The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Jessica Hodgson is a Managing Partner at Moonshot Associates. With Moonshot Associates, you can tap into expert guidance and tailored solutions precisely when needed, allowing you to focus on innovation, profitability, and scaling your business. Whether it's developing a winning marketing strategy, optimizing your HR processes, fine-tuning your financial projections, or enhancing your product roadmap, they have you covered. In this episode, we discuss... Her HR roles at HootSuite, Fatigue Science, Later and VINN Automotive How to scale a startup effectively from a culture and people standpoint Why all problems are people problems Why culture is what you reward and what you will tolerate When is the right time to make your first HR hire Promotion versus outside hiring Remote, hybrid or in-person Interviewing tips and tactics Why future CEOs are likely to come from HR roles My podcast supporter! ⁠⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Maninder Dhaliwal is the President & CEO of Lions Gate International. LGI is a venture capital and business advisory firm specializing in international venture projects in technology, mainly focused on Canada, the US and Southeast Asia. She is the Founding Chair of TiE Incubation Lab. Based in Vancouver, TiE Incubation Lab is focused on supporting Canadian pre-seed startups. The lab supports TiE Vancouver’s mission of fostering Canadian entrepreneurs by providing high-potential Canadian startups with mentorship, access to a network of Canadian, US and global strategic advisors, support with preparing for the fundraising process, and introductions to the worldwide investor network of TiE Global Angels. ⁠Maninder's Twitter/X In this episode, we discuss... Maninder immigrating to Canada from India in 1999 Genesis story of Lionsgate Why her first ten investments didn't work out and what she learned The gap that exists between Canadian and American founders and how to bridge that Nuances between tech ecosystems in Vancouver, SF and Singapore Why she looks for "adaptive stubbornness" in founders Commercializing research from universities in Canada "If you chase clients, investors chase you" What founders should look for in investors My podcast supporter! ⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Wes Hall, Founder and Chairman of WeShall Investments Inc., came from humble beginnings in rural Jamaica and was raised by his grandmother. He moved to Canada in 1985. With a $100K bank loan, he transformed his first business into Canada's leading shareholder advisory firm, Kingsdale Advisors. A staunch philanthropist, Wes launched the successful BlackNorth Initiative, combating anti-Black racism in 2020. He serves as Vice-Chair of Huron University College's Board of Governors and contributes to boards like SickKids Foundation, TIFF, and Pathways to Education Canada. Wes holds Honorary Doctorates from several universities, including Uni. of Toronto, Queens Uni., Toronto Metropolitan Uni., Uni. of Ottawa, and the Uni. of the West Indies, along with a 2022 Medal of Distinction from Huron University. Wes' accomplishments span a bestselling memoir, "No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot," a podcast with Toronto Star - "Between Us with Wes Hall," and a Dragon on CBC's hit series, "Dragons' Den." Buy Wes's book Wes's Instagram Wes's LinkedIn In this episode, we discuss... Coming to Canada from Jamaica in 1985 From his job doing a paper route to his big break on Bay Street How he started Kingsdale Advisors How he recruited his initial team at Kingsdale How he landed his first big deal, a $18B takeover of Falconbridge by Xstrata The importance of luck in business and how you can create it Why he started the BlackNorth Initiative due to barriers he faced as a black man on Bay Street The barriers that BIPOC people in Canada face and how we can remove them The importance of and how to build relationships for the long term My podcast supporter! ⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Charlie Grinnell, Co-Founder and CEO of RightMetric, discusses dropping out of UBC, learnings from working at top brands like Arc'teryx and Red Bull, the genesis story behind starting RightMetric, why you need to look within your industry for information and outside for inspiration, the biggest trends in marketing, thoughts on copying and inspiration, the importance of human psychology in marketing, and how they have structured RightMetric with a bootstrapped team.

Vino Jeyapalan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kabo and Pack Fresh. Kabo is on a mission to help dogs live a happier and healthier life. We produce the healthiest, fresh dog food delivered right to your doorstep. Pack Fresh is a cold chain third-party logistics (3PL) business with fulfillment across Canada. Their team specializes in handling, storing, and transporting cold/frozen goods to ensure they stay at optimal temperature and quality. In this episode, we discuss... Working on Facebook's ads team in 2012 Launching and exiting a dropshipping business How they made shipping fresh dog food work DTC The power of understanding human behaviour in the consumer space Why DTC is a channel, not a business A unique marketplace offering just for subscribers and the benefits it unlocks Starting a whole new business Pack Fresh to solve their own challenges with Kabo The shift in valuations, capital raising and investment into DTC brands and some predictions on where the space will go Why strong operators make the best DTC founders My podcast supporter! ⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Kevin Kliman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Humi. Humi is Canada’s leading payroll, HR, and benefits platform. Serving thousands of Canadian companies, Humi is the best-in-one people platform that your company will love. ⁠Kevin's Twitter⁠ In this episode, we discuss... Businesses Kevin started in high school, at Brown and in dentistry school His first venture-backed social app Instaradio and the emotions he had when it didn't work out What inspired him to start Humi Going through Y Combinator in 2017 The early debate of focusing on one core product or an entire platform on day one Thoughts on competition like Zenefits and Gusto Why Humi focused on Canada and SMBs Why people and culture matter the most to build an enduring company Thoughts on the Toronto and Canadian tech ecosystem My podcast supporter! ⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Joe Gagliese is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Viral Nation. Viral Nation is a global digital and social innovation group that powers the social ecosystem through integrated solutions that align strategy, talent, media, and technology. Viral Nation works with tens of thousands of influencers across the social landscape and fuels growth for the world's leading brands, including Amazon Prime, The Coca-Cola Company, Hasbro, Meta, Oculus, Sonos, Tencent, Walmart and Uber. In this episode, we discuss... Joe's entrepreneurial experiences going back to when he was a kid how Viral Nation landed its first influencer how social has evolved over the last ten years raising $250M from Eldridge and John Ruffolo's Maverix Private Equity going from bootstrapped to raising a large round Viral Nation's talent group, marketing group and technology why YouTube is the best creator platform landing Fortune 500 clients the negative side of social media My podcast supporter! ⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Sean Silcoff writes about technology, biotechnology and innovation for the Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper. He is the winner of three National Newspaper Awards and is the co-author of Losing the Signal: the Spectacular Rise and Fall of BlackBerry, which was released in May 2015. Losing the Signal won Canada’s National Business Book Award and was shortlisted for the international Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year. Sean's Muck Rack (Journalism social media) Sean's Twitter In this episode, we discuss... how Sean broke into journalism what drew him towards business journalism meeting Tobi Lütke when Shopify had 40 employees and kickstarting his interest in technology a piece that Sean wrote that caused Jim Balsillie of RIM/BlackBerry to reach out how Jim's reach out led to a Globe piece that ended up inspiring Sean's book Losing the Signal how he convinced Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis to be interviewed for the book how to build a trusted network of sources balancing being quick to release a scoop while also validating the story why respecting and humanizing your interviewees is the most powerful interview style AI's impact on journalism My podcast supporter! ⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Jonathan Hershon is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pathway Medical. Pathway is a health tech company working on helping clinicians and patients access important medical information more effectively throughout the care journey. They leverage AI and big data to create a medical knowledge platform and software solutions that drive evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. Jonathan's Twitter Pathway's Twitter In this episode, we discuss... Building an end-to-end encrypted social network in 2013 called Syme Jonathan's mindset when Syme had to be wound down Launching a digital agency called MILE END Building a health tech company and navigating the regulatory environment Why they initially bootstrapped and then decided to raise capital His thoughts on product market fit The impact of AI and LLMs on Pathway's product and healthcare industry How Jonathan thinks about product-led growth, specifically in health tech His favourite bagel place in Montreal My podcast supporter! ⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns! 

Bertrand Nembot is the Co-Founder & CEO of Billdr. Billdr is a vertically integrated home renovation marketplace operating in Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago. They facilitate renovation projects by providing turnkey solutions for homeowners supported by a digital back-office platform for general contractors. Their mission is to make home renovation simple, transparent, and efficient for everyone. In this episode, we discuss... Bert's first foray into renovations launching Uber in Uganda in 3 weeks existing challenges that homeowners and general contractors had with the renovation process how Billdr increases general contractors' win rates building an operating system/back office for general contractors launching a managed marketplace in new markets like Toronto and Chicago pivoting from a managed marketplace to a B2B offering why he prefers croissants to bagels My podcast supporter! ⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada. Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns!