Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

Interested in field piloting your technology with a global energy player, then listen in to Peter Beaudoin's interview with Amy Henry, the CEO of Eunike Ventures as they discuss the opportunity for Canadian companies to work with global customers through this Houston based accelerator. 

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-148-transcription

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: Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Guest: Amy Henry is the CEO/Co-Founder of Eunike Ventures, TiE Houston board member, principal of TiE ATX LLC (Angels of Texas), and owner of Henry CPA Group LLC (local CPA firm for small businesses).  She received the Houston FIVE STAR Investment Professional AWARD in 2020, Committee Member HX (Houston Exponential) SDO Committee (Start-up Development Organizations), and was named by the Houston Chronicle in 2019, “Women Who Take the Lead in Building Houston’s Tech Ecosystem” (related to the launch of Eunike Ventures).

Eunike Ventures is a global energy technology accelerator with a EUNIKE approach to venture capital.  Eunike works with innovative, early-stage companies with high-value added technologies through commercialization, across the entire energy value chain.  This new global open innovation model of ‘Realizing the Entrepreneurial Spirit’ focuses on entrepreneurs, energy companies, paid pilots, and smart capital, which has included backing from large industry players such as Equinor, Hess, TechnipFMC, and Anadarko.

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 Quotes:

"Canadian government and provinces spent a lot of money and time on these companies early stage, you know, why aren't they having these pilot opportunities up in Canada"

"sometimes it involves a lot of reframing. And sometimes a little bit of pivoting on that and then looking at their competitor landscape, further defining that."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Assembly Coworking Space

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Danielle has been through a lot, but she has always had a passion for computer programming. Not making it through traditional means, she had given up on her plans until the end of the road lead her right to the InceptionU Full Stack Developer program.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-147-transcription

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: Danielle Barker is an avid Scrabble enthusiast and software developer.  After years of mostly creating software as a hobby and as a volunteer, they took the leap of making a career out of it.  She is now one of the technical facilitators of the InceptionU Full Stack Developer program as well as doing contract development work for projects she is passionate about.  Besides scrabble, they enjoy playing many other games including Magic the Gathering and the Fallout video game series.

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 Quotes:

"I lost my, my job as a school bus driver. That was my last job I had. Kind of just a bunch of other bad things happened at the same time and just kind of hit this point where I just wanted to give up, so I didn't want to go find another job. So I just ended up, taking what money I had and buying a van, and I just lived in the van for six months."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Assembly Coworking Space

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Ross Plattel is a really interesting guy.  He is involved in a lot of different things, many of which involve giving back as a volunteer.  He is into technology, urban planning and smart cities.  He knows a whole lot about many things, and in this episode Al Del Degan explore the Internet of Things, education, city planning and much more. 

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-146-transcription

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: Ross Plattel has been an avid Rainforester since 2019 and has regularly attended Lunch w/o Lunch along with volunteering to help Rainforest Alberta manage and facilitate online events. In his day job, he works for both the University of Calgary and SAIT in supporting their online courses and online webinars. After starting with SAIT he has also worked on the development, testing, and initial deployment of SAIT's first micro-credentials. Outside of work, Ross volunteers as one of the Co-Leads for CivicTechYYC ( https://civictechyyc.ca/,  https://www.meetup.com/CivicTechYYC-Tech-for-Good/), organizing events monthly for the group of volunteers who work together on urban-related technology projects. As a graduate from the UofC in Urban Studies, Ross continues to research smart cities and the impacts of technology on the urban fabric. Other more recent research has included the impacts of climate-induced human migration. Ross loves going on walks exploring and ideating about the ever-changing urban environment and enjoys biking through Calgary's bike lanes and pathways.

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 Quotes:

"A lot of the architecture firms had no idea what I was talking about. I even asked them about, uh, VR and augmented reality integration within their design processes. And there was one firm that said like, oh yeah, we have like a computer. We couldn't get working in the back room. And we don't think it's going to be a big thing."

"When you have a sensor that's embedded inside of a concrete wall, it's not really that easy to fix, but at least it gives five years that they can monitor what that's looking like."

"And also we're noticing in university with teaching online that the introverts are the ones that are doing better in the online environment. And it's the extroverts that are having a really hard time."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Peter Beaudoin discussed with Liz Nilsen how Strategic Doing can be used to support the Alberta innovation ecosystem

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-145-transcription

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: Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Guest: Liz Nilsen is associate director at the Agile Strategy Lab at the University of North Alabama. She guides the growth of Strategic Doing, managing the network of affiliate colleges and universities that are teaching Strategic Doing in undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs. She also leads the development of new offerings and oversees the training sequence used with faculty and Strategic Doing practitioners worldwide. Formerly in the Purdue Agile Strategy Lab, she has led work in the transformation of engineering education, as well as work with NASA. Prior to coming to Purdue, Liz was part of an initiative to embed innovation and entrepreneurship in undergraduate engineering education. Under Liz’s guidance, 50 university teams from around the United States learned Strategic Doing and used the discipline to launch more than 500 collaborative efforts in under three years. Liz has an extensive university background and began her career in nonprofit management.

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 Quotes:

"So the university is in, what's called the Shoals area of Alabama, which is best known for music, actually Aretha Franklin and Rolling Stones and all those other people recorded there."

"So the first question is what could we do? So what could we do with the assets we already have at our disposal? We try to get rid of those questions that say, oh, if only we had a million dollars, oh, if only we had, you know, a bunch more people, what can we do with what we already have? That's the first question."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Aaron is a visual scribe and digital storyteller. We talked about Art as Innovation. How visual storytelling can be applied to solve complex wicked problems. And what's possible in Alberta if we can create, through visual facilitation, an environment where everyone is heard and understood.

For the transcription of this episode, please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-144-transcription

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.

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.

Aaron Russell is a Graphic Recorder, Media Producer and Designer. Graphic recorders are visual scribes who listen and take notes at meetings. They tell visual stories. 

Aaron graduated from The Alberta University of the Arts in 2004 with a Degree in Visual Communication. He works as a Media Producer for Alberta Health Services and also as a freelance Graphic Recorder. Aaron especially enjoys illustrating at events involving addictions and mental health. He also enjoys drawing for Indigenous Communities and the Energy Sector.

You can find him at: http://ConferenceDoodles.com

He is a member of the I.F.V.P (International Forum of Visual Practitioners) 
https://ifvp.org/users/aaron-russell

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 Quotes:

"Creating for its own sake is as important as creating to solve problems."

"Art makes complex information more digestible, more memorable, more fun."

"...ever since then, I've thought of saying, you know what fonts look like wood cut, or do you know what actually looks like wood cut? Woodcut."

"it's a blissful process to be captured by that creative process. You don't care if you've eaten, you don't care if you've slept, you just become possessed to execute. But the energy associated with that is absolutely intoxicating."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Peter Beaudoin discusses with Paolo Bomben the opportunity for carbon fibre made from Alberta's bitumen.  They discuss how Canada's carbon fibre market could become a pan-Canadian opportunity building on our regional strengths – Ontario’s manufacturing and Alberta’s resource production.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-143-transcription

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: Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Guest: Paolo Bomben is a Senior Manager of Clean Technology Development at Alberta Innovates.  He leads the Bitumen Beyond Combustion program which seeks to leverage existing value chains and/or develop new value chains to increase the output of non-combustion products derived from Alberta oil sands bitumen.  He is the program manager for the Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge.  Before joining Alberta Innovates Paolo supported clients as a sustainability consultant, and worked as a research scientist developing catalysts for green hydrogen production.  Paolo has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Windsor, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University 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 Quotes:

"That's the vision that we have at Alberta Innovates, that we can transform this tremendous natural resource of bitumen into these products that everyone can use and add value to their lives."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Did you know that less than 2% of polystyrene products are recycled even though they are among the most easily recycled plastics?  Robert Herritt shares his story about learning how easily Styrofoam can be recycled into new products, avoiding the landfill.  We also learn how municipalities have not been eager to get involved, even though is is the right thing to do.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-142-transcription

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: Robert Herritt is a serial entrepreneur for 20 years. From airline pilot background to Eco-innovator. President of Calgary-based StyroGo, Robert is helping put Canada on the world map in leading the charge to a zero plastic waste future.

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 Quote:

"as a secondary benefit, I came to realize that whenever they have a shortfall of Styrofoam, as feedstock, what they do then is they use wood, for presses. So the secondary benefit of recycling Styrofoam is you're displacing the use of wood in manufacturing. So it was kind of a secondary green effect there where they're not  cutting down trees for manufacturing, they're using a plastic."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Peter Beaudoin hosts Yohana Tesfamariam Tekeste who is in New York at Columbia University.  Peter talks with Yohana about her work with small scale farmers in Africa and how weather based index insurance is being used as a climate adaptation tool against severe drought.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-141-transcription

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: Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Guest: Yohana Tesfamariam Tekeste is from Eritrea has a Masters in Biotechnology from Columbia University. She is currently working at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. She is focusing on forecast-based financing and weather-based index insurance projects, particularly on tool and process developments empowering stakeholders and decision-makers with climate information. She is also working on a research project examining the link between avian flu outbreaks in poultry and climate variables in Vietnam.  

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 Quotes:

"I would hope that by that time, the insurance game will be a steady purchase that people, small household farmers can make, but there would be enough distribution of production and wealth over these communities that that would not be the primary source of their savings or the safety net that they would have."

"I would even say it should be less privatized and more public cause I think the people need to have more access to understand what are their financials. Uh, incentives their financial backing. They need to have a financial system"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Another InceptionU grad, Navin Jetha pivoted her career from computer science, to being a mom, then to fitness leadership and now back to tech.  Still passionate about yoga, health & wellness and energy healing, she hopes to have her own side business while being able to work in the tech industry. 

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-140-transcription

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: Navin Jetha was educated in computer science and worked in that field for more than a decade before getting laid off. She then found a new career in fitness leadership educating people in various forms of exercise from water fitness classes to yoga. Now she is pivoting back into tech and viewing it through the lens of physical and mental health. 

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 from this episode:

• InceptionU - Evolve - Full Stack Developer Program

Show Quote:

"When I first took the task, I would take off in the morning at 9:15, I would say, okay, I'm going to take this task on. In my mind is going off saying, well, how are you going to do this task? You have no clue how to do it? But there was a part of me that said, I'm just going to take it and do it anyways."

"I really believe that, whatever career we choose. Whatever path we choose in our lives. Our health will always have to be taken care of."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Peter Beaudoin has a conversation with Tamara Loiselle, CEO and Founder of Synergraze.  They discuss how the Synergraze technology has the potential to reduce methane emissions from cattle by up to 90%. They also discuss Tamara's journey from the Foresight Cleantech accelerator to a game changing ERA grant of $5 million to scale their first-of-a-kind production facility here in Alberta. 

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-139-transcription

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.

Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Tamara Loiselle is from a BC ranching family, Tamara graduated from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Agriculture in Environmental Science. With over 20 years experience, Tamara has been awarded a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal for her environmental work with Indigenous communities and was named a TIME Magazine Hero Mom of the Year.

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 Quote:

"Cattle produce the equivalent carbon emissions as the entire global transportation sector. The same as every car, truck, train, plane, and ship on the planet combined each year."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: UFA Co-operative Limited

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan