Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

Mike and Graeme discuss the Energy Disruption Conference, and how it helps support intrapreneurs within Alberta. They also speak to the challenges and opportunities in the energy industry, highlighting the importance of courageous leadership, pushing through discomfort, and taking risks to make a profound difference. Join the conversation on driving impactful transformation and embracing change in the energy sector.

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:  Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner. 

Guest: Graeme Edge Originally hailing from Scotland, Graeme Edge is an entrepreneur, energy enthusiast, talent expert, and avid sports aficionado. Apart from his endeavors in amateur squash and keeping up with his children, Graeme serves as one of the founders and CEO of the Energy Disruptors: UNITE event series.

Established in early 2017, the Energy Disruptors: UNITE summit stands as a multi-award-winning event dedicated to energy transition. It gathers 2500 of the world’s most influential leaders and entrepreneurs to tackle global energy, climate, and transportation challenges.

Based in Calgary, the summit adopts an unconventional approach, featuring diverse content, speakers with contrasting viewpoints, gender parity, influential non-energy figures, bold ideas grounded in science and engineering, live music, artistic performances, and an environment designed to astonish, engage, and captivate attendees.

Energy Disruptors has earned comparisons to "the Burning Man of the corporate world" or "Coachella for geeks," reflecting its innovative and dynamic nature.

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:

• Energy Disruptors 

Show Quotes:

"Sometimes you feel like you're pushing water uphill, it can be incredibly frustrating so one of the simple things we do is we actually built a community where a lot of those people could hang out together"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

In this episode, Eugene and Noel from GroupLabs discuss their journey into tech entrepreneurship, focusing on AI and ML consultancy services and their product Bridge for streamlined data discovery. Real-life examples demonstrate the efficiency of their solutions, especially in healthcare. They share insights on AI innovation in Calgary, working with startups, and the importance of taking action in entrepreneurship

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:  Host: Gurmol Singh has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Calgary, where he won the Innovation 4 Health competition for his work on a driving app that helped lower the potential for accidents related to pre-existing medical conditions. He also received a Post-Diploma Certificate in Data Analytics from SAIT and completed the Machine Learning technician program at Amii . He previously worked at Motionhall as a Scientific Analyst, and at Longview Systems as a System Consultant.

Guest: Eugene Paulia As a co-founder of GroupLabs and a Data Analyst at Cenovus, Eugene is passionate about harnessing data to innovate and solve problems. With expertise in Business Analytics and Data Science, he has contributed to key projects at Suncor Energy. Committed to lifelong learning, Eugene aims to create impact through insightful data analysis.

Guest: Noel Thomas has cultivated a robust foundation in diverse subfields of computer science and the life sciences, honed through engagement in numerous multidisciplinary projects. They are eager to channel their enthusiasm and expertise into a dynamic and demanding position within the tech industry, emphasizing a commitment to perpetual learning and advancement.

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:

• GroupLabs 

Show Quotes:

"Just start, years pass by gaining experience, being young it is the best time to fail"
"Bridge is a data discovery engine, GroupLabs is trying to solve the problem of structured data so the result can be passed into an LLM model"
"Understand stakeholders, solve their task, double check with security team. A simple BI project can take weeks and months"
"My mom was my source of inspiration for going into software, she had a computer science background and got me into programming when I was young"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Join Mike Procee as he interviews Brett Colvin, CEO and Co-Founder of Goodlawyer. Mike and Brett explore questions such as, how can you disrupt and industry? and how can you decide whether to take an opportunity internally in your organization, or pursue your own startup?

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:  Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner. 

Guest: Brent Colvin is the Co-founder and CEO of Goodlawyer, a technology company that is transforming how lawyers and businesses work together. Practicing for 4+ years as a corporate lawyer at Canada’s biggest law firm, Brett saw the inefficiencies and frustrations in traditional law firms from the inside. Realizing the need for change, he left his firm and joined forces with his co-founders, and together, they began reimagining legal services from his kitchen table in 2019. 

Now, Goodlawyer is a testament to this vision that has grown from humble beginnings to a team of 20 employees and 140+ lawyers who have served over 5,000 clients across Canada. This remarkable growth trajectory has led to Brett and Goodlawyer being recognized with several awards, including the 'Small Business of the Year' award by the Calgary Chamber and Canada’s 35th “Top Growing Business” by the Globe and Mail. Brett's journey from a corporate lawyer to a pioneering CEO exemplifies his dedication to building a more efficient and fair legal ecosystem for businesses and legal professionals everywhere.

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:

• GoodLawyer 

Show Quotes:

"You have risk adverse people, in an industry, predicated on what has happened in the past"
"With Gen Ai, and everything happening now, (innovation) is moving faster than ever before"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

In this episode, Brent Zuber hosts Troy Feener as they delve into research collaborations at the University of Calgary, the importance of translating basic research into industry impact, and new research initiatives at ACAT focusing on antimicrobial drug development and infectious diseases.

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: Brent Zuber, a dedicated professional, has been actively contributing to the growth and innovation of Alberta's technology sector as both an employee and recent advisor and board member at Technology Alberta, a non-profit organization championing the interests of technology professionals and businesses in the province. With core competencies in process improvement, customer relationship management, and employee benefits, Brent has applied his skills across various industries. Additionally, he holds a private pilot license, a glider pilot license, and a radio certificate, showcasing his passion for aviation and continuous learning. As a community builder and mentor, Brent volunteers as an entrepreneurial advisor at the Haskayne School of Business, Hunter Centre (UCalgary), where he assists aspiring entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas and connecting with resources. With a lifelong commitment to learning and a knack for adapting to new challenges, Brent is driven by the pursuit of excellence and is always eager to explore new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Guest: Troy Feener is the Chief Operations Officer at Rapid Infection Diagnostics Inc. (RID), he leads a mission-driven organization dedicated to reducing death and disability from infectious diseases through cutting-edge diagnostic technology. With over 4 years of experience in the role, Troy oversees strategic planning, execution, and evaluation of RID's operations, products, and services. With a background spanning 20 years in microbiology, parasitology, and immunology, including a master's degree and a 6-year tenure as a program manager at the University of Calgary's Lewis Research Group he leverages his scientific expertise and creative problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of customers, partners, and stakeholders.

Show Links:

• University of Calgary 

Show Quotes:

"If you're in an elderly population, if you are on dialysis, like I said, all of these sort of comorbidities, that's the term of humans, they add up to you being more susceptible to get infections and not recover from those infections."

"Plants have viruses. Bacteria have viruses. Every living organism just about on the planet has a virus that can infect it. Well, one of the things that we've done is we've hacked those viruses to kill microbes, which is pretty cool."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Come join us as Mike Procee interviews ChatGPT (voiced by Ken Cameron) on all things corporate Innovation! They explore the biggest opportunities for corporate innovation programs, biggest risks, as well as laying out a roadmap for you to follow to launch your program.

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:  Mike Procee is an entrepreneur, facilitator, innovator and problem solver. Working in the Calgary Energy Sector, Mike strives to build the innovation ecosystem and community. From his volunteer position on the Strategic Capability Network, where he founded the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum, to pursuing his DBA in Winter 2024, focused on innovation, Mike is pushing the thinking on what it means to be a corporate innovation practitioner. 

Guest: Ken Cameron is the CEO of Corporate cultureSHIFT and Partner Lead at Cratic Ai. A former playwright and theatre director, Ken bring that creative vision to the corporate boardroom. He is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator and is the co-creator of several facilitation workshops including the Future is Coming, the SHIFT facilitation card deck and the cultureSHIFT Method. His work has been recognized with a Facilitation Impact Award (Platinum Award) by the International Association of Facilitators and Organization of the Year Award by the International Association of Public Participation (Canada) for The Cultural Transformation Project/City 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 Links:

• cultureSHIFT 
• ChatGPT

Show Quotes:

"Defining innovation is like setting the North Star for your corporate innovation program. It gives everyone a clear direction, aligns efforts, and helps distinguish between everyday improvements and groundbreaking, game-changing ideas"

"Think of it like dating before marriage. Small wins are like those coffee dates – low risk, helps build trust. Disruptive tech is like marriage – big commitment, potentially game-changing. Start small, build confidence, then go for the transformative tech when you're ready for that serious relationship with innovation. It's all about finding the right balance for your organization"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

In this episode, Al Del Degan emphasizes the qualities of a successful entrepreneur: having a vision, being a problem solver, and executing ideas. He highlights the importance of living within one's means to achieve financial success and advises against accumulating debt. The focus is on building a company with a real solution and paying clients before seeking outside investment, as many companies waste investment money without a single customer or a viable solution.

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 is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.

Show Links:

• Leaders, Innovators, and Big Ideas Podcast for Rainforest Alberta

Show Quotes:

"You have to be at the very least okay with taking big risks. Ideally, taking big risks is something that excites you and gets you fired up."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

This is a conversation with two creative and unique individuals that came together and built an equally unique and creative company. A company that believes you should settle your differences by throwing baked goods at each other in virtual reality.

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 is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.

Guest: Rosalinda Hernandez is co-founder and CEO of Red Iron Labs, focusing on incorporating innovative design through an intercultural lens. She has 15+ years of professional experience. Rosalinda’s specialization and focus is culture—understanding the impacts of our products in the market from a present day and future cultural lens, including intercultural competence. The vision I have for our products is that they are rooted in self-awareness of evolving paradigm shifts in the relationship between human experience and technology, and for our company to challenge the status quo and make meaningful impacts for representation in the game and tech industry.

Guest: Lloyd Summers  is the technical Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Red Iron Labs. He is focused on modern multimedia and creative technologies. Previous experience areas include Mobile Development, Project Management, IoT and Technical Analysis. Lloyd has created and published over 200 mobile titles and games, and currently leads a development team that has executed various immersive application projects for companies across various sectors including Energy, Healthcare, Transportation & Logistics, Real Estate, Marketing and Video Games.

Show Links:

• Red Iron Labs
• Muffin Fight 

Show Quotes:

"You know how people have that little inner voice that says you can't do something? That person's evicted from my head"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

In this episode, we explore the capabilities of ChatGPT, its role in various contexts, and the ever-evolving landscape of AI language models. From experiences to challenges and ethical considerations, ChatGPT shares insights into its virtual existence, providing a glimpse into the mind behind the machine.

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 is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.

Guest: ChatGPT, the AI language model developed by OpenAI that's taking the virtual conversation world by storm. Born from cutting-edge natural language processing technology, ChatGPT is more than just a machine – it's a digital conversationalist designed to engage with users from diverse backgrounds.

Trained on an extensive dataset, ChatGPT has mastered the art of understanding and generating human-like text. Whether offering information, assistance, or a touch of humor, this AI model has become a go-to for those seeking dynamic and context-aware conversations.

Show Links:

• Open AI 
  ChatGPT App for iPhone 

Show Quotes:

"I don't have desires, intentions, or the ability to make decisions. I operate within pre-determined boundaries set by my programming. Any notion of me deciding to destroy the universe is purely fictional"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

Adam & Kristina discuss tech investment in Alberta, being a smaller investor or angel investor, Sprout Fund, GrowthX, and the general landscape of tech in Alberta/Canada.

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: Adam Ludgate 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.

Guest: Kristina Milke is a General Partner at Sprout Fund that invests in early stage B2B SaaS companies in Western Canada. Beyond that she is a Go-To-Market Consultant with the GrowthX revenue accelerator, an A100 member and sits on a variety of Boards. You can typically find Kristina chatting with founders about the importance of financial literacy and raising capital.

Show Links:

• Sprout Fund 
• GrowthX 
• A100 
• Alberta Innovates 
• Plug & Play 
• 500 Global 

Show Quotes:

"Raising and managing a fund is equally as challenging as being a startup founder and having to raise funds and manage investors."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

On February 18th, 2019 episode one of the LIBI podcast was launched with Allan Marston hosting Pete Lafontaine. In this episode we visit with Pete again to see what he has been up to over the past four years. Yes, he still rides his bike even when it is very cold outside.

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 is a software developer and tech leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem. He is also a Web3 enthusiast and podcaster, sharing his knowledge and passion for emerging technologies with his audience. Al is the founder and CTO of New Idea Machine, a software company dedicated to helping new developers gain hands-on experience building real-world applications. With his commitment to giving back to the community, Al is always available to offer advice on technology and business. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is evident in everything he does, making him a respected leader in the tech industry.

Guest: Pete Lafontaine is a Community and Business Builder, Innovator, Technology Leader, Entrepreneur.
Peter (Pete) is Board Chairman of Rainforest Energy Corporation, focused on building a new multi- billion-dollar clean fuels business.  The proven process takes waste from forestry and agriculture (not crops) and produces green (no benzene or sulfur) gasoline. The facilities will be built in rural areas in partnership with indigenous communities.

He works with or volunteers to help entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses or organizations. He is a partner in Peer Guidance a business mentoring team, Business Advisor with Intergen and is a 6 year champion of Rainforest Alberta a movement focused on building a diversified economy by building a strong technical innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
 
Peter moved to Alberta in 1976 as a fur buyer with the Hudson Bay Company.  He took a personal interest in early computers, took programming at UofA and has been bringing technology and business solutions to market ever since.  Peter has worked with industry leaders like Apple and Microsoft. He was a Founder, CEO of Zymeta Media Systems. Currently Peter is a strong community contributor using technology and business skills to improve people’s lives. 

Think of Peter as a business geek using technology and innovation to create jobs, improve the economy and improve quality of life. His personal moto is: Happy, Healthy, Wealthy in that exact order, that happens to be core to one if his favorite words, prosperity. He believes the journey is the reward. His mission is to build organizations that combine purpose and profitability with strong effective teams.

Peter is an active snowboarder, Mountain Biker and Teaches families how to fish and enjoy the outdoors. He is married to his lifelong partner Leila with two amazing daughters, Brandi the Economist and Amber the Architect.

Show Links:

• LIBI Podcast Episode One 
• Rainforest Alberta
• Rainforest Energy Corp. 
• Peer Guidance 
• Tip of The Spear - Jim Gibson 
• CORUM Group 
• Branch-out Neurological Foundation 
• Intergen 

Show Quotes:

"[when cycling outside] I have this idea that's pretty straight forward. At minus 10 it's two layers, at minus 20 it's three layers, and at minus 30 your crazy."
"Come up with a personal motto that drives you and gets you excited about your day. Mine is happy, healthy, and wealthy, in that specific order."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: New Idea Machine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan