Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada

Inspiring Entrepreneurs MTL has new wisdom to share from entrepreneurs like Frantz Saintellemy, President and COO of Leddartech, Université de Montréal Chancellor, and Co-Founder of BIPOC Entrepreneurship Incubator Groupe 3737, who tells us about perseverance in school that led him to MIT, climbing various corporate echelons at the speed of light, and giving back to the community by helping black...

Olivier Berthiaume-Bergé, President and CEO of Scéno Plus, tells us about his family-owned design firm that creates unique spaces around the world for some of the biggest names in the live entertainment industry such as Cirque du Soleil, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and more recently Adele, just to name a few. We are also joined by Peter Joseph Moraitis, BDO Canada tax partner to disc...

Mahrzad Lari, co-founder of contemporary fashion line for men Wide the brand, stylishly designed and produced locally, specifically for the wide-man body. We are also joined by Mia Barouki, senior HR manager at BDO Canada, to discuss HR functions in small and medium businesses.

Sam Youssef, Founder and CEO of Valsoft; tells us about building a group of mission-critical software businesses that together are now worth north of one billion; he acquires and empowers well-run companies, providing more opportunities for global growth.  

Marilyne Bouchard, founder of Bkind, tells us about developing a line of products made of natural ingredients in her kitchen, adopting a vegan and cruelty-free product model, and putting the environment at the forefront. We are also joined by Giuliana Papandrea, Manager at BDO Canada, to discuss bookkeeping tips for your business.  

Robert Marzin, one of four co-founders of Man Made, a Montreal-based underwear company for men, talks about revolutionizing the world of male undergarments.   

Alexandre Guimond, co-CEO of Altitude Sports, tells us about moving online in the early days of ecommerce, making the jump from employee to majority owner, playing at the intersection of fashion and the outdoors , and keeping philanthropy and the environment close to his heart. We are also joined by Peter-Joseph Moraitis, Tax partner at BDO Canada, to discuss tax implications of rising interest ra...

Inspiring Entrepreneurs MTL has new wisdom to share from entrepreneurs like Philip Cutler, co-founder and CEO of Paper, an online tutoring solution that is taking the education world by storm. We are also joined by BDO Partner Jean-François Audet to discuss business valuation et key value drivers.

Lili Fortin, CEO and 2nd generation family business owner of Tristan Tells us about what do they attribute Tristan's success to, as they will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year, family business transition, and sustainability. We are also joined by Carlo Lupo, FL Tax Partner to discuss Tax credits for manufacturers.

Laurent Laferrière, co-owner of Ditch Labs, tells about his pioneering nicotine addiction treatment and smartphone app, powered by AI to help smokers and vapers quit more efficiently. We also welcome Julie Côté, Senior Manager of non-resident taxation to discuss new laws affecting foreigners: 2022 introduction of the 1% tax on under-used properties and the 2023/2024 ban on new residential properti...

Natalie Madjarian, co-owner of custom upholstery and furniture store Cameo Collection, tells us about buying a company from bankruptcy to fulfill her dream to manage her own business, and the synergies - and possibly tensions - that come with owning a business as a couple. We also welcome Sara Halickman, Estates and Trusts Partner at FL Fuller Landau to discuss estate planning concerns for couples...

George Kyres, president of Group Commensal, tells us about his successful string of businesses from 4 Brothers to Europe's Best, and the growth of an iconic vegetarian brand into the retail grocery space. We also have Giuliana Papandrea, manager in accounting and assurance at FL Fuller Landau join us to discuss cloud based accounting systems.

John Saliby, founder of fighting food waste Sauvegarde app, tells us about lessons learned while growing up that made him realize the extent of food waste, and how combatting it is an easy way to fight climate change. We also welcome Nick Vassilas, Manager at Le Groupe Fuller Landau to discuss the process behind launching a business and being an entrepreneur.

Solenne Brouart, founder and chief growth officer of Polystyvert, tells us about circular economy and how she found a way to recycling polystyrene, which we know under the most famous brand Styrofoam. Elida Eid, Senior manager at FL's HR sister company Pvisio will also talk about adapting to change in the workplace.

Emad Saad, owner of Lebanese restaurant chain Boustan, tells us about his success in the Montreal marketplace in the past 36 years, and its efforts to become a green restaurant chain, from packaging to sourcing ingredients locally.

Danielle Danault, founder of rain or shine, year-round outdoor fitness bootcamp company Cardio Plein Air, tells us about her love of fitness, how a small idea became a HUGE success story in parks across Quebec, and what happened when she started thinking about her 5-year succession plan. We also welcome Amanda Khoury, Manager of Estates and Trusts at FL Fuller Landau, to discuss estate planning an...

Étienne Mérineau, co-founder and CMO of Heyday, a HootSuite acquisition.  Etienne tells us about the rise of AI in delivering personalized customer experience thru conversational chatbots, and how does a company becomes the provider of choice of the Lacoste, Decathlon, Cirque du Soleil and Danone of the world, just to name a few. We also have Mia Barouki, CRHA and consultant at FL join us to talk...

To start the season, Peter Simons, now chief merchant of THE oldest private family business in Canada and fashion retailer Simons Inc.  We talk about succession planning, the importance of a family council, following consumer trends and frontierless commerce, as well as sourcing in Canada.

 Juliette Brun, founder of Juliette & Chocolat, tells us about her passion for chocolate from a very tender age, and the path that she took to turn  her passion into a business that is dear to all, across Quebec and the island of Montreal.

Mathieu Clas, Founder of Hookmotion, tells us about how his tech company helps businesses like casinos optimize their monitoring processes.  Using automated table tracking, those operating the software can better eliminate fraud and detect errors, to better focus on their clients.

Myriam Belzile-Maguire, CEO and co-founder of Maguire Shoes. As retailers try to find a balance between online sales, and bring and mortar shops, Myriam's women-led hybrid model is flourishing in Montreal, Toronto, and soon in New York City.

Maxime Morin, co-founder of clothing and accessory maker Rose Buddha, tells us more about her socially-conscious, eco-entrepreneurship model, and how the pandemic saw their revenue grow by 450%.

Dax Dasilva, Founder and Executive Chair of Lightspeed POS, tells us about his journey, from his debut as an entrepreneur, to launching an IPO, to writing a book about becoming changemakers, and doing environmental philantropy work.

Mélissa Lambert, founder of Lambert Design; they make stylish, cruelty-free, vegan bags for men and women.  She speaks with us about how she wants to reinvent the backpack fashion industry, driven by the belief that we can combine comfort with elegance, while contributing to a sustainable world.

Alexis Vertefeuille, CEO of the after-disaster accommodation network Sinistar.  He tells us about how he's built the largest community of hosts dedicated to accommodating disaster victims in Canada; a tailor-made solution for both home-owners in need and insurance companies.