Canada’s Entrepreneur

Boris Lesar is a registered psychologist, entrepreneur, and co-owner of The Family Psychology Place . He came to Canada on his own at 20, an experience that continues to shape his perspective on resilience, meaning, and building a life with intention. Over the past two decades, Boris has worked with individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, addiction, and major li...

What happens when a self-proclaimed "Top Chonker" decides to rethink ice cream through the lens of protein, performance, and healthier living? In this episode of Canada’s Entrepreneur, Angela Faye sits down with Alex Manousiadis , founder of Booster Scoops , to explore the growing world of functional treats, health-conscious consumer habits, and the entrepreneurial journey behind building a modern...

Family, friends, food, and fitness have been cornerstones of his life for as long as he can remember. A Business graduate from SAIT Polytechnic, Jason Zaran entered the consumer packaged goods industry in the 1980s and built a successful career spanning more than two decades. A long-held desire to try his hand at entrepreneurship eventually led him to leave the corporate world to start his own bus...

The Platform ( https://canadasentrepreneur.com ) Six Information Hubs for Entrepreneurs to Experience The new Canada's Entrepreneur platform spans six integrated hubs — and each one is its own channel, with its own sponsorship opportunities. One platform, six hubs – Knowledge hub, News Hub, Podcast Hub, Member Hub, AI Hub and Event Hub. The Canada’s Entrepreneur Platform A full membership platform...

President of Assurgo Enterprises , Gerry Robitaille is a highly regarded business executive and corporate finance advisor. Focused on a mix of leadership responsibilities, operations management, governance and corporate finance mandates related to acquisitions, management buy outs and infrastructure financings, Gerry has established himself as an effective leader and trusted advisor, representing...

In this episode of Canada’s Entrepreneur, we sit down with Kim Strynadka — self-described "Fairy Godmother of Possibilities," real estate investor, private lender, and financial educator — to unpack the real-world lessons about credit, debt, investing, and financial freedom that most Canadians never learn in school. Kim shares practical insights, including: Her simple "2:2:2" beginner’s formula fo...

Melvin Adekanye is a Canadian entrepreneur pursuing JamSocial , an event tech venture that creates interactive networking icebreakers designed to help introverts start conversations at in-person events. Have you ever felt awkward starting a conversation with a stranger at a networking event? It turns out most people do, and that awkward feeling holds them back from approaching new people. As a res...

Jay Klein is the Founder & CEO of The PUR Company Inc. where he leads a global brand committed to making simple, better-for-you substitutions – without compromising taste or quality. PUR continues to disrupt the chewing gum industry and is the #1 selling aspartame-free gum globally. PUR has been recognized among Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies, Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and r...

"It's okay to make a mistake as long as you're learning from it. I think the idea of waiting for things to be perfect is an illusion, it doesn't happen." Khalil Khamis, who is based in Guelph, has been instrumental in shaping Crafty Ramen ’s growth since joining in 2018 and becoming CEO in 2021. Under his leadership, the company has evolved from a local ramen shop into a nationally recognized food...

CRA Audits Are Rising in Canada — What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know (Audit Shield Explained) What would happen if the CRA audited your business tomorrow? In this episode of Canada’s Entrepreneur, Managing Editor Mario Taniguchi sits down with Jason Koenig of Audit Shield and Morgan Lock, Founder of Cedar CPA, to break down what Canadian entrepreneurs need to know about CRA audits, reviews, and...

CRA Audits Are Rising in Canada — What Every Business Owner Needs to Know (2026) Are CRA audits and reviews becoming more common in Canada? In this episode of Canada’s Entrepreneur, Managing Editor Mario Toneguzzi sits down with Jason Koenig of Audit Shield and Brock O’Reilly of O’Reilly CPA to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes. From increased automation and AI-driven tax enforc...

Chris and Alice came from humble beginnings. Chris is the eldest of 11 and was often sent away because his parents could not pay rent. Chris studied for 10 years in the seminary to become a priest. In his teaching sabbatical, a friend introduced a gorgeous woman to him. The rest is history. They now have 2 beautiful kids. Both were scholars until their master’s education. They’re teachers by profe...

A dedicated community leader, educator, and entrepreneur, Shauna Ockey has spent decades empowering women, youth, and families across Calgary and beyond. A registered nurse by training — graduating from Mount Royal University in 1985 — she built her early career in the Intensive Care Unit at Alberta Children's Hospital, where her passion for supporting vulnerable individuals took root. That same c...

MANMADE is a Canadian Montreal-based, direct-to-consumer men’s essentials brand founded in 2021 by four lifelong friends and former finance professionals – Anthony Ciavirella, Philip Santagata, Robert Marzin and Roberto "Berto" Rebelo. Anthony Ciavirella and Robert Marzin are two of the four co-founders of MANMADE, the Canadian men's essentials brand that's taking the country by storm. These guys...

Simran Singh , President & Chief Executive Officer of OPA ! of Greece, first joined OPA! of Greece as a member of the accounting team in 2014 and has since held multiple leadership roles, most recently as the company’s Financial Controller. He is also a multi-unit franchise operator, with a portfolio of five total storefronts after his newest location, in Edmonton’s West Granville neighborhood...

Simon Gravel is the founder and CEO of freelance.group, the largest freelance platform in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and the fifth largest in the world. He is currently developing freelance.ca to become the leader in the Canadian market. With over 15 years of experience in innovation and internationalization, he has built a community of more than 1.2 million freelancers and 100,000 employe...

With his energy and enthusiasm, Nick Thompson brings a new approach to corporate image management, culture development, and enterprise growth. As a co-founder and President of a number of companies, including Metromedia Marketing Ltd., BrandAlliance Inc., VEA Office Professionals, and The Astra Group Inc. Nick now shares his 30+ years of leadership and executive management experience with business...

You need a strong concept, and something that's realistic that you can actually execute, and are capable of. Andrew Shore is a Toronto-based entrepreneur and founder of Amino , an AI-powered nutrition platform that helps people better understand what they’re eating by simply scanning their meals with their phone. He would be a great guest for the Canada's Entrepreneur podcast. Since launching in S...

"This is a must for any entrepreneur who's ever wondered if there's more to business than KPIs" Suneel Mistry is a Toronto-based marketing leader who made an unconventional career move — he stepped away from a corporate marketing role at HSB Canada (a Munich Re subsidiary) to do a 6-month sabbatical placement through Cuso International with the Protected Areas Trust in Guyana. As a Communications...

"When you meet another entrepreneur, it's like finding a special friend." Taylor Beech believes progress in business and life comes down to disciplined execution, applied consistently over time. For more than 25 years, he worked at the intersection of performance, systems, and growth — starting as a personal trainer, then translating that operating discipline into entrepreneurship and real estate...

At a time when more Canadians are rethinking what retirement looks like, lifelong sailors and retired brand builders Sian Roberts and Kevin Dunal offer a compelling second-act founder story. While living aboard a 95-year-old Dutch barge in the Netherlands, the couple encountered a problem familiar to many downsizing consumers: traditional cookware simply wasn’t designed for tight, modern living. T...

Zoey Shamai, founder of Tonica Kombucha , which is celebrating 20 years in business this March. Zoey founded Tonica in 2006 as the first commercially available kombucha brand in Canada, helping introduce and build a category that is now firmly established in grocery + specialty retail nationwide. With no outside investment and no formal business training, she grew the company from small-batch brew...

Come into any situation with a clear idea of what you can contribute, and what you would like to get out of it. Michael Shapiro is a cultural entrepreneur, author, and language enthusiast passionate about reviving ancient Jewish traditions through modern innovation. He's spent my life embracing what others might call "personal weirdness" and turning it into something extraordinary. He’s always bee...

"We're a small team achieving big things. I realize that our people are the biggest value in the business." Chuck L'Ecuyer is Founder, Owner, and CEO of Intellifelx . Chuck is a third-generation electrician with more than 20 years of experience in project operations. He founded CES Corporation in 2011 and built his company from the ground up, staffed it with skilled professionals through all subsi...

Dylan Munro is co-founder of Spot & Tango , a fast-growing U.S. based direct-to-consumer dog food company, which launched in Canada in March. Canada is the brand’s first international expansion and is being led by co-founder Munro, a Toronto native who is bringing the brand he helped build in the U.S., back home. The move reflects both the growing appetite among Canadian pet owners for premium...