Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

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.

Patrick Wu Patrick is a freelance graphic designer, UX designer, and marketing consultant with a background in biotechnology and life sciences commercialization. His career has taken him across a wide range of areas, from sales and marketing, government advocacy, ecosystem development, and now design. Since 2016, he has since been an active member in the Rainforest community, advocating for technology, innovation, and life sciences in Alberta.

Mackenzie Bedford Mackenzie Bedford is a queer emerging creative from Golden, BC, based in Calgary, AB since 2011. She built her creative foundations with a Visual Arts Diploma from Red Deer College before applying them, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing at Mount Royal University. Establishing herself in Calgary by managing community and communications for startups and nonprofits for several years inspired her to venture out as a freelance creative strategist in 2020. Her work is often found in branding, animation and murals. She's also an introverted sci-fi lover with a penchant for karaoke.

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 Summary

Patrick interviews Mackenzie about what she's been up to since she left her role as the Community Manager of the Rainforest and began freelancing as a creative strategist and artist.

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.

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.

Janay Meisser Janay Meisser is a leader, she is a curious observer, and she is the Director of Innovation at UFA Co-operative Limited, an Alberta based farming cooperative that has been weaved into the fabric of Alberta for over a century. Janay is discovering technology that will enable the farm of the future, focused on Ag Technology that creates value for Alberta Producers. Janay is building and accelerating UFAs corporate innovation program in support of growth and diversification of industry in Alberta. UFA is quickly earing a voice in the Alberta innovation community, participating and acting as a moderator for panels of influencers during Ag innovation events.

Karen Schuett As Co-founder and CEO of Livestock Water Recycling, the global leader of digitized manure treatment technology and named one of the Top Agtech Companies to watch in 2020 by Successful Farming magazine, Ms. Schuett oversees the integration between LWR’s overall corporate strategy and its focus on innovation. Karen has become a sought-after speaker within the agtech ecosystem. She has brought her message of lagoon free protein production to industry events across North America, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East where she sparked interest from the office of the Ministry of Climate Change & Agriculture in Dubai. In 2020 Karen was named one of the six most influential women in Canadian Agriculture for her vision of Lagoon free protein production and was selected to join Google’s first Google for Startups Accelerator for Women Founders. Most recently, LWR made the FoodTech 500 as the highest ranking Canadian agfoodtech company, claiming the 31 st spot.

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 Summary

This UFA sponsored episode has Janay Meisser chatting with Karen Schuett about something we don't spend much time thinking about. What exactly happens to water and cow manure on a farm? Well Karen has the environmental answer to that question and more.

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: UFA Co-operative Limited

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.

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.

Stephen Wilson Stephen is experienced in sales, business development, and operations. Always looking to add a positive contribution to all stakeholders, Stephen brings high-level thinking and a broad base of experience. Stephen graduated from the Sauder School of Business with a Bachelor in Commerce. Starting his career at an event marketing company, he moved into fashion before finding his passion for electronics. Having worked with startups in the LED lighting space to a global company in power conversion, Stephen has worked in teams both small and large to raise financing, launch products, drive volume and deliver on complex custom sales.

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 Summary

In this episode we talk with Stephen Wilson VP Acceleration at the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre who are transforming the Alberta cleantech ecosystem. Join us as we discuss their journey of building the cleantech development across the prairies.

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.

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.

Adam Ludgate Adam is a technical leader who is involved in the startup/tech community and is enticed by new and innovative ways of solving problems with technology. He has worked previously with the likes of IBM Canada, AOL UK, tech startups in London's 'Silicon Roundabout' as well as with a variety of oil & gas software firms in various software development and leadership capacities.

Tyler Chisholm Tyler is the co-founder and CEO of clearmotive marketing which is full-service marketing agency that delivers marketing and communication strategies cross-channel. As host of two podcasts, They Just Get It and Collisions YYC, Tyler brings a voice to advocates, challengers and thought leaders to inspire lively dialogue and bold actions towards creating a better 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 Summary

Tyler & Adam talk about the Collisions YYC podcast, what Tyler has learned in hosting 127 podcasts, challenges with AB tech diversification, the Alberta/Calgary tech economy, Tyler's company clearmotive marketing, and challenges in growing the Alberta tech talent base.

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.

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 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.

Karen McPherson Karen McPherson was born in Edmonton and grew up in the Grande Prairie area of Northern Alberta. After attending the University of Calgary, she raised two children while pursuing a career in technology, working as a Network Manager, Architect and Developer in the Manufacturing sector in Canada, Massachusetts and the United Kingdom as well as a Business Analyst and Business Continuity Consultant in the Oil & Gas sector in Calgary. In 2015, Karen was elected as the MLA for Calgary-McKay-Nose Hill on the NDP ticket. During her time in office, she was a passionate advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and those living in rural areas without stable internet access and co-sponsored the Alberta Investor Tax Credit Bill to encourage more growth in the Alberta Tech Sector, as well as introducing legislation to help get Albertans back to work. She continued this advocacy after briefly sitting as an independent and later joining the Alberta Party in October 2017. Since leaving politics Karen has become certified in Change Management, participated Full Stack Developer program and sits on the Board of a local Not For Profit, as well as continuing to advocate for reliable high-speed rural internet.

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 Summary

Karen is an advocate for a provincial strategy to ensure all Albertans have access to reliable high speed internet, and the social, educational and economic opportunities that brings to everyone. She talks about about a project she's working on to address the digital divide between rural and urban Alberta

Show Quote:

"High speed internet is like a road infrastructure. A community is disconnected without it."

"Digital divide is not a rural Alberta problem. It is an Alberta problem."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - Chase Telecom Inc.

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.

Barb Davies Barb is a facilitator, educator and practitioner of social impact. In her role at Mount Royal University with the Institute for Community Prosperity and Trico Changemakers Studio, Barb develops transformational learning experiences that build bridges between campus and community and uses developmental evaluation to foster a vibrant changemaking ecosystem on campus. Barb is a co-founder of Local Investing YYC, an impact investment cooperative that provides capital to Calgary-based businesses generating social and environmental returns. She has also served on the board of Green Calgary and participated on advisory committees with Health Canada on regulatory approaches within the natural health sector. As the previous owner of a leading natural health retailer in Calgary, Barb built bridges in the community growing awareness for local producers and growers and served on the board of the Business Revitalization Zone. Barb uses a values-based approach to advance sustainable solutions that prioritize people and place.

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 Summary

On this episode, Peter Beaudoin talks with Barb Davies, Board member of Local Investment YYC a Calgary based impact investment cooperative. Local Investing YYC is a for-profit impact investment cooperative. They provide entrepreneurs generating financial, social and environmental returns access to patient capital while offering investors RRSP and TFSA eligible shares, an annual dividend and no management fees. 100% of the capital raised remains in the local economy in Calgary.

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020

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.

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.

Zachary Novak Zachary is focused on building shared learning experiences that empower others to reach their potential. His approach is focused on continuous discover, shipping often, and testing / iteration. He started his career in investment banking, advising senior management teams on over $30 billion of strategic financial transactions. Zac held increasingly progressive roles at several large multinational banking institutions including BMO Capital Markets, Barclays Capital and Macquarie Capital. Post investment banking, he worked at Tervita, an environmental waste company. During his tenure at Tervita, he executed a $2 billion reverse take-over acquisition taking the company public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. He worked directly with senior management and the board to help negotiate and execute the transaction, including raising a $250 million US bond issuance and communicating the merits of the transaction to the institutional investor community. Through his time in finance, Zac was recognized by his peers for being a team player: focused on mentoring fellow colleagues, organizing social experiences to enable bonding, and a curiosity to find solutions to the people problem’s in the business. Post finance, Zachary followed a passion for technology. He completed a full stack developer training that equipped him to architect and code his own web applications. Combining his experience in technology and business, with his focus on empowering others, Zachary joined Actionable, an organizational behaviour change technology company focused on conversations and habit building. At Actionable he built the product function as the Director of Product. He led product discovery and execution, and acted as the bridge between the user, business and engineering team. Outside of work, Zachary has focused on community building for the charitable sector. Founding Cancer Crusher, a community event series that raises funds for local cancer charities. He and his team have raised over $150,000 for cancer charities, and have been recognized in the Globe and Mail (Canadian national newspaper). He also likes to spend time supporting the local innovation community, with a focus on helping others find career fulfillment by either pivoting or growing their careers in technology. Zachary has earned degrees in both engineering and business, from the University of Western Ontario and Richard Ivey Business School, respectively, graduating with distinction.

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 Resources

• Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action
• Best marketing strategy ever! Steve Jobs Think different / Crazy ones speech

Show Summary

Zac is a leader in Calgary's innovation ecosystem. He has pivoted his career multiple times, and his goal is to help others do the same. This episode has some of the best information on how to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, and how to pivot. Plenty of great resources in the show notes as well to help people as they figure out their "why"

Show Quote:

"Although you need to figure out your inner "why" and what is going to motivate you and trust the process, you do quite a bit of double-takes. "

"I got this flood of people wanting to connect with me... I did a full day of back-to-back, like a nine hour day of back-to-back meetings giving people advice. "

"Leadership is someone who is trying to make a positive impact by empowering others."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020

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.

Craig Elias Craig Elias is LinkedIn user 3,956 of 750 million users, an award-winning entrepreneur, educator, a passionate startup advisor, and a pitch coach that recently helped a startup win two different $100,000 pitch competitions in less than 24 hours. His first startup went from initial launch to winning $1,000,000 in a global billion-dollar pitch idea competition to being funded by a Tier 1 US-based Venture Capitalist and twice being named by Dow Jones as one of the 50 most promising companies in North America in less than 24 months after launching. He is a Startup Mentor for the Alchemist Accelerator in San Francisco on an advisory board for South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas and have been a National Growth Advisor for Goldman Sachs’ and Babson College’s 10,000 Small Business Program in Boston. He is the most recent recipient of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics bi-annual Gold Award of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and for the last six years, has been the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Bow Valley College in downtown Calgary where he runs Calgary’s Innovation Rodeo, three different student-focused pitch competitions - VentureQuest, 150Startups and INVENTURE$ Student Track – coaches startups to generate early revenue and gives away over $100,000 each year to help post-secondary students across the province of Alberta become first-time entrepreneurs. If you would like to contact Craig he is available on 403.874.2998

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 Summary

In this episode we talk with Craig Elias the Entrepreneur in Residence at Bow Valley College and explore some great events available to help budding entrepreneurs including MVP Mondays. (https://www.runtheworld.today/app/c/MVP-Mondays)

Show Quote:

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020

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.

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.

Tony Enerson As a lifelong student and problem solver, I create software. I have always had good success with the technology itself, striving to build right-sized systems that fit the needs of the situation. I recognize the technology is one third of a successful venture, and I leave the other two thirds to people with passion and good business sense. In my current partnership at DuckLabs, I help software product entrepreneurs with no tech teams get started and launched. At EvolveU, I am helping to train a new generation of technical developers and leaders. I am a proponent of agile delivery methods, flat organizational structures, and trying to create situations that get the best out of 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 Summary

Al has a conversation with Tony about his background in Computer Science programming with SCADA systems and other low-level computing experiments and projects. Al asks Tony about his predictions for the next 5 years in terms of software development. They also discuss Tony's role as a Technical Lead at EvolveU and the story behind the origin of Duck Labs, of which Tony is a Co-founder.

Show Quote:

"I'm not an instructor... then I realize wait, but I actually know a lot about this stuff, I have been doing this for a long time."

"For me the ability to really contribute to tech has always come from curiosity."

"As a career technology guy who has survived the transitions, but continues to stay in technology, you need to be in a place where you will go back to I know nothing, and I will reinvent myself with this new technology. I will understand this from zero and go again. The willingness to do that 100% keeps you relevant. "

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020

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.

Adam Ludgate Adam is a technical leader who is involved in the startup/tech community and is enticed by new and innovative ways of solving problems with technology. He has worked previously with the likes of IBM Canada, AOL UK, tech startups in London's 'Silicon Roundabout' as well as with a variety of oil & gas software firms in various software development and leadership capacities.

Scott Gravelle Scott Gravelle builds things. As the CEO/CTO of Attabotics Scott is leading a team that's building: The place they've always wanted to work, a culture of innovation, disruptive technology and better future for their staff, their customers, consumers and the planet.

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 Summary

Scott & Adam discuss the history of Attabotics, how their technology works, growth of the company, tech in Alberta, retaining top talent in Alberta, and government funding.

Show Quote:

"I didn't want to put the company in Nevada. It's hard to justify that to a board of directors of investors...when the tax delta at full capacity was more than a million dollars a year."

"Entrepreneurs take their ideas to where they can get the money... period... full stop"

"If we create a startup technology fund here that's got the backing of global industry and local investors, and the government, I think we have a game-changer that starts attracting, and building on that fly wheel."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020