Innovation Fuel: Real-World Business Cases

In this episode of Innovation Fuel,  hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian,CEO, talk to  Paul McKenzie, CEO of NexOptic and discuss how his startup experience led him to develop AI that reduces video file sizes. He talks about obstacles to partnering with big streamers and his goal of a major alliance to catalyze industry change.

Join us for another exciting episode of Innovation Fuel, where your hosts, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian, are joined again by the brilliant CEO of NexOptic, Paul McKenzie. This time, Paul unveils the secrets behind successfully securing funding for his groundbreaking startup—an invaluable episode for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking financial backing for their ventures.

Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian explore the unique challenges of virtual leadership coaching with executive coach Sarah Planckaert. They discuss building trust, communication, decision making and setting boundaries in a remote work world. Sarah shares how she helps leaders have complex conversations and make difficult decisions during uncertain times. 

In another episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian chat with Tess and Ariss, co-founders of Awl Together Leather in Vancouver. They share their passion for sustainability and inclusion in leatherwork and shoe repair. They started their own business focused on passing down craftsmanship and prolonging the lifecycle of leather goods through repair. Their creativity shines...

Wanna get a handle on your finances but feeling overwhelmed?  IIn this episode of the Innovation Fuel Podcast with Gelareh Farhadian and Dave Keighron, our guest is Alireza Fadaie, "the Financial Sensei." Alireza breaks down how to take control of your money with a focus on budgeting, debt, and saving for retirement. Listen and learn how to identify sneaky spending habits and make small changes fo...

On this special International Women's Day episode of Innovation Fuel,  Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian sit down with the trailblazing Azra Manjin-Savin, CEO and co-founder of Syzl. Discover her journey from working with giants like LinkedIn and WeWork to revolutionizing the culinary world with an Airbnb for kitchens. Dive into a candid conversation about the unique challenges and triumphs...

Dive into a riveting conversation about Artificial Intelligence Optimizing Decarbonization and Sustainability at the Innovation Fuel Ignite conference. Join Innovation Fuel Podcast Hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian University Canada West and guest speakers Kiran Dhatt from Ceco AI as well as Babak Safadost and Soroush Nikdel, co-founders of ZeroTrek,  as they discuss the journey toward...

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Our hosts, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian, explore digital marketing in the automotive industry, focusing on B2B and employer branding. Our guest kris Granger Digital Marketing Manager at Volvo discusses creating diverse content, aligning with brand values, and using social media to build connections. Discover how data analytics and virtual reality shap...

Hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian welcome Zoran Kovacevic, CEO of Toy Mint, to Innovation Fuel. They dive into an engaging discussion on transforming the beloved traditional teddy bear into a digital, impactful toy for the future.

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian chat with Nick French, CPA, about the role of fractional CFOs. Learn how they support small and medium businesses with growth, strategy, and financial challenges, and the benefits of using data and AI in financial management. Don’t miss this insightful discussion on boosting your business’s financial health!  

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we sit down with Arvin Mat, the Chief Operations Officer of Economy, to explore the innovative world of automotive fintech. Arvin takes us through his journey and the unique solutions Economy provides for car leasing, especially for newcomers and those with limited credit history. 

Discover how blockchain and facial recognition are revolutionizing livestock traceability and sustainability in our latest episode of Innovation Fuel with Corlena Patterson, CEO of PrüvIT Technologies. Our hosts, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian discuss the future of agritech! 

Discover how Recyclorobo.ai Revolution is revolutionizing the recycling industry with cutting-edge AI technology. Join Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian our latest episode of Innovation Fuel as They chat with CEO and Co-founder Tanvir Ahsan about their journey and future plans. Don't miss out! 

In response to UNESCO's call to promote AI competency frameworks for both teachers and students, Dr. Noosha Mehdian from University Canada West has collaborated with AI to produce this podcast. Leveraging the power of Gemini API avatars, Dr. Mehdian explores how UNESCO's AI competency framework can help prepare educators and students to become responsible, creative citizens in the AI era. She disc...

Join Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian in another enlightening episode of Innovation Fuel Business podcasts by University Canada West as we discuss the future of sustainable technology with Paige Whitehead, CEO and co-founder of Lux Bio. Discover how Paige is revolutionizing the glow stick industry with bioluminescence, offering a non-toxic, eco-friendly alternative. Contact Paige in her Lin...

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Join Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian as they transformative power of What3words with Marcus Taylor, Head of North American Partnerships. Discover how this innovative addressing system is revolutionizing location precision, from aiding emergency services to enhancing delivery efficiency. Listen now! Learn more about What 3 Words here

Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian delve into the world of smart home technology with Kevin Gu, CEO of BAYS Technologies and, Somayyeh T. VP of Business Development. Learn about their ambitious goal to eliminate preventable damages from water and fire, and how their B2B model is transforming the security industry. Learn more about Baystech smart systemes here

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we delve into the world of beauty e-commerce with Adam Chunz, co-founder and CMO of Blanka. Discover how Blanka is democratizing the beauty industry by enabling anyone to create and scale their own beauty product line. Listen to learn about the innovative platform that's changing the game for entrepreneurs, influencers, and existing brands. Learn more about Blan...

LimeSpot, an online AI plug-in is responsible for a big part of your shopping experience. Its CPO and Executive Chairman, Aidin Tavakkol, shares with us his entrepreneurial journey and the ripple effect of COVID-19 in the ecommerce industry.

Hermann Fink, CEO at Niki, shares with us how international students can benefit from his business model and guides us from ideation to execution and user experience. Funding, how to be unique, international investment, and the advantages of having co-founders are some of the topics we covered in this week's discussion. Join to listen to this exciting testimonial from one of our UCW Entrepreneurs.

VIP Parking Solutions' (Total Parking Solutions) Co-founder and Principal Director, Hamidreza Mohammadi shares the pains of importing new technologies into Canada. In this episode, Gelareh, Dave and Hamidreza discuss the importance of partnerships, the struggles he faced with selling an unknown technology as an entrepreneur and the regulations that were involved in the process.

In this episode, UCW Alumni Shreyas Cotha a.k.a. Mr. Bean shares his passion for coffee and how curiosity led him to launch a successful business in British Columbia that adds happiness to our mornings.

In this episode, Iman Aghay, Founder & Director of Success Road Academy, shares his personal story of successes and failures and the lessons he learned. As an entrepreneur himself, he talks to our students about his hiring process and the importance of using their young age as an advantage. Join us to understand how Iman failed to fail.

Have you ever struggled to find places you can take your pet? This is what inspired Aliya Bhatia to start her shared-economy venture. PawSwap allows you to see all pet-friendly events and businesses in Vancouver, and users can earn points that can be redeemed for rewards. Aliya, co-founder and CEO, joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to discuss her journey, the search for a business partner and her perso...

In business, one of the many challenges that we are facing in 2020 is social. Paulina Cameron, author of Canada 150 Women: Conversations with Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries discusses with Gelareh and Dave the importance of women in entrepreneurship and having female leadership while Gelareh opens up about discrimination she faced in her professional life. Listen to more of what Paulina has to...