Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

Wunmi and Drew talk about the Centre for Social Impact Technology, a hub of private, government and community organizations solving wicked social problems that don't have owners - touching on digital equity, ethical AI, UN sustainability goals and how Calgary is tracking in these metrics.

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: 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.

Guest: Drew Thomas is an engagement and community coordination professional with a broad background in cultural, social and issues-based communities. 

Drew is a focused and hardworking individual. He is happy to engage community members in any medium as he is deep diving into constituent management systems and ensuring the minutiae of measurement are managed.

Drew's experience in non-profit, governmental and community organizations has given him the opportunity to develop strong writing, copy editing, event planning, and project cycle experience.

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:

• Centre for Social Impact Technology
• Future of Good
• All Tech is Human
• Canadian Center for Nonprofit Digital Resilience

Show Quotes:

"Social innovation is about taking a longer view and addressing how social issues develop in the first place."   

"Tech companies don't necessarily have to deliver social impact to be socially responsible."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

After repeatedly being frustrated with the current offerings for residential home cleaning services, three friends decide to take matters into their own hands and set up an innovative marketplace boasting living wages and top notch quality cleaners. 

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 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.

Guest: Yeonsil Kang, MSW, helps manage the mission and vision of Home Spritz and their relationships with cleaners, clients, and investors. She ensures the company is growing and maintaining the core vision of the company. From an education and social work background she focuses on the social vision while managing a for-profit company in a challenging environment. She has been through the Alberta Accelerator by Global 500 and The Alberta Revenue Accelerator by GrowthX both powered by Alberta Innovates. She manages a team of over 40 cleaners, admin, and developers.

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:

• Home Spritz
• Alberta Innovates

Show Quotes:

"So I remember we had about six different cleaners within the time period of two or three months. And I just simply wasn't comfortable cuz they all knew our door code into our house and their quality wasn't consistent."   

"So Covid was quite hard for many people and a lot of industries. But for cleaning a lot of residential cleaning companies went out of business because of that issue."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Home Spritz

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Hot off the tail of last week's episode with Rea Hailley I have a conversation with Katia, who has been helping people figure out who they are, and what they want to be when they grow up.

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 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.

Guest: Katia Milrad Segal is an HR professional who has +10 years of experience in multinational & global companies. She leverages her international HR Expertise to help clients land their dream roles in Canada. As an HR professional & Career Coach, she is passionate about supporting clients to develop the skills needed to be successful in their careers. She does this by delivering high-quality training and providing meaningful advice. 

Through her career coaching program, she supports clients in identifying strengths, areas of development, growth mindset, gaining confidence, and enhancing self-awareness. As a result, clients can make meaningful changes in their careers.

She also uses her background in psychology to ask insightful questions, and her intuitive listening to help clients understand more about their blocks, fears, and unresolved issues so they can create shifts in their life and career.

She encourages clients to land jobs that are the right ones for them. Meaning, jobs that fit into their lifestyle, strengths & core values.

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:

• Rea Hailley from last weeks episode (203)

Show Quotes:

"So the first thing that I attempted was creating a group of ladies from my Brazilian community here in Calgary. I was leading this group with two women, and we were creating workshops to discuss about personal development, career development, struggles with immigration. I mean how to fit in, and all this process of big changes in our lives."   

"we need to be happy now. Our life is short. We need to understand why we are here, right? We are here for a reason and we can't waste our time stuck."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Not everyone thinks the same way.  Rea Hailley sees business from a different lens and is able to provide wisdom and creativity to help small to medium sized business grow and be more successful. More than that, she is a really interesting person to know and has a lot of amazing stories to share when you have a chance to have a chat with her.

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 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.

Guest: Rea Hailley  After studying Business Management at SAIT, Rea found herself drawn to roles where she could influence business success. As a growth strategist, Rea specializes in identifying growth opportunities and delivering results. Her experience includes establishing and leading a lucrative sponsorship division across three territories in the event space, growing strategic partnerships, and most recently, generating over $40M in revenue at Shopify. 

Rea's curiosity drives her to understand her clients’ unique challenges. Strong empathy helps her anticipate and address potential concerns before they arise. This helps Rea's clients feel confident that she has researched and considered multiple options and only recommended solutions that facilitate their growth and performance.

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:

• Katia Milrad Segal - Career Coaching
• Safe 4 Life Self-Defense Class
• Ecstasy On Fire - Rea's story in more detail

Show Quotes:

"It was quite alarming. Coast Guard was not called in. Helicopters were flying above filming the fire. I knew it was pretty serious. Somebody was very late in pulling the fire alarm. I Considered jumping above board because nobody was deploying the lifeboats."

"smaller businesses often think that they need to spend thousands of dollars to get to the next level of growth. And they don't"

"I speak to business owners every day, all day. One of the biggest concerns is this potential recession that people are anticipating for this year. Don't let this cripple you. There's opportunity here."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Learn how Rimaco Greens combined their background in energy and a need for sustainable food production in every climate to come up with a fully sealed greenhouse with near zero energy use.

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: Val McCarty is in the business of helping organizations visualize, communicate, and execute strategy in real time. Her studies were acquired at both University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University, and encompassed Management, Education, and Human Services, with an aim to continue learning. Her previous experience includes the Financial Sector, Fitness Sector, and Early Childhood Education.  When Val is not at work you can find her outside with her grandkids, or looking forward to the next live jam.

Guest: Angela Solano is Co-Founder and CEO of Rimaco Greens, an Alberta-based cleantech agriculture company that has developed the world's first net-zero, fully-sealed greenhouse so that we can grow food locally in any climate using minimal land, water, and energy.

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.

Links:

• Rimaco Greens

Show Quotes:

"We must rethink existing food systems to address rising threats to our climate, economy, and health"    

"Growing food in the hydrologic greenhouse requires no pesticides, fungicides, or IPM"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Tasty, Without the Wastey. Earthware is a reusable/returnable container service for restaurant takeout and delivery. It is a great startup that will stop millions of single use containers from going into Canadian landfills.

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: Val McCarty is in the business of helping organizations visualize, communicate, and execute strategy in real time. Her studies were acquired at both University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University, and encompassed Management, Education, and Human Services, with an aim to continue learning. Her previous experience includes the Financial Sector, Fitness Sector, and Early Childhood Education.  When Val is not at work you can find her outside with her grandkids, or looking forward to the next live jam.

Guest: John MacInnes' passion is creating jobs. He has spent most of his life raising and working on his own companies. Over the past 20 years John has taken his own experiences as an Entrepreneur and worked with several companies to help them grow. Some of these companies John has invested in, some he just helped because it is fun.

Currently John is very much involved with Earthware, a reusable/returnable container service for restaurant takeout and delivery. It is a great startup that will stop millions of single use containers from going into Canadian landfills. 

At his companies they have built an excellent blueprint for running a business that he enjoys sharing with others. The blueprint is easy to adopt and it virtually guarantees a great strategy followed by measurable execution.

Someday, when John has time, he will get it all down in blogs and videos so that business owners can use the blueprint for their own companies.

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.

Links:

• Earthware

Show Quotes:

"And when you get these containers, you've got a choice like a bottle or can, you can do something with it and get some of that deposit back."

"But our ultimate goal with this is that we are able to take this plastic and in the future we want to manufacture here and use that plastic to create new reusable containers."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

The LIBI Podcast normally showcases a guest that is contributing to the innovation ecosystem. However this is episode 200, and I thought it might be a good time to talk about Rainforest Alberta itself and who better to do that than the Community Manager and the Community Story Teller.

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 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.

Guest:  Amber Rowden is digital marketing strategist and storyteller who loves connecting and building community. She works with multiple companies within the YYC tech ecosystem and has helped startups and SMEs grow their businesses through social media campaigns, content creation, graphic design, personalized storytelling, paid advertising, deep-dive analytics, event management and more. She has a background in and passion for theatre. She is an advocate for mental health and the LGBTQ2S+ community and hosts the YYC Queer Innovation Meet-ups to bring the LGBTQ2S+ and innovation community together to collaborate and connect.

Guest:  Brigitte Legault is a community and strategy consultant currently working with Rainforest Alberta, TuskHub Inc., and Village Wellth. She is driven by community-led strategies that drive business results and empower its members. Connecting people and resources is her super power!

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:

• Rainforest Alberta
• The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley
• GoodLawyer
• CRIN
• Inqli
• InceptionU
• 8-Bit Cortex

Show Quotes:

"we're innovators, so let's stop looking to the past and start looking to the future. And even though we are doing a lot of new initiatives in the rainforest, we're always focused on the core of the movement, which is the social contract"

"[re: the Rainforest Social Contract] You know, they're values that every person should incorporate into their life and their professional life. And, yeah, there are quite a few individuals that are living these values already. People that are in the rainforest exemplify them. And there are companies that are taking this on too."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Innovation will leave you in the dust if you don't choose to be a part of it. Jennifer Armand decided to dive right in and learn about web3 technology and NFTs. Her company, Boris Walks Alone Art Inc., helps traditional artists get their work on the blockchain where they can find new revenue streams and explore the intersection between art and technology.

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 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.

Guest: Jennifer Armand is the Owner of Boris Walks Alone Art Inc. which provides technical and marketing expertise aimed at expanding sales of digital and traditional artwork on behalf of the Artists that create them. This service allows the Artist to benefit from the expanded opportunities available to them in the form of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) on popular cryptocurrency platforms - without having to become an expert in technology. 

Jen’s goal is to provide this opportunity to as many artists as possible.

This past March, Jen with her partners helped create and launch the #T7NFT collection on Opeansea.io from over 24 established artists. Jen built a 3D metaverse gallery to showcase their works and enable anyone with a computer and access to the internet the ability to view and purchase from the collection. 

Jen loves tech and helping people.

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:

• Boris Walks Alone  
• Open Sea #T7NFT Collection

Show Quotes:

"Probably about 12 years ago, I'd always said to the artist, you know, one of these days these files are gonna be where something more."

"The power is in the secondary sales, and so when your sale goes through, it is backed on a ledger just like a bank only it's a public ledger, everyone can see it. So when it's sold again royalty then gets brought back to the artist, which is very powerful"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Meet the guy behind the high quality audio of the LIBI podcast. Tony has many talents and most of them are around creativity. He decides he wants to do something and then just goes and figure it out. Get inspired hearing Tony's stories.

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 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.

Guest: Tony Del Degan is a perfectionist, and believes in quality and worth-while art. You’ll usually find him carving his own path instead of following those well-traveled.

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:

• Tony's Website
• The Evermore Compendium
• The Recognition
• CERES
• Recycling Styrofoam
• Community Now Magazine  

Show Quotes:

"I believe that Lord of the Rings for me is my personal favorite story ever written. And so if I'm going to give my contribution to that genre, it has to be huge. It has to be well thought out and have depth."

"If you submit a short story to them, they can get it put into the Calgary Public Library's short story dispensers. And so I submitted that to and they responded and said, oh, well this is really great. We wanna put this in thedispenser. And so I got a confirmation back and then that whole process happened and now that story is available." 

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

How can we support one another in finding more purposeful, meaningful work? As we all navigate the innovation ecosystem, what questions are you afraid to ask and how might you ask them? Join Jen and Rebecca as they talk all things INQLI.

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: Jennifer Morrison has over 11 years of experience as an educator and received her Masters of Educational Leadership from High Tech High Graduate School of Education in San Diego, CA. Jen possesses extensive experience in project-based and experiential learning and design thinking. 

Jen spent many years teaching middle and high school students which provided her with a foundational love of learning and passion for exploration and personal growth. Following her natural curiosity and growth mindset, she honed her leadership skills and dove deep into project based learning.

Lead Learning Designer & Strategist with InceptionU, Jen provides valued leadership, guidance, meaningful connections and an engaging learning environment.

Guest: Rebecca Kirstein Resch is an accidental tech CEO on a mission to ensure that everyone has access to opportunities for meaningful work and fulfilling lives.

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.

Links:

• Inqli
• Rethink Thinking

Show Quotes:

"And so I think we kind of shifted from this mentality that like, millennials were really entitled and they didn't wanna work hard. And you know, this kind of belief about that whole generation of people who actually, like any other human beings, very deeply wanna connect to a sense of meaning and purpose at work. So it's not that they don't wanna work hard. They actually want their work to mean something."

"I think that's part of learning and part of Inqli and part of Rain Forest. Is the vulnerability to say I don't have all the answers. In fact, I have a lot of questions and I think the more and more you step into leadership, The more and more uncertainty there is and therefore the more questions you have." 

"Ask yourself what questions are you afraid to ask? Because I think that tells us a lot about where we are and what we need. And the follow up to that is where might you ask those questions?"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan