The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Sam Ifergan is the Founder and Managing Partner of iGan Partners. iGan Partners is the largest venture capital firm investing in Canada. They empower visionary founders with early-stage capital and the true resources required to grow extraordinary, high-impact companies in Healthcare Technology, Digital Therapeutics, Medical Devices, and Digital Health. Takeaways Investing at an early stage in medtech requires a deep understanding of the industry and the ability to navigate long development cycles and regulatory processes. The Canadian healthcare system could benefit from greater adoption of Canadian technologies and increased support for early-stage companies. Building and growing a medtech firm requires perseverance, a strong team, and a focus on adding value through expertise and resources. Commercialization in medtech is a complex process that requires understanding reimbursement, clinical evidence, and the unique sales cycle in healthcare. Chapters 00:00 Genesis of iGan Partners 01:25 Nuances of the MedTech Space 06:06 Investing at an Early Stage 08:38 The Importance of Imaging in Healthcare 11:29 Geography and Market Scale 13:08 Improving the Canadian Healthcare System 15:38 IP and Research in Canada 19:53 Building and Growing iGan Partners 20:58 Fund Size and Check Size in MedTech 22:30 Common Challenges in MedTech Companies 25:05 Exits and the MedTech Market 26:51 Fundraising Challenges in Canada 29:11 Key Trends in the MedTech Industry 30:15 Value Add and Support for Portfolio Companies 32:10 Commercialization Challenges in MedTech 34:07 Exciting Exits and Elevating the Talent Bar 37:14 The Cycle of MedTech Investments 38:27 Favorite Book and Excitement for the Future 40:14 Dealing with Hard Times 41:42 Message for Entrepreneurs

Stephanie Curcio is the CEO and Co-Founder of NLPatent. NLPatent is an industry-leading AI-based patent search and analytics platform trusted by Fortune 500 companies, law firms, and research universities around the world. The platform takes an AI-first approach to patent search; it's built from a proprietary LLM trained on patent data to truly understand the language of patents and innovation. Users simply describe their invention in full sentences and conceptually relevant results are generated instantly; consistently outperforming human experts on speed and accuracy. Takeaways Building trust and addressing concerns around data security is crucial when selling AI technology to law firms. Continuous improvement, user feedback, and staying ahead of the curve are essential for success as a founder in the AI space. Choosing the right investors and being capital-efficient are key factors in raising money. NL Patent is focused on building an end-to-end patent management platform and expanding their product offerings. The importance of IP and patents is growing, especially in the AI space. Chapters 00:00 Career Path and Introduction to Patents 01:49 Genesis Story of Starting a Startup 04:28 Approach to Learning and Interest in New Ideas 06:06 How NLPatent Empowers Lawyers 09:54 Difference Between Domain-Specific and General AI Models 13:53 Selling to Law Firms and Lawyers 21:48 Balancing AI Capability and User Experience 25:29 Founder Journey and Maintaining an Edge 25:58 Building a Network and Learning from Others 29:06 Raising Money and Overcoming Challenges 32:38 Choosing Investors and Being Capital Efficient 36:07 The Future of NLPatent 40:07 The Growing Importance of IP and Patents 42:47 Favorite Book and Excitement for the Future 46:44 Dealing with Hard Times as a Founder 48:33 Supporting Canadian Businesses

Drew Taylor is the Co-Founder and CEO of Acorn Biolabs. Acorn has developed the world’s first non-invasive, follicle-based cell cryopreservation service and has patented cell-based treatments made from a patient’s own hair follicle cells. Takeaways Moving from playing MLB baseball to doing his PhD. Regenerative medicine is needed to address the limitations of prosthetics and improve patient outcomes. Banking younger cells can provide better results in regenerative medicine and enhance healthspan. The field of regenerative medicine is gaining momentum, with a focus on anti-aging, longevity, and healthspan. Raising capital in the regenerative medicine space can be challenging due to the complexity of the field and the need to find investors who understand both the medical and business aspects. Acorn's banking service involves specialized facilities for processing and storing cells, leveraging existing infrastructure, and ensuring safety and maintenance. The future of regenerative medicine includes making the storage of younger cells a standard of care and leveraging stem cells for maintenance and performance as individuals age. Chapters 00:00 Transition from Baseball to PhD 01:35 Lessons from Baseball for Founding a Company 07:06 Identifying the Need for Regenerative Medicine 09:25 The Importance of Collecting Younger Cells 12:17 Driving Factors in the Regenerative Medicine Space 20:17 Team Composition at Acorn 23:38 Raising Capital in the Regenerative Medicine Space 28:03 Acorn's Banking Service and Expansion 30:57 The Future of Acorn and Regenerative Medicine 35:21 Dealing with Hard Times 37:02 Engaging with Regenerative Medicine

Andre Charoo is the Founder and General Partner of Maple VC. Maple backs founders with Canadian roots...because they build category-defining companies. Andre was the 25th employee at Uber. He is a Venture Partner at Inovia and Co-Chair of The C100. Takeaways How Andre raised his first $1M fund and executed his unique Canadian-focused thesis. What it is like fundraising as an emerging solo GP. Trends with Canadian founders building in the US. Canadian founders bring a unique perspective and ambition to the table, often outperforming their peers in the US. Canadian schools provide a solid foundation for entrepreneurs, but Canadians often have to compete on work product rather than resume alone, which is what gives them an edge. Canada should focus on reaping the returns from successful startups (North and South of the border) and reinvesting in the ecosystem. Celebrating Canadian success stories can inspire and motivate young students and entrepreneurs. Chapters 00:00 Pre-Maple Career 03:41 Founding Maple 08:31 Starting a Venture Capital Firm 22:51 Trends in Canadians Building in the US 27:43 Reaping Returns for Canada 28:08 Celebrating Canadian Success Stories 28:20 Shining a Light on Canadian Startups 32:08 Lessons Learned in Fundraising 37:00 Managing Relationships with Later Stage Founders 41:26 Building the Maple Franchise 45:38 The Future of Maple and Partnerships 48:56 Dealing with Hard Times 49:03 Message to Founders

Cindy Diogo-Kociuba is the Co-Founder of Consoul. Consoul is a family caregiver wellness platform. Their mission is to connect family caregivers to the resources, learning and support they need to focus on them. Their distinctive approach combines respite services, caregiver learning, and access to resources to tackle burnout directly in one place. Takeaways Misconceptions about talent acquisition include not understanding what is being recruited for, only caring about filling the role, and thinking recruiters have no say in the hiring decision. In a startup environment, talent acquisition requires agility, automation, and a focus on relationship building. Consoul focuses on the mental health and wellness of caregivers, providing tangible resources and a marketplace for support. Building a successful B2B2C model involves providing value to both the company and the employees, and finding revenue streams that support the mission of the platform. Reaching caregivers involves partnerships with employers, grassroots efforts, and word-of-mouth referrals. Consoul aims to prove the ROI of its platform by measuring retention, productivity, and the impact on caregivers' well-being. Managing a full-time role while growing a startup requires passion, tenacity, and a balance between personal and professional commitments. Chapters 00:00 Misconceptions about talent acquisition 05:03 Nuances of talent acquisition in a startup environment 07:14 Genesis story of Consoul 09:56 Identifying the problem and solution for caregivers 12:32 Learning low code, no code and working with technical support 13:09 Balancing content and partnerships in the platform 14:53 Hiring the whole person and psychological safety 22:36 Building a community and connecting caregivers 24:10 Balancing revenue generation and cost-effectiveness 26:33 Measuring success and proving ROI 29:09 Geographical focus on Canada 31:17 B2B2C model and making it successful 36:13 Managing a full-time role while growing Consoul 39:10 Favorite books and personal and professional excitement 44:34 Dealing with hard times and embracing empathy

Jim Estill is the CEO and President of Danby Appliances. Jim's resume is impressive: Founder of EMJ Data (acquired by SYNNEX) Founding Board Member of BlackBerry Angel in 150+ startups like Miovision, Clearpath Robotics (acquired by Rockwell Automation), PostRank (acquired by Google) and Well.ca Founding member of Communitech Order of Ontario and Order of Canada Active philanthropist Takeaways Being a great board member, especially to high-growth companies. Founding his first business in university. What it was like being a Founding Board Member at BlackBerry and watching its meteoric rise. How to be great at sales. Hiring. His new focus of acquiring "smoke stack businesses" and applying high-growth principles to unlock value. His recent acquisition of Arctic Snowplows and future plans. Chapters 00:00 University of Waterloo Experience 01:10 Starting EMG Data 02:07 Reinventing Himself 03:03 Constant Learning and Seeking Help 04:02 Continual Reinvention and Giving Things Up 05:07 Time Management and Prioritization 06:26 Growth and Change of the Team 07:52 Dealing with Challenging Moments 09:42 Asking for Help and Finding Mentors 11:41 Being a Board Member 14:17 Approach to Sales 16:12 Joining the Board of RIM 17:33 Being a Board Member for High-Growth Companies 19:47 Acquisition of Danby Appliances 22:53 Transition to Danby Appliances 26:38 Changes at Danby Appliances 28:31 Acquisition of Arctic Snowplows 30:46 Acquisition Strategy and Value Add 36:13 Being a Humanitarian and Giving Back 38:37 Favorite Book 39:09 Excitement for the Year 40:08 Dealing with Hard Times

Simran Kang is the Founder and CEO of MyFO. MyFO is an easy-to-use platform to help you start and grow a family office. Our net worth snapshot, curated guidance and personalized workflows help you securely manage and safe-keep all important information pertaining to your growing family office. Takeaways Working at a Big Four firm like PWC provides valuable insights into various businesses and builds strong relationships. Simran breaks down Family Offices (FOs), what they are, how the operate and make decisions. How they find FOs which are very under the radar. The future of MyFO including a potential deal marketplace. Her role as a Board Member at BC Tech. Raising her pre-seed round. Building a team at the earliest stages. Chapters 00:00 Working at PWC and Joining a Family Office 03:28 Understanding Family Offices 06:22 Identifying the Problem and Launching MyFO 09:19 Unlocking Capital for Family Offices 13:28 Aggregating and Analyzing Data for Family Offices 17:47 Reaching Out to Family Offices 20:10 Raising Money for MyFO 23:19 User Experience and Engagement 25:25 Creating a Deal Flow Marketplace 28:43 Building the MyFO Team 31:37 Building a Strong Tech Community 35:37 Favorite Book and Excitement for the Future 37:53 Dealing with Hard Times 38:44 Message on Financial Literacy

Peter Faist is the Founder and CEO of Staffy. Staffy is an online, on-demand platform that connects experienced workers with businesses who need their skills on a short- or long-term basis. Using a proprietary mobile and web app, contractors work when they want and businesses hire only when there’s a need. Managing everything from recruitment and vetting to scheduling and payment, Staffy is simplifying the way we work. Takeaways Build the business before the app. How to solve the cold start problem with marketplaces. How to create successful placements in marketplaces. How to scale marketplaces. Pivot from hospitality to healthcare during the pandemic and how Staffy did it successfully. How Staffy continues to evolve with its new HRIS platform for healthcare.

Sylvia Ng is the CEO of ReturnBear, a platform for circular e-commerce logistics. With over 18 years of experience in technology, Sylvia noticed a gap in the e-commerce industry, where retail returns were costly and difficult for merchants. Now, Sylvia is on a mission to make retail returns accessible for everyone, and better for the planet. Sylvia has worked at eBay and Google, and most recently was General Manager at Shopify where she worked on products to help early-stage e-commerce merchants grow their businesses. In conjunction with her current role, Sylvia is also the founder of Amidira, a Toronto-based startup helping cancer patients with lifestyle content.  ReturnBear is a returns platform powering Canada’s first end-to-end reverse logistics network. Founded in October 2021 with a mission to make returns convenient for consumers, profitable for brands, and better for the planet. Brands using ReturnBear can offer self-serve returns to their customers, along with convenient drop-off options for immediate refunds. They can count on ReturnBear to gain visibility into returns across sales channels, save on return shipping costs, and get products back into forward supply faster. Takeaways Sylvia's time at UWaterloo during the dotcom bubble, working at iconic companies like Google and Shopify. Product management roles can vary across companies and industries, with different focuses on engineering, design, or data-driven approaches. A new concept to me "micro-forward fulfillment". How merchants should be thinking about returns from a tech stack, logistics and consumer experience. The environmental and time-consuming process of returns and how ReturnBear fixes that. Expanding drop-off locations and implementing micro-forward fulfillment can improve the convenience and profitability of the return process. Geographic expansion is driven by matching supply and demand and opening hubs in strategic locations. Chapters 00:00 University Experience and Tech Industry 02:05 Diverse Work Experience 03:40 Working at Google 07:36 Product Role at 500px 09:20 Understanding Product Management 11:48 Product Line at Shopify 13:19 Inspiration for ReturnBear 15:56 Challenges of the Return Process 18:32 Drop-off Locations and Convenience 24:13 Improving Profitability for Merchants 29:49 Logistics Challenges and Solutions 34:07 Transition from GM to CEO 36:10 Team Composition and Culture 38:20 Micro-Forward Fulfillment 43:25 Geographic Expansion 45:19 Favorite Book and Excitement for 2024 47:39 Dealing with Hard Times 47:56 Coping with Depression and Self-Doubt 49:06 Finding Inspiration and Perspective 49:39 Connecting Consumers and Brands 49:54 Opportunities at ReturnBear

Andrew Kim is the CEO and Co-Founder of SHARE. SHARE is a real estate investment company that streamlines the end-to-end process of buying and managing high-return single-family rental homes on behalf of investors in the US, Canada, and abroad. They make investing in and owning real estate as easy as stocks by enabling investors to reap the benefits of real estate ownership without the burden of full-time landlord duties. Takeaways Share aims to make the US single-family rental market more accessible to retail investors by providing institutional-grade asset management. His early ventures Joyus and Kingmaker. Andrew's time at Loblaw Digital from the early days to scaling to hundreds of people. The impact of higher interest rates on real estate. Venture-backed versus bootstrapped. Keeping a small and lean team. Chapters 00:00 Early Ventures: Joyus and Kingmaker 04:00 Joining Loblaw Digital 07:18 Leaving Loblaw Digital and Starting Share 11:23 The US Single-Family Rental Market 16:00 Scaling the Business and Team Composition 21:05 Impact of Interest Rates on Strategy 23:16 Competition and Future Growth 25:18 Motivation and Drive as a Founder 26:13 Team Composition and Lean Operations 28:44 Venture vs. Bootstrap and Maintaining a High-Performing Team 32:15 The Startup Scene in Toronto 34:13 Conversations with VCs and Investors 35:57 Investing in Share vs. Physical Real Estate 39:51 Dealing with Hard Times and Personal Solace 39:58 Final Thoughts and Taking Action