at CDL-Atlantic and CDL-Toronto. He is a co-founder of MindFrame Connect, a not-for-profit focused on elevating the craft of mentorship and improving entrepreneurial resiliency. Brice’s interests include Canada’s innovation and start-up ecosystem, entrepreneurial finance, mentorship excellence, resiliency, financial literacy, political moderation/centrism, military veteran transition, fitness, travel, good food, good books, and great friends.

Dr. Dawn Bell is the Global Development Head, Strategic Partnerships at Novartis, a global healthcare company based in Switzerland that provides solutions to address the evolving needs of patients worldwide. Novartis - one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world - is where Dawn leads business development and portfolio strategy for whitespace opportunities. Working in large pharma, mid-sized, and start-up companies, she has developed and launched 12 innovative medicines across 8 therapeutic areas. Dawn is energized by working with and advising founders and start-up CEOs through her role as a Mentor at Creative Destruction Lab, and Executive Council member in EIT Health’s Gold Track Program (Germany). She serves as a board advisor to two privately held, venture-backed drug discovery companies and board director for The Metabolomics Innovation Center, a nationally funded research facility based in Alberta, Canada.

Brigitte Saint-Pierre is the Director of Environment Strategic Initiatives at Air Canada and has been a key leader on the CDL Rapid Screening Consortium project team. Brigitte joined Air Canada in 2000 as a 2-week temporary employee in HR – over the last 20+ years, she has worked in a variety of operational roles from HR IT, training and planning, maintenance and introduction of new aircraft, IT vendor management, to name a few. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brigitte has occupied a number of employee wellness roles including the Air Canada wellness check app, close contact wearables, customer covid document process/technology, rapid screening, vaccination management, and more. Born in Moncton, NB on the Canadian Forces Naval Base, Brigitte is a second-generation Air Canada employee. Brigitte is always helping others whether through mentorship, coaching, or her signature sense of humour. She is an active supporter of the AC Foundation, has a cat named COVI (adopted during lockdown), a dog named Penny (Big Bang Theory) and a horse, of course.

Nick is Chief Venues & Operations Officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. He joined MLSE in 2016 and is responsible for overseeing Operations, Food & Beverage, Capital Projects, and Development Functions at all MLSE venues. Nick also has oversight of MLSE's LIVE division which brings hundreds of world-class music and entertainment events to its venues each year (including Justin Bieber). Nick is a veteran of the sports and entertainment industry - came to MLSE from Woodbine Entertainment Group where he served as President & CEO from 2010 - 2015. We talk to Nick about his growth trajectory and the role that mentorship played in it. We also talk about high pressure scenarios such as: championship basketball teams, managing a sports venue through the pandemic, and managing a fan experience when you can’t actually bring anyone into your venue.

This episode kicks off a recurring segment "Going Viral with Dr. Rosella" because the list of things we bring to work sometimes includes viruses(!) The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how and where we work, and made us all aware of the importance of public health. So, we invite epidemiologist Laura Rosella to chat about the state of global public health and its current main acts: COVID-19, Monkeypox, and the recent detection of polio in a NY suburb via wastewater surveillance. Laura has a knack for making complex and daunting public health topics feel understandable and manageable. Professor Laura Rosella is a Canadian epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the University of Toronto, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics. Laura is the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Population Health Analytics Lab. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars and the inaugural Stephen Family Research Chair in Community Health at the Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners. Laura has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of epidemiology, public health and health services research. Her work has been featured in major news outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters, CBC, CTV, The National Post, and The Globe and Mail.

Avi Goldfarb is the Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and a professor of marketing at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Avi is also Chief Data Scientist at the Creative Destruction Lab, a faculty affiliate at the Vector Institute and the Schwartz-Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Avi’s research focuses on the opportunities and challenges of the digital economy. He has published academic articles in marketing, statistics, law, management, medicine, political science, refugee studies, physics, computing, and economics. Avi testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on competition and privacy in digital advertising. His work has been referenced in White House reports, European Commission documents, the New York Times, and the Economist.

Alice Reimer is the current CEO of Fillip and former site lead at CDL-Rockies, based at the Haskayne School of Business at University of Calgary. She co-founded Calgary-based Evoco, leading the SaaS firm from initial concept through to a 2012 acquisition. Alice has been recognized as Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs by PROFIT W100. Alice has contributed to building the innovation ecosystem in Alberta for the last two decades. She is a successful technology entrepreneur and dedicated community mentor, and she does it all with a great sense of humour.

Stu McReynolds is the President & CEO of Abilities Centre. Stu is a motivated, strategic-thinker who leads a people-focused organization united in a common goal to transform communities into fully inclusive and accessible environments. Stu is a passionate advocate and champion for inclusion and is committed to challenging society’s perception towards persons with disabilities and marginalized groups, and in positioning the true value of inclusion for all members of society. He took the helm of the organization in January 2019. With extensive years of senior-level experience working in inclusion initiatives in Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Europe, Stu brings a unique global perspective to his responsibilities as President & CEO. As a former professional rugby player, Stu enjoys watching and coaching a range of sports, and along with his wife, spends most of his free time chasing after his three daughters.

Catherine Luelo (Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat) is the Chief Information Officer of Canada. Catherine joins Connected Intelligence to discuss the importance of empathy and kindness during times of radical uncertainty. Prior to her role within the Government of Canada, Catherine was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Air Canada - where she was responsible for the Information Technology systems that support and enable their global business, innovation in the artificial intelligence space, security and reliability. Catherine brings openness and curiosity to every conversation. She shares with us what it was like to manage worldwide systems in an operational landscape that substantially shifted during the global pandemic.

Professor Janice Stein (University of Toronto, Royal Society of Canada, Order of Canada and Order of Ontario) is a Canadian political scientist and international relations expert. Janice joins Connected Intelligence to discuss the importance of trust and team building from her wide range of experiences -- starting from when she was part of the class with the first women graduate students at Yale University, where she received her Master’s Degree. Janice brings realism and hope to any conversation while providing a clear and compelling vision of the future based on her deep understanding of global issues.

Join me in conversation about the building blocks that bring complex ideas to life - not the code, calculations, or research - but the bonds between teammates, connection to your purpose, and the character that you build along the way.