BCA Podcasts

When you think about what a good life is for, what comes to mind? For Albertans, a good life means that everyone who calls this province home feels like they belong, that they have access to opportunity and can help create solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges such as providing low-carbon energy or feeding a growing world or supporting healthy lives. Today, the Business Council of Alberta releases Define the Decade, a vision and plan to focus and unleash Alberta's potential over the next decade.

As one of the only Indigenous-owned and operated universities in Canada, the First Nations University of Canada "seeks to have an ongoing transformative impact through education based on a foundation of Indigenous Knowledge." Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann is the President of the First Nations University of Canada, and she joins The Brief to share this vision, how the University is centring Indigenous Knowledge in its programs, and her passion for education and supporting Indigenous youth throughout the full education journey.

Inflation in Canada hit a 30-year high in April 2022, and Albertans are feeling the pinch in nearly every category—shelter costs (rent, utilities, etc.), food, and gas, to name a few. In fact, nearly 1 out of 4 Albertans are struggling to afford basic necessities. And with slow wage growth and long-term unemployment still a challenge, we may be at a tipping point in Alberta. To explore what we can do to relieve the pressure of rising prices, BCA's economics team, Mike Holden and Alicia Planincic share their perspectives on what is driving this inflation and what tools we have to fight inflation.

With an estimated 2 billion people more to feed by 2050, we need to produce a lot more food—and we need to do it in a way that is sustainable, affordable, and secure. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President of Applied Research for the Olds College Centre for Innovation joins the show to talk about the work the College is doing to use data and technology to innovate how we produce food and how we can scale these solutions to tackle the global challenge of feeding more people with fewer resources.

As one of the first tech unicorns in Alberta, Benevity has become not only an Alberta success story, but a key driver in the evolution of corporate purpose, developing a platform that drives both social and business impact. And at the helm of this global and growing company is Kelly Schmitt. While Kelly never saw herself in the job of Chief Executive Officer throughout her leadership journey, Kelly took the leap into the top job in January 2021 and has been making big moves with the company ever since. With a passion for people, Kelly focuses her efforts on developing her team and employees and building a strong corporate culture where inclusion and belonging are at the centre. In this episode, Kelly talks about her leadership journey, Benevity's culture and mission, Alberta's tech ecosystem, and what makes her excited for the future.

Judy Fairburn is an extraordinary leader in her own right. From her first act as an engineer and executive in the energy industry, to her second act in activating Alberta's tech and innovation sector, Judy has been a shining example of Alberta's famed entrepreneurial spirit and now applies her passion and innovation to her latest venture at The51 to help build women-led capital, invest in women-led business, and ensure that women are empowered at all levels and in all facets of economic decision making. This is her story.

As Alberta producers and farmers prepare for seeding season, we're taking a moment to focus on Alberta's agriculture industry, looking retrospectively at the 2021 season, the state of the sector today, and expectations for 2022 and beyond, especially as many forces threaten the global food supply chain. To help us understand what's going on in Alberta ag, we invited JP Gervais, Chief Economist, Farm Credit Canada to the show.

Mac Van Wielingen is known by many as the maverick of Canadian business. He's also the founder and current Board Chair of the Business Council of Alberta. Discussing his leadership philosophy and the way he hopes to make life better for Albertans, we talk about everything from ESG and the evolving role of business to the state of Alberta and the importance of big ideas such as cohesion and collaboration to Alberta's future.

An expert in advancing women's entrepreneurship in Canada, Shannon Pestun is a former business banker in Calgary, who has helped women entrepreneurs across the country start and scale businesses. In this episode, Shannon shares her insights on the current state of women's entrepreneurship in Canada and in Alberta as well as best practices to close some of the most common barriers women experience when starting and scaling businesses and/or moving into leadership positions within companies or on boards.

With over 50% of Alberta's population living in Calgary and Edmonton, the success of these two cities is vital to the future of the province. And at the helm of each are Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of the City of Calgary, and Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of the City of Edmonton. As Alberta faces big challenges, we sit down with each leader to discuss what is keeping them at night, their top priorities for Calgarians and Edmontonians, and the importance of working together for the social and economic benefit of all Albertans.