Flagship Podcast

I had a great conversation with Aydin Mirzaee, CEO & Co-Founder @ Fellow. Aydin is a tech loving entrepreneur with a passion for building great products, leadership and people. Fellow solves a huge problem for companies, help people spend less time in meetings and make them more productive. Previously , he was the co-founder and co-CEO of Fluidware which was acquired by SurveyMonkey. On the episode, we spoke about: Why he decided to start Fellow after having sold his previous startup How meetings have grown significantly since the pandemic Their product offering and how it improves organizational performance Using AI for human level transcriptions and building institutional knowledge Advice he gives to fellow founders Why they started their own podcast Supermanagers (https://fellow.app/supermanagers/)

Sur cet épisode du Flagship podcast, j'ai eu le plaisir d'échanger avec Marc Bédard, cofondateur et PDG @ Lion Électrique. Marc Bédard a toujours été passionné par la technologie, l'innovation et la finance. En 2008, il a fondé Lion Electric et a peu après mis l'entreprise sur la voie du zéro émission en s'engageant dans un portefeuille de produits de véhicules lourds et moyens entièrement électriques. Sur l'émission, nous avons parlé de: Comment le Karaté l'a aidé à devenir un meilleur leader Acceptation sociale des véhicules électriques Comment ils naviguent sur les marchés en tant qu'entreprise publique Pourquoi nous en sommes encore aux premiers balbutiements de la transition énergétique pour les transports

There is a cool new fund called DevCap based in Montreal founded by Max McCrea and Jordan Steiner. Developer Capital is a pre-seed and seed-stage investment corporation. They strive to provide what other investors promise: real support for our investments in the form of actionable technical and operational support via its partnership with Monadical. Jordan and Max are not building your typical VC firm which is structured as an evergreen investment corp. They bring solid technical expertise for their founders. We spoke about: Building a strong culture as a new VC fund How they built a relationship of trust and decided to start a fund together Culture principles they put into practice Deep dive on the excitement around AI and their investment thesis

J'ai eu le plaisir de discuter avec Simon Leblond, co-fondateur et PDG @ SmartD Technologies. Simon est un entrepreneur avec 20 ans d'expérience entrepreneuriale dans la mise sur le marché de technologies disruptives dans tous les secteurs. SmartD Technologies développe des variateurs de fréquence (VFD) pour le contrôle de moteurs. Leur variateur de fréquence Clean Power VFD peut augmenter l'efficacité des moteurs, réduire l'usure des équipements, économiser de l'énergie et réduire les coûts pour les entreprises de nombreux secteurs, notamment les infrastructures, les services publics, l'agriculture, les mines, les transports, entre autres. C'est un marché adressable énorme avec des gains en efficacité énergétique significatifs. En plus, Simon est un entrepreneur chevronné avec énormément d'expérience. Il a participé au lancement de trois entreprises, a introduit de nombreuses technologies sur le marché, et mentoré des entrepreneurs.

I had the pleasure of hosting the Flagship podcast at last week's CDL / NextAI Community Dinner. The first guest was Sarah Jenna, Managing Director @ QV Studio We spoke about quantum computing and how Sherbrooke is rapidly becoming a global leader in the quantum. Note - this convo was in French The second guest was Raphael Steinman, Co-Founder & Co-CEO @ Maxa Raphael shared some great insights into building & iterating products. He also spoke about how founders can support founders. Note - this convo was in English

Exploring the dynamics of Quebec's venture capital ecosystem compared to Ontario and British Columbia, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. Discussing the impact of education and expertise in diversifying assembly processes. Excitement in Mexico and progress in Philadelphia. Bridging economic disparities with technology and government support. Adapting to new technologies for efficiency, recognizing public sector contributions. The evolving role of professionals and companies in high-risk ventures, with a focus on education and diverse markets.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Andria Santos, Co-founder & CEO @ Fülhaus Fülhaus is an AI-powered interior design and furnishing company dedicated to improving performance of furnished real estate properties and hospitality business through good design. We spoke about: Building a solid interior design company over 10 years The AI new product they launched with Ludwig and how it can empower interior designers globally How Fülhaus is the first & best customer for Ludwig The huge market opportunity ahead with their new AI Entrepreneurial lessons after 10 years

Simon De Baene is the dreamer and visionary at the top of Workleap, which designs software used by over 15,000 organizations in 110 countries. Recognized as one of Quebec's largest SMEs, Workleap now has over 200 employees and is currently one of the fastest-growing companies in North America. Early in his entrepreneurial journey, Simon realized that employee fulfillment was the key to success, and began building what would quickly become one of the most inspiring business cultures on the planet. Audacious and non-conformist by nature, he is more motivated than ever to challenge the status quo in the workplace. We spoke about: Being obsessed in order to build a world-class product How you need to be relentlessly determined to achieve a breakthrough How competition has radically increased in software The global opportunity for Workleap The market for employee experience and how it's growing

Scott Loong, a Partner at Panache Ventures and former CEO of Covera.ai, dives into the innovative landscape of FinTech and venture capital. He discusses his transition from law to entrepreneurship, shedding light on the importance of mentorship. Scott unveils the unique customer experience challenges at Quivera and critiques the effectiveness of startup accelerators. He emphasizes the emotional journey of founders, the need for empathy, and the significance of strong support systems in navigating the complex startup ecosystem.

Originally from Montreal, business woman, creator and philanthropist, Vickie Joseph has been immersed in the world of fashion from a very young age. Today, as a happy mother of three children, the designer and businesswoman has been recognized for her projects on several occasions, including the multi million dollars she and her husband Frantz Saintellemy invested in the neighborhood of Saint Michel. Having created her clothing line in 2006, Vickie is a model of success. With determination and perseverance, she has succeeded in creating a company that broke into a very limited local market in Quebec, swept the country, and then spread internationally to create jobs for eager young women who would not otherwise have had the chance to work in such a niche sector