The Canadian Federation of Independent Business marks its fifty-year anniversary this year starting out from humble beginnings back in 1967 when they were just a small organization consisting of only about 150 member companies at that time. Nowadays there are over 100 thousand members spread across all provinces making it an essential institution for founders who want a voice against larger players trying to take advantage of them on taxes or other issues that might come up later down the line. We recently got the chance to chat with Dan Kelly, President and CEO of CFIB at our small business podcast. He's a man who needs little introduction and is well-known for his work in the business industry, as he has been involved in many major innovations over the decades.  Dan has played many legislative and policy roles, including work on the growing shortage of labour, training and immigration, banking and credit cards, and government finance and taxation.In this podcast, Dan shares CFIB's greatest accomplishment in its 50-year history and discusses how we can better support small businesses as the economy opens again. CFIB played a very critical role in helping small businesses in Canada during covid as well as moving forward, where Dan Kelly as the president and CEO of CFIB worked 24/7 serving the small businesses community in Canada.  

With the pandemic seemingly coming to an end, employers are working hard to create a back-to-work plan that works for all. Leaders are aware that some employees are excited to get back to the office while others have embraced remote work. To complicate the issue, some employers are finding that they are losing their talent for a variety of reasons. Welcome to the latest episode of a small business podcast where I’m joined by Leon Goren, President and Chief Executive Officer of PEO Leadership, who has over 25 years of leadership experience in helping business owners and executives realize their personal and organizational goals. He states “As a leader, it’s imperative that you really understand why your employees are choosing to leave the organization this time around,” In this podcast Leon shares information about a free 8 Week Executive Program and what are the benefits of enrolling in it, he also shares how businesses can retain their employees in a very volatile environment. 

Small business owners and entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to save money, improve efficiency and make the most of their company's time. Business technology is a key way that people can do this; digitization solutions offer many benefits to small businesses at an affordable rate. Welcome to the latest episode of the small business podcast where I’m joined with Andrew Graham. Andrew Graham is the Vice President of Virtual Sales for Ricoh Canada Inc. He oversees the go-to-market strategy for the small and medium-size business sector across Canada and leads a national team of sales and support professionals who specialize in integrated solutions that best meet the needs of their customers. In this podcast,  Andrew shares his thoughts on the most popular small business technology/digitization solutions so far and where he believes the value is for small business owners to invest in. Andrew also shared his advice for others leading, managing, or even thinking about the future of an all-virtual, remote or hybrid team.

UPS has been a crucial partner to small businesses in the development of their companies. UPS is always there when you need them, with reliable and timely shipping services that enable delivery on time every day.UPS has provided an invaluable service for those who want to be successful within the competitive world of entrepreneurship by providing cost-effective transport solutions that meet all your needs wherever they are located; from coastlines or congested urban centers alike.Welcome to the latest episode of the small business podcast where I’m joined with Paul Gaspar, director of small business for UPS Canada. He is responsible for educating and informing small businesses about the customized services, technologies and innovations available to them at UPS. He works with a team of small business ambassadors who help communicate how to better leverage UPS tools to help them grow and expand both domestically and internationally. In this podcast, Paul shares how UPS has contributed to the development of the small business sector and aided in their growth and success and discussed some of the biggest challenges for small-scale businesses in Canada especially emerging from the pandemic in such an uncertain and volatile market. 

Flow Alkaline Spring Water just announced a 97% net revenue growth in the first half of fiscal 2021 and to discuss this magnanimous feat, in today’s episode of the CanadianSME podcast, we have the Founder and Executive Chairman of Flow Nicholas Reichenbach as well as the CEO Maurizio Patarnello with us.Flow is a premium alkaline spring water company with a diversified line of health and wellness-oriented beverage products sold online and at retailers throughout North America.In this podcast, Nicholas reveals the idea and motivation behind coming up with the idea for FLOW and how has the journey been ever since. Maurizio also details the positions he’s held throughout his career and what drew him towards FLOW. Additionally, Nicholas and Maurizio elaborate on their future plans for Flow.Flow set out to be a sustainable brand, packaging its products in up to 75% renewable-resource-based Tetra Pak™ cartons utilizing sustainable operations. In line with this, Nicholas and Maurizio give us an insight into how important it is for them to be sustainable and what upcoming entrepreneurs can learn from their journey.   

Lori-Ann Jakel, the founder of Stand Up and Speak, is a published poet, author, and public speaker. Also a hands-on mother and a grandmother, Lori-Ann Jakel is a public speaking coach who motivates and trains future champions. Jakel believes that the greatest soft skill a person can learn is the ability to communicate effectively. Considering that people at every stage in their lives require to speak and communicate with others but might be lacking the skills to get their points across, Jakel launched her own solo venture to help such people prepare for the future. We recently got the chance to interview Lori-Ann Jakel and learn more about how to Stand Up and Speak is helping bring out a change in the lives of many individuals, from students to adults. Also, we try to understand Jakel’s vision behind something so different and the motivation behind coming up with the idea to establish Stand Up and Speak. In this podcast, Jakel also gives us an insight into the benefits of communicating well and how her organization has helped people from all around the globe including India, China, Malaysia, the United States, and Canada. 

With the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns in place, many aspects of the business world changed and entrepreneurs are still feeling the impact of that change. It is no surprise that this unprecedented situation has created havoc for the business owners and because of the lack of proper technology and resources, the challenges have only heightened. To match the evolving needs of business owners, HP solutions is trying to overcome the technological barriers with modernization and innovation. Mary Ann Yule, the President, and CEO of HP Canada Co. is one of the key figures leading this change. She brings 20 years of extensive experience as a leader in the technology industry on the table and is credited with establishing HP amongst the most sustainable technology company in Canada as well as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. In this episode of the CanadianSME podcast, we have Mary Ann Yule herself, here to discuss the challenges that the business world is facing right now and how HP Canada is trying to play an irreplaceable part in helping bring about a transformation. Yule also shares her thoughts on the role of digital technology in today’s age in comparison to a few years ago. Additionally, Yule believes in a diverse and inclusive work culture, which she tries to bring about in her organization as well. We also try to understand if she found it difficult to juggle all of the different technological strategies and platforms in order to better promote her business and reach a broader audience.

The pandemic has deeply changed how we functioned at our workplaces, exacerbating the already existing need for IT and technology skills for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs. Going by the conclusion of a study conducted by Cisco, “75% of IT decision-makers around the world said their teams face a shortage of skills and skilled workers. Job postings for tech roles far outpace non-tech jobs, which is 30% up from pre-pandemic levels.”The future of work and our economy relies on a commitment to address the growing digital skills gap in Canada that has been accelerated by COVID-19. To discuss this, we have the President of Cisco Canada, Shannon Leininger as our guest on the podcast today. With her passion to help people overcome business challenges, Shannon is an innovative visionary who believes in the power of careful planning and strategy.Shannon Leininger has played an active role throughout her career to champion diversity and inclusion in the workspace. As the President of Cisco Canada, Shannon oversees many facets of her organization’s business including sales, finance, engineering, marketing, operations, and services. In this episode, we tried to understand from Shannon what she is trying to achieve with a partnership between Cisco Canada, New Brunswick’s Department of Education, and CyberNB. Shannon also elaborated on the different skills that she believes is an absolute must for business owners and what would happen if Canada was not able to bridge the skill gap in the coming years.

We recently got the chance to speak to Jim Filice who is the Vice President and Head of New Payments at Visa Canada. Responsible for market engagement in new payment and data flows such as real-time payments, global money movement, open banking, and others, Filice is the brains behind Visa Canada’s strategies. With over 20+ years of experience in the payments and fintech sector, Jim is passionate about helping improve the lives of many Canadians and their families living around the world. Based in Toronto, he is a key member of Visa’s Canadian Leadership Team and active with industry groups including FDX and DIACC bringing his extensive industry knowledge and deep experience in payments strategy and innovation.In this podcast, Jim discusses Wave, an instant payment solution powered by Visa Direct. Highlighting some of the main features, Jim also gives us an insight into his new role as the Head of New Payments at Visa Canada and what are the new challenges, in his opinion.Additionally, Jim highlights how Visa is a long-standing supporter of small businesses, providing a range of resources to SBs prior to the pandemic and continuing to do so. Visa encourages SBs to visit Visa’s Small Business Hub. It’s a localized online resource centre, providing tools, partner offers and information on how to start, run and grow digital-first small businesses. Also, Visa recently awarded ten, $10,000 CAD grants to Canadian women-owned small businesses as part of the first She’s Next Grant Program in partnership with IFundWomen. Building on the success of the first program, Visa Canada just announced the expansion of the She’s Next Grant Program. Ten additional women entrepreneurs in Canada will be awarded grants of $10,000 CAD each and receive business coaching for one year to support growing and expanding their business. Now until August 3, applications will be open to Canadian women entrepreneurs across all sectors at https://ifundwomen.com/visacanada.

Over the next five years, Canadian businesses that are not digitally intensive are projected to lose 46% in foregone annual revenue.  Data like this can be found in the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship’s newly released report, Picking up Speed: Digital Maturity in Canadian SMEs and Why Increasing it Matters, which was created with support from Xero, a cloud-based accounting software platform for small businesses.  Canadian SMEs still significantly lag behind larger firms in foundational technologies, such as social media use and e-commerce, and not enough small businesses are taking advantage of the internet to make sales. Building on the Board’s extensive network of business support and training programs, this report is another critical tool for Ontario’s business owners and policymakers who are not only looking to weather the pandemic but to emerge from it even stronger than before.  We recently got the chance to speak with Faye Pang, Canada Country Manager for Xero. Faye brings nearly 15 years of experience building businesses from the ground up.  As a leader, Faye prioritizes growth above all else and practises authenticity, transparency, and empathy in the way she manages her team. She strongly believes that we all have a set of values that we have to live by at all times (rather than keeping our work and personal lives separate), and keeps this consideration top-of-mind when championing her team’s growth, both personally and professionally. She is passionate about creating systems that lift women up while tackling the hierarchical barriers that have disproportionately affected women in the workplace.In this podcast, Faye discusses why SMEs need to digitize and how initiatives like the Board’s Recovery Activation Program (RAP) can help them in doing so.

Recently, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in response to the Ontario government’s decision to move to Step Two of the Reopening Roadmap on June 30.“The facts are clear about Ontario’s reopening plan: we have achieved benchmarks for Step Three, yet we are taking a modest earlier move into Step 2. With nearly one-third of Ontarians fully vaccinated and our positivity rate dropping to the lowest since early Fall, we urge the government to closely monitor the indicators for reopening so we can confidently move to the next stage of a safe reopening of our economy sooner than anticipated. Continued supports, such as an additional round of the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, will be critical to help keep businesses afloat”We recently had the chance to chat with Mr. Rossi, a  successful entrepreneur and business executive, champion fundraiser, and dedicated public servant. Rocco Rossi joined the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in 2018 as President and CEO.In this podcast, he discussed how the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is helping its business community during this challenging time and discussed his thoughts on Ontario Chambers of Commerce's call for more support for small businesses as the province takes conservative steps towards reopening. 

Digital Main Street recently released some new metrics around their ShopHERE powered by Google program. The program builds websites for Canadian small businesses that were forced to close their doors (temporarily or permanently) due to the pandemic. It also hires college and university students, to build the websites for the businesses.We got a chance to speak to Tristan Lee, Tristan is Google Canada's Small and Medium Business Marketing Lead. He and his team are dedicated to helping small and medium businesses embrace the power of digital to succeed in Canada and abroad. Prior to joining Google, Tristan spent 6 years in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, leading marketing for a number of the company's health and beauty brands.In this interview, Tristan discusses Canada's economic recovery and how investments in eCommerce and digital skills helped keep Canadian SMBs afloat during the pandemic.

Jigsaw helps small & medium-sized business owners succeed by focusing on the highest impact opportunities to build their businesses, while staying true to their life's ambitions - building sustainable businesses that work for their lives, rather than competing with them.From strategic repositioning to streamlining of management systems, they teach clients to look holistically at their businesses, analyzing what’s working / not working, setting clear priorities, and building step-by-step roadmaps.  We recently got the chance to chat with Jane Iannacone, Founder and CEO of Jigsaw Performance. Jane is a business consultant and strategist who helps business owners develop the mindset and skills they need to create sustainable businesses. She transforms businesses, teaching owners to be more strategic by looking at the business in a different way. You and your business will flourish under Jane’s guidance.  In this podcast, Jane shared her definition of leadership and what leadership skills should small business owners adopt to cope with these tough times. She also added her advice to women entrepreneurs during this crisis and what is really required for small business owners to create high-impact results during these challenging times?   

Simply Group provides innovative financing solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial projects throughout Canada. The company is one of Canada’s fastest-growing home energy solutions and consumer lending companies, committed to giving individuals and business owners peace of mind by finding the right financing solution for their renovation needs. Simply Group continues to have an extraordinary reputation and has been recognized for four straight years by the Great Place to Work® Institute Canada.We recently got the chance to chat with Lawrence Krimker, CEO, Simply Group. Lawrence Krimker has become one of North America’s most accomplished business leaders. As he has managed to revolutionize the residential and commercial energy sector, successfully disrupting and transforming an industry that had grown complacent. Simply Group was born from Lawrence’s vision to change the way Canadians think about home comfort. Lawrence continues to push the company forward with a strong focus on innovation and an unwavering commitment to building mutually beneficial relationships with its dealer network, OEMs, and consumers. In this podcast, Lawrences discusses what sets Simply Group apart from other companies in the same industry and shares the main aspects that have contributed to the company’s growing success. In this interview, he also describes his entrepreneurship journey and how innovation played a role in it.

One of the most powerful tools in a business's arsenal is analytics. In this interview, you'll find a breakdown of the different ways analytics can help your business grow.We recently had the chance to chat with Eric Huang, the Founder and CEO of Advanced Analytics and Research Lab, an affordable hybrid analytic services and solutions provider, consultancy and education shop. The company helps organizations to fully streamline and utilize data to increase productivity, improve insights and ultimately achieve their goals. He has worked in various capacities in consulting, business development, finance, and academia, and has experience teaching undergraduate and master level students in a fun, engaging, and practical ways. Eric is a fun and friendly individual who loves to learn about everything in the world and is also an avid coffee drinker, barista, photographer and volunteer.In this podcast, Eric shares some strategies on how small businesses can maximize their productivity and how business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs can bounce back from uncertainty and start businesses under challenging circumstances. 

For more than 20 years, Canada has invested in establishing a strong foundation of cutting-edge labs, equipment and facilities at universities and colleges across the country. That these laboratories were ready to perform under the most urgent circumstances reflects Canada’s foresight and dedication to research that benefits everyone.We recently got the chance to chat with Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.  She has led a number of universities in Canada and the U.S. and has served on many boards including the National Bank of Canada, LifeNet, the Club of Rome, Jean Coutu, and as President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Foundation for International Training, and the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Foundation. She has received a number of academic and civic honors and awards from several countries and has a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas.In this podcast, Roseann discussed what the CFI is all about, how it decides on its funding priorities and helps the private sector leverage the incredible investments made in research infrastructure across Canada. 

Sage’s “Global distributors transform to adapt, survive and thrive” report, which captures how distributors around the world, including North America, are responding to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Across Canada and globally, distributors have had to rapidly transform their operations to meet increased consumer demand by being innovative and agile,” said Daniel Oh, VP, Medium Segment at Sage. “Cloud technology enhanced with AI capabilities and data analytics will be critical for future-proofing supply chain operations. Organizations will need to adapt and scale at a moment’s notice to meet fluctuating demands as e-commerce and next-day delivery becomes the industry standard.”We recently had the chance to chat with Daniel Oh, Vice President of Sage’s Medium Business Segment. Where he oversees the sales team that supports Sage’s SMB customers. In this podcast, Daniel shared the key findings from the report, and discussed to what extent do the survey’s findings apply to Canada and what are some implications the survey’s findings have for Canadian SMEs? 

ADP Canada released their latest Workplace Insights Survey results, which explores the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian workers and its disproportionate effect on remote workers specifically. Self-reported results from the survey demonstrate that 30% of working Canadians are paying a ‘COVID tax’, which is the additional hours Canadians are working since the pandemic. When looking at remote workers specifically, the survey found nearly half (44%) are logging more hours, which is more than double than findings revealed in April 2020 (21% reported working more hours), with one in ten reported working an additional day or more (8+ hours) per week.We recently got the chance to chat with Ed Yeun, Vice-President of Strategy and Business Development at ADP Canada. Ed leads the strategic planning process, partnership and acquisition programs, and key strategic initiatives for Canada.In this podcast, Ed shared some of the key findings from the Workplace Insights Survey by ADP, a few tips and strategies for workplace mental health during and after COVID-19 and how to cope with job stress and build resilience during the pandemic. 

Canadian Payroll Association released the findings from the Essential Benefits Survey, which revealed that while employers have frequently turned to ‘perks’ such as free lunches, casual dress, gym memberships to try to connect with the next generation, the foremost concern for Generation Z and Millennial employees is the same as previous generations: accurate and timely pay.  We recently got the chance to speak with Manjit Minhas, Co-founder & CEO at Minhas Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries. She is the host of a Top 10 Apple Podcast (The Manjit Minhas Podcast) where she interviews top business leaders and CEOs to gain insight and to hear how you can too walk the path of success. She is an accomplished public speaker and mentor. Minhas is widely recognized for her role as the straight-talking tough Dragon investor with flair on the multi-award-winning CBC show, Dragons’ Den for the last 7 years/season. In this podcast, Manjit discussed the importance of the survey findings as a business owner and entrepreneur and shared her advice to employers on leading their teams through these rough times.  

For many SMEs, some areas — like Artificial Intelligence — can appear more daunting than others. Mitacs have developed a solution for SMEs to determine their readiness to adopt AI, to be able to work with world-leading AI experts and to do it in a cost-effective way. Companies will receive the support of artificial intelligence experts to undertake an eight-week project to evaluate their systems and discover real opportunities to use AI to achieve their business goals.We recently got the chance to chat with John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs. With extensive academic and research experience, background with industry and international partners, and deep knowledge of and commitment to the innovation ecosystem, Hepburn brings an extraordinary vision to Mitacs.In this podcast, John discussed how he instilled a culture of innovation within Mitacs, and how to keep abreast of opportunities for innovation within the market. He also shared strategies for overcoming resistance to change amongst key decision-makers and his tips on how small businesses can embrace innovation. 

To such inspiring mothers, wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day.As financial independence is playing an integral role in women’s life, they are beginning to recognize the impact of their decisions on their loved ones.On this mother’s day special we had the chance to chat with Chantal Mackenzie, Regional Vice President, Canada Protection Plan. where we discussed women’s awareness and education on important aspects of insurance when it comes to financial independence and family planning and the role of mothers in protecting themselves and loved ones in the event of an emergency as a crucial component to achieving financial independence.With over three decades of experience in the financial industry, Chantal Mackenzie is the Regional Vice President at Canada Protection Plan, a Foresters Financial Company for Alberta South, NWT/YT. As Vice President, she focuses on transforming and coaching advisors and general managing agencies with their business growth plans. With an impressive record of success in developing winning growth strategies and building effective teams, Chantal has set strategic direction for brokers and distributors through Canada Protection Plan's product solutions and tools.  Over the course of her career, her experience in growing organizations has ranged  from traditional and simplified issue insurance providers. 

Collaborate and celebrate with Education Consultants Canada (ECC) and pave the way to a life where there is no looking back.Studying abroad could be nerve-racking yet a pleasurable experience. Choose wisely and choose right!  It has its perks and risks, but with Education Consultants Canada (ECC) on board, one can sail the ship smoothly! Education Consultants Canada (ECC) caters to an umbrella of study programs from Masters, Bachelors programs to Diploma, Post-Graduate Certificate, College Certificate and Transfer programs.We recently got the chance to chat with Sanchaari Sen Rai, a  professional turned entrepreneur, Sanchari brings over 15 years of experience in client servicing, Operations & Marketing in diversified industries ranging from hospitality to financial & Retail. Ms. Sanchari is the founding chief executive officer for(ECC). Ms. Sanchari has a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality. In this podcast, she shared how does ECC Canada guides students to smoothen their transition with some tips for students to stay sane during the global pandemic? 

As you well know, small and medium businesses represent nearly 90% of the total private labour force in Canada, employing roughly 10.8 million individuals. Yet SMEs remain largely excluded from the conversation around sustainability, with most debates focusing on the roles of large companies and government policies. A joint Canada-wide action-research project between McGill University and the National Film Board of Canada is looking to change that.The PIVOT Project is being led by McGill Professor Dror Etzion, an Associate Professor of sustainability and business scholar.We recently got the chance to chat with Professor Dror Etzion, to give listeners a deeper look into the goals for the project and how they hope to achieve them. Through storytelling and research, the project aims to hold up a mirror to Canadians to showcase the concrete sustainable steps SMEs around the country are taking to contribute towards a greener future and highlighting the efforts of a large and important group in society currently excluded from the conversation.

The business community has taken a leadership role in diversity and inclusion with the creation of the Black North Initiative and the Canadian Chamber’s BIPOC Leadership Council over the past year. The Canadian Chamber has played a central role in supporting SMEs during the pandemic and getting programs put in place to help them.We recently got the chance to chat with Dr. Trevin Stratton, the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the largest and most influential business association in Canada representing a network of over 200,000 companies. In this role, Trevin evaluates economic conditions to develop national policies aimed at improving Canada’s economic performance, job creation, and the competitiveness of Canadian business. Prior to joining the Chamber, Trevin was named as Ottawa’s Forty Under 40 for founding and leading BDO Canada’s national economic development consulting line.In this podcast, Dr. Trevin shared his experience leading the business community through the most severe economic downturn in our lifetimes and what improvements will be made to better support Canadian businesses, after the Canadian Chamber Budget 2021 announcement.  

Statistics Canada recently issued its Labour Force Survey for the month of March. The report measures change in employment and analyze trends in Canada’s job market. For reference, the latest report found that employment in Canada increased by 259,000 jobs in February. Following the report’s publication, we got the chance to chat with Jim Mitchell, president of LHH to see their perspective on the findings. LHH is a leader in Canada’s employment industry, supporting organizations through a career transition, talent and skills development, recruitment, and leadership transformation. Jim leads the Executive Committee for LHH in Canada and is a global Executive Vice President. Prior to this role, Jim held the position of Senior Vice President and Managing Director for LHH’s US Midwest Region, responsible for providing highly effective talent management solutions in one of North America’s most globally dynamic labour markets.Because of LHH’s expertise and knowledge of Canada’s job market, as well as the latest trends in recruitment and workforce innovation, in this podcast, Jim provides a unique perspective on the qualitative insights and trends reported in the Labour Force Survey.

Studies show that 29% of businesses that face a data breach end up losing revenue. Of those that lost revenue, 38% experienced a loss of 20% or more. A non-functional website, for example, may cause potential customers to explore other options. But any IT system downtime can lead to work disruptions.We recently got a chance to chat with Charlie Regan, CEO of Nerds On Site. Charlie has made the company one of Canada’s highest IT solutions companies, with his expertise,  dedication, and years of experience in the tech industry. Understanding that the technology industry is evolving at an increasingly fast rate, Charlie brings an innovative approach with his team to ensure that clients are getting the best IT solutions in the market.In this podcast, Charlie talks about the best solutions for entrepreneurs when it comes to protecting their data and confidential information, who is really at risk of cyber attacks and what impact can cyber breaches have on the success of a company?Learn more about how Nerds On Site specializes in providing cost-effective, leading-edge solutions to Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), serving as the complete SME IT solution specialists.

Rural communities in Canada were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Relief efforts cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars, whereby extra support and supplies were flown in. This signals the need for clear social infrastructure plans and strategies, including digital access and literacy to ensure telehealth success.We recently got the chance to chat with Karimah es Sabar, Chair of the Health and Biosciences Economic Strategy Table. A highly recognized Canadian life sciences leader with broad international experience, Karimah Es Sabar has had a successful career spanning global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, start-ups, not-for-profit organizations and venture investment firms. In this podcast, Karimah discussed steps and policies that need to be addressed in order to further propel Canada to lead in the sector. This includes vaccine research and development, commercialization of key technologies and adopting innovative methods and techniques and what can we do to receive targeted investments across the sector.

Recently we had a chat with  Erica Hakonson. Erica Hakonson is the multi-award-winning entrepreneur at the helm of the B2B digital marketing agency, Maven Collective Marketing and Co-Founder of SaaS-based tech company, Orchestry Software.  Hakonson has been awarded Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Silver Award by the international Stevie Women in Business Awards, Editor's Choice by the CanadianSME National Business Awards, and Top Small Business Female Executive Bronze Award by DataBird Business Journal. Hakonson's passion for marketing and technology has also been published in the Globe and Mail, BC Business and Canadian SME Magazine. Outside of the office, Hakonson is an outdoor enthusiast residing in the outdoor recreation capital of Canada, Squamish, British Columbia with her two awesome tiny humans and heroic husband.In this podcast, Erica shared important tips for small businesses during the global pandemic and some marketing tactics that small businesses can implement in 2021. 

DirtMarket.ca was founded by two recent Brock University grads Emma Kirwin and Asad Jalib. It is an online marketplace for beneficial soil reuse. DirtMarket.ca helps save Ontario construction teams money by cutting out landfill tipping fees and reducing trucking fees. They have also been saving small businesses thousands of dollars throughout the pandemic and are committed to helping the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.We recently got the chance to chat with Emma and Asad. Emma is currently finishing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Brock University and calls London, ON home. Emma is passionate about chatting with the DirtMarket community and learning more about the construction industry every day. While Asad oversees DirtMarket and DirtTrack’s technology and continues to evolve the offerings to meet the demands of their users.In this podcast, they shared their biggest challenge as being young entrepreneurs, how they raise funding for their venture and shared a few tips and advice for other young entrepreneurs out there. 

Before the pandemic, our government was working to modernize and streamline Ontario’s rules and regulations. In order to restore Ontario’s competitiveness and unleash the full potential of our communities, it’s vital to simplify laws and procedures that impose needless burdens on people and businesses. The government is continuing this work with a real sense of urgency. As we head into the second year of battling this pandemic, the need to reform Ontario’s regulatory framework is greater than ever. Red tape reduction has a key role to play in tackling barriers to business and laying the foundation for a strong economic recovery.The Spring 2021 Red Tape Reduction Package is the next step in their plan to ease unnecessary burdens and help stimulate economic growth. The actions will benefit individuals, families and businesses by introducing new measures that will create the conditions for long-term investment and prosperity while enhancing the policies that protect our environment and keep us safe and healthy.We recently got the chance to chat with Honourable Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction Minister who joined us yesterday to give a full picture of Ontario’s burden reduction efforts, past and present, as well as specifics of what is contained in the legislation proposed by him.

Recently, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in reaction to further restrictions announced:“We recognize the restrictions brought in today are to help save lives and curtail the spread of the virus. However, in absence of further support, new restrictions will simply devastate Ontario’s business community. An expedited vaccine roll-out prioritizing essential workers who cannot work from home is critical to preventing these stops and starts that are so damaging for business. With the Ontario Business Support Grant coming to a close, we call for continued supports that will see businesses through the third wave of the crisis."We recently had the chance to chat with Mr. Rossi, a  successful entrepreneur and business executive, champion fundraiser, and dedicated public servant, Rocco Rossi joined the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in 2018 as President and CEO.In this podcast, he discussed how the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is helping its business community during this challenging time and discussed his thoughts on Ontario Chambers of Commerce's call for accelerated vaccine rollout to expedite the safe reopening of the economy.

Recently, the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) released Building Black Businesses in Canada, a rare study examining the needs of, and opportunities to support, Black entrepreneurs. The report, supported by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), provides a qualitative look at Black business owners across Canada and identifies a number of personas that bring their needs and characteristics to light.We recently had the chance to chat with Christelle Francois. Christelle is a bilingual executive leader and businesswoman who has the pulse on the leaders of entrepreneurship, innovation and advocacy. She was recently appointed as the President of the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce. Christelle possesses extensive experience as a Strategy Consultant where she specialized in developing revenue models and implementing growth metric systems for various organizations.In this podcast she shared some of the most pressing needs faced by Black business owners, and initiatives that the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce has put in place to help small businesses during these challenging times. 

The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) recently released the results of the CMA Survey on Marketing Talent. Although it is common to see women in marketing leadership roles, experience and perspectives on inclusion differ between women and men, and between minority and non-minority groups. We recently had the chance to chat with the CEO of the CMA, John Wiltshire. In this role, John provides the overall strategy and execution of the CMA mandate and champions the fundraising and product development of a new Chartered Marketer designation. Prior to this role, John spent over 20 years as a senior executive in the financial industry. His core strengths include product design, branding, promotions and communication. John is renowned for using a combination of diplomacy, tenacious leadership, strong core values and objective decision making to deliver resultsIn this podcast, John discussed the results, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and what organizations can do to break down these barriers for women in the workplace.

As the stay-at-home order continues throughout most of Ontario, this is a timely topic as companies look towards new ways to engage their teams. Please join me in welcoming Erin Maynes. Erin is a passionate brand strategist, marketer and entrepreneur. She is the founder of experiential retail agency Shopmakers, as well as the online gifting business foodiepages.ca. A graduate of the Queen’s School of Business, Erin spent many years leading national strategy and marketing initiatives for Canada’s largest restaurant group prior to founding foodiepages in 2013. Erin founded Toronto-based experiential retail agency Shopmakers in 2018, in partnership with BRIKA, where she specializes in recognizing opportunities for strategic retail development and pop-up programming. She has produced over 50 pop-up retail experiences across Canada. She is an advisor and champion for emerging food and beverage entrepreneurs and sits on the board of Toronto’s Food Business Incubator. She lives in Leslieville with her husband and two daughters.In this podcast, Erin provided thought-leadership on the importance of cultivating connections with team members during this time, and the various ways to do so all while supporting local businesses.

While technology companies across the country have done a good job in ‘patching the present’ more needs to be done to support the growth and advancement of female employee’s post-pandemic. A new survey conducted by SAP Canada suggests that while women in technology have experienced a more positive work-life compared to those outside the field, they worry that their long-term career growth and goals have been stunted by the pandemic. We recently chatted with Gina Izumi, SVP Sales, at SAP Canada. Gina Izumi leads a team of people who are committed to creating real business value for the fastest-growing companies in Canada.  Working with them, and with Sr. Executives, she helps clients transform their businesses by improving their agility, productivity and profitability.In this podcast, Gina shared some of the key findings in the new survey conducted by SAP Canada and what are some of the factors that technology companies need to address during and post-pandemic. 

The real estate industry has undergone many challenges during the pandemic era– which is not all bad, it's allowed the industry to pivot and be open to change that it’s traditionally been somewhat resistant to. As with the rest of the world, the real estate industry is pivoting digitally, property-related technology has accelerated by a decade during the pandemic to provide solutions to ensure business continuity. Please join me in welcoming Rick Haws, Co-Founder and President of SaleFish, a real estate sales software solution with more than 15 years of industry experience, processing over $55 billion in worldwide real estate transactions to-date.Rick started the company in 2004 with Rob Nicolucci. Both are entrepreneurs with backgrounds in architecture and design. Rick understands the complexities of the development business, the ever-changing challenges, and the need for efficiency at every turn. His insight — and the expertise of the entire team — is leading a sea change in the proptech sector.In this podcast, Rick discussed how the real estate industry is pivoting and opening to change that it’s traditionally been resistant to, what buyers can expect from this digital shift and how SaleFish’s technology is paving the way for addressing any cybersecurity concerns

There are rules for pitching a startup in the COVID-19 environment, including key strategies for appealing to investors and raising fundsPlease join me in welcoming Uri Adoni, the former CEO of Microsoft Networks Israel and a former partner at Jerusalem Venture Partners. We are going to touch base on Adoni's highly praised new book, The Unstoppable Startup, which teaches businesspeople how to master Israel’s secret rules of chutzpah -- which are key for raising funds, expanding globally, and achieving longevityUri Adoni has over 20 years of experience in the high-tech space. He was a partner at Jerusalem Venture Partners Media Labs for over 12 years – JVP is one of Israel's leading venture capitals. Adoni served on the board of several high-tech companies, both early and late stages. Adoni is a highly visible ambassador for Israeli high-tech and is also an angel investor, investing his own capital in early-stage startups. He recently departed from JVP to join a U.S.-based real estate entrepreneur who is developing a new and innovative approach for building local high-tech ecosystems and communities across the U.S. In this podcast, Uri discussed How using the rules and mindset of Israeli chutzpah can significantly increase the chances of success for startups he further elaborated on the importance of having a multinational mentality when creating a startup, to allow for global expansion

To help small business owners during this difficult time Bruce Tannas started up a new project; Connect4Commerce. Connect4Commerce is an online platform for buying and selling everything from equipment to entire businesses. It's an online marketplace that could be compared to Kijiji, but it's specifically targeted at business-to-business interactions.Please join me in welcoming Bruce Tannas, an entrepreneur/small business/business development expert. Bruce saw a need for this one-stop-shop approach as thousands of businesses is at risk of closing due to the pandemic. He hopes to help owners who have to sell assets or their business with serious potential buyers. This passion to help comes from his own personal experience of losing a business in the last economic downturn. He was forced to close his tourism business, which deeply affected him personally and professionally. He then dedicated his career to helping small businesses grow and thrive.In this Podcast Bruce discussed how to buy a business during a pandemic, when it all goes wrong: how to exit your business and guide to small business grants.

Many believe trust is an ambiguous feeling, an intangible benefit, a vague attribute earned by leaders with long histories. It’s not.  Trust is a leadership imperative. Worldwide, the pandemic has changed how we live, how we learn and how we work. It’s been the ultimate level setter. Says Natalie Doyle Oldfield, author of The Power of Trust: How Top Companies Build, Manage and Protect It, and founder of Success Through Trust.Natalie has been recognized five times as one of the World's Top Thought Leaders in Trust by Trust Across America and was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.  She has written articles for Forbes, Hospitality Upgrade, and Medium and published academic peer-reviewed articles.  Her book, The Power of Trust: How Top Companies Build, Manage and Protect is included in the curriculum in business programs including Dalhousie University Rowe School of Management and at Queens University Smith School of Business.In this podcast, Natalie shared some highlights of her most recent ‘Blueprint for 2021: Business Outlook’ report that identifies key business priorities that will help privately held and family-run businesses succeed in 2021, she also shared some strategies that female business owners can implement today to transform the customer experience in a virtual world.

With the increasing shift to remote-work and the boom in online services, companies have had to accelerate their transition to the cloud to stay competitive. The benefits of such a rapid transition – time savings, increased productivity, reduced operating costs, etc. – are clear, however, deploying such solutions still remains a major challenge for small and medium-sized businesses. We recently had a chat with Jonathan Druker, Product Marketing Manager, at OVHcloud Americas. Jon Druker has been working in IT for nearly 20 years holding various roles in product marketing and product development for small, medium and large enterprises that focus on both B2B and B2C operations.  To effectively and sustainably support small and medium-sized enterprises in their cloud projects, OVHcloud has developed the Managed Bare Metal Essentials offering.In this podcast, Jon shared what does this new offering include, what’s the landscape looking like and what are some of the shifts/changes he’s seeing for small businesses this year.   

Many small businesses have transitioned their operations to virtual environments, allowing employees to work from home for health and safety reasons. While working remotely presents its own set of challenges, small business owners and entrepreneurs continue to optimize their at-home workspaces.We recently got a chance to chat with Amber Mac, President of AmberMac Media, a production agency based in Toronto, Ontario. Amber is originally from Prince Edward Island and is best known as the host of the award-winning podcast series The AI Effect, a popular keynote speaker on emerging technologies, and the author of two bestselling books. Amber has keynoted more than 400 events around the world and has moderated sessions with: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; former FBI Director James Comey; business coach Tony Robbins; famed astronaut Chris Hadfield; and many other notable leaders.In this podcast, Tech expert and entrepreneur Amber Mac has shared five tips to navigate running a small business from home and her overall experience operating as an entrepreneur during the global pandemic.

We recently had the chance to chat with Shrad Rao, CEO and Co-Founder of Wagepoint, a small business payroll software company that processes more than $3 billion in annualized payroll for more than 13,500 small businesses across North America. In September 2020, the fast-growing company, founded in Nova Scotia in 2012, attracted $10 million in new capital to help propel them to the next phase of their growth. Shrad’s business acumen is rooted in his collectivist “eastern philosophy.” For Shrad, business is not centred around the individual, it’s based on community — which includes the company itself, their employees, partners, and the bookkeepers, accountants, and small business customers that they serve. His collectivist vision has driven Shrad to build Wagepoint into what he calls “the kind of company I’ve always wanted to work at” — and this approach clearly trickles down. Wagepoint is known for both its user-friendly payroll software and for being the world’s friendliest team! Shrad’s leadership style has been on full display throughout the pandemic. As the economy struggled and concern for employment set in around the country, Shrad was quick to provide what he calls “psychological safety” for his team of over 70 fully remote employees. This meant reassuring all staff that Wagepoint would do everything in its power to keep their whole team employed. Under his leadership, the company has not only stabilized but has grown during the pandemic, hiring 20 new staff. Shrad has encouraged his team to check in on each other regularly and to find creative ways to support one another, fostering a culture of genuine friendship and resiliency.In this podcast, Shrad discussed what kind of leadership style he displayed during the pandemic and what are the fundamental principles one can adapt to keep a collectivist vision in these ever-changing times. 

Please join me in welcoming Shari Hughson, the Director of the Master of Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at Smith School of Business Shari Hughson has been an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, social innovator, and extreme adventurer – pushing her limits by living off the land with only the bare survival essentials for 7 years. She started her first business at the age of 25 and co-founded four more companies - two great learning opportunities and two growing tech and data-driven health businesses. She also created a social innovation program in mental well-being that won a National Honour from the First Nations Health Authority of Canada.In this podcast, Shari has shared some of her most memorable and unconventional experiences as an entrepreneur, social innovator, and extreme adventurer that have contributed to her success and she also shared where does she draw her motivation and inspiration to continue to move forward.  

Fed up with the status quo of Canada’s $3.5 billion retail paint market, friends and entrepreneurs Jill Torrance and Emily Kinread have redesigned, modernized and simplified every aspect of interior paint purchasing to create Canada’s first online, premium paint shop -- DigbyPaints.com. Since it opened a year ago, Digby has posted quarter-over-quarter double-digit growth -- and has been outstripping Canada’s market-wide pandemic-related sales increase of 5%. The duo says much of their success is directly due to how engaged and supportive its design-savvy Millennial customer base has been in helping the company evolve its direct-to-your-door paint concept.Emily is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with 15+ years of experience creating business strategies and translating them into tactical, actionable plans. While CEO Jill Torrance is a paint industry veteran with 20+ years of experience in manufacturing, merchandising, marketing and design. She joined forces with digital marketing expert Emily Kinread to co-found Digby Paints in October 2019. We recently got the chance to chat with both Jill and Emily where they discussed The Digby Paints story - its vision, challenges, and lessons they learned, tips and advice for e-commerce entrepreneurs and how to share responsibilities: focusing on your co-founder’s strengths.

“We are on a mission to remove barriers and empower homeowners to lower their energy usage, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint.” says Nishaant Sangaavi, the co-founder and CEO of EnergyX Solutions.With $5 million in dilutive and non-dilutive funding raised and 100% growth each year, EnergyX Solutions is in a position to help lead the clean energy revolution. Its Software as a Service (SaaS) product comes at the right time, considering the country’s new commitment to help retrofit buildings to meet clean energy and conservation needs. Many utilities and organizations have already begun using the technology, while others are in the process of getting on board to do so.In this podcast, Nishaant shared more information on the new product and his advice to entrepreneurs when it comes to implementing products that can ultimately help the environment and reducing their carbon footprint

Since the pandemic hit Canada nearly a year ago, Canadians' willingness to trust large corporations, management, and boards of directors to do what is right for employees and society, in general, has declined. The 2021 Proof Strategies CanTrust Index, found that Canadian organizations are headed for an employee trust crisis. Employees gave employers a D grade for their ability to build trust, down from a C, back in January 2020.Please join me in welcoming Vanessa Eaton Proof Strategies’ Executive Vice President. Vanessa is focused on collaborating with teams to shape the agency’s approaches and services to meet clients’ evolving needs. She uses study insights and knowledge along with her extensive communications experience to counsel clients on how to build trust internally and externally to foster stronger relationships that result in better business.In this podcast, Vanessa discussed what are some of the initiatives that employers should be taking towards their employees to build trust, especially during a global pandemic?

While there are many commonalities between what we do today and what the EdTech industry did ten years ago, there are some massive, tangible differences.Today we are chatting with Alex Peters,  Co-founder and Co-CEO of Prodigy Education. A graduate of mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo, Alex Peters has loved math since elementary school. Alex and his co-CEO, Rohan Mahimker, started Prodigy Education to create a more effective and engaging learning experience for students who struggle with math.In this podcast, Alex has shared the fundamental principles you need to adapt to keep yourself relevant in ever-changing times.

More than ever, companies today are tapping into the power of purpose — building social and environmental strategies into their core business to attract talent and achieve economic success.  That, says Bill Novelli, author of GOOD BUSINESS: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World.We recently got the chance to chat with Bill, the founder of global PR agency Porter Novelli, a leader at such organizations as CARE and AARP, and creator of the Business for Impact center at Georgetown University — who shared the hard-won insights he’s gained from his illustrious career, from finding your own purpose to building a purpose-driven organization.In this podcast, Bill discussed why purpose is more critical than ever for today’s businesses and the evolution of the idea of “doing well by doing good,” and what it looks like today.