Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas - the Rainforest podcast

Discover how an unexpected injury led young entrepreneur Sash to pivot from professional soccer to founding Sept, an innovative legal tech startup. After his sports career was cut short, Sash channeled his entrepreneurial spirit into developing a practice management solution that's revolutionizing how boutique law firms operate. Through extensive research and hundreds of LinkedIn conversations wit...

This is the first episode of a Futurpreneur sponsored series where each episode highlights a unique founder, diving into the inspiration, challenges, and innovations driving their success in Alberta. From idea to impact, hear firsthand how these entrepreneurs are contributing to Alberta’s future and learn what it takes to build and sustain a business today. Drawing from his DoorDash experience, Da...

This episode, hosted by Mike Procee explores Evok Innovations' unique investment approach in early-stage clean tech companies, highlighting their hands-on strategy of leading deals and providing active board guidance. Learn about the delicate balance of corporate-startup partnerships, described as potentially "magical" but requiring careful navigation due to changing corporate dynamics. Thank you...

This is the first episode of a Futurpreneur sponsored series where each episode highlights a unique founder, diving into the inspiration, challenges, and innovations driving their success in Alberta. From idea to impact, hear firsthand how these entrepreneurs are contributing to Alberta’s future and learn what it takes to build and sustain a business today. In this episode Discover how Canada's fi...

This episode, hosted by Mike Procee, features an insightful conversation with Jeremiah Gardner, founder of Gardner Innovation. The discussion dives deep into the world of corporate innovation, exploring how innovation can be embedded as a core value within organizations. From building a culture of experimentation to navigating challenges faced by corporate innovators, Jeremiah shares valuable stra...

In this episode hosted by Peter Beaudoin, Tracy Nyholt discusses Techjitsu's flagship product, Caller Verify, which aims to address the growing problem of hackers impersonating callers to help desks by exploiting knowledge of customer security questions. Tracy explains how this solution emerged from a customer need, and how Techjitsu is targeting large organizations in industries like finance, hea...

In this episode hosted by Mike Procee, Jonathan Livescault shares his experiences working with corporate innovation teams, emphasizing the need for a more disciplined, data-driven approach to driving tangible results and profits. He outlines the key steps to setting up a successful corporate innovation program. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by ...

In this episode, we're thrilled to share the fascinating story of Teruel Carrasco, a Chilean-born immigrant who has built a diverse career spanning corporate finance, entrepreneurship, and startups. Teruel's openness to new opportunities and his entrepreneurial spirit have led him on an incredible journey, from his upbringing in Winnipeg to his current role as an angel investor. Thank you for list...

Roger Kingkade, CEO and co-founder of Club Unity, shares the story of how their golf-focused software company started with a golf scoring app but pivoted to developing a comprehensive suite of solutions for golf course operations after understanding the key challenges faced by golf professionals. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by  Rainforest Alb...

In this insightful episode, corporate strategy and innovation experts Zoe and Chantel delve into the crucial role of the board of directors in fostering innovation within organizations. They emphasize the importance of the board serving as the "brain" of a company, responsible for setting strategy and managing risk. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supporte...

In our latest podcast, Chantal Elliott of 321 Growth Academy shares how her company helps businesses accelerate their growth through sales and marketing training and advisory services. Chantal explains their hands-on, collaborative approach to addressing the fundamentals of sales and marketing - from defining target markets to building strategic sales processes. Thank you for listening to the Lead...

In this episode, cloud solutions expert Phil Crocker discusses the importance of cloud literacy and maximizing the value of cloud-based services. He emphasizes that the public cloud is not just someone else's data center, but a consumption-based model that can provide scalability and cost-efficiency when used properly. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, suppo...

In this episode, Carlos Almeida, the CEO and founder of Optave, shares his journey from working at a successful CRM in South America to starting his own AI company in Canada to tackle the problem of poor customer service. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by  Rainforest Alberta . The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/...

Tune in as Bidzina Mosiashvili, a beekeeper from Calgary, Canada, shares his journey into the world of beekeeping. From facing challenges like high colony loss rates to finding success in letting bees manage their own processes, Bidzina's story is a testament to the resilience of these incredible insects. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by  Rainf...

Quantum City, an initiative in Alberta, Canada, is building a global ecosystem for quantum science and technology. Managing Director Megan Lee discusses the potential of quantum tech to revolutionize industries like finance, logistics, and environmental monitoring. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by  Rainforest Alberta . The podcast that highligh...

In this episode, Jason Tschetter, the CEO and founder of Cybercrime Victim Services Canada, discusses the growing problem of cryptocurrency-related cybercrime in Canada. He explains that nearly 40% of the Canadian population has been victimized by some form of cybercrime, often involving tactics like romance scams, Forex trading platform scams, and "pig butchering" scams. Tschetter's organization...

In this week's podcast, June Barrage, an associate partner at Disruptive Edge, shares insights on how large global companies can tackle their biggest challenges through innovation. Disruptive Edge's focus is on driving tangible results through adjacent innovations, rather than long-term disruptive ideas. June emphasizes the urgency for organizations to innovate and adapt, as 90% of Fortune 500 com...

In this episode, Al Del Degan sits down with Bill Hunt, the co-founder of Evans Hunt, a successful digital agency. Bill shares his inspiring entrepreneurial journey - from studying philosophy and law to finding his way into the tech industry during the dot-com boom. He talks about the challenges of starting his own agency, navigating cash flow issues, and building a strong team and client relation...

Roxanne Molnar, an entrepreneur originally from Ontario, shares her inspiring journey of moving to Alberta and starting her own company, Growth Venture. Drawn by the warm community and beautiful mountains, Roxanne transitioned from waste management to energy management and executive assistance roles, fueling her passion for people and relationships. Encouraged by her network Roxanne launched Growt...

This weeks episode, hosted by Mike Procee, we dive into the world of corporate innovation with Shannon Phillips, co-founder of the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum. Shannon shares his journey from biomedical science to organizational behavior, and how he's helping large companies foster a culture of innovation. Tune in to learn about the power of creating a supportive community for corporate innovato...

In our latest episode, Peter Beaudoin sits down with experienced entrepreneur and sales expert Craig Elias, who shares his insights on building effective sales capabilities for startups in the Alberta ecosystem. Craig emphasizes the importance of proactive, outbound sales efforts - not just relying on marketing. He advises startups to focus on the lean canvas model to clearly define their problem,...

In this captivating episode, we follow the remarkable journey of Melvin Adekanye, who pivoted from his childhood dream of becoming a pilot to finding success as a thriving app developer. Melvin's story is a testament to the power of serendipity and perseverance, as he navigated unexpected life changes and discovered his passion for coding. Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big...

Mario León y León, a finance professional from Peru, shares his journey to Canada and his passion for supporting startups and entrepreneurs. With a background in corporate finance, micro-lending, and small business lending, Mario found himself drawn to the vibrant startup ecosystem in Canada. He has leveraged his expertise to coach entrepreneurs on financial best practices, helping them navigate t...

Mike Procee believes in the necessity for large organizations to innovate like startups by collaborating with the startup community. He emphasizes the importance of building a strong culture of innovation across organizations, cautioning against isolated "innovation teams" and advocating for a more integrated approach. Mike highlights the value of leveraging existing research, external partnership...

How can entrepreneurs get noticed and get the recognition they deserve? On the episode we explore with Jim James, the founder of the UnNoticed Entrepreneur, some of the marketing and communications tools and strategies available to help entrepreneurs to get noticed. For those interested in making podcasting part of your business strategy, here is a discount coupon for Jim's podcast course:   https...