East of Montreal

Marc Almon is a Halifax-based, award-winning film and television producer, arts advocate, and social entrepreneur dedicated to community-driven ventures. He realized that too many investment dollars leave the Maritimes and end up in Toronto or New York. So he set out to solve that problem with Backr, a new digital investment platform that makes it easier to keep Nova Scotia investment dollars work...

Hot on the heels of her Dragon's Den appearance, Dr. Laura Richard sits down to discuss her journey from Oxford to Procter & Gamble to co-founding Fredericton-based Saltwinds Coffee, what she's learned, and why she walked away from a million-dollar offer.

Happy holidays! East of Montreal offers its first Gift Guide for all you last minute shoppers, with quick discussions with some great East Coast brands including Educated Beards, BIBLIOnomics, BeBe Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks, Saltwinds Coffee, La Belle Cabane and Halifax Tides FC. Put something local under the tree this year.

Vice-Admiral (Ret.) Ron Lloyd served as Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Acting Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and the first Chief Data Officer for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces. With Ottawa set to invest billions in new spending in Defence, he highlights the challenges facing Canada's Armed Forces to spend that money wisely - data, cybersecurity, procurement...

What started at Nova Scotia farmers markets has become a coast-to-coast success story. Andrew Russell, Chief Growth Officer of Made With Local and a Team Canada Olympian, shares how the company scaled from farmers markets to the shelves of North America's largest retailers. Andrew discusses the challenges and triumphs of growing a food brand, the transition from grassroots to big retail, and what...

Competition is coming for Nova Scotia Power. Dan Roscoe and his team at Roswall are the first to offer a choice of electricity providers to Nova Scotians. What will this mean for consumers? And for the former monopoly?

Startup stories, campfire vibes! Recorded lakeside at East Coast Connected's Startup Camp, we dive into real conversations with founders building innovative companies from Atlantic Canada. Hear their stories of inspiration, challenges, and community in this authentic, dockside chat about what it takes to create and grow something new. (music credit)   Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music Artis...

When Erin O'Toole was leader of the federal Conservative Party, he spoke often about defending Canada's sovereignty and building a stronger military. It turns out he was ahead of his time but he's still fighting hard for Canada's military and defence sector.

Nova Scotia's Colin Deacon is bringing his experience as a founder to the Senate of Canada. He's fighting the good fight, pushing the Government of Canada to work smarter in support of innovation and to open up procurement to help Canadian start-ups. It's a tough battle. 

Space is the final frontier, one that Atlantic Canada has largely been shut out of - until now. Arad Gharagozli and his Halifax-based company, Galaxie, are putting Atlantic Canada's mark on the stars, extending the cloud to orbit with an innovative Virtual Satellite As A Service offering. And he's just getting started. dBBvssf57rAFVZ2tlTQV

Marc Campagna has a fire in his belly. From selling high-end knockoffs in high school to a $100 million exit for his first startup, Oxio, he's lived the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Relocating to Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, Marc has set an audacious goal for his new company, Gaiia, an all-in-one Operating System for telcos—a $100 billion valuation. 

New data shows VCs are pumping more money into later stage rounds at the expense of early stage startups. Matt Roberts, Managing Director VC Coverage at RBCx, Tash Jeffries, a Halifax-based serial founder and global startup advisor, and Ray Fitzpatrick, founder of Fredericton-based Profitual, discuss this trend and what it means for East Coast startups.

Turn Up the Cool: Ray Gracewood has a vision for a cooler Saint John. With his Waterfront Container Village and Area 506 music festival, this innovative entrepreneur, who helped make Organigram a cannabis powerhouse, is making it happen.

AI will radically change healthcare. Matthew Murphy, Chief Data Officer at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, and Dr. Louis Beaubien, professor at Dalhousie University and Chief Scientific Officer of Halifax-based ResolveHD, join hosts Allan Gates and Alex McCallum to discuss how Nova Scotia is leading the way with a co-creation model to advance new technologies to drive better health outcomes

Ride the wave of innovation as hosts Allan Gates and Chris Crowell explore the surging tide of technology revolutionizing the East Coast's Ocean sector. They're joined by Natasha Lagay from the Ocean Startup Project, who reveals how entrepreneurs are harnessing the sea change in ocean opportunities, and Dr. Sue Molloy, the visionary CEO behind Halifax's groundbreaking Glas Ocean Electric. Discover...

Hot on the heels of the Halifax Tides FC's historic first game, we speak with club co-founder and CEO Courtney Sherlock about her vision for professional women's soccer in Halifax, and how to turn a passion into a business.

You probably don't think of downtown Toronto when you hear "kitchen party", but that is exactly what the ACG (Association for Corporate Growth) holds each spring at The Pilot, an iconic Yorkville tavern that dates back to World War 2.   The beer flows, PEI oysters are plentiful and investors, entrepreneurs and deal makers from George Street to Bay Street converge. People you might expect to bump i...

Finding capital to fuel your start-up is always challenging. It's even harder in the midst of a global trade war. Jeff White, CEO of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, and Kristina Milke, General Partner with Alberta's Sprout Fund, talk strategies to access capital in uncertain times, and explore the differences between the Maritimes and Alberta.

It's been a wild time in Canadian politics - Trudeau out, Carney in, tariff war with Trump, and now a federal election. David Tarrant with Enterprise Canada, Kelly Bennett with Abacus Data, and Trevor Floyd with Iris Communications break down what it means for Atlantic Canadian businesses and what happens next. 

Critical minerals - critical to growing the East Coast economy? Like gold prospectors of old, Scott Eldridge sees opportunity - this time in a long abandoned mine in Nova Scotia. Backed by changing world markets and intriguing data, what will it take to realize this opportunity, and what is the cost?

Allan Gates and his co-host Kevin Springer of Tidal Venture Partners talk with Saint John filmmaker Greg Hemmings. This wide-ranging discussion covers the filming of the TV series Revival in Saint John, the tension between art and business, how to grow New Brunswick's film industry and psychedelics. Yes, psychedelics.  

Move your startup to the East Coast from Toronto or Calgary? Are you nuts? Dr. Karen Cross with Mimosa Diagnostics and Simon Cusack with Rafflebox brought their companies home, and they haven't looked back. We talk with them about the pros and cons of realizing your vision in Halifax.

Is Venture Capital dead in Atlantic Canada? In this inaugural episode, Allan welcomes his future co-hosts from Tidal Venture Partners to discuss the challenges early-stage companies face trying to access capital in Atlantic Canada and across Canada. Entrepreneurs and investors Chris Crowell, Alex McCallum, Kevin Springer, and Ian Whytock consider the state of play, including the good and bad outco...