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The BetaKit Podcast Channel

Latest episodes

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Oct 29, 2023 • 1h 5min

Wealthsimple's Hanna Zaidi on the "lack of political will" harming FinTech innovation

“When you’re a FinTech you’re a second-class citizen when it comes to accessing infrastructure, and so you’re spending a lot of time trying to innovate on table stakes, which takes away from the actual innovation that you want to offer.” Wealthsimple VP and chief compliance officer Hanna Zaidi joins for a wide-ranging conversation on what's impeding financial services modernization, and what Canadians are missing because of it. Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
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Oct 22, 2023 • 43min

Why Korean car makers want Tenstorrent’s AI hardware

“So many Canadian organizations today are sending their dollars, their economic capital, to AWS, to Azure, to Google. There really is no Canadian response to this today." Tenstorrent senior director of business development Eric Duffy explains why the company’s leadership pedigree and open standard tech have attracted interest from Korean auto manufacturers and consumer electronic companies alike, before discussing the opportunities and gaps before Canadian hardware companies competing with Apple, NVIDIA, and Intel. Recorded live at ALL IN 2023 in Montréal. Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
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Oct 15, 2023 • 54min

Exploring the forgotten history of Canadian venture capital

"So there are good things about the state of the market today compared to where we were in the 2000s. There are things that are not as good, and then you have fundamental issues that occurred in the aftermath of the dotcom era that never got solved." Investor and Canadian tech archeologist Matt Roberts (CMD Capital) discusses his journey to investigate the last 20-plus years of venture capital in Canada, what he learned, and which parts of our past continue to rhyme. Sponsored by Dynabook—make smart business moves with Dynabook Tecra A40 & A50 laptops—and Cisco Secure Firewall.
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Oct 7, 2023 • 47min

Hugging Face's Sasha Luccioni on the ethical and environmental impacts of AI

"I profoundly believe that open source is the way forward for AI so that we avoid this monopoly of power."   Hugging Face Climate Lead + AI Researcher Dr. Sasha Luccioni discusses the need to make AI "less bad for the planet," how tracking carbon impacts and sharing data can help, and how the company she works for is trying to be the GitHub for AI. Recorded live at ALL IN 2023 in Montréal.   Sponsored by Big Data & AI Toronto and Cisco Secure Firewall.
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Sep 30, 2023 • 58min

AI regulation is coming but Tobi Lütke is not "EFRAID"

"We don’t need more referees in Canada. We need more builders. Let other countries regulate while we take the more courageous path."   A COVID isolation emergency podcast, Rob and Douglas catch up on the latest tech news, which—surprise!—is AI-focused. Featuring: hot takes on the latest AI lawsuits, new uses to help combat climate change and the just-announced Voluntary Code of Conduct for generative AI (the one that Shopify's CEO said he would not support). We also gripe about the price of the new iPhones.   Sponsored by Big Data and AI Toronto, Oct 18 & 19. Get your tickets today!
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Sep 24, 2023 • 58min

As the world goes passwordless, does 1Password go B2B?

"Everybody's trying to run their own business. Apple's trying to sell you devices. Google's trying to sell you ads. Our job is only to make you more secure."   Passkeys are here, and along with them renewed interest in the future of passwords from Apple and Google. 1Password CEO Jeff Shiner joins to discuss how passkeys will change the internet, and what they change (and don't change) about his company's business.   Sponsored by TechExit.io. Early Bird tickets end September 28th. Save $300!
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Sep 17, 2023 • 55min

Can Waze’s former CEO build a social network from scratch?

"Canada is at the forefront. Yes, mistakes are being made, but at least they're doing something. The US is doing nothing. And at the end of the day, these are American companies that are destroying the world." Post.News founder Noam Bardin shares what it's like trying to build a new social network "in public" in 2023 and why the Big Tech platforms only fear regulation before making a pitch to Canadians looking to return news to their social media. Sponsored by TechExit.io, taking place October 25 in Toronto.
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Sep 10, 2023 • 54min

How "pirate" entrepreneur Lloyed Lobo kicked his self-destructive habits

"The company was my identity. I had this huge void to fill and I didn't know what to do with it."   Boast.ai and Traction co-founder Lloyed Lobo shares his personal struggles managing his self-described addictive personality after leaving the day-to-day business before digging into the keen insights contained within his new book "From Grassroots to Greatness - 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth."   Sponsored by TechExit.io, taking place October 25 in Toronto.
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Sep 2, 2023 • 44min

Parental leave requirements for Canadian entrepreneurs make no sense

"There is especially in tech still a stigma around being a parent and being a contributing member of a company." Founders Erin Bury (Willful) and Marie Chevrier (Sampler) join to discuss the dumb restrictions on entrepreneurs trying to receive parental leave benefits, plus tips (and encouragement) for entrepreneurs preparing to ship a new bundle of joy. Sponsored by Zoholics Canada 2023, Zoho’s premier user conference. Use the code "BETAKIT25" for a 25% discount!
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Aug 26, 2023 • 59min

VC extravaganza: fundraising, "shitty" behaviour, mannequin startups & more

We know you love VCs on the BetaKit Podcast. So here's an all-VC episode of the BetaKit Podcast. Featuring: Chris Neumann (Panache Ventures), Matt Cohen (Ripple Ventures), John Ruffolo (Maverix Private Equity), Michelle Scarborough (Thrive Venture Fund), Satraj Bambra (Round13's Digital Asset Fund). Sponsored by Zoholics Canada 2023, Zoho’s premier user conference. Use the code "BETAKIT25" for a 25% discount!

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