Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo talk about the big news that Justin Trudeau is stepping down after being Canada’s Prime Minister for nine years. They explore what this means for Canada, including how it affects the government, the economy, and Canada’s relationship with the United States. Topics covered include: * (01:28) What Trudeau’s resignation means for the Liberal Party and Canada’s government....

Matt Cohen wraps up an extraordinary year in tech, venture capital, and innovation with this special "Best of 2024" episode of Tank Talks . Featuring insights from some remarkable guests, this episode explores the year’s defining moments and actionable lessons. Baron Davis dives into the transformative potential of AI, VR/AR, and digital assets, while Dax Da Silva of Lightspeed shares how energy a...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo tackle the seismic shifts in Canada’s political landscape, discuss the recent fall economic statement, and make bold predictions for 2025. Topics covered include Chrystia Freeland’s unexpected resignation as Finance Minister (00:41) , highlights from the Federal Budget (03:39) , speculation about Canada's election timing (09:18) , and how this government looks to the in...

In this episode of Tank Talks , host Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss the latest developments in venture capital, technology, and innovation. Topics include the Canadian government’s proposal to encourage pension fund investments in startups, the challenges entrepreneurs face in scaling businesses, and the systemic capital constraints within Canada’s ecosystem. The conversation highlights Sheer...

Matt Cohen sits down with Rebecca Kacaba , Co-Founder and CEO of DealMaker , a groundbreaking platform transforming how companies raise capital. Rebecca shares her journey from her entrepreneurial family background and legal expertise to spearhead innovation in the fundraising space. The conversation covers how DealMaker democratizes capital access, enabling individuals to invest in brands they lo...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss John’s OpEd on building a prosperity agenda for Canada, becoming a better ally to the US , the announcement of the Sovereign AI fund , and key developments in venture capital, including ServiceTitan’s IPO challenges and the implications of recent lawsuits against OpenAI. (01:13) Canada’s Prosperity Agenda and Economic Priorities John Ruffolo delves into his op-e...

Matt Cohen welcomes Mitch Debora , the Co-Founder and CEO of Mosaic Manufacturing , a pioneer in the field of additive manufacturing and 3D printing. Mitch shares insights into how Mosaic is transforming global supply chains with innovative 3D printing solutions, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, which exposed the fragility of traditional supply chains. The discussion dives into Mosaic’s lates...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo discuss Neo Financial ’s $80M funding and the concerns surrounding Tencent’s involvement , Hopper’s layoffs as it pivots to B2B partnerships , and Elon Musk’s dual moves with his Department of Government Efficiency and X.AI’s stock offering . They also explore the implications of ServiceTitan’s IPO ratchet clause and Wealthsimple’s $100M secondary share purchase ahead o...

Matt Cohen interviews Jayesh Parmar , founder of Picatic , a ticketing platform acquired by Eventbrite, and current wellness innovator with Gunkii . Jayesh discusses building a startup in Saskatoon, navigating challenges, competing against incumbents, and lessons learned from scaling a company. He also shares insights into his current venture, Gunkii, and his contributions to the startup ecosystem...

Matt Cohen welcomes back John Ruffolo , of Maverix Private Equity , for a discussion on Neo Financial’s recent funding round, the state of IPOs, antitrust actions against Google, the dominance of NVIDIA in AI hardware, and the speculative nature of MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy. * (00:55) Neo Financial's $362 Million Series D Round Analysis of the Calgary-based challenger bank's latest financin...

Matt Cohen and John Rikhtegar of RBCx discuss the insights from Rikhtegar's report on capital exited in Canadian venture capital over the past decade . They talk about the importance of understanding capital efficiency, market cycles, and the power law in venture exits. John emphasizes the need for a comprehensive view of the venture ecosystem, focusing on capital allocated, invested, and exited....

In this episode, Matt Cohen interviews Bill Macaitis of SaaS CMO Pro . Bill was instrumental in scaling B2B SaaS giants like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Slack. The conversation covers Bill’s transition from B2C to B2B, bringing consumer marketing techniques into enterprise SaaS, and his role in IPO successes for companies like Zendesk and Slack. Bill also delves into building high-performing, custome...

Peter van der Velden joins Matt Cohen to discuss the dynamic changes within the life sciences sector and venture capital at large. He highlights the success factors in life sciences as a high-performing asset class and discusses the role of Canadian pension funds in supporting innovation. The episode also covers the transformative potential of GLP-1 drugs and AI's impact on drug discovery and medi...

In this episode, David Skok , founder and CEO of The Logic , discusses his journey from traditional journalism to leading a digital-first news outlet. He reflects on his time at The Boston Globe , where he helped the publication transition to a digital subscription model. This experience laid the foundation for his decision to launch The Logic , focusing on Canada's innovation economy and providin...

Matt Cohen sits down with Benedikt Langer , the thought leader behind the newsletter Embracing Emergence , to explore the world of emerging managers and their relationships with family offices and other Limited Partners (Limited Partners). Benedikt shares his journey of growing up in Germany to becoming an influential voice in the LP and Emerging Manager space, providing insights on why family off...

In this live episode recorded at the Elevate Conference , host Matt Cohen interviews Dax Dasilva , founder of Lightspeed and the conservation initiative Age of Union . The discussion covers Dax's entrepreneurial journey from his early days growing up in Vancouver as the son of Ugandan refugees, through the founding and growth of Lightspeed, and his venture into conservation and environmental advoc...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity talk about the current dynamics of the Canadian venture capital ecosystem, discussing recent controversies and major moves by key players. Topics include public criticism within the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA), Brookfield ’s ambitious plans for a $50 billion pension fund , and a strategic review by Lightspeed Commerce , hinting...

In this week's episode of Tank Talks , host Matt Cohen welcomes Peter Goldie and Deborah Kattler Kupetz the two principals of Category Design Co. Category Design is a powerful business strategy that involves identifying a gap in the market and creating an entirely new category to fill it. Together, they share their journeys, personal experiences, and insights into how category design can transform...

This week Matt Cohen welcomes Anthony Lacavera , an entrepreneur known for founding Globalive and Wind Mobile . Anthony shares his journey from starting his first business after graduating from the University of Toronto to challenging the Canadian telecom giants with Wind Mobile. He discusses the lessons learned from his successes and failures, his passion for innovation, and his latest ventures i...

Matt Cohen welcomes back John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity , focusing on a variety of topics, including predictions for the next Canadian election, reflections on the 2023 conference season, and the impact of long-term value creation in Canadian business. They also discuss PitchBook's 2024 university rankings and their implications for Canadian education and entrepreneurship. Additionally, th...

In this episode, Matt Cohen sits down with Arati Sharma and Satish Kanwar , the powerhouse duo behind Good Future , a family office with a mission to support and grow the Canadian tech ecosystem. They discuss their journey from starting the digital design agency Jet Cooper to playing pivotal roles at Shopify, and now investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs. The conversation delves into t...

This week Tom McCullough , Chairman and CEO of Northwood Family Office stops by to talk all things Family Office. Tom is often referred to as the "godfather" of family offices in Canada. He shares his journey from a successful career at Dominion Securities to founding Northwood Family Office, where he has spent over two decades helping families manage their wealth and complex financial needs. The...

Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity talk about a wide array of current topics in venture capital, with a particular focus on the state of AI funding with Radical Ventures raising an $800M AI-focused fund, the challenges facing late-stage startups, and the impact of government policies on entrepreneurship and innovation. In this episode, we discuss: (00:23) Radical Ventures raises...

On this week's episode, we welcome Mario Nigro , a partner at Stikeman Elliott , to discuss navigating the world of search funds and recent trends in mid-cap M&A. Mario shares his journey to becoming an M&A expert and offers insights into the evolving landscape of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the Canadian market. He explains the rising popularity of the entrepreneurship-through-acquis...

In this week's episode, Matt talks to Melissa Cash , Co-Founder and CEO of Pok Pok . She shares her story of creating an award-winning kids' app. Melissa explains how her time at Disney and working with Snowman helped shape Pok Pok, and the challenges they faced in starting the company. Melissa talks about where the idea for Pok Pok came from and the key principles behind its design. She focuses o...