Tech About Town by Communitech

What if your Wi-Fi could do more than just connect your devices? For Taj Manku, co-founder and CEO of Cognitive Systems , a personal caregiving challenge sparked a professional breakthrough. When his aging parents experienced medical emergencies, Manku found himself navigating the emotional and logistical weight of caregiving while raising a family and running a fast-growing tech company in Waterl...

What do plush toys and tech startups have in common? If you ask Landon Brett, the answer is everything. Landon is the CEO of Makeship , one of Canada’s fastest-growing creator economy companies. Makeship launched in 2018 with just $8,000 and a bold idea: help online creators bring their characters to life through limited-edition plush toys. Today, Makeship has grown into a global business with ove...

When a personal health scare revealed the limits of existing diagnostic tools, scientist and entrepreneur Shalini Gupta saw an opportunity to build something better. On this episode of Tech About Town, Shalini shares how that moment led to the creation of Asima Health , a startup focused on same-day, blood-based cancer screening. She talks about the challenges of launching a biotech company as a s...

What got you here won’t get you there. In this episode of Tech About Town, we sit down with Communitech Growth Coach Dave Litwiller to talk about scaling your team, leadership and markets.  From the art of delegation without abdication to navigating global expansion in unpredictable times, Dave shares real-world insights on how founders can grow without losing grip. Plus, we get into startup Darwi...

He's six weeks into the job, and  Communitech's new CEO, Sheldon McCormick,  has some thoughts. On this episode of Tech About Town, we've got Sheldon in the studio with hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo to talk about what startups need, what the community needs, and what the 27-year-old organization needs to do differently to help tech companies start, grow and succeed. Tune in and get to kn...

What if two of the four gas pumps at a gas station were out of order, but no one told you until you pulled in? That’s the reality for many electric vehicle (EV) drivers today, and Jennifer Buchanan and Andrea Curry are on a mission to change it.  In this episode of Tech About Town , the Clockwork co-founders break down the messy truth behind EV charger reliability, the business case for fixing it,...

Is SEO really dead—or just evolving (again)? In this episode, Alex and guest host Alison Piel sit down with freelance content strategist Tim Peckover to talk AI, LLMs, and why the rumours of SEO’s demise are (still) greatly exaggerated.  From early days at Clearpath to leading content at Smile.io, Tim shares how AI is changing the game for content creation, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to use e...

When a loved one faces a health crisis, language barriers and medical jargon can make an already stressful situation even harder. Seun Adetunji, founder and CEO of MedInclude , knows this firsthand — and she’s building the solution. In this episode, Seun shares her journey from caregiver to healthtech innovator, how MedInclude is simplifying healthcare communication, and why working with healthcar...

On this episode of Tech About Town, we welcome JP Eskander, CEO and founder of Sifio Health , and Stacy Sobering from Communitech to discuss how AI-driven scheduling and workflow optimization can reduce surgery wait times and improve hospital efficiency.  They explore the barriers to innovation in healthcare, the impact of COVID-19 on tech adoption, and why Canada is an ideal testbed for new solut...

Ever wondered how startups scale globally without getting tangled up in red tape? In this episode of Tech About Town, we dive into the dynamic world of international hiring with Karen Klink, Director of Outpost Partnerships at Communitech, and Stacie Curtiss, VP of People and Culture at DOZR . Discover how Communitech Outposts helps startups hire across borders seamlessly, why boots on the ground...

On this episode of Tech About Town, we're joined by Graeme Brown, co-founder and CEO of QReserve. Graeme takes us through the journey of QReserve, a resource management platform that started at McMaster University and has since expanded globally, helping organizations—from universities to coworking spaces—optimize their valuable assets. We dive into how QReserve simplifies equipment and space-...

In this episode of Tech About Town , host Alex Kinsella and guest co-host Angela Bruce talk about the Communitech Startup Bootcamp , a six-week program designed to equip early-stage entrepreneurs with essential business fundamentals like customer discovery, MVP development, sales, and pitching. Supported by the City of Kitchener, the program fosters community and mentorship to help startups grow....

When it comes to IP, we follow the motto “protect it, don’t neglect it.” In this episode of Tech About Town , hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo sit down with Jim Hinton, founder and CEO of OWN Innovation , to explore the critical role of intellectual property (IP) for tech startups.  As a leading expert in IP strategy (and one of our favourite people around the Hub), Jim wants founders to kn...

In this episode of Tech About Talent, we catch up with Communitech’s Carleigh Johnston and ConeLabs co-founder and CEO Albert Mansour to talk about Communitech Fast Track Cities . The program connects municipal partners with innovative tech solutions to solve their challenges. ConeLabs won the Fast Track Cities Showcase in November 2024, and Albert explains how his startup uses AI to automate infr...

In this episode of Tech About Town, we sit down with two powerhouse leaders in Waterloo Region's tech ecosystem: Ruth Casselman , CEO of the Accelerator Center, and Jennifer Gruber , Interim CEO of Communitech. Together, they explore the challenges and opportunities of supporting founders, fostering collaboration, and building community in one of Canada’s top innovation hubs. Jenn also shares...

In this episode of Tech About Town , we welcome Dan Silivestru, CEO of Chocolate Soup, and Heather Galt, Chief Customer Officer of P&P Optica for a conversation on everything from tacos to tech, with plenty of surprises along the way. Dan shares the origins of Chocolate Soup, a startup that helps companies deliver meaningful employee recognition to their teams and its impact on workplace cultu...

On today’s episode, we’ve got two people with fundraising experience and opinions. Rob Darling is the founder and CEO of runQL, a tool designed to help data teams save time and find value in the mega gigabytes of data they have. Rob sold his last startup, BriefedIn, to Communitech in 2022 and was previously the CIO here. runQL recently announced $1.6 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding t...

Is the AI hype cycle bringing you down? Don’t worry—we’re here with an episode of the podcast that will inspire new hope for AI being used for more than just removing people from holiday snaps.  On this very special episode of Tech About Town, Saumik Biswas joined us in the studio to share how his startup aims to improve cancer patient outcomes with the collab you didn’t know we needed—AI, robotic...

Forget PSL season. It’s schnitzel and stein season here in Waterloo Region as the 56th annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest kicks off.  In this episode of Tech About Town, KW Oktoberfest President Allan Cayenne and Ambassador Allie Steffler join us in the studio to discuss the festival's evolution, rich cultural heritage, and impact on the community. Allan and Allie share insights into Oktoberfes...

How are athletes and founders similar? How do you overcome mental challenges in a high-performance sport? What's the Olympic Village really like? Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rosie MacLennan joins us in the studio to answer these questions and more! MacLennan won gold in trampoline at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janiero games and joined Team Canada in Paris as an Athlete Mentor in 2024....

Are you down with O.P.M. (other people's money)? One of Communitech founder members' top questions is how to get in front of VCs. But the answer is often a question—are you sure you’re ready to raise money? This week on the Tech About Town podcast, Vartika Manasvi and Mike Kirkup are in the studio to discuss all things fundraising. Vartika is a Senior Advisor at MaRS Discovery District and a Growt...

Class is in session with Rosie Del Campo, Communitech's Senior Corporate Communications Manager. Rosie leads our external and internal communications efforts and uses her experience to help founders navigate the ins and outs of public relations. Before joining Communitech, Rosie was a journalist at CTV News Kitchener for over a decade. At CTV, she served in various roles, including anchor, co-...

Don’t count downtown out just yet. This week on Tech About Town, Cory Bluhm, Executive Director of Economic Development for the City of Kitchener, joins the podcast to discuss the exciting developments and ongoing transformations happening across Downtown Kitchener.  From the challenges of the pandemic to the rise of new businesses and community spaces, Cory shares his unique perspective on the ci...

Going to a cocktail party and scared someone will ask you about quantum technologies? We've got you covered. On this episode of Tech About Town, Dr. Paul Terry and Jessica Hodgson from Photonic join us for a deep dive into quantum information and computing and the diverse careers available in this cutting-edge field. Recorded right after one of our Communitech Breakfast Series events, our gues...

When it comes to applying to an accelerator like Google for Startups Accelerator , MedReddie’s Kara Leblanc says you just have to go for it. Kara should know. The startup recently completed the Google for Startups Accelerator and is an alum of the Communitech Fierce Founders program . On this episode of Tech About Town, Kara discusses MedReddi’s awesome growth and its recently announced $782,000 p...