CanadianSME Small Business Podcast

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. In this episode, we explore how technology is reshaping business travel, expense management, and employee experience while helping companies control costs. Joining us is Krysten Hrycoy, Director of Partner Success – Travel at SAP Concur , where she leads global partnerships with top Travel Management Companies. Krysten share...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we explore the intersection of communications, entrepreneurship, investing, and leadership, and how strategic storytelling can amplify changemakers. Joining us is Melissa Durrell, CEO of Durrell Communications , an award-winning strategist, angel investor, former Waterloo City Councillor, and Co-Founder of R...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. This episode is part of our Tech Forward series, where we spotlight the technologies helping Canadian businesses drive innovation, efficiency, and growth. Joining us is Ali Masoud, Senior Finance Solution Architect at Talan , a global consulting firm and SAP Gold Partner. Ali shares his expertise on the macro impact of finan...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we dive into how Canadian SMEs can navigate the future of work by leveraging talent, AI, and inclusion to drive innovation and growth. Joining us is Dr. Wendy Cukier, Academic Director of the Diversity Institute , and co-author of Innovation Nation . Dr. Cukier shares her insights on how businesses can build...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. In today’s episode, we explore the essential role of technology, data, and leadership in navigating economic uncertainties and fostering growth for small and mid-sized enterprises. We’ll discuss how leveraging world-class software, mentorship, and innovation can empower Canadian businesses to thrive, especially in uncertain...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we dive into the powerful intersection of research, creativity, and purpose-driven business. We’ll explore how community engagement and equity-driven solutions are key to solving complex challenges like health equity, climate action, and education. Joining us today is Brandy Svendson, CEO, Creative Direct...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode of our exclusive AI for SMBs series, we’ll explore the transformative power of AI for small and medium-sized businesses. We’ll discuss how AI is reshaping the future of work, improving productivity, and providing real ROI for businesses embracing innovation. Joining us today is Sylvia Rence, Director of Ma...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we focus on competition law and its vital role in creating a fair and innovative marketplace for businesses. We’ll discuss how the Competition Bureau works to protect competition, how small businesses can comply with competition law, and the resources available to help businesses navigate this landscape....

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we dive into the critical area of Human Resources and explore how businesses can access expert HR support without the overhead of full-time staff. We’ll discuss the advantages of fractional HR services, the challenges of policy development, and the transformative role of AI in HR. Joining us today is Brad...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. In this episode, we dive into the crucial world of SaaS data protection, exploring the risks businesses face and how to ensure continuity in a cloud-first environment. Joining us is Eric Simmons, CEO of Asigra , a leader in backup and recovery solutions for nearly four decades. Eric shares insights on SaaS risks, the AWS sha...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we explore the recruitment challenges facing Canadian SMEs and how businesses can attract and retain top talent in a competitive labor market. Joining us is Zag Dutton , Founder and President of Career Connections Canada Inc , a recruitment firm that has been delivering tailored hiring solutions since 1995....

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we explore the role of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) in strengthening consumer protections, fostering innovation, and building a sustainable financial services sector. Joining us is Stuart Wilkinson, Chief Consumer Officer at FSRA , who leads efforts to amplify the consumer vo...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we explore how digital presence, effective communication, and content creation have become vital skills for growth in today’s business world. Joining us is Jola Jovani, Founder of Joint Reality Media , a platform offering practical tools for relational skill-building, communication, and personal development....

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. Today, we’re diving into one of the most critical HR challenges facing Canadian SMEs: employee retention. With retention outpacing other HR priorities, we’ll explore how AI-enabled tools are transforming the workplace and offering new solutions for small and midsize businesses to enhance employee engagement and streamline HR...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today's episode, we're diving into the critical world of corporate communications, brand awareness, and crisis management in an AI-dominated era.  Our guest, Adnan Bashir, Senior Manager of Global Corporate Communications at Hansen Technologies , shares his expertise in leveraging digital media, navigating crisis communic...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. This episode is part of our AI for SMBs series, where we spotlight the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence for Canadian businesses. Joining us is Jeff Dutton, Founder of goHeather , an AI-powered contract review tool designed for businesses. With a background in law and over a decade of experience advising client...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we focus on how small business owners and farmers can build lasting legacies through integrated tax, bookkeeping, and advisory services. We’ll discuss how FBC is leading the way in providing specialized financial support for entrepreneurs, especially in rural areas, and how technology and AI-powered finan...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Maheen Bari. This episode is part of our AI for SMBs series, where we explore how Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future of work, productivity, and growth for Canadian businesses. Joining us is John Stix, co-founder, entrepreneur, author, and speaker, who is now at Nucleus , an intuitive platform for deploying conversational AI. J...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode of our exclusive Tech Forward series, we’re discussing the importance of digital accessibility for Canadian businesses. We'll explore the common challenges SMBs face, how to build an effective accessibility plan, and the steps businesses can take to close gaps and make a lasting impact on digital inclusion...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we dive into the pressing issue of caregiver burnout in the workplace and explore innovative solutions to help companies support their employees while enhancing productivity. We’ll discuss how ConSoul is helping caregivers manage their responsibilities and how businesses can benefit from integrating this...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. Today, we're diving into the dynamic world of digital marketing with the co-founders of Prime Stratix Digital Marketing , a Muslim-owned agency based in Mississauga, Ontario. We’ll explore long-term marketing strategies, entrepreneurship, and how faith influences their business practices. Joining us today are Sultan Jeddi (C...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In this episode, we explore how mentorship shapes entrepreneurial success and how technology is transforming these vital relationships. Joining us are Gil Katz and Simon Raybould , Co-Founders of MentorEase . Together, they share how their mentoring software and upcoming book Managing Mentoring Programs are helping businesse...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. Today, we’re diving into the crucial topic of online reputation management and how leveraging customer trust can significantly boost your growth. As online reviews heavily influence consumer decisions, we’ll explore how to build a stellar online presence and turn satisfied customers into loyal brand advocates. Joining us tod...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. This episode is part of our exclusive Tech Forward series, where we spotlight the technologies driving innovation, efficiency, and growth for Canadian businesses. Joining us is Tyler Davey, CEO of Gravity , a modern finance platform built for the public sector. With 25 years of experience at AWS, Microsoft, and other leading...

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. In today’s episode, we explore predictive leadership assessment and talent strategy, focusing on how businesses can make smarter, more equitable decisions about their most valuable asset—people. We’ll discuss the science behind leadership evaluation, how to remove bias from high-stakes hiring, and how to optimize team perfor...