The ONSIDE Podcast

This summer, ONSIDE is revisiting some of our favourite conversations from the archive — and Jenn Harper's story continues to inspire with its powerful message of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, resilience, and building a business that creates lasting impact. This episode is a sit-down with our host, Alex McCann, alongside the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, Jenn Harper. Jenn discusses her j...

This summer, ONSIDE is revisiting some of our favourite conversations from the archive — and Amy Gordinier’s story remains a powerful look at entrepreneurship, calculated risk, and the ability to recognize opportunity where others see tradition. Amy Gordinier is a skincare entrepreneur obsessed with healthy skin! Amy describes herself as a believer in quantitative clinical proof as a moral imperat...

This summer, ONSIDE is revisiting some of our favourite conversations from the archive — and this episode remains an incredibly timely discussion on entrepreneurship, equity, and the power of impact investing. Allison Gibson, Chief Program Officer at Spring, discusses her journey from the food and hospitality industry to her current role, emphasizing the importance of community and social entrepre...

Today’s episode features host Alexandra McCann wrapping up a powerful season of conversations with women entrepreneurs who are changing what innovation and leadership look like in Canada. From AI and digital adoption to beauty, med tech, and leadership development, Alex reflects on how each guest is using technology as an amplifier, not a hero , and building businesses grounded in purpose, values,...

Today’s episode features host Alex McCann in conversation with Laurissa Manning and Lauren Sears, co-founders of DLM; a dynamic firm dedicated to helping organizations build purposeful plans and strong, connected teams. Laurissa and Lauren share their journeys as women leaders and entrepreneurs, describing how their backgrounds in logistics, health, psychology, and organizational behavior have sha...

Today’s episode features host Alex McCann in conversation with Nadia Ivanova, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Sparrow Bioacoustics. Nadia shares her remarkable journey from immigrating to Canada to pioneering the Stethophone, a groundbreaking medical device that transforms any smartphone into a clinical-grade heart health tool. Nadia discusses how her personal experiences and background in...

Today's episode is a sit-down with our host, Alex McCann, alongside the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, Jen Harper. Jen discusses her journey of reconnecting with her indigenous roots and founding Cheekbone Beauty, a sustainability-focused, indigenous-owned cosmetic brand. The company, which has gained national attention and is sold at Sephora and JCPenney , has reinvested over $250,000 in in...

In this episode of the Onside Podcast, host Alex McCann sits down with Lisa Hayden, CEO and founder of Pivotal Growth, a leadership intelligence firm revolutionizing how organizations grow and scale through innovative approaches. We get into Lisa's journey from corporate career to entrepreneurship, and the importance of network building vs. traditional networking. Lisa provides incredible insights...

Your host, Alex McCann is back for the Onside Podcast's fourth season! Guest Avery Swartz, CEO of Camp Tech, discusses her journey from arts administration to founding Camp Tech, a tech training company. Avery emphasizes the importance of accessible, practical tech education, particularly for small businesses and nonprofits. She highlights the use of AI tools like ChatGPT and "vibe coding" for pro...

Your host, Alex McCann talks about Season 3 of The Onside Podcast. She recaps the discussions explored including the range of topics with inspiring guests, including beauty industry insights from Amy Gordinier Founder of SkinFix, social enterprise strategies from Constanza Safatle, Founder of Newbornlander, and cultural taboo discussions with Rashmi Prakash, Founder of Aruna Revolution. This seaso...

Joella Hogan, founder of Yukon Soaps Company, discusses her journey as an entrepreneur in the Yukon, emphasizing the importance of community, culture, and sustainability. Her business, which has been operating for over 20 years, creates handcrafted soaps and shampoo bars using local ingredients and Indigenous art. Joella highlights the challenges of shipping in remote areas and the importance of i...

Alex McCann hosts Jah'Mila, a Juno-nominated reggae artist, for this episode of The Onside Podcast. Jah'Mila discusses her journey from Kingston, Jamaica, to Nova Scotia, where she blends traditional Roots Reggae with Jazz and Soul. She highlights her collaboration with prestigious orchestras and her Juno-nominated album "Roots Girl." Jah'Mila emphasizes the importance of community, self-value, an...

Chantal Brine, CEO and founder of EnPoint, discusses her journey from Bermuda to Nova Scotia, where she studied at St. Mary's University and discovered her passion for mentorship! Chantal's pivotal moment came during her tenure at a tech company, where a mentor helped her realize the importance of career fulfillment. Chantal emphasizes the transformative power of mentorship, particularly for women...

Allison Gibson, Chief Program Officer at Spring, discusses her journey from the food and hospitality industry to her current role, emphasizing the importance of community and social entrepreneurship! Allison highlights her experience in transitioning a business to a grocery delivery service during COVID-19 and her work with Spring, which supports impact-focused founders and investors. Allison stre...

Your host Alex McCann sits down with Jayne Akinyi, CEO and founder of Dada Dunia, a business connecting African women with socially responsible Canadian companies.  Jayne, a social entrepreneur from Kenya, discusses her journey from teaching in China to founding Dada Dunia in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She highlights the challenges of integrating into Canadian society and the importance of community su...

Constanza Safatle, CEO and founder of Newbornlander, a social enterprise in Newfoundland, discusses her journey from Chile to Canada, her unexpected challenges as an immigrant, and the creation of her business. Constanza describes herself as a passionate entrepreneur and advocate dedicated to empowering newcomers and driving social impact. Founder and CEO of Newbornlander, a successful for-profit...

Rashmi Prakash is a deeply passionate biomedical engineer with a vision for sustainably leveraging technology to enhance the quality of life and ensure an equitable future! Rashmi's background in electrical & biomedical engineering and extensive skills in C/C++/C#, ARM/VHDL, rapid prototyping, 3D modelling/printing, and PCB/circuit design, are complemented by proficiency in ISO compliance, med...

Amy Gordinier is a skincare entrepreneur obsessed with healthy skin! Amy describes herself as a believer in quantitative clinical proof as a moral imperative in skincare, a believer in the power of clean ingredients to deliver clinical results and healthy skin outcomes, and a believer that healthy skin is connected to healthy body, mind and spirit. In this episode, Amy discusses her experiences as...

In 2015, Vanessa Marshall was an aspiring dentist. After some reflection, she pivoted and decided to start her entrepreneurial journey, despite not having any formal business training. Vanessa stumbled into the world of soap-making after watching her sister create sudsy bars in her spare time. With some research in chemistry and soap-bar making, paired with her disappointment with existing bar sha...

Sheena Russell is a born-and-raised Prince Edward Islander and founder of Made with Local, a Maritimes-based snack foods company that creates simple, nourishing foods that are real & organic, for people and the planet. Made with Local was started at a Halifax farmer's market in 2012 and now their Real Food Bars can be found at over 3000 grocery stores across Canada and the US. The two chat abo...

Your host Alex McCann sits down with Vicki Saunders, Founder of Coralus, for the very first Start Now Incubator, Fireside Chat of 2024! The two discuss the challenges and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs in Canada, emphasizing the need for inclusivity, mentorship, and community support. Vicki shares her personal experiences as an entrepreneur and leader, highlighting the importance of gene...

Today, we welcome back Jennifer Angel, CEO of Evergreen, to chat about building sustainable futures. We discuss her Future Cities programs, why challenging communities to solve problems is important, what's required for sustainable living, and Indigenous co-governance. Jennifer Angel is a builder of community, momentum and places people love. As CEO of Evergreen, Jen leads the creation of inclusiv...

"A lack of access to clean drinking water results in about 50% of the world's medical issues." In this episode we welcome back Matt Mizzi, Founder & CEO of Drinkable , the world’s first accurate, affordable, and easy to use handheld water testing device. This time, we are discussing why a lack of clean water is leading to massive world problems, the social purpose behind drinkable, working wit...

Our guest today is Jennifer Angel, CEO of Evergreen, a builder of community, momentum, and places people love. Together with partners, Jen builds inclusive, sustainable places that attract people and investment, enhance resilience, and contribute to well-being for all. Jennifer Angel is a builder of community, momentum and places people love. As CEO of Evergreen, Jen leads the creation of inclusiv...

Drinkable is the world’s first accurate, affordable, and easy to use handheld water testing device that strives to make water testing accurate, easy, and affordable.  In this episode, we're taking a look at the journey to create a climate adaptive technology company here in Nova Scotia. Our guest  is Matt Mizzi, founder and CEO of Drinkable . Matt has a degree in Environmental Science from Acadia...