Startup Canada Podcast

Donald Cooper is a public speaker and a long-time entrepreneur who holds 7 Awards of Excellence for marketing, service and business. Donald believes that commitment is the key to entrepreneurship.  Donald started his business career at the age of 6, sweeping the floor in the family business for 5 cents a day. He earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario followed by 18 years at Cooper Canada, the family business. Cooper Canada became the world’s leading maker of hockey equipment and a Canadian brand icon.  At age 43 Donald left the family business to do something less corporate, reinventing himself as an award-winning fashion retailer. In just 3 years he fundamentally redefined the customer experience, for which he received 7 Awards of Excellence for marketing, service and business innovation.  Donald now helps companies rethink and reinvent themselves to create compelling customer value, clarity of purpose and long-term profitability. For his unique business content and compelling presentation style, Donald has been inducted into the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame.  “Children build forts, but adults build forts too. It is their businesses. This is where they go to feel safe, secure and in control. It’s where they hide from reality”. In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Donald shares the best business tools for your business and lets us know why learning is easy and unlearning is hard.The post Building a Culture of Commitment with Donald Cooper first appeared on Startup Canada.

Great jewelry is much more than gems and metals.  Rachel Mielke, Founder & CEO of Hillberg & Berk, is making sure to empower women while building a maximalist brand that sparkles. Rachel always had ambitions of starting her own company. After a trip to Banff when she was 23, she decided to make this happen. Rachel founded Hillberg & Berk with two goals in mind, to create beautiful, high-quality jewelry at an affordable price for women and to use her company as a force for social good. Hillberg & Berk works to advocate for social issues and advocate for women’s empowerment.  Rachel has had the honour of designing jewelry for Queen Elizabeth II, has been awarded many entrepreneurial accolades over the years, and is an honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy but Rachel’s proudest accomplishment is by far her three beautiful children and her marriage to her best friend, Zlatan. “To us, sparkle is about inspiring women to tap into their own unique skills and passions and to share those with the world”.  In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Rachel shares what it takes to build brand longevity, and what it means for Hilberg and Berk to be built on maximalism, sparkle, and women’s empowerment. The post Expression and Empowerment Through Jewelry with Rachel Mielke first appeared on Startup Canada.

An athlete’s recovery journey can be grueling and difficult. Rachael Rapinoe, Co-Founder & CEO of Mendi is destigmatizing cannabis use in the sports industry and prioritizing wellness. Rachael is the winner of the NCAA national championship with the University of Portland in 2005. She played pro soccer in Europe in 2010, and eventually retired to pursue her passion in the health and fitness industry. Leveraging her BS in Life Sciences and MS in Health & Exercise, Rachael went on to build Rapinoe SC–a top soccer performance training company and lifestyle apparel brand with her sister, US Soccer star sister, Megan Rapinoe. Training thousands of players across the U.S., from youth to the professional level, Rachael’s robust and trusted training brand made her a highly sought after performance coach in the Portland area. After working for the University of Portland women’s soccer team as the head performance coach, Rachael left to co-found Mendi– a cannabis sports brand improving the lives of all athletes using nature’s best tools. She continues to apply her expertise in training, competition and recovery in an effort to better understand the role recovery has in performance and the human body. With her network of influential athletes and passion for competing, Rachael shapes Mendi’s products and business to meet the relevant demand in cannabis x sports. “I don’t believe in the process of being self-made, there are people in everyone’s orbit that help us achieve the goals we aspire for.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Rachael discusses navigating the cannabis industry as a woman, advocating for athlete recovery, creating spaces for marginalized entrepreneurs.The post Athlete Recovery & Prioritizing Wellness with Rachael Rapinoe first appeared on Startup Canada.

The LGBTQ2+ entrepreneurial community is full of innovation and is propelling the national economy forward. Connie Stacey, President and Founder of Growing Greener Innovations, is revolutionizing environmental sustainability and advocating against energy poverty. Holding a BA from the University of Alberta and with 20 years of experience in the IT and computer programming sectors, Connie Stacey is leading sustainability initiatives as the CEO and Founder of Growing Greener Innovations. Connie is an innovator. She founded GGI in 2014 with a desire to create a better generator – silent, no fumes, no carbon emissions. Upon developing the patented GRENGINE solar battery generator, she expanded her patented design into the battery energy storage sector. GGI has recently been awarded a U.S. Defense Innovation Award, CGLCC Business of the Year award, and a CANIEs Product Innovation Award. Amongst her many awards and recognitions, Connie was included in this year’s Top 50 Change-makers list by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. “Know that you have a customer for your product. Companies underestimate the consumer’s interest in buying the product.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Connie discusses women’s empowerment in tech industries, making environmental sustainability accessible, and perseverance in your entrepreneurial journey.The post LGBTQ2+ Entrepreneurs: Leaders in Innovation with Connie Stacey first appeared on Startup Canada.

In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Jad shares why resources and healing go hand in hand for the emotional and social health of marginalized LGBTQ+ folks and how he is working to improve this issue through his non-for-profit work at The Marginalized Majority. The post Intergenerational Healing through Entrepreneurship with Jad Jaber – June 21 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.

Striving for a workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion is crucial for trans individuals to feel safe and respected. Kai Scott, President and Gender Strategist at TransFocus Consulting, is transforming the discussion about gender inclusion in the workplace.    Mr. Scott is a social scientist who has devoted his 15-year career to solving complex social issues, especially related to vulnerable and resilient populations. He uses a blend of discovery and decision methods to bring greater understanding and solutions to issues of gender diversity for people and systems. Kai is the President and Gender Strategist at TransFocus Consulting, a venture that brings systems-thinking to gender inclusion, helping organizations transform from the inside out. “Sometimes the general public sees the LGBTQ2+ community as all the same thing, but gender is about one’s felt experience in terms of one’s identity. These gender assumptions are what we are unpacking and reassembling. Less thinking, more doing.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Kai discusses gender inclusion, identity, and the guiding principles to advocate for trans individuals. The post Transforming Workplaces: Gender Inclusion with Kai Scott – June 15, 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.

LGBTQ2+ representation in entrepreneurial and media spaces is vital – allowing individuals to feel seen and understood in meaningful ways. Sandeep Nair, Manager of Business Operations at Pride at Work Canada and Florence Gagnon, Programming Assistant at Pride at Work Canada and Founder at lstw Magazine, discuss intersectionality and promoting long-lasting representation for LGBTQ2+ communities.  Florence Gagnon holds a bachelor of fine arts from Concordia University. She is the founder, publisher and creative director of lstw magazine, a bilingual queer publication based in Montréal that is distributed across Canada, as well as in European capitals and major US cities. Florence is the co-creator and executive producer of Féminin/Féminin, and a Programming Assistant for a non-profit based in Toronto, Pride at Work Canada, that empowers employers to build workplaces that celebrate all employees regardless of gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Sandeep Nair is the Manager of Business Operations for Pride at Work Canada. He moved to Canada from India in 2019 with over 12 years of work experience and has worked as EDI – Program Consultant and prior to that, worked for a communication agency. He comes with a global perspective on EDI and the role organizations can play in harnessing the power of business for a positive social change. Sandeep’s work focuses on creating an inclusive workplace environment for all, especially LGBTQ2+ community and people with disabilities. He has played a key role in developing three research publications, to achieve success in creating a safe and inclusive society.  “You need to stay true to yourself, authenticity will help you stand out from everyone” “Big or small, every organization has a responsibility towards creating a safe and inclusive environment for their employees”  In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Florence and Sandeep discuss intersecting identities and inclusivity for LGBTQ+ communities. The post Creating Long Lasting Visibility for LGBTQ2+ Communities with Florence Gagnon & Sandeep Nair – June 8, 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.

The beauty of art and artistic expression allows us to create deep and meaningful connections with our community, and with ourselves. Patrick Hunter of Patrick Hunter Art & Design shares the importance of honouring your intersecting identities through entrepreneurship and art. Patrick Hunter is a two spirit, Ojibwe, Woodland artist from Red Lake, Ontario. Patrick paints what he sees through a spiritual lens which is inspired by his homeland and growing up seeing the original works of Woodland painter Norval Morrisseau. Creating has always been his passion and the focus of his life from an early age. In 2014, “Patrick Hunter Art & Design” was launched, with the intent to create an awareness of Indigenous iconography through artwork that makes people feel good. Patrick began his business through selling acrylic on canvas paintings, but in recent years, a small clothing and housewares line has been born and sold to people around the world. Strategic partnerships with promotional product companies Cotton Candy & STAPLES has helped Patrick reach new audiences in corporate Canada that want to forge new relationships with diverse businesses through Patrick’s artwork. He was also announced as an Inniskillin Changemaker earlier this year. Hunter still resides in Toronto, but makes regular journeys home to stay inspired, be with family and teach art classes to the next generation of Woodland artists. “Being an entrepreneur is really just a lesson in figuring out who you are as a person.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Patrick discusses storytelling through art and staying true to yourself as an LGBTQ2+ entrepreneur.The post Entrepreneurship: A Lesson in Identity with Patrick Hunter – June 1, 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.

Imagine if you were told that you can drink alcoholic beverages without that feeling of sluggishness, or without compromising a healthy lifestyle? Well, now that has been made possible thanks to SoCIAL LITE VODKA. Co-Founder Neetu Godara is changing the face of social drinking with sugar free, 80 calorie vodka drinks – providing a guilt free experience for any occasion. Neetu Godara is the Co-Founder of SoCIAL LITE Vodka, the first unsweetened pre-mixed drink in North America. The brand pioneered a new category of unsweetened drinks in the RTD segment that is now exploding across Canada. After 10 years of marketing various food & beverage products at Pepsico Canada, Neetu saw an opportunity for disruption in the RTD market with a zero sugar, zero carb beverage.  As the Chief Growth Officer for SoCIAL LITE, Neetu is responsible for the brand’s marketing and sales strategy.  Now at the helm of one of Canada’s fastest growing RTD brands, Neetu is enjoying the challenges of scaling SoCIAL LITE Vodka and aspiring to grow it into a household name. “For any entrepreneurs listening, know that your plan will not look like it does in your head. Be okay with that.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Neetu discusses changing the face of social drinking with healthier alternatives and lessons of pivoting and perseverance. The post Pivot, and Pivot Again: Grassroots Scaling with Neetu Godara – May 25, 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.

Have you ever had an idea, but didn’t know if that idea was startup-worthy? Razor Suleman, CEO and Co-Founder of Elevate, has some advice! Razor Suleman is a successful serial entrepreneur, investor and champion of the Canadian technology ecosystem.    Currently, Razor is the CEO & Cofounder of Elevate, an organization committed to the advancing the Canadian technology ecosystem. Elevate’s mission is to unite the world’s innovators to solve society’s biggest challenges. The organization was created in partnership with Toronto Mayor John Tory along with 150 community and corporate partners. Razor is also the CEO of Design Exchange, a cultural institution that provides access to hands-on design-based learning for Canada’s next generation youth. Previously, Razor is Founder & former CEO of Achievers, a corporate social network focused on employee engagement that was backed by legendary VC Sequoia Capital. Razor built Achievers from an idea to a company with a $100M in revenue in less than 10 years. Achievers was acquired by Silicon Valley based Blackhawk Networks (which is owned by Silver Lake Partners) in July of 2015 for $150M.  “You’ll find opportunities by paying attention to the market and to your customers. Look for a vitamin that has turned into a pain killer – there’s your opportunity.” In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Razor discusses non-dilutive financing for founders, social impact as a profit driver, and how to identify (and test) opportunity.The post Identifying Opportunity with Razor Suleman – May 18, 2021 first appeared on Startup Canada.