Pioneer Series

Most founders obsess over what they're building, but completely skip the why. In this episode, tech philosopher Jean Arnaud breaks down why that's backwards. After studying at Stanford and building (then pivoting from) a metaverse education startup, Jean's learned that without a clear philosophy, you're basically building blind. We dive into: Why "accelerating for acceleration...

Ever wonder how to really get VCs to listen? Extremely interesting conversation with Samantha Tabone: General Partner at XEIA Ventures. She invests in early-stage companies driving "Human 3" - the next era of health, wellbeing and performance through life sciences, AI, hardware, and deep tech. Extremely interesting convo on:- Deep tech startups + due diligence- How to reach out to VCs…-...

Amarjot Singh, Founder of Skylark Labs, is revolutionizing physical AI. He's building brain-inspired foundational robotic models that run efficiently on edge devices, challenging the LLM scaling paradigm. A must-listen for founders and future-builders in deep tech. Episode Links: Amarjot's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarjot-singh-phd-b5269815/ Skylark Labs: https://skylarklabs.a...

🚨 He generated billions from a single patent . Now he's on a mission to help humans live to 200 years old . Meet Dr. BK Nayak (PhD in Electrical Engineering, MIT MBA), and the mind behind a breakthrough in optical connectivity that reshaped an entire industry. Today, he’s building Spike Well , an AI company reimagining healthcare, not to treat illnesses, but to prevent them entirely . I sat d...

Nick quit his job to build Trieve.1 year later, he joined YC with $3.5M raised. Here's the story:Trieve is an AI search platform powering 30k+ experiences. But it isn't just a search bar. It's building the future of online retail: replicating the human retail associate experience online using AI.Imagine a personal retail shopper that you can talk to.• Voice Input? Yes.• Image Search? U...

Meet Iulian Serban. From coding at 12 to raising $14M with Khosla and Bengio. Here's his crazy story: In 2014, he started his PhD at Mila under Yoshua Bengio In 2017, he co-founded Korbit AI. It was the first AI-powered tutor, before ChatGPT existed. 2 years later, they raised $2M+ and grew to 20,000+ users. But they hit a wall, they struggled with engagement. So Iulian pivoted: AI code reviews fo...

From Albania to Amazon, Irena's story is incredible: • 2013: Left Albania to chase a dream in the US • 2015: Juggled a full-time job, PhD studies, and raising two kids • 2021: Applied to ONE tech job - and got into Amazon • 2025: Leading Amazon’s AI revolution and inspiring change She shares her hard-earned lessons on resilience, embracing uniqueness, and her vision of the future with AI. Chap...

We dive deep into the intersection of health and productivity with Nao Yukawa, co-founder of Lifestack and DeMind. Nao has a fascinating journey, from studying in Japan to moving to San Francisco and New York, navigating the startup world during the pandemic, and developing the revolutionary AI-integrated calendar app, Lifestack. This episode is packed with insights on innovation, the startup land...

Join us with Nick Lawton, the founder of Side Shift, a platform dedicated to connecting Gen Z with part-time work opportunities. Hear about Nick's journey and discover how Side Shift is transforming the recruitment process for local businesses, startups, and brands by providing a seamless connection to talented Gen Z individuals. Learn about the challenges and rewards of building a startup, the im...

In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating world of AI and neuroscience with Dr. Blake Richards, a researcher at Mila and an associate professor at McGill University. Dr. Richards shares his insights on the critical intersection of these fields, discussing the principles of intelligence, the importance of studying the brain for artificial systems, and his academic journey. We explore the e...

Join us for an insightful episode as we sit down with Marie France, a seasoned executive and MBA graduate with a rich background in technology, data analytics, and leadership. Marie shares her intriguing career pivots across industries like entertainment, banking, retail, and healthcare. Learn about her strategic approach to data management, the importance of a well-rounded business strategy, and...

We welcome Kate Arthur, a British-Canadian entrepreneur renowned for her work in AI and computational literacy to discuss her latest book, 'Am I Literate?', which explores the intersections of literacy, storytelling, and technology,We explore her diverse background, the transformative power of combining arts and sciences, and the vital role of education in a rapidly advancing technological...

Nous accueillons Philip Hazeltine, PDG et cofondateur de Neolegal. Ancien avocat fiscaliste et membre du conseil d'administration d'Investissement Québec, Philip discute de la mission de Néolégal : transformer le secteur juridique en utilisant la technologie. Philippe partage également ses insights sur l'entrepreneuriat, la résilience et l'importance de l'équilibre travail-vie...

Prepare to dive deep into the world of AI and data with Sacha Gucciardo, a data analytics consultant, on this episode of the Thinking Tech podcast. Sacha takes us on a journey from his beginnings as a data engineer at Bombardier, to his current role at Slalom, where he crafts innovative solutions using AI, data, and cloud technologies for his clients. This episode isn't just about technology;...

This episode features Joshua Pottel , CEO of Molecular Forecaster, a Montreal-based company at the forefront of using computational tools to accelerate drug discovery. Pottel discusses his journey, offering valuable insights for students, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the biotech industry and Montreal's growing ecosystem. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Guest Background 05:23 – Spar...

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