The Weird Canadian

Episode Notes He left a stable, six-figure career in the tech industry to chase a wild dream: building communities in the emerging markets of Latin America. Was it worth it? In this episode, we sit down with Mike Cobb, the co-founder and CEO of ECI Development, a visionary entrepreneur who has spent over 25 years pioneering international real estate development in countries like Belize, Nicaragua,...

Episode Notes Ever wonder what your data is really worth? Or how companies track over a billion devices to make multi-million dollar decisions? In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Walter Harrison, a tech CEO who's spent over 15 years building the invisible infrastructure that powers our data-driven world. Walter has sold companies, built three revolutionary platforms (Complementrix, WhoCa...

Episode Notes In this episode, we sit down with Teddy Bloom, an engineer and activist who embarked on an incredible 3,700-mile solo bicycle journey across the United States. His mission, Ride4Rights, is a peaceful protest aimed at fostering unity and promoting civil discourse in a deeply divided nation. Teddy shares the personal story behind his decision to sacrifice his life savings for this caus...

Episode Notes Can an AI really understand what you think? In this episode, we explore one of the most fascinating and controversial applications of artificial intelligence: understanding human opinion. I sit down with Sharif Amlani, PhD, the Founder and CEO of HumanAI, a UC Berkeley-backed startup revolutionizing public opinion research. Sharif holds a PhD in Political Science from UC Davis and pr...

Episode Notes There is a powerful, unelected agency in Canada that controls your internet, your phone bill, and even what you see on Netflix. It’s the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC ), and its influence over our digital lives is growing every year. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the CRTC. Host of The Weird Canadian, a former public servant turned en...

Episode Notes Is your organization constantly chasing the latest tech trends, only to end up with expensive tools that nobody uses? In this episode, we sit down with Abby Clobridge, founder of FireOak Strategies and a fractional CIO with a refreshingly different approach to business technology. Abby's background isn't in computer science—it's in library science. This unique perspective has shaped...

Episode Notes What if the life you're building isn't truly yours? My guest today, Aaron Scott, built a career most people only dream of—a multi-strategy hedge fund, 20 years on Wall Street—and chose to leave it all behind. He calls the world of success we strive for a "program," an illusion created by systems of capitalism, education, and media. In this episode, he gives us the tools to...

Episode Notes What if the very things that make us feel "different" are the keys to unlocking our greatest potential? In this powerful episode, Cody sits down with Tracy King (they/them ), the CEO of InspirEd and a leading voice in neuroinclusion. As a late-diagnosed autistic entrepreneur and parent to four neurodivergent kids, Tracy offers a deeply personal and professional perspective...

Episode Notes It’s the comparison that has dominated Canadian political discourse: is Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre simply Canada’s version of Donald Trump? In this deep-dive analysis, we go beyond the surface-level similarities to reveal the crucial, often-overlooked differences in their political playbooks. This episode explores the origins of the “Maple MAGA” narrative, from Poilievre’s...

Episode Notes Just weeks after scientists confirmed the world has crossed its first catastrophic climate tipping point with the die-off of coral reefs, we sit down with the woman leading Canada's charge to build a new, sustainable ocean economy. Kendra Macdonald is the CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, an ambitious national project with a goal to grow our "blue economy" fivefold to $22...

Episode Notes For decades, Canadians have been told a story of sacrifice for the planet. We’ve paid the carbon taxes, embraced new rules, and been promised a greener future. But as the deadlines for climate targets loom, a frustrating question remains: where are the results? In this episode of The Weird Canadian Podcast, I take you on an investigative journey deep into Canada's Net Zero strategy....

Episode Notes Why do we promote our best engineers into leadership roles they are unprepared for, only to see them burn out? The skills that make a great individual contributor are often the opposite of what’s needed to be a great leader. This is the technical leadership crisis, and it’s costing companies their best talent. In this episode, Cody sits down with Andrew Hinkelman, a former CTO with o...

Episode Notes In this urgent and revealing episode, we unpack two of the most consequential pieces of legislation affecting Canadian digital rights: Bills C-11 and C-18. While government officials frame these laws as consumer protection measures, the reality is far more complex—and concerning. Digital rights advocate Miriam Rachel Burr joins us to explain exactly what these bills do, why major tec...

Episode Notes We have more customer service technology than ever before—chatbots, AI assistants, and complex CRM systems. So why does it feel like customer experience is getting worse? In this episode, I sit down with Abisola Fagbiye, a UK-based Customer Experience (CX) Strategist who has worked with organizations ranging from small startups to the United Nations. She argues that the obsession wit...

Episode Notes Struggling to understand AI? You don't need a computer science degree. In this episode of The Weird Canadian, I sit down with Sairam Sundaresan—a veteran AI researcher with over 14 years of experience and author of the upcoming book "AI for the Rest of Us"—to demystify artificial intelligence for non-technical entrepreneurs. Sairam introduces a revolutionary concept called...

Episode Notes AI software development is broken—and 4x founder Gregory Lind explains exactly why. In this 22-minute interview, Gregory Lind (CEO of Buildly, 4x startup founder, and author of "Radical Therapy for Software Teams") reveals what's really happening when teams rely too heavily on AI coding tools. From "magic button vibe coding" to the hidden dangers of treating proto...

Episode Notes Jack Brewster, founder of Newsreel, reveals how toxic algorithms and AI media drive global hostility and presents his innovative, gamified solution to the misinformation crisis. Episode Overview: The algorithms are broken. Journalist Jack Brewster has spent a decade on the front lines of the misinformation war, tracing viral lies from obscure social media posts to the highest levels...

Episode Notes In this episode of The Weird Canadian, we tackle a hidden crisis affecting over 822,000 households across the country: energy poverty. While politicians debate carbon taxes, hundreds of thousands of Canadians—seniors, renters, and Indigenous communities—are forced to make an impossible choice: heat or eat. This is the audio version of our deep-dive YouTube video, where we explore the...

Episode Notes Is your LinkedIn profile optimized for success, or is it just collecting digital dust? In this episode, we sit down with Al Kushner, a 20-year LinkedIn veteran and author of "The AI LinkedIn Advantage," to explore how entrepreneurs can use artificial intelligence to build an authentic and powerful personal brand. Al reveals that the true power of AI on LinkedIn goes far bey...

Episode Notes What if our biggest mistake with the internet was the first metaphor we chose for it? For 30 years, we've called it a "place." We talk about "online communities," "digital citizenship," and "safe spaces." But this metaphor has a dark side. By treating a communication medium like a physical environment, we've imported real-world consequences, mo...

Episode Notes 🦊 The fox is guarding the henhouse. And most business owners have no idea. What if I told you your company is probably overpaying for healthcare by about $4,000 per employee per year? And the person you're trusting to save you money actually makes MORE when your costs go up? In this explosive conversation, I sit down with Donovan Pyle—a former professional drummer turned health insu...

Episode Notes 🚨 In March 2025, the United Nations condemned Canada for violating disability rights through its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) system. This episode investigates why disabled and marginalized Canadians are choosing death at unprecedented rates—not because of terminal illness, but because of poverty, housing insecurity, and systemic abandonment. 📊 KEY FINDINGS: • MAiD deaths inc...

Episode Notes Kenneth Russell DeGraff spent 12 years as Nancy Pelosi's chief climate and technology advisor, helping craft landmark legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Now he's sounding the alarm about AI companies quietly passing massive costs to consumers through utility bills. In this revealing conversation, Kenneth takes us...

Episode Notes Mark Carney just declared Canada's 75-year relationship with the United States is "over." But what does that actually mean for Canada's future? In this deep-dive video analysis, I break down: ✅ Why Carney says the "old relationship" with the US is finished ✅ The 2035 plan to double non-US exports ✅ Canada's pivot toward Asia and Europe ✅ Arctic sovereignty and...

Episode Notes What do Neopets, a college essay, and a six-figure freelancing business have in common? They're all part of Mia Kotalik's incredible journey into the tech world. At just 25 years old, Mia has already built a career most people would be proud of at any age. She's co-founder of Curie & Co, a company named after her dog and rabbit who were her "co-workers" during COVID loc...