"When we look at companies today, I'm reminded of what it was like - just how bleak it was - in that summer of 2000. You can play through that as an investor and an entrepreneur." Mark McQueen, President & Executive Managing Director - CIBC Innovation Banking, compares 2022 with past downturns to track what's changed and remained constant. Sponsored by Diuca .
"Trust, and Indigenous impact measurement, and the wellbeing of Indigenous families sit alongside risk and return. In fact, in our fund, sit significantly above risk and return as investment considerations." Raven Capital Managing Partner Paul Lacerte explains how the firm invests in Indigenous impact entrepreneurs in a culturally safe way. Originally aired September 30, 2021. Sponsored by Diuca .
"Other conferences are phoning it in." Startupfest's Alistair Croll and Olivia Rossi join to explain how Canada's Original Startup Conference has changed in its major return to IRL and the amount of tech they're building to make meeting people easy again. Sponsored by Diuca .
"The worst outcome for Rogers is an actual real competitor, which is what we are. They know we're going to bring prices down and they don't want prices to come down." Globalive co-founder and chairman Anthony Lacavera shares why he was forced to sell Wind Mobile, and explains why it's so hard to repurchase it now as Freedom Mobile as part of the (contested) Rogers / Shaw merger. Welcome to Competitiontown. Sponsored by Linebox Studio ....
"So are you saying that Canadian tech is under-appreciated?" A special Collision edition of our monthly AMA episode, answering listener questions about: the current downturn mood, cool tech we saw at the conference, and the ROI of events for the ecosystem. Sponsored by Linebox .
"Everybody I meet keeps asking me 'where's Shopify?'" Collision's Paddy Cosgrave discusses the conference's second first impression in Toronto, tech downturns, and if Canadian startups can handle the pressure. Sponsored by RBC .
“It’s like you’re getting married and writing your prenup and your divorce agreement on the day you get married.” Elizabeth MacRae (Village Wellth) explains how YouTubers, Boomers, and banks with favourable terms are fuelling an explosion in acquisition entrepreneurship. Sponsored by RBC .
“We have really no programming to teach mentors, it’s all tribal.” Brice Scheschuk (Wind Mobile, Globalive) discusses the CDL session that gave him imposter syndrome, prompting the launch of MindFrame Connect to improve the craft of mentorship and create more resilient entrepreneurs. Sponsored by RBC . Originally aired Nov 8, 2021.
"I have to note the huge sigh that was just expressed through Tony's entire being." RBCx's Anthony Mouchantaf (AKA, Tony Dagger) returns as a special guest to help answer listener-submitted questions about: the potential of no more VCCI funding for Canadian VCs; the bubble-bursting reality currently hitting Canadian tech companies; and whether or not wearables are cool again. Sponsored by RBC .
“The unforeseen consequences of this stuff has ripples throughout society that in the most generous interpretation we didn’t see coming, but can no longer deny.” Former OneEleven executive director Siri Agrell explains why she believes politicians shouldn't use social media; CCI's Alanna Sokic explains why the Ontario budget is not a budget. Sponsored by Osler .
"That impact that's being felt in the public markets will start to trickle down to the earlier rounds." Damien Steel, managing partner and head of ventures at OMERS Ventures, takes umbrage with how valuations - or more specifically, the sticker price placed on funding rounds - are paraded in the media. Sponsored by Osler .
"We're very social creatures, so human-to-human connection is ultimately what we're craving even if we are working in a digital-by-design or remote-first environment." Shawn Hewat, CEO and co-founder of Wavy, joins to discuss burnout and talent churn in the new remote & hybrid world, and how tech companies are trying to manage and measure culture. Sponsored by Osler and Cisco .
"Potentially it does have the opportunity to create thousands of jobs here in Canada." CCI president Ben Bergen and VP Dana O’Born join to tackle the big talent changes that pre-empted #Budget2022 , before channelling our inner Paul Wells to investigate the light on details Canadian Innovation and Investment Agency and Canada Growth Fund. Sponsored by Osler and Cisco ....
"That kind of gives me a brain boner. I get pretty excited." Changes to the Competition Act are coming. Can a "whole of government" approach break Canada's oligopolies? Policy wonk Vass Bednar joins to read the tea leaves from Budget 2022. Sponsored by Osler and Cisco .
“I both love and hate this question.” BetaKit Associate Editor Meagan Simpson joins for her second AMA episode to answer a complex bunch of listener questions: what did the New York Times get wrong about Toronto tech? Is the Globe anti-competition? What should the banks do with their excess profits? What are the dangers of troll capital? Sponsored by Osler and Cisco .
"What’s it like when an app doesn’t just connect you to a doctor… it’s the medicine?" A4i's Amos Adler and Dr. Sean Kidd join to discuss the difference between telemedicine and digital therapeutics, supporting complex mental health challenges with an app, and the struggles of Canada's healthcare system. Sponsored by Cisco .
"There's such a heavy emotional toll of uncertainty and not knowing what's going to happen with your life." Ilya Brotsky (CEO of VanHack) and Daryna Kulya (co-founder and COO of OpenPhone) discuss Ukraine tech, connections to Canada, and ways to help Ukrainians fleeing war. Related links: Stetsenko Foundation Ukraine to Canada
"Here's something that I didn't anticipate when we began doing these conversations across provinces: they don't talk to each other." CCI's Ben Bergen and Bronte Valk walk through Alberta and BC's latest budget commitments before answering two key questions: what impact can provincial governments have on tech, and how do local tech ecosystems impact their governments?
“Recognize that we’re going from an unprecedented monetary boom cycle to probably an unprecedented monetary contractionary cycle.” RBCx's Director of Venture Capital, Anthony Mouchantaf, joins to discuss the current Canadian tech boom, and explain why "all that glitters is not gold." Sponsored by RBC Ventures and Venture for Canada .
"League of Innovators is trying to solve this problem of how we identify and accelerate young entrepreneurs." LOI Venture founder and GP, Ryan Holmes, discusses investment in youth entrepreneurship, the changing eras of Canadian tech, and life after Hootsuite. Sponsored by the University of Toronto and Venture for Canada .
"What is your vibe right now about Canadian tech?" Co-hosts Douglas Soltys and Rob Kenedi are joined by BetaKit associate editor Meagan Simpson to answer listener questions submitted LIVE during a special Twitter Spaces AMA edition of the BetaKit Podcast. Sponsored by Pocketed .
"Has this podcast been fact-checked?" Josh O'Kane (The Globe & Mail) and Katie Jensen (Vocal Fry Studios) join to discuss what the Joe Rogan Experience controversy means for podcasters, tech platforms, and the rise of misinformation coinciding with the democratization of media. Sponsored by Float .
"We're proving that we can build these massive businesses in Canada. I think the confidence level has never been higher." Mike Potter (Rewind), Stephany Lapierre (TealBook), and Lloyed Lobo (Boast.ai) discuss building tech companies in Canada, and why their companies may soon be unicorns. Recorded live at SAAS NORTH. Sponsored by Float .
"There's now a new premium on company culture that didn't exist before." Kelly Schmitt (Benevity) and Mike Murchison (Ada) discuss their company's journey to a $1 billion valuation, scaling and keeping talent in Canada, and how mo' money can lead to mo' problems. Recorded live at SAAS NORTH. Sponsored by Float .
“I don’t know why we continue to make the same mistakes.” The Canadian Shield made 16 million face shields at the start of the pandemic. And then they stopped. Why did they stop? What stopped them? President Jeremy Hedges joins to explain the procurement issues that prevented the company from selling their product to hospitals, LTC facilities, and the average consumer when they needed them. Sponsored by Float .
"When you design for the edges, you get the middle for free." Maayan Ziv (AccessNow) and Samuel Proulx (Fable) discuss the process of improving accessibility in both the real and virtual worlds.
BetaKit associate editor Meagan Simpson leads a panel conversation with JD St-Martin (Lightspeed) and Joost Ouwerkerk (Hopper) about the desire (or need?) for SaaS companies to offer new financial services. Recorded live at SAAS NORTH.
"Imagine that the bank is a program." Conduit co-founder Kirill Gertman joins to explain why he's so excited about the prospects of decentralized finance, what's still missing in the DeFi stack, and the open question of what happens when banking becomes pure software. Sponsored by SVB and Innovate BC .
"This episode is going to get a little bit SaaS-y." A highlight of BetaKit's interviews at SAAS NORTH, featuring: Alexandra Sukin (Bessemer Venture Partners), Steve Munford (Trulioo), Irene Zhou (Plaid), Anthony Mouchantaf (RBCx), Tamara Grominsky (Unbounce), and Leo Lax (L-SPARK). Listen to the full interviews on BetaKit.com or SoundCloud.com/BetaKit . Sponsored by SVB and Innovate BC ....
"We think we need to get to 14 $1 billion revenue companies." New Communitech CEO Chris Albinson outlines the Waterloo Region tech hub's new True North strategy, its goals, and what that has to do with Shopify and the Olympics. Sponsored by SVB and Innovate BC .
