Business as Mission Canada Podcast

When Chad Vandervalk shifted from pastoring across Canada (literally coast to coast!) to launching Purpose Pivot and leading Strand 360 , he set out to integrate faith and purpose into everyday business. Drawing on his pastoral background and entrepreneurial journey, Chad reveals how business can serve others, reflect God’s heart, and create lasting impact beyond the church. In this episode, we di...

When Anthony Ho stepped into the North End of Winnipeg — one of the poorest postal codes in Canada — he didn’t just see boarded-up homes and broken systems. He saw potential. As Director of Operations at Inner City Youth Alive and Step Up Construction , Anthony helps men find purpose through meaningful work, bringing a movement of transformation — equipping fathers, husbands, and leaders to rebuil...

When Sam Dick and his partners brought the first green coffee beans from Myanmar to Canada, they weren’t just starting a coffee company — they were stepping into a story of hope, dignity, and transformation. As co-owner of Lighthouse Coffee , Sam has seen firsthand how business can restore communities and provide alternatives to harmful industries like opium farming. By partnering with local produ...

Raised as a missiologist and trained as a cross-cultural missionary, Chris Morris never imagined business would become central to his calling. But through his journey from Canada to the middle-East, and back, Chris discovered the powerful role that business can play in advancing the Kingdom. Now serving as the National Director of BetterIt Workplace Chaplains , Chris is mobilizing chaplains across...

How many times does God have to call you to something before you can no longer say no? Does it take one sign? Or maybe two or three? For James and Jen, owners of Phnom Climb Community Gym, it took prayer, faithfulness, and many miraculous signs before they said yes to God's call to Cambodia. Now, four years later, God has given them an opportunity to do BAM in a very unique way. Resources from thi...

What does it mean to "finish well"? How do we set our sights on God even after a lifetime of mistakes and bad starts? John Kok, President of Navigator Ministries and Navigator Financial, explores what it means for his clients to finish well through Christ-centered financial and estate planning. Through his own hardships, John has explored what it means to finish well in his own life, trusting God...

What does it look like to integrate family and business? How do you balance that integration while honouring God throughout it all? For Nouver Cheung, Co-Founder of Wakefield Agency, this integration took form in a videography business. With a background in engineering, it took adjustment for Nouver to see the way God was working for his family through video entrepreneurship. Little did he know, t...

What makes someone an entrepreneur? Is it a lengthy resume, a heavy academic record, a successful business? Or does being an entrepreneur mean something else entirely... Dylan Gallagher, Founder of OndeWork, has been exploring what it means to be an entrepreneur ever since he was a kid. With years of youthful exploration and practical experience in the business world, Gallagher has developed a suc...

What would happen if you decided to use your business, and its profits, for good? Carissa Youssef, Executive Director of One Day's Wages, feels passionately about the need for intentionality and accountability when using business as a force for good. Through strong community and willingness to make a difference through our profits, human flourishing could come a lot sooner than we think... Resourc...

A lightbulb moment. Sometimes that's the way God works to bring people into their callings. The business journey of Thomas Park, the Co-Founder and CEO of REITIUM Technologies Ltd., had two significant lightbulb moments. The first came when his mom gathered a group of her friends to each invest $30K into real-estate and the second came when Thomas learned more about church real-estate. Out of...

What is your reaction to risks? Do you take all risks that come your way, careless as to the consequences of them? Or do you cautiously avert them? Nathanael Hollands created a fake Red Cross badge to get into Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. You can probably guess what his response to risk is. Now as the Co-founder & Executive Director of Kinvest Impact Foundation, Nathanael uses...

How do you make your mission statement real to every one in your company? "You pay them." This was the advice John Neate was given by the executive he hired to help create a strong and unifying mission statement for his business, JJ Bean Coffee Roasters. So John and his team came up with a rewarding audit that motivated all the employees across 23 locations understand and live out honour...

How have the past few years of business been for you? Through the pandemic, through economic hardships, and now through tariffs? For Jackee Kasandy, Founder and CEO of Kasandy Inc. and the BEBC Society, the past few years have been a tough go. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Jackee's business was growing, making its way to the $1 million revenue mark. But these past few years of hardship have sh...

With the goal to improve the sustainable energy of 1 million homes, businesses, and organizations by 2050, it's easy to get focussed on the big picture. And while this is the goal for Chris Chukwunta, founder and CEO of International Renewable Energy Systems (IRES), he also has his eye on each individual he helps. For him, the goal of renewable energy is about helping people thrive, in additio...

What do you do when God calls you to own a business that is so niche, there's very few people to follow? You rely on Him. You look to Him for guidance. You spend your down time with Him. Those are the answers Isaiah Redfern gave as the founder and working doctor at Ottawa Performance Care (OPC). OPC is a medical business that focusses on treating patients through clinical neuroscience-based st...

Could you imagine gathering together a group of your competitors to share a meal? What about using that meal to confess to them, ask for forgiveness, and seek to grow community among them? Enoch Weng, CEO and co-founder of Rise Above Finance, did that exact thing. Since desiring to reconcile faith and work in business together, Enoch has been in continual conversation with God about all the matter...

Have you ever heard of a conversation with a pastor leading to the start of a business? Well that was the story of Joel and Kaitlin Bromley. Joel joined us on the podcast to share about how he and his wife began Bromley Financial Coaching. Their pastor had urged them to lead a marriage small group and then not long after lead a financial small group. After leading the group and learning alongside...

After losing a job he had held for 25 years, God gave John a vision to start his own business. He thought the call was to engineering, as he was familiar with this, yet God had something different in store. John, task-oriented and not particularly relational, found himself the owner of a contract staffing business, employing up to 150 employees. For 15 years now, God has been using this business t...

Have you heard of Level Ground Coffee? You know, the coffee that comes in the colourful bag with the fun illustrations on the front? In this episode, you'll hear from Level Ground Coffee Roaster's Co-Founder, Stacey Toews. Grab a cup of your own coffee, sit down and take a listen as Stacey shares about how he and his wife started the business 28 years ago, the work they do to be intentionally holi...

Growing up in Ghana, David Harlley witnessed how Africa struggled to develop when it was being supported solely by aid. As he gained experience studying and working in Canada and Europe, David realized he had a desire to use the power of investment to support in the development of his home continent. Now as the CEO and Co-Founder of ThirdWay Capital, David is doing just that. Listen in to his epis...

Has God ever led you somewhere you didn't want to go? Never desiring to be an entrepreneur or work in healthcare, that's exactly where Andrew Karesa finds himself. Now the Founder and CEO of blueBell Village, Andrew cares deeply about restoring the individuality and personhood of all who live with dementia. As a mixed indigenous entrepreneur, he is passionate about valuing all human life and servi...

How often do you think about how even the small things you do at work are done WITH God? In this episode, Michael Wall, owner and operator of The Wall Coffee Roasters, shares his story. Through this conversation, you'll hear the genuine relationship Michael has with Jesus and how this impacts every aspect of his business. While not done perfectly, Michael is becoming more and more aware of how he...

Want to hear some of BAM Canada's 2024 highlights? What are some things we're looking forward to next year? Hear this and more with BAM Canada's Engagement Specialist, Ruth Ajayi. From intern to team member, Ruth has a unique insight on BAM and a close up look at what 2024 held and what the vision is for 2025. Listen in to learn more! Resources from this episode: Send Ruth an Email: ruth.a@bamcana...

Have you ever wondered how God will use your previous experiences to prepare you for future work? In this episode, Cullen Klassen, Video Producer and Cinematographer of Root Visuals, shares how he transitioned from the world of commercial marketing to owning his own video production business. From small beginnings to being on the set of a global docuseries, Cullen shares about how he learned to tr...

What would be the benefit to your business if you took on a coach-like leadership style? In this episode, Cathie Lemmond, solopreneur and founder of Focus Forward Life Coaching joined Abigail for a conversation. Listen in to hear about Cathie share: The challenges she's faced in founding a business How coaching allows employees to own their answers and decisions Resources to get started on your co...