Startup Canada Podcast

In this episode, hosts Kayla Isabelle and Melanie Ewan welcome Ella Farlinger and Serina Ahmad, the co-founders of trusti, a platform aimed at making STI testing more accessible and stigma-free. The conversation explores the founders’ backgrounds, the vision behind trusti, the challenges of sexual health education, insights into the FemTech ecosystem, and the importance of building trust and community in health. Watch this episode on Youtube. The post The Women Behind Trusti with Ella Farlinger and Serina Ahmad first appeared on Startup Canada.

In this conversation, Rachel Bartholomew, founder of Femtech Canada and Hyivy Health, shares her personal journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment, which inspired her to innovate in women’s health technology. She discusses the growth of Femtech Canada, its international collaborations, and the current state of the Femtech ecosystem in Canada. Rachel emphasizes the importance of overcoming stigma in women’s health discussions and the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in securing investment. Learn about Femtech’s 2025 budget proposal here. The post Women in Femtech with Rachel Bartholomew first appeared on Startup Canada.

In this episode, Kelian Clark, of Rain Gear Pro, shares the story behind the brand, how they have built loyal and committed customers, and where they are growing into in the future.The post Resilient and Ready: The Rain Gear Pro Story with Keilan Clark first appeared on Startup Canada.

In this conversation, Rick Spence speaks to Brenda Dragon, Founder of Aurora Heat, in the Northwest Territories. Made from beaver fur, Brenda’s business emphasizes the value of Indigenous entrepreneurship in promoting environmental responsibility. Listeners, Brenda and her team have generously created a code for you to shop with. Use STARTUPCAN and receive a free pair of thumb warmers with the purchase of any hand warmer.The post Warm Traditions: Building a Sustainable Business in the North with Brenda Dragon first appeared on Startup Canada.

Jeremy Lang, Founder of Pela Cases and Co-Founder of Lomi, shares insights on the importance of celebrating small wins in entrepreneurship, his journey into sustainability, and the innovative products he has developed, including compostable phone cases and the Lomi food waste recycling system.The post Courage and Impact: Building Eco-Friendly Brands with Jeremy Lang first appeared on Startup Canada.

Andrea Welling, Regional Director for British Columbia at Futurpreneur, discusses the vital role of mentorship and financial support for young entrepreneurs. She explains how Futurpreneur provides resources, including loans up to $75,000, to help diverse entrepreneurs overcome barriers to starting their businesses.The post Supported and Funded Business Journeys with Andrea Welling first appeared on Startup Canada.

In this episode, Matt Cohen, Founder and CEO of PlaySpace, a digital health platform focused on improving mental health care for children, discusses the evolution of therapy from in-person sessions to virtual environments, emphasizing the importance of engaging children in therapy through play.  The post Can Technology Transform Mental Health Care for Children? with Matt Cohen first appeared on Startup Canada.

Emily Mercy lives by the principle that whatever your mind can conceive, it can achieve. Emily has always been a creator and had the ability to visualize the outcomes that she hopes to achieve. As the Co-Founder and the Managing Director at Goparity Canada, Emily has gained valuable insights into the challenges facing the Canadian social finance landscape. Everyday she works to advance the possibilities in Canadian sustainable finance and improving accessibility in this sector. Make sure to tune in to this episode for information on how to redeem a 50$ voucher towards your first investment with GoParity. The voucher will end on April 1 2025. To use the voucher, please do the following; 1. Open a new Goparity Canada investment account here. 2. When creating a new account, make sure you complete all of the onboarding questions. Please note that Goparity requires your SIN number for tax reporting purposes. 3. Now, when you invest in a project, the $50 voucher will be automatically applied and invested in that projectThe post Creating and Contributing to an Inclusive Society with Emily Mercy first appeared on Startup Canada.

Shawn is the CEO and co-founder of Wavy, the Culture Hub for distributed teams. Wavy empowers companies to build meaningful connection and community at work, regardless of where employees are located. With a background in employee experience and marketing, Shawn is passionate about the future of work, people and culture, and work-play-life balance. Outside of Wavy, she can be found adventuring outdoors or cooking up a new recipe.The post Solving the Connection Conundrum with Shawn Hewat first appeared on Startup Canada.

Shelley Montreuil has more than 15 years of experience building and managing tech for tourism. Trippl is a next generation, all in one trip planning app that partners with tourism destinations to bring travellers ‘gems’ without having to go through the hassle of scouring the web.The post How Tech Can Transform Travel with Shelley Montreuil first appeared on Startup Canada.