Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada

Mahrzad Lari, co-founder of contemporary fashion line for men Wide the brand, stylishly designed and produced locally, specifically for the wide-man body. We are also joined by Mia Barouki, senior HR manager at BDO Canada, to discuss HR functions in small and medium businesses.

Sam Youssef, Founder and CEO of Valsoft; tells us about building a group of mission-critical software businesses that together are now worth north of one billion; he acquires and empowers well-run companies, providing more opportunities for global growth.

Marilyne Bouchard, founder of Bkind, tells us about developing a line of products made of natural ingredients in her kitchen, adopting a vegan and cruelty-free product model, and putting the environment at the forefront. We are also joined by Giuliana Papandrea, Manager at BDO Canada, to discuss bookkeeping tips for your business.

Robert Marzin, one of four co-founders of Man Made, a Montreal-based underwear company for men, talks about revolutionizing the world of male undergarments.

Alexandre Guimond, co-CEO of Altitude Sports, tells us about moving online in the early days of ecommerce, making the jump from employee to majority owner, playing at the intersection of fashion and the outdoors, and keeping philanthropy and the environment close to his heart. We are also joined by Peter-Joseph Moraitis, Tax partner at BDO Canada, to discuss tax implications of rising interest rates.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs MTL has new wisdom to share from entrepreneurs like Philip Cutler, co-founder and CEO of Paper, an online tutoring solution that is taking the education world by storm. We are also joined by BDO Partner Jean-François Audet to discuss business valuation et key value drivers.

Lili Fortin, CEO and 2nd generation family business owner of Tristan Tells us about what do they attribute Tristan's success to, as they will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year, family business transition, and sustainability. We are also joined by Carlo Lupo, FL Tax Partner to discuss Tax credits for manufacturers.

Laurent Laferrière, co-owner of Ditch Labs, tells about his pioneering nicotine addiction treatment and smartphone app, powered by AI to help smokers and vapers quit more efficiently. We also welcome Julie Côté, Senior Manager of non-resident taxation to discuss new laws affecting foreigners: 2022 introduction of the 1% tax on under-used properties and the 2023/2024 ban on new residential properties acquisitions.

Natalie Madjarian, co-owner of custom upholstery and furniture store Cameo Collection, tells us about buying a company from bankruptcy to fulfill her dream to manage her own business, and the synergies - and possibly tensions - that come with owning a business as a couple. We also welcome Sara Halickman, Estates and Trusts Partner at FL Fuller Landau to discuss estate planning concerns for couples who are in business together.

George Kyres, president of Group Commensal, tells us about his successful string of businesses from 4 Brothers to Europe's Best, and the growth of an iconic vegetarian brand into the retail grocery space. We also have Giuliana Papandrea, manager in accounting and assurance at FL Fuller Landau join us to discuss cloud based accounting systems.

John Saliby, founder of fighting food waste Sauvegarde app, tells us about lessons learned while growing up that made him realize the extent of food waste, and how combatting it is an easy way to fight climate change. We also welcome Nick Vassilas, Manager at Le Groupe Fuller Landau to discuss the process behind launching a business and being an entrepreneur.

Solenne Brouart, founder and chief growth officer of Polystyvert, tells us about circular economy and how she found a way to recycling polystyrene, which we know under the most famous brand Styrofoam. Elida Eid, Senior manager at FL's HR sister company Pvisio will also talk about adapting to change in the workplace.

Emad Saad, owner of Lebanese restaurant chain Boustan, tells us about his success in the Montreal marketplace in the past 36 years, and its efforts to become a green restaurant chain, from packaging to sourcing ingredients locally.

Danielle Danault, founder of rain or shine, year-round outdoor fitness bootcamp company Cardio Plein Air, tells us about her love of fitness, how a small idea became a HUGE success story in parks across Quebec, and what happened when she started thinking about her 5-year succession plan. We also welcome Amanda Khoury, Manager of Estates and Trusts at FL Fuller Landau, to discuss estate planning and putting together a succession plan.

Étienne Mérineau, co-founder and CMO of Heyday, a HootSuite acquisition. Etienne tells us about the rise of AI in delivering personalized customer experience thru conversational chatbots, and how does a company becomes the provider of choice of the Lacoste, Decathlon, Cirque du Soleil and Danone of the world, just to name a few. We also have Mia Barouki, CRHA and consultant at FL join us to talk about recruiting new employees, creating an engaging work culture, and helping managers adapt to new trends and policies.

To start the season, Peter Simons, now chief merchant of THE oldest private family business in Canada and fashion retailer Simons Inc. We talk about succession planning, the importance of a family council, following consumer trends and frontierless commerce, as well as sourcing in Canada.

Juliette Brun, founder of Juliette & Chocolat, tells us about her passion for chocolate from a very tender age, and the path that she took to turn her passion into a business that is dear to all, across Quebec and the island of Montreal.

Mathieu Clas, Founder of Hookmotion, tells us about how his tech company helps businesses like casinos optimize their monitoring processes. Using automated table tracking, those operating the software can better eliminate fraud and detect errors, to better focus on their clients.

Myriam Belzile-Maguire, CEO and co-founder of Maguire Shoes. As retailers try to find a balance between online sales, and bring and mortar shops, Myriam's women-led hybrid model is flourishing in Montreal, Toronto, and soon in New York City.

Maxime Morin, co-founder of clothing and accessory maker Rose Buddha, tells us more about her socially-conscious, eco-entrepreneurship model, and how the pandemic saw their revenue grow by 450%.

Dax Dasilva, Founder and Executive Chair of Lightspeed POS, tells us about his journey, from his debut as an entrepreneur, to launching an IPO, to writing a book about becoming changemakers, and doing environmental philantropy work.

Mélissa Lambert, founder of Lambert Design; they make stylish, cruelty-free, vegan bags for men and women. She speaks with us about how she wants to reinvent the backpack fashion industry, driven by the belief that we can combine comfort with elegance, while contributing to a sustainable world.

Alexis Vertefeuille, CEO of the after-disaster accommodation network Sinistar. He tells us about how he's built the largest community of hosts dedicated to accommodating disaster victims in Canada; a tailor-made solution for both home-owners in need and insurance companies.

Michael Perreault CEO and Alex Benjamin, CTO and co-founders of Eyful, a company at the crossroads of technology and medicine, pushing the limits to help those affected by low vision, with the goal to giving them back their autonomy and independence.

Guillaume Parent, Founder of online art gallery and network Gallea, tells us about his goal to create the largest art distribution in the world, and to make art accessible everywhere to everyone. Guillaume currently supports a community of more than 9,000 artists, showcasing over 50,000 pieces of artwork online located in 40 countries around the world.

Dardan Isufi co-founder of EVA, Quebec coop rideshare and Uber competitor, will talk to us about the first delivery & mobility platform built on blockchain, with a decentralized business model, how they saw an opportunity to add meal delivery to people transportation during the pandemic, and their vision of a shared economy company.

Louis Têtu, one of Quebec's most prominent tech leaders. He co-Founded HR software company Taleo, later sold to Oracle, and is now CEO of Coveo, an AI-powered platform for digital experiences. It just went public a few weeks ago.

Sarah Lambert, co-founder and CEO of Ora Medical, tells us about her mission is to revolutionize physical rehabilitation for people with walking disabilities by enabling patients to improve their mobility with a helping hand, aided by AI.

David Dupont, Founder of La Petite Ourse tells us about his idea to make cloth diapers accessible to as many families as possible. In the past ten years, La Petite Ourse has prevented over 100 million of disposable diapers from ending up in landfills.

The original fancy casse-croute chain, L'Gros Luxe. Founder Alex Bastide tells us about the punk rock vibe he brought to Montreal's restaurant scene and its origins in skate culture. We also discuss the importance of PR and working with creatives.

Anne-Marie Trudeau, President of Trudeau Corporation,tells us about four generations designing and developing tableware and houseware since 1889, currently sold in 70 countries around the world.

Dr. Tsafrir Vanounou, CEO of TAP Medical, tells us about reimagining how Canadians access healthcare. TAP is creating a healthcare marketplace allowing you to search, find and book a medical appointment across Quebec.

Dr David Benrimoh and Marina Massingham, co-founders of Aifred Health, tell us how Aifred addresses an approach to medication selection that hasn't changed in decades, by using AI to personalize treatment selection in depression, the leading cause of medical disability on the planet.

Daniel Perez, President and founder of Perez Furniture, tells us about how he moved from hairdresser to the stars in LA and Europe, to designing and producing high-end furniture in Montreal over the past two decades.

Borys Fridman, founder of Jeans Jeans Jeans, tells us about his passion for denim, starting with selling jeans at flea markets 50 years ago to his iconic Mile End warehouse. He's developed a cult following without any advertising or social media, just good old fashioned customer service.

Kamal Shah, President and CEO of International Leisure Group - Tremblant Elysium, talks to us about his experience managing a unique concept for luxury vacation rentals in the heart of Eastern North America's #1 ski resort: Mont-Tremblant.

David Landry, founder of Living Safe, talks to us about smart monitoring devices for the senior care industry, how he plans on freeing up time for busy nursing staff, and using AI to improve the quality of care provided for seniors around the world.

Marc-Antoine Legault, Content Manager at Groupe Legault, owners of Mondou, the company that has been taking care of your pets since 1938, tells us about the tribulations of being part of a family-owned business, marketing to a different breed of consumers, and growing a business through acquisitions.

Indira Moudi, President of Viandes Lafrance, tells us how she ended up buying an 80-year old meat company, learned to manoeuver in this very traditional industry and how she is impacting this industry and the local economy in a sustainable manner, by reconnecting trust between agriculture, food and consumers, and reducing greenhouse gases.

Inder Bedi introduces us to his new venture: 457 Anew. Exquisite lines of apparel and accessories that are handmade in Canada solely from ocean waste, landfill scraps and plants.

Lauren Rathmell, Co-Founder and greenhouse director of Lufa Farms, one of the largest for-profit rooftop urban farms of its type in the world, tells us about creating a better food system, reconnecting people with where their food comes from, partnering up with hundreds of farmers and food makers, and providing it all to you through their online farmer's market.

Jean-Luc Lavergne, from Lavergne, on upcycling plastic; supplying international giants like Keurig and HP with clean, recycled resins for manufacturing parts; he started a social enterprise in Haiti, employing locals to recover plastic bottles from canals, roadsides and ocean shores, to be transformed into parts for electronics.

Richard Morin, VP and co-founder at Zorah Biocosmetics tells us about finding inspiration in Morocco for a new product line made with Argan oil; being dedicated to using organic, eco-friendly and fair-trade products; taking recycling to new heights; and last but not least, commiting to producing everything locally.

Anthony Broccolini, COO of Broccolini Construction tells us about the growth of a 70+-year-old family business, from building and selling their first home for 16,000$ 60 years ago, to expanding into many new markets, with 3 generations of Broccolinis managing over 400 employees in Quebec and Ontario.

Simon Berman and Jeffrey Climan, from CLICKSPACE, will tell us about their innovative idea to offer e-commerce entrepreneurs knowledge, expertise and logistics, all under one roof, helping clients scale up while focusing on growing their business.

Annie Cyr, from Tengiva, tells us about her love for textile innovation, educating buyers for smarter textile sourcing, and helping manufacturers from around the world empty their warehouses.

Pierre explains how a trip to Europe inspired him to create self-serve windshield washer fluid stations across the province; killing two birds with one stone, as Pierre is helping remove tens of millions of plastic containers in circulation in Quebec alone, and making it easier for everyone to fill up as needed.

Judith Fetzer from Cook tells us about her dream to simplify healthy cooking for families with her pioneering meal kits. As one of the first in the country in the ready-to-cook business, she acquired some prominent competitors, and is developing a sustainable version of her meal kits, including addressing the packaging dilemma.

Félix Adrien Belisle Dockrill of GRAD4; tells us about helping manufacturers save time and lower costs by giving them access to local machine shops. His system brings together over 200 Quebec-based vendors at the client's fingertips and landing contracts with big names.

Karine Idrissi, from Influence + All Management, tell us about becoming a serial entrepreneur, founding one of the first influencer management agencies in North America, and creating a roster spread throughout Canada, the US and Europe. Over a decade of entrepreneur stories: www.todaysentrepreneur.org