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.

This episode is hosted by Kate Day. After working in radio, as an award winning producer, Kate has made efforts to transition into the tech industry. At the end of 2019, she has taken the leap into freelance work under the name KD Sound Design. She has been editing the Rainforest Podcast since December 2019 and finally gotten behind the mic to host.

Ed Macnab. Ed is the Director of Business Operations and the interim CEO for the startup and development phase of 3D Printed Home Corporation. His work history includes ten years as an IT Project Manager, with earlier background in production management, engineering management, finance, and venture capital.

3DPHC LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/3d-printed-homes-corporation-3dphc-323097196
3DPHC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3DPrintedHousing

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:

The benefits of networking! Networking opens the door to assisting 3DPHC in reaching their goals. Not only do they meet professionals who are in similar shoes, but also in meeting people with valuable skills to help them in their day to day life. Through attending the Rainforest, they were able to meet their crowdfunding goal, they’ve been introduced to other investors and made valuable connections with the right people! Plus, in attending, they’ve met another Rainforester (Micah Luison - Home in a Bag) which has helped them shift their original plan for 3DPHC into a different direction together: helping people in disaster relief.

Show Quote:

"Attending our first Rainforest meeting was THE best decision we’ve ever made for our business and Life in general has not been the same since, it’s been far better!"

"If you think you’ve got something worthwhile, DO it! Get Started, join a group! You may find someone who’s started a business in a similar industry where what they’ve learned can help you and you can walk the path together sharing some synergies." 

Credits...

This Episode Recorded At: Work Nicer - Red Mile

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Kris Chase Chief Executive Officer (Chase Telecom Inc) Kris has 20+ years experience working as a Systems Engineer/Architect designing, developing and deploying enterprise computer telephony solutions for a number of fortune 500 companies throughout North America. Chase Telecom is a national communication service provider that provides end to end contact centre and digital workspace solutions. Chase Telecom is an authorized Dell Solution Provider, Microsoft Business Partner, Genesys Solution Consultant and 3cx Business Partner.

Karen Keck. Karen's super power is solving complex problems by creating opportunities and mobilizing people’s hearts
and minds to do things differently. Karen has 14 years of corporate law experience. She has advised publicly traded and private companies on legal issues relating to all stages of the business lifecycle. Today, Karen is President and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Sneakers with a focus exclusively on providing legal services to startups.

Legal Sneakers scope of services includes offering sophisticated legal advice relating to legal structuring, team building, financing, commercializing and business exits. Karen is passionate about being part of the dynamic atmosphere of the startup ecosystem in Alberta and finds it very rewarding assisting teams to tackle new challenges.

Melia Stewart is an associate lawyer with Legal Sneakers, she is also a blogger, artist and craftswoman, passionate feminist and animal lover.

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 and Melia are focused on assisting startups to setup the proper legal structures to operate their businesses. The intent is to insure that proper business relationships can be are forged and maintained. which is critical for success.

Show Quote:

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Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Another episode from Edmonton hosted by Christopher Drobot.  Christopher Drobot is a passionate cheerleader for the potential of the Edmonton region. Although not directly an entrepreneur himself, his extensive experience in business operations and now mortgage lending help focus his excitement on the ideas that can see the city grow. He is involved in the push to bring a world-class aquarium to the city, is completing an MBA, and – together with his wife – homeschools his two children. The parallels between entrepreneurialism and homeschooling have been many, and he sees an overarching lesson in both: you have to create the world you wish to see.

Anthony Nagendraraj is Founder and CEO of the community-connection-focused startup, Spontivly. Having immigrated to Canada from Thailand at a young age – first to Montreal, then to Edmonton – Anthony spent his career in the IT industry, doing both consulting and business analyst work for companies large and small, and even for Alberta Innovates. His background allowed him to see, at a detailed level, how data influenced decisions, and he decided to find a way to allow our communities (and the built forms they take on) be shaped by the way people themselves interact on a daily basis. Spontivly has already built to having multiple municipal and institutional clients for the back-end data it collects, and has recently launched its user-focused app.

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: 

Anthony shares with us his own experience having moved and travelled extensively for both personal and professional reasons , and how those experiences helped shape his idea of, and the importance of, community. He traces through his corporate and public sector background to share with us how through Spontivly, he is able to solve his “big problem”: the lack of real connectivity people are experiencing in this digitally-connected world. His is a story about bringing people back to face-to-face in the most simple way possible, and by helping decision-makers use that data in re-shaping our cities to allow these interactions to happen more naturally. Ultimately, Anthony and Spontivly hope to make community happen more easily.

Show Quote:

"We believe that in order to build strong, effective communities, you need to be able to make informed decisions to be able to do that." 

"We’re here...we’re 2020, and we’re having a hard time integrating people into our communities...why is that? This shouldn’t be complicated."

"Entrepreneurship is like sports: in order to get better, you need to play with people who are better than you."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Tynan Allan is fascinated by company culture and how it fuels success in every organization. On his own top ranking show, The CultureING Podcast, he interviews CEOs, Chief People Officers & HR leaders about the future of work, employee experience and company culture. He is certainly not afraid to dive deep and ask the tough questions, which makes it a refreshing show to listen to! When he’s not interviewing people or writing articles about company culture, Tynan spends his time as the Director of Growth for liveweb.io, another noteworthy Alberta startup that brings together live chat, scheduling, video meetings & phone calls all into one tool. Feel free to reach out to Tynan to chat culture or hear more about the exciting things that liveweb.io is up to!

Lindsay Skabar.  As Co-Founder & Chief Marketing of Bōde, Lindsay Skabar and her team are reimagining real estate. They are looking at real estate in an entirely new way: with customer experience as their focal point. Lindsay's passion for disruption and relentless focus on providing exceptional customer experience makes Bōde a company that she is very excited to be a part of.

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 today’s episode you’ll learn:

• Why Bōde is a platform that is changing the game for home buyers.
• A strategy for building your small, startup team with the exact right expertise needed to build for scale
• Tips for marketing to consumers
• The work that the Bōde team did to ensure they achieved quick success when they launched
• How company culture is a core focus of the Bōde leadership team and how they’re thinking about it as they continue to grow and expand

Show Quote:

"You can tell when people are purpose-driven, and if they find what we are doing really exciting, they’re going to be an excellent asset to our team." 

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Another episode from Edmonton hosted by Christopher Drobot.  Christopher Drobot is a passionate cheerleader for the potential of the Edmonton region. Although not directly an entrepreneur himself, his extensive experience in business operations and now mortgage lending help focus his excitement on the ideas that can see the city grow. He is involved in the push to bring a world-class aquarium to the city, is completing an MBA, and – together with his wife – homeschools his two children. The parallels between entrepreneurialism and homeschooling have been many, and he sees an overarching lesson in both: you have to create the world you wish to see.

Luke Matusewicz. We have with us today Luke Matusewicz. Born in Poland, Luke came to Canada in 2004, and got his citizenship in 2008. But although he had come to Canada to start a new life, he hadn't figured out his "big plan" quite yet. He tried working in the construction industry, and in 2010 started an apprenticeship to become a scaffolder, where he worked until 2018. Realizing that he was not happy with the work, and was seeking a greater meaning, he looked to the entrepreneurial space as a way to fulfill his creative outlet. He had an idea to create a new fitness app with the focus not on the fitness but on the social aspect of the fitness journey, so people can help each other. During the process of building the app he found a passion for sports and activities, and how it effectively helps people improve their overall well-being. He and his team released their app just last month. 

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: 

Contributing to our recent theme of "people working in tech with no immediate tech background", Luke once again shows that if you have a strong enough idea and build a team of people around you, building a business in tech is possible for anyone! Luke recounts his journey from Poland, the challenges he initially faced as an immigrant, and shares how he made the leap to becoming a tech entrepreneur.

Show Quote:

"We all have different unique ideas, but really do the research, see if there's a need for what you're thinking. If there's a need for it, then you're on to something and you can go from there" 

"Face-to-face networking...older generations, that was just their thing, they knew everyone, right? But for us now it's different [with social media] that we can find the groups and the meetups, but we still have to do it ourselves - we still have to remember to get out there and meet people"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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 is a programmer-turned-CTO 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 development and leadership capacities.

Randy Thompson Founder and CEO of Valhalla Angels (formerly VA Angels). 2018 National Angel Capital Organization Angel Investor of the Year and 2014 Startup Canada Angel of the Year. Founded Alberta SuperNet & Khyber Pass Entertainment. Randy is a part owner of the Peterborough United FC soccer team out of the UK

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.

Episode Summary:
Adam & Randy discuss: The angel & investment community in Alberta; The process & difficulties in building & running a formal angel investment group; The role of government in the startup and investment world. What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur; failure in entrepreneurship; professional sports team ownership.

Quotes:

"Every single good entrepreneur focuses on answering the question: ‘How do I stay alive for one more day?"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Another episode from Edmonton hosted by Christopher Drobot.  Christopher Drobot is a passionate cheerleader for the potential of the Edmonton region. Although not directly an entrepreneur himself, his extensive experience in business operations and now mortgage lending help focus his excitement on the ideas that can see the city grow. He is involved in the push to bring a world-class aquarium to the city, is completing an MBA, and – together with his wife – homeschools his two children. The parallels between entrepreneurialism and homeschooling have been many, and he sees an overarching lesson in both: you have to create the world you wish to see.

Sahr Saffa is a creative problem solver, and one of the problems he's most proud of solving can be summed up in the work he does with the C-Tribe Festival, a community-driven by diversity, and helping innovative and creative people achieve their dreams. Inspired by his experiences in larger US centers of inter-industry collaboration and collisions, he decided to bring that type of experience back to our city - back to his own hometown. In just two years, the festival has grown to four days of collisions between people from all walks of life, programming to expose people to new ideas, 50 speakers, and over 1000 attendees from several different countries. He also works as the VP of Operations for a San Francisco-area machine learning firm AutonomIQ (pronounced auto-nah-mik), and in the spring of 2020 he will be pursuing a Master's in Artificial Intelligence research.

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: 

Sahr recounts his journey through high-level sports, his initial working career, his experiences in one of the biggest cities in the world, and ultimately his path to where he is today after having started something so audacious as an international festival. 

Here’s someone who, upon experiencing how unlikely collisions and un-siloed thinking can contribute to massive innovations, decided to bring the concept back to our city. He had choices. He could have simply left elsewhere. But he poured his energy into making the things he wanted to see come to life, here in his hometown. Sahr’s energy, and the energy of those inspired to act by hearing his story and others like his, is what will continue to move the needle. 

Remember: take action; go do things; make things happen.

Show Quote:

"We're trying to build our own version of SXSW (South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas)...like the same as the Superbowl, but it's bringing together hundreds of thousands of people for two-and-a-half weeks in technology and culture and comedy, and we looked at that model and we thought it was phenomenal" 

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

This episode is hosted by Kate Day. After working in radio, as an award winning producer, Kate has made efforts to transition into the tech industry. At the end of 2019, she has taken the leap into freelance work under the name KD Sound Design. She has been editing the Rainforest Podcast since December 2019 and finally gotten behind the mic to host.

Kourtney Branagan.

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:

Our amazing co-community Manager Kourtney Branagan joins new host and audio editor Kate Day to tell her story of how she got started with the Rainforest. We discuss the importance of Culture and Kourtney gives her tips and tricks to help you in your job search.

Show Quote:

"" 

Credits...

This Episode Recorded At: Work Nicer - Red Mile

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

This episode is hosted by 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.

George Tai, is a Partner at Dentons Law firm in Calgary. George's practice centers on Mergers and Acquisitions, Securities, Corporate Finance and Corporate/commercial transactions, primarily in the energy and technology sectors. George also has extensive experience advising technology companies having successfully negotiated complex licensing contracts, service agreements and software development agreements domestically and internationally with numerous multinational original equipment manufacturers, telecommunications companies and software 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.

Show Summary:

George discusses some of the legal issues faced by startups in the early stages of company formation, including: when to incorporate, how to protect your intellectual property and how founders can set themselves up for success through different mechanisms such as shareholder agreements.

Show Quote:

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Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan 

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.

Another episode from Edmonton, this one is hosted by Anthea Sargeaunt.  Anthea is the CEO of 2S Water, and a longtime ecosystem supporter. With an MBA from Athabasca University, Anthea is a 3-time entrepreneur and has more than 15 years of business experience in a variety of fields. Her current project is focused around environmental stewardship and natural resource protection. 2S water has created a sensor for real time water quality monitoring, helping communities and industry to understand what is in their water.

Kimberly Wong-Harwood is the co-founding CEO of Volo Works. As the owner of North Peace Piano school, she believed that anyone who has a business should be able to be seen by people searching for them. When she first started her piano teaching business, she found it very difficult and expensive advertise online. So she and her business partner, Justin Harwood, founded Volo Works, a listing site for businesses where instead of waiting for people to come to the site, they find leads for businesses through targeted ads. Justin, the other half of Volo Works, specializes in online advertising. They have a passion for helping businesses succeed in matching with their ideal clientele.

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:

Kim Wong Harwood of Volo Works tells us about her entrepreneurial journey, all the way from probation officer through piano teacher to peer to peer marketplace. Each of these unique experiences led her to where she is today and bring different skills to the table, some of which are a bit surprising!

Show Quote:

"You shouldn’t have to climb a mountain to get people to know about your business." 

"With this new pivot we’ve solved the chicken and egg problem." 

"There are other listing sites, but you have to know about them before you can search. We’re taking it to the next level." 

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Capturing Legacies Inc.

Episode Audio Editing: Kate Day - KD Sound Design

Graphic Design: Mackenzie Bedford

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan