The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Alex Tong is a Principal at Information Venture Partners. Information Venture Partners is a Toronto-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage, B2B SaaS applications for the financial services industry. In this episode we discuss Alex’s time spent in corporate development at Hootsuite, what makes a great board member and the importance of founder-led sales.

Pablo Srugo is a Partner at Mistral. Mistral is a seed-stage venture capital firm and typically is the first institutional investor in their portfolio companies. In this episode, we discuss Pablo’s time as a founder, his thoughts on VCs being money managers, not company builders and we break down one of Mistral’s latest investments. Pablo is also the host of a great podcast called The Product Market Fit Show, go check it out.

Alex Norman is a partner at N49P Ventures and co-founder of TechTO. N49P is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on Canadian start-ups and Canadian founders. In this episode, we discuss his first business in collectibles, how to build a strong tech ecosystem and advice to founders on how to think about raising capital.

Avi Goldfarb is a Professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, the Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare, as well as the co-author of two bestselling books on AI and its economic impact. In this episode, we discuss Avi's books, the impacts of AI and his work with Creative Destruction Lab. Avi's personal site with links to his books and work.

Matthew Lombardi is the Managing Director of OneEleven. OneEleven is home to a community of high-performing technology scaleups, providing unparalleled access to peer networks, investment capital and on-demand services and strategic support. In this episode, we discuss Matthew’s impactful initiative during the pandemic, what it means to build community and what makes OneEleven unique.

Tate Hackert is the Founder and President of ZayZoon. ZayZoon provides Wages On-Demand so employees can access their earned wages before payday and a financial wellness platform that teaches employees how to use those wages wisely and efficiently. In this episode we discuss Tate’s time in Hong Kong, his RV tour across the United States and the major impact ZayZoon creates.

Salim Teja is a Partner at Radical Ventures. Radical Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in entrepreneurs applying deep technology to transform massive industries, with a primary focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this episode we discuss Salim’s background as a founder, he gives me a history lesson on AI in Canada and we discuss where the AI space is going. Check out Radical's fantastic newsletter.

Sheryl Song is the co-founder and CEO of Ryna. Ryna is an apartment rental marketplace with the mission to make renting & living easier, safer and more attainable for the new generation of renters. In this episode, we discuss Sheryl’s original focus when starting Ryna, how it has changed and what the future of Ryna looks like.

Mila Banerjee is the founder of Pronti AI. Pronti recommends retailers' products to the right customer, giving them the right type of exposure. Their apparel products get merchandized with users’ closet items. In this episode, we discuss Mila’s early days in pharma and the difference between machine learning and AI.

Matt Hollingsworth is the founder of Align. Align is a remote-first executive recruitment that gives you qualified candidates without wasted effort. In this episode, we discuss Matt's early days at Tiny, strategies founders can use to hire effectively and the discuss the ongoing debate between remote and in-person.