The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Derek Bullen is the Founder and Board Director of S.i. Systems . S.i. Systems is one of the largest Canadian IT staffing and consulting firms that connects organizations with skilled technology professionals. They specialize in providing contract, permanent, and project-based talent across areas like software development, business analysis, project management, and IT infrastructure. Chapters 0:00...

Emily Luk is a member of the Product team at Wealthsimple . She previously Co-Founded Plenty, which was acquired by Wealthsimple. Chapters 00:00 Emily's Journey: From Venture, Stripe and Even. 05:44 Cultural Insights from Stripe and Even 08:27 The Birth of Plenty: Identifying Gaps in FinTech 11:17 Navigating FinTech Challenges and Infrastructure 14:17 Unlocking Multi-User Experiences in FinTec...

Matthew Lombardi co-founded The Icebreaker with Jeff Waite and Michael Edwards. The Icebreaker is Canada's defence innovation network, trusted by founders and funders, operators and professionals at DND and the CAF, defence primes, IDEaS, NATO DIANA, and everywhere decisions are made to defend the nation. Their mission: to make Canada a net exporter of defence technology by 2030. The Icebreak...

Carter Li is the CEO of SWTCH. SWTCH - https://swtchenergy.com/ Chapters 00:00 Genesis of SWTCH: A Personal Journey 05:35 Challenges of EV Charging in Existing Infrastructure 08:06 Designing Charging Solutions Based on Dwell Time 11:05 Technological Advances in EV Charging 13:49 The Value of EV Infrastructure in Real Estate 16:33 Shifts in the EV Charging Landscape 19:32 Vertical Integration in Ch...

Simon Hørup Eskildsen is the Co-Founder and CEO of turbopuffer . turbopuffer is a fast search engine that combines vector and full-text search using object storage, making all your data easily searchable. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to turbopuffer 06:46 Revolutionizing Search with TurboPuffer 11:45 Technical Innovations Behind TurboPuffer 15:55 Caching Mechanisms and Performance 19:27 Scaling Chal...

Stewart Lyons is the CEO of Bird . Bird is on a mission to provide eco-friendly transportation for everyone. Chapters 00:00 Stewart Lyons: A Journey Through Entrepreneurship 05:29 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Canada 08:04 Turning Around Bird Global: Strategies and Insights 11:07 Operating a Global Business from Canada 13:15 Building Trust with Regulators and City Partners 15:52 Operational...

Christian Weedbrook is the Founder and CEO of Xanadu . Xanadu is a Canadian quantum technology company and one of the world's leading photonic quantum hardware providers. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Quantum Computing 05:51 Infrastructure and Capital Needs for Quantum 08:40 Raising Capital in Quantum Tech 11:58 Government Support and Quantum 14:16 Photonics vs. Other Quantum Approaches 15:55 T...

Dennis Pilarinos is the Founder and CEO of Unblocked . Unblocked brings all the context about your codebase together, so your team gets expert-level answers, no matter where they’re working. Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Dennis 09:48 Building Developer Tools: Challenges and Insights 16:59 The Importance of User Experience in Development 24:45 AI's Role in Modern Development 29:58 Attracting To...

Mark Doble is the CEO of Alexi . Alexi is the flexible AI platform trusted by leading law firms to develop proprietary insights, orchestrate high-quality work, and deliver stronger results — in a fully private, firm-controlled environment. Chapters 00:00 Exploring the Gaps in Legal Tech 05:26 The Evolution of Legal Research Automation 08:00 Understanding AI Hallucinations in Legal Contexts 12:20 T...

Stu Szabo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beacon . Beacon is a new solution built to facilitate smooth transitions for immigrants relocating to Canada. Their Super App simplifies the financial and informational hurdles that newcomers face, offering everything from banking solutions to essential resources, all designed to ease the transition into Canadian life. Chapters 00:00 The Inspiration Behind My...

Andrew Ostro is the Co-Founder and CEO of PolicyMe . PolicyMe's mission is to reinvent insurance for Canadians by merging smart technology with unwavering humanity–driving down costs, simplifying protection, and prioritizing your needs at every step. Chapters 00:00 The Birth of PolicyMe 05:25 Understanding Life Insurance 08:37 The Buying Process of Life Insurance 11:36 Streamlining Insurance P...

Kylan Gibbs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Inworld. Inworld develops AI products for builders of consumer applications, enabling scaled applications that grow into user needs and organically evolve through experience. Chapters 00:00 Founding Story of Inworld 05:29 Consumer vs. Enterprise AI Applications 08:33 Bridging the Gap: Prototypes to Production 11:34 Runtime: Scaling Consumer AI Applications...

Mike Peasgood is the Co-Founder and CEO of ENVGO . ENVGO is a technology company bringing cleantech solutions to the boating industry. At ENVGO, they are making high performance boating clean, efficient, and low maintenance. They are building a future where hydrofoiling electric watercraft are powered by clean energy, and offer an experience of flight over the water. Chapters 00:00 Founding Aeryon...

Daniel Wigdor is the Co-Founder and CEO of AXL . AXL is a Canadian venture studio transforming world-class research into high-growth companies that shape the future of applied AI. Led by seasoned tech entrepreneurs and applied AI experts, AXL’s mission is to ensure Canada’s top breakthroughs are built and scaled at home. By connecting academia with real market demand and full-stack venture creatio...

Zane Hengsperger is the Founder and CEO of Nox Metals . Nox Metals is the modern factory for fast, low-cost metals. Chapters 00:00 Inspiration Behind Metal Fabrication 05:42 Current Landscape of Metal Processing 08:20 Sourcing and Quoting in Metal Fabrication 11:08 Geographical Considerations in Metal Supply 13:47 Venture Capital and Manufacturing 16:42 Navigating the Re-Industrialization Movement...

Andrew McLeod is the Co-Founder and CEO of Certn . Certn isn’t a background check provider with a tech department; it’s a tech-first leader innovating every part of the background screening process. Certn is changing background screening globally by offering the easiest-to-use platform, checks in 200+ countries and territories, free 24/7 customer support, and fast and compliant results. Trusted by...

Daniel Eberhard is the Founder and CEO of KOHO . KOHO is one seamless platform for your money and life. Founded in 2014, they are a forward-thinking fintech company dedicated to financially empowering a generation of Canadians. With a Mastercard and innovative tools, they provide their users with the ability to earn, spend, borrow, build credit, and budget—all in one convenient app. Driven by a ge...

Boris Wertz is the Founder and General Partner of Version One Ventures . This is the second time Boris has been on the podcast; this time, we were able to do it in person. Version One Ventures backs mission-driven founders who are early in new areas such as Ada, Coinbase, Ether.fi, Jobber, Patch, Shippo, Outreach, Uniswap. Chapters (2:45) Introduction to Boris Wirtz and Version One Ventures (5:33)...

Peter Hass is the GM at Stelumar . Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing Inc. (SAMI) is a technology-driven company dedicated to revolutionizing homebuilding in Canada through advanced modular building solutions. Founded by Peter Gilgan , one of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs and the founder of Mattamy Homes, SAMI combines automation, robotics and AI to produce high-quality prefabricated components at a...

Kevin Jia is the Co-Founder of Quoted Tech Computers . Founded in 2023, Quoted Tech was founded by two tech enthusiasts with a clear vision to change the world of hardware. Quoted Tech has served over 10,000 customers across the country and is on track to hit $10M in revenue, completely bootstrapped. Chapters 00:00 The Founding Story of Quoted Tech 06:24 Building Gaming Computers: The Process and...

Philippe-Antoine Lehoux is the CEO of Missive . Missive is a shared inbox & team chat solution used by thousands of businesses worldwide. Phil discusses his journey in bootstrapping businesses, emphasizing the importance of a customer-first approach, team dynamics, and the impact of AI on productivity. He shares insights on scaling, collaboration, and the email landscape, while also reflecting...

My conversation with Chris Samra ! Chris is building Waves, camera glasses for Creators, which are launching this week! We discussed the evolving landscape of content creation, the future of wearable technology, and the importance of user experience in hardware design. Timestamps 02:40 - The Vision of Invisible Wearables 07:35 - The Future of Content Creation 10:00 - Designing for Comfort and Aest...

Jack Newton is the Founder and CEO of Clio . Clio is the world's leading provider of cloud-based legal technology, providing lawyers with low-barrier, affordable solutions to manage and grow their firms more effectively, more profitably, and with better client experiences. Their products redefine how lawyers manage their firms by equipping them with the tools they need to run their firms secur...

Tuner Novak from Banana Capital . Banana Capital is a Pre-Seed/Seed fund, and Turner also hosts The Peel Pod . Supporters Float Bloom SR&ED VanHack Timestamps 02:40 - Canadian Roots and Identity 07:36 - The Future of Media and Content Creation 10:10 - The Importance of Distribution in Venture Capital 13:14 - Content Creation and Personal Enjoyment 15:40 - The Evolution of Influencer Investing...

James Clift is the Founder and CEO of Durable . Durable makes owning a business easier than having a job. We’re building the world’s fastest AI website builder and all-in-one business platform, so anyone can launch online in seconds and grow with powerful AI tools. Over 10 million websites generated. Used by business owners in 100+ countries. Chapters 02:25 James Clift's Entrepreneurial Journe...