Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures

Welcome back to another episode of Tank Talks! Host Matt Cohen is joined once again by John Ruffolo to dissect the major headlines shaping the tech and political landscapes. From Google’s surprising search decline to Alberta's political maneuvers and OpenAI's evolving partnership with Microsoft, this episode delivers in-depth analysis and thought-provoking insights. Alberta’s Exit Threat: Politica...

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen sits down with Mayuran Yogarajah, the visionary behind Index Exchange, one of Canada's most successful ad tech companies. From the early days of Casale Media to growing Index Exchange into a global powerhouse, Mayuran shares the remarkable journey of scaling a bootstrapped business in an industry dominated by tech giants. We also dive deep into his ex...

Welcome back to another power-packed episode of Tank Talks ! Matt Cohen is once again joined by John Ruffolo to break down one of the most divisive and impactful elections in Canadian history. From Alberta’s fury and NDP’s collapse to the growing political alignment on tech policy, this episode peels back the layers on what just happened and what’s coming next. * The shocking downfall of Jagmeet S...

Welcome back to Tank Talks! Host Matt Cohen is back with the one and only John Ruffolo in another no-holds-barred news rundown from the frontlines of business, tech, and politics. With Canada barreling toward an election that could reshape its economic future, and global giants like Google facing legal evisceration, this episode is packed with jaw-dropping insights. * Why the Canadian election mig...

Welcome back to Tank Talks! In this episode, host Matt Cohen is joined by John Ruffolo for another high-voltage rundown of the most urgent headlines at the intersection of business, politics, and innovation. As Canada stares down the barrel of a snap federal election and the U.S. economy teeters on a razor’s edge, this episode is all about decoding the chaos. * Can Canada avoid a recession as poli...

Welcome back to another hard-hitting news roundup on Tank Talks! Host Matt Cohen is joined once again by John Ruffolo to unpack the economic tremors shaking North America. From Trump’s tariff war and its looming consequences for Canada, to Toby Lutke’s bold AI ultimatum at Shopify, this episode is a masterclass in high-stakes business, politics, and innovation. * Will Trump’s economic war trigger...

In this episode of Tank Talks, we dive into one of the most significant shifts happening in tech right now: the rise of AI agents. Our guest, Adam Coccari, has a front-row seat to the AI transformation as the Managing Director of HubSpot Ventures. But what makes Adam’s story so compelling is how it began, not in boardrooms, but in a classroom, teaching 4th-grade math. From building an educational...

In this episode of Tank Talks, we sit down with Dan Debow, serial entrepreneur and former Shopify executive, along with returning guest and venture powerhouse John Ruffolo, for an unfiltered conversation about the intersection of innovation, public policy, and Canada's economic future. Fresh off his launch of Build Canada, Dan opens up about the real reasons he left Shopify, why Canadian entrepren...

On this episode of Tank Talks, we welcome back Villi Iltchev, founder and managing partner of Category Ventures, for an unfiltered deep dive into the evolving venture capital landscape. From his early days at Salesforce Ventures to launching his solo $160M fund, Villi unpacks the seismic shifts happening in enterprise software, how AI is reshaping startup economics, and what today’s founders need...

On this episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen sits down with Michael Garrity, Executive Chair and Founder of Financeit, alongside recurring guest, John Ruffolo. Michael shares his unconventional journey—from growing up in remote Canada to navigating the world of venture capital, fintech, and regulatory battles. He reveals how he pivoted CommunityLend after facing regulatory roadblocks, ultimately tran...

Welcome back to another thought-provoking episode of Tank Talks! Matt Cohen sits down with John Ruffolo to dissect the most pressing developments in tech, finance, and AI. From major banking shifts to the evolving landscape of AI-driven SEO, this episode delivers sharp insights and expert analysis you won’t want to miss. * The Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate cut—will it actually help the eco...

On this episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen sits down with Daniel Saks, co-founder of AppDirect and now CEO & co-founder of Landbase, to explore the explosive rise of AI-powered go-to-market strategies. Fresh off a $12.5M seed round, Daniel reveals how Agentic AI is transforming B2B sales and marketing, the key lessons he learned from scaling AppDirect, and what it really takes to build a category-d...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo break down the seismic shift in Canadian politics as Mark Carney takes over as Prime Minister, succeeding Justin Trudeau. We explore what this means for Canada’s economy, upcoming elections, and how business leaders are reacting to the change. * What’s next for Carney and the Liberal Party? * Could Canada be heading for an April election? * How will Canada’s economic po...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo dive into the growing exodus of Canadian talent to the U.S., breaking down why top founders and engineers are choosing Silicon Valley over homegrown opportunities. They discuss OpenAI’s latest move to charge up to $20,000 per month for AI-powered research agents and how companies are rethinking hiring in light of these powerful tools. The conversation also covers the co...

Matt Cohen sits down with Robert Morier , a former global investment executive turned venture capital professor at Drexel University . Robert shares his non-traditional journey—from studying history to managing multi-billion dollar investment portfolios, and ultimately returning to education to mentor the next generation of startup founders and VCs. They discuss his experience teaching venture cap...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo talk about the BDC Capital $1B fund, the state of early-stage VC funding in Canada, and the rise of mega-deals dominated by U.S. investors. They also discuss the feasibility of the Quebec City-Toronto high-speed rail project, AI copyright lawsuits, potential Trump-era tariffs, and the future of open banking in Canada. Key Topics BDC Capital’s $1B Growth-Stage Investment...

Matt Cohen sits down with Amber Kanwar , a longtime financial journalist and former BNN Bloomberg anchor, who recently made the bold leap into independent media with her new podcast, In the Money . Amber shares her journey from an ambitious intern at BNN to becoming one of Canada’s most recognizable financial voices. She recounts how she overcame imposter syndrome in the high-stakes world of finan...

In this episode, Matt welcomes Willson Cross , the co-founder and CEO of Borderless AI , to discuss how AI is transforming the global HR and payroll industry. Willson shares his entrepreneurial journey, from founding and selling GoFetch to launching Borderless AI. They explore how AI-driven compliance, payroll, and onboarding are solving key challenges in hiring global teams. Willson also talks ab...

This episode analyzes the latest trade tensions between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, exploring Trump’s recent tariff decisions and their economic impact. Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss Canada's political inaction, the rise of the Build Canada initiative, and the massive AI infrastructure investments by tech giants. They also break down StackAdapt’s explosive growth and its implications for t...

Matt Cohen welcomes Niklas Halusa , Co-Founder and CEO of Nautical Commerce , to explain how his company makes starting and running marketplaces easier. Niklas shares lessons from his venture capital experience, how to choose the right customers, and why marketplaces succeed or fail. He also talks about fundraising, managing growth, and what startup founders can learn from Formula 1 racing. About...

In this episode, Matt Cohen chats with Wendy Li , the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Ivy Invest , about her journey from managing institutional endowments to founding a fintech startup. Wendy shares insights from her experiences at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the UJA Federation of New York, and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. She highlights her decision to leave a traditional...

This episode analyzes the latest developments in U.S. policy and how they intersect with business, innovation, and Canadian economic strategies. Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss Trump’s second-term inauguration, Canada’s potential responses, and the growing trend of venture capital firms adopting private equity-style roll-up strategies. Topics (00:42) Trump’s Second-Term Inauguration (02:40) Ke...

In this episode of Tank Talks , Matt Cohen welcomes back Rob Khazzam , CEO of Float , along with John Ruffolo , to discuss Float's recent $70M Series B funding led by Goldman Sachs, the challenges of building a fintech company in Canada, and the broader state of entrepreneurship in the country. Rob shares insights into Float's mission to simplify financial operations for Canadian businesses, empha...

Host Matt Cohen talks with Dave Lambert , founder and managing director of Right Side Capital Management . Founded in 2009, Right Side takes a quantitative, data-driven approach to early-stage investments, focusing on capital-efficient tech startups. It has funded over 2,000 companies, offering rapid investment decisions and fostering innovation in the fragmented seed-stage funding market. Dave ex...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss the fast-moving events shaping Canada's political and economic landscape. Topics include the fallout from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation, the complexities of the CRA's proposed capital gains tax adjustments, and the legal challenges tied to Parliament's prorogation. The conversation then pivots to groundbreaking developments in AI, spotlighting RBC'...