The Business of your Business - TechConnex Podcast

Welcome back to the TechConnex Podcast. This is season 3 and we're very excited to speak with Jayne Huhtanen of FocalPoint Coaching. Jayne has over 36 years Jayne has helped professionals and companies optimize performance, overcome obstacles, and achieve professional and personal growth. In this session we discussed the importance of leadership during COVID, the importance of dreaming and how hard work and not giving up. will pay off. Plus much much more, so join us for a great talk with one of the best in the business. "5 Steps to Help You Dare to Live the Life You Want" : https://youtu.be/yL4OAq6fRic

Why PropTechs are Poised to Disrupt the Market more than Fintechs? Interested in understanding Property Technology?  Want to understand their disruption potential? Every industry is facing technological advances, however the real estate market has been slower to embrace change. Proptechs are accelerating the speed of innovation and change in the Real Estate market. From Big Data, AI and machine learning to virtual and augmented reality and drones, join us for a discussion on the PropTech trends that are disrupting the market. Brian Bell, PropTech Innovation Practice Lead, Accenture Consulting will put PropTechs into perspective and help you understand their disruption potential! Lunch and Learn jointly sponsored by: City of Vaughan

Welcome back to the to the TechConnex Member Spotlight. Today, I had the privilege of speaking with Jason Karklins: Associate Director of Casino Services & International Delivery. We discussed the importance of a great culture, putting yourself out there and People, People, People!! I hope that you enjoy the conversation. Ryan Before the Countdown Music by Maarten Schellekens

This afternoon Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Pete Needham of Next Dimension At Next Dimension we know that every business’s technology requirements are different and having the right IT managed service provider in place is mission-critical. Whether you have 5 employees or 500; we can craft an IT management strategy that’s right for your organization, and we’ll find the most cost-effective way to provide the right level of support. https://www.nextdimensioninc.com/about-us/ Pete discusses the growth of Next Dimension and himself, the importance of culture, designing an environment for employees to thrive and much much more!!! Please join us for a great conversation. Thank you. Music: We Ride by Encrypted Scrolls

This afternoon I had the pleasure to speak with Graham Richardson, Co-Founder of RICE FX Richardson International Currency Exchange is a business built on trust. We build that trust by turning foreign exchange transactions into personalized business relationships. As a regulated Canadian Money Service Business, Richardson International Currency Exchange utilizes the Bank of Montreal (BMO) international payment systems. Richardson International Currency Exchange compliance and risk minimization policies have been created and implemented with Grant Thornton to ensure the safest movement of funds. We are Canada's premier boutique foreign exchange company, delivering market-leading exchange rates and world-class service to a select group of corporate partners. https://ricefx.com/ Graham discusses the growth of his business and himself, the importance of family, moving to Canada and who will win the NBA Championship and much much more!!! Please join us for a great conversation. Thank you. Check Your Math Music by DJ Spooky

This morning Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Karen Wong of Taku Labs & ACE POS Solutions. Her companies currently work with more than 6,000 retailers in North America and have built a native commerce platform to allow merchants to truly leverage unified data from every channel to manage end-to-end supply chain, enhance the customer journey and dramatically grow their businesses. We're building the future hub of unified retail commerce for mid-market merchants. Having run distribution, retail and manufacturing businesses in my past life, my mission is to ensure that global retailers & wholesalers are ready for the future of retail. https://takulabs.io/ Karen discusses the importance of e-commerce, quick takeaways for incorporating e-commerce into your business, the future of retail and much much more!!!  Please join us for a great conversation. Thank you. Kelley & Ryan Fat Caps Music by Jason Shaw

This morning Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Denis Gravelle of Devant Canada. We work with thousands of international students and alumni who need help with career planning, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking, employer research and introductions. https://devant.ca/about-devant-2/ Denis discusses the importance of International Students, the struggles over the last year, resilience, and a bright future for those who are studying in Canada. Please join us for a great conversation. Thank you. Kelley & Ryan

This afternoon Kelley and I have the pleasure of speaking with Peter McCabe of Prolink. Our goal is to help our clients feel confident in the decisions they make, secure that we will be there for them whenever there is an urgent need, and know that they are an integral part of the PROLINK family. https://prolink.insure/our-story/ Pete discusses the importance of Cyber Security, the issues COVID has brought, the proactive approach Prolink took and much much more!! The Ottawa Senator also get discussed which was a surprise to us.. Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day. Kelley & Ryan

NEW!!! Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Christine Holmes and Greg Swift of LawyersInHouse.com LawyersInHouse.com is a virtual law firm comprised of former in-house counsel. We are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal industry. Over 90% of our lawyers are women, over 25% of our people are BIPOC and over 25% were born outside of Canada. We are WBE Canada certified and as such qualify as a diverse supplier. We discuss the inner workings of their company, why the company was formed, being disruptive, the importance of giving back, education and the importance balance and much, much more. Please join us for this great conversation. Thank you TechConnex Music by @La Surf by Chiquita y Chatarra

Listen Now!! Good morning to you all, In this week's TechConnex Members Spotlight interview, Kelley and I have the pleasure to speak with Mishkin Berteig, CEO and Co-Founder of Berteig. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishkinberteig/ Mishkin discusses his very interesting journey into business, his love for Math, Lego, Cycling, family and his refreshing outlook on life!! Berteig is a Canadian education development and delivery firm specializing in helping your company develop knowledge, motivation and skills leading to measurable improvements in quality, speed and happiness. We call this outcome Real Agility™. https://berteig.com/about-us/ Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

Good morning to you all, In this week's TechConnex Members Spotlight interview, I have the pleasure to speak with Menachem Feuer of Adaleg IT. https://www.linkedin.com/in/menachem-feuer-23957264/ Adaleg IT is a Community-Based IT training organization that helps individuals pursue a career in IT, providing them with the necessary skills, know-how, hands-on experience, and networking to leap (HB: “daleg”) into a career in High Tech. We pave a path into the corporate world by building solid relationships with companies in the Americas and Europe (Compugen, Questrade, Telephonica, etc) that give our students an opportunity to gain valuable real-world, hands-on experience and find placement. Adaleg IT helps individuals without any technical background pursue a career in full-stack web development, app development, networking, cloud architecture and design, virtualization, and other high demand technologies. https://adalegit.com/ We discuss the inner workings of Adaleg IT, the importance of technology education within the Jewish Community, kids coding and the importance balance and much, much more. Please join us for this great conversation. Thank you Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Zeze Peters, CEO of Beam City. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zezewo/ Beam.city DNA is the world's 1st unified advertising automation platform helping businesses plan & optimize their ads on Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Bing & millions of sites, while delivering amazing results in days or weeks. https://www.beam.city/dna/ We discuss the inner workings of his company, the impact of COVID, the future of digital marketing and the importance balalnce and much, much more.  Please join us thsi great conversation. Thank you Music provided by@Quantum Jazz - Balcarabic Chicken

In this episode of the Techconnex Member Spotlight, Kelley and I speak with John Kitchen of Esri Canada. We discuss his amazing career at Esri Canada, the great work that Esri is doing, the future of climate, data collection and much, much more. So join us for this great conversation with one of the best in the business. To learn more about Esri Canada, please go to https://www.esri.ca/en-ca/about/overview Thank you and we hope that will enjoy this session. Music provided by@Quantum Jazz - Balcarabic Chicken

Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Yifei Zhao, Director of Operation Altex. https://www.linkedin.com/in/yifeizhao/ Founded by drone experts from filming, real estate and survey, AlteX Academy is a Transport Canada compliant Drone/RPAS training facility. We bring modern training into the tech industry by building professional, accessible and enjoyable training products. Our vision is to assist drone operators achieve Safe, Efficient and Effective flights. https://altexacademy.com/ We discuss the inner workings of her company, the future of drones and AI technologies, education and the importance balance and much, much more. Please join us for this great conversation. Thank you Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

This morning I had the privilege of speaking with Keith Chang, President of Senovva Canada. SenovvA | We are sensory innovation Keith is a passionate, multifaceted creator with 30 years of experience—and extensive technical expertise—as a photographer, cinematographer, animator, director of photography, and film producer. He and his crew have filmed, edited and produced award-winning, broadcast-quality corporate videos for numerous major corporations.  A true creative talent behind the camera, Keith’s unique style takes corporate storytelling to a new level, earning an authentic emotional response from audiences. Keith and I discuss his craft of film making, what the last year has taught him, innovation in filming and muh much more!! I hope that you enjoy this conversation. Thank you Ryan

“It’s not wanting to win that makes you a winner; it’s refusing to fail.”  Peyton  Manning. I had the pleasure of speaking to Randy Bergeron and discuss his  First Business Book; Rise and Shine: 50 Real World  Lessons.  It is an easy playbook for anyone who wants to drive their business to the next level. Randy and I discuss the process of creating a book, the lessons  learned and what it  takes to drive business growth. This book is very inspiring and a go to for anybody starting out in business or seasoned veteran.  There is always something to learn. We hope that you enjoy our conversation and thank you for all of  your support. Ryan Shameless Plug: Rise & Shine: 50 Real World Lessons: James, R. Norman: 9780228836292: Books - Amazon.ca and what people are saying about this great book.  5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for growing entrepreneurs Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2021 Love the Real World Lessons, both the stories and the Lists! Written from real experience, small business owners should read this to understand what it will take to become bigger. There are no shortcuts, but foresight is hugely helpful.

In this episode of the TechConnex Podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking to Sehrish Mahmood Founder of Dialogue Room. We discuss perseverance, entrepreneurship, and how to overcome failure. Plus Sehrish worked at the UN, how cool is that!! Dialogue Room: We are driven by our desire to promote intellectual curiosity through captivating dialogue. We bring together learning communities from multiple disciplines and cultures. Dialogue Room is an open and healthy social space that offers opportunities for learners to build Core Life Competencies for both their personal and professional development. Our aim is to encourage collective social well being. Homepage - DialogueRoom Thank you for listening!! TechConnex

In this interview, I speak with Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders.  EWB Canada is a charitable organization that is focused on the investment and training for Tech Start-Up Companies in Africa. Boris and I discuss the EWB, technology in Africa over the last, emerging markets, what the future holds and much more!!! A brief history on EWB: With humble beginnings and a bi-weekly meeting in George’s parents’ living room, the dream slowly grew into reality. By the end of the year 2000, the initiative was supported by over 1000 members and a handful of chapters around the country. In 2001, our first volunteer left for a four-month internship in India. Today we develop leaders by investing in people. We spark innovative businesses and support entrepreneurs by investing in startup ventures. We create policy and institutional changes that influence corporate and government practices to improve global living conditions and access to basic needs by advocating for change. Get Involved - EWB Canada

M & A Fundamentals – A Practical Guide to M & A Transactions for Founders The goal of this Lunch & Learn is to provide Founders/Owners of small to mid-sized technology companies with a strong fundamental understanding of the M & A process and how it might relate to their businesses • Are you considering exit options for your business? • Wondering what your company might be worth? • Are you considering a succession plan? • What does the current market look like in Canada and around the World? Terry Mocherniak Founder and Managing Director Terry Mocherniak is the Founder and Managing Director of Apex Capital Advisors.  He has over 25 years’ experience in the tech sector and is a serial entrepreneur having founded and grown several businesses with two successful exits including one to global giant Siemens.  Terry also has extensive M & A, venture capital and corporate advisory experience and has raised over $20 million in venture capital for his own enterprises.  Vertical expertise includes cleantech, energy, software, e-commerce, B2C marketplaces, marketing, and media. www.apexcapitaladvisors.ca Terry currently serves as a Director of York Angels, Senior Advisor at EACL Consulting, Cleantech Advisor at MaRS, Director of Qeatech Inc. and previously Executive Director at York Angels.  Terry is a corporate lawyer and has an LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School.

In this episode of the TechConnex Podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Terry Mocherinak Founder of Apex Capital Advisors.  Apex is a boutique investment bank and strategic advisory firm founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.  They have built, operated, invested in and sold technology businesses and understand the  pain points and objectives of business founders. https://apexcapitaladvisors.ca/ Terry and I talk about the current M&A market within Canada and the United States, What companies and advisory firms should look for in a client and Terry's Top 3 Tips for a successful sell. Please join us for this engaging conversation Thank you. TechConnex

A small Marketing budget can go a long way with a little elbow grease and some smart planning. In this session, we’ll share some ideas on how to make the most of what you have and brainstorm some ways to leverage cost-effective and free tools. This session will be led by Roshni Wijayasinha, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Prosh Marketing, who will be joining Kevin as a facilitator. Roshni is a marketing leader with 15 years of progressive experience, having launched over 50 products and brands in over markets worldwide, and helped companies attain 9 investment rounds. She started her career working on top consumer brands on the agency side, and has built her reputation by bringing creativity and strategic insights to leading global technology companies such as Microsoft, Sony & Kobo. Most recently, she has built out marketing teams & brands at technology leaders like Juice Mobile, Thinking Capital, Benecaid and Foxquilt, and has founded Prosh Marketing, a Marketing Consulting agency that specializes in Strategy, Planning and Communications for SMBs and Start-ups. Peer Group Generously Sponsored By: AMD

Product Management in many technology companies can mean different things and the resulting role is often caught up in firefighting day-to-day issues rather than working strategically to make the product a success. This session will provide you with an understanding of what Product Management is, and isn’t, together with a tool you can use to help focus on the real job of Product Management. These sessions are facilitated by Lee Garrison of the TPMA.

Aligning your team to increase the predictability and profitability of your business: Business leaders know that predictable results are difficult to obtain. Alignment issues in performance management, leadership behaviors and conflicting values systems conspire against predictability and improved profitability. Performance and cultural alignment is the leader’s ability to optimize the performance of the team, to make their business more profitable and predictable. To understand how to align your team, you need to analyze three concepts: Numbers, Behaviors and Beliefs. There are three objectives for this ONLINE session that tie in perfectly with the ongoing trend to focus on improving a company’s culture to get long term, sustainable results. Point out areas in all organizations where some degree of misalignment exists Introduce a concept called the Management Performance System, which begins to align the expectations of all employees towards the company’s singular goal Give participants strategies and ideas that they can apply to their business to bring about greater alignment, leading to greater predictability and profitability Our speaker, Andrew Rush, Vice President, Carpedia International mixes humor, story telling and research, so that the learning is fun, but the points hit home.

The global pandemic has had a significant impact on businesses with many having to shift their priorities and reduce their resources and budget. On top of that, sellers have been thrust into a virtual selling environment where they can no longer meet with buyers face-to-face to build rapport, discover needs and effectively collaborate to deliver a positive purchase experience. So, how do sales organizations and individuals overcome these challenges and position themselves for success in the "new normal"? Through this interactive session we will identify some of the key challenges and opportunities for sellers in a virtual environment and discuss what is working and not working in our own sales engagements with the objective of generating new ideas that you can take away and apply to your next virtual sales meeting. The goal of this year’s Sales Discussion Peer Group is to provide a collaborative environment for shared learning of best practices in sales efficiency, effectiveness, and management. We will explore specific situations or challenges that we may encounter with a discussion around how each participant solves them to maximize every prospect and grow your sales.  Participants will come out of each session with ideas and action items they can take back to the office and apply. These sessions are facilitated by: John Montgomery of Sales Jump Start 

Join Akshay Kalle, CTO at Pathway Communications as he leads a discussion on Relevance in the new economy - post COVID The Role of the CIO in the next 3 years Emphasis on Product design and innovation impact of AI and Automation These sessions are facilitated by Ray Gilbert and Jamal Shah of Causal Effects.

Welcome to our 2nd Season of the TechConnex Podcast.. In this episode we talk with Mark Morissette CEO & Co-Founder of Foxquilt. We discuss the origins of Foxquilt, the future of insurance within Canada and Around The World, VC Funding and plenty more. Foxquilt is a Canadian-based financial technology company using data and technology to empower small businesses and business networks to save on Small Business Insurance. Leveraging their Insurance-as-a-Service platform and creating unique products, Foxquilt makes it easy for customers to buy insurance online and access group purchasing power. Foxquilt customers achieve savings upfront on premiums, reduced deductibles and are rewarded with further savings at renewal. For more information, visit www.foxquilt.com Foxquilt x TechConnex Entrepreneur Summit:  5 Ways to Stretch a Lean Budget Having a lean budget as a business owner doesn't mean you can't reach success. This Fall, Foxquilt and TechConnex are teaming up to bring you a virtual Entrepreneur Summit - featuring experienced, insightful speakers to discuss "5 Ways to Stretch a Lean Budget." Learn how you can make the most out of a small budget in Legal, Tech, Marketing, HR and Operations. Then, get a chance to share your thoughts, ask questions and virtually network with other business owners in sessions led by the panelists! Meet the Speakers: Legal: Darielle Teitelbaum, Founder, AWE Legal Tech: Milind Joshi, CTO, Foxquilt Marketing: Andrew Kinnear, Co-Founder, Yellofruit HR: Tara Bedford, Vice President, Human Resources at ruby Operations: Anne Falomo, Strategic Partner, Schooley Mitchell Moderated by: Roshni Wijayasinha, CMO, Foxquilt Join us Thursday, October 1st, 2020 from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM, on Zoom. www.eventbrite.ca/e/foxquilt-x-techconnex-entrepreneur-summit-5-ways-to-stretch-a-lean-budget-tickets-119641036561?aff=social

Women in Technology Peer Group Though the numbers are improving, we all know that tech is still a male-dominated industry.  We also know the gender bias - whether unconscious or otherwise - continues to adversely impact women.  In this session, we'll tackle some all-too-common workplace scenarios, challenge our own biases, and discuss tangible ways people of all genders can champion equality and enable change. Speaker: Nicolle White Nicolle is currently Senior Director of Programs at retail experience agency, Avida, and as the only woman on the leadership team, she is dedicated to being the voice of women both in and outside of the company. Nicolle commits her time to empowering and supporting women both professionally and personally, and has been involved for many years in women’s advancement organizations including OmniWomen, the Bishop Strachan School Alumni Association, and youth girls’ mentorship groups. Nicolle is Past President of Lean In Canada-Toronto, where she served for two years (appointed by the Board of Directors as President in 2018). Overseeing all aspects of the Toronto chapter and its 4000+ members, Nicolle led an executive team responsible for marketing initiatives, finance, sponsorship and fundraising, member engagement, and programming and events. Nicolle remains engaged with Lean In Canada in an advisory role. Nicolle earned her BA in Sociology, minor in Marketing from Concordia University, attended McGill University for Public Relations, and in 2015, through her studies at the University of Toronto, was designated a Project Management Professional (PMP). This Peer Group is sponsored by: IBM

Partnering for Success If you're looking to expand your digital marketing presence then this session is for you. Most SMB's cannot bring all the marketing skills they need in-house (learn more about that here) so it's not uncommon for your marketing efforts to be a combination of internal and external resources. But how do you find a marketing company that's right for you? In this session, we'll explore what to look for in an external marketing partner with real horror stories from the field. Peer Group Generously Sponsored By: AMD

Are you finding webinars part of your normal communications now? Join us to learn the best practice for zoom and other webinar platforms. From technical setup to content planning, and webinar reporting for marketing analysis. Yifei Zhao will share her experience on everything you need to run successful webinars. About our Speaker: Yifei Zhao, Operations Director from AlteX Academy AlteX has been running online training using webinar and smart learning systems since 2015. Bringing creativity from her film production background, AlteX provides interactive and enjoyable online learning for working professionals. Peer Group Generously Sponsored By: AMD

With workplaces slowly and gradually returning to work, what are the key matters that employers will need to consider as their employees return to the physical workplace? This session, presented by Dan Condon, Employment and Labour Lawyer, Wilson Vukelich, LLP, will discuss what employers will need to address when restarting their operations and having more employees return to the physical workplace.   Employers will need to be aware of both their rights as well as their obligations as the return to the physical workplace will require employers to review their current workplace policies and to prepare new policies and procedures.

Feeling overwhelmed at times, and faced with worries about where all this could go?  Have you observed associates, family, or friends who are expressing a high level of anxiety?  Targeted at putting you in the driver’s seat to learn and grow strong through this challenging time, our workshop, presented by Danielle Besseling and Peter Meyers, provides four accessible strategies to move you from worry to wellbeing. In addition, we cover ways to productively support others who are experiencing the kind of worry that gets in the way of living the life we want.

Wow what a year it has been!! This will be our final CEO session before the Summer Break, unless we all want to continue through the Summer? On behalf of Barry Fairhurst and the entire TechConnex Team, we truly appreciate and thank you all for an amazing year. We will be discussing the following topics in an open forum, this session will also be recorded. Opening your business and what does it look like for you? Communication & Collaboration Pivoting your business BDC update with Marc-Andre Maheu Any other issues or concerns that need to addressed This Peer Group is sponsored by: BDC

Financial Perspectives Peer Group - May 2020 How do cost reduction strategies change when your business is in a crisis? Join Anne Falomo, Strategic Partner, Schooley Mitchell to explore different aspects of cost reduction and how to leverage them on an ongoing basis, including common practices and challenges. https://www.schooleymitchell.com/ These sessions are facilitated by SBLR LLP. http://www.sblr.ca/about-us

Product Management Peer Group - May 2020 Join our guest, Eric Rogness, former Founder of Planswell as he tells the story of how they started the Planswell product, built the team and scaled it to 57 employees and a $60 million valuation.  Eric will focus on some of the key challenges and lessons they learned and then will open it up for a roundtable discussion. These sessions are facilitated by Lee Garrison of the TPMA. https://tpma.ca/about

Applying the hindsight that could have saved Kodak, Polaroid and Blockbuster - Over the last 100-days, every business has been disrupted. While a few are feasting, many are fighting the threat of famine. The fates of Polaroid, Kodak and Blockbuster are all too familiar. The good news is that their experience provides us with 20-20 hindsight. In this interactive online session, Graham Binks, CEO, primeFusion Inc., offers advice and exercises for leveraging the principles of disruption as a tool to survive the crisis and come out stronger. Aided by real-world examples, he will walk through some exercises to help you recognize new opportunities, adjust your response and navigate the course to success. By the end, you’ll be equipped to apply these lessons to your business immediately. www.grahambinks.com Graham is the author of Trusting Technology: Mastering Technology for Non-Tech Leaders and 10-Minute Reflections: Volumes One and Two. This session is facilitated by Ray Gilbert and Jamal Shah of Causal Effects.

We believe many of our CEO's & Executives would appreciate learning what others have learned and how they are executing the myriad of notifications, Government prognostications, website to access information, execution on different strategies to keep their business afloat. We  discussed the following topics in our open forum this session morning, please enjoy. Rosanna Berardi of Berardi Law will provide an update on the current status of the American Border and Visas. Ryan Mallough and Julie Bryden of CFIB will be discussing Provincial Affairs and what is going on with the Ontario Government and the impact on business through Covid. CEWS (Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy) – have you taken advantage, if not, why not? Proudly sponsored by: BDC

Join Agnes Lan, Director, Business Development at Change Connect as she shares how her successes and failures have helped shape her journey. Described as influential and inspirational by her clients and peers, Agnes Lan helps organizations grow through change.  She has a knack for breaking down complex strategies into tangible business tactics.  Leading the way in Sales Transformation for SMBs and Enterprises alike. Hear about the lessons that Agnes has learned along the way!

"What now? What should we change about our strategy, and what can go on, business as usual? If we have to make changes, where should we invest our resources and focus? Join as we explore how COVID-19 is impacting sales and marketing performance and how we should prepare for the new normal. This Peer Group is led by Kevin D'Arcy of ThinkFuel Marketing. https://www.thinkfuel.ca/

In this uncertain time, we are all worried about how we will continue to run our businesses as well as support our people as best as we can. With more information every day and different things to think about while running your business going forward, to hear from our expert panel and get different perspectives to help you manage through the challenges of this difficult and ever-changing situation; protect your business, customers and support your employees. Our panel and topics to be addressed: Government Economic Relief - Frank Bilotta - Partner, Tax, SBLR LLP Cyber Security - Dominik Kawnik, President, Websdepot Protecting your Business's Balance Sheet against Bad Debt and Employment Practices Liability during COVID-19 - Peter McCabe, Technology Practice Leader, PROLINK

In this session of the TechConnex CIO Peer Group, we will be speaking with Anthony Iannucci, CIO for the City of Richmond Hill. Anthony will be discussing his career and journey with the TTC and his current position as CIO for the City of Richmond Hill. We will also discuss the action items Anthony and his team have faced during the Covid-19 crisis. Anthony Iannucci has spent over 30 years creating success for organizations in transformation and continuous improvement through the development of business strategy and alignment with information technology solutions.  After a long career with North America’s third largest transit organization the Toronto Transit Commission aligning business and technology for success Anthony is currently leveraging his passion for developing and mentoring teams in leading the City of Richmond Hill through the delivery of a strategic transformation in Information Technology. Facilitated by: Ray Gilbert & Jamal Shah of Causal Effects

Tech CEO Peer Group April 2020 We discussed the following topics in an open forum this morning. $40k loan from the Government, execution and process? Summer Student programs / what have you learned and are you using them? CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) – have your employees taken advantage, if not, why not? Financial Institution Support – how have your banks reacted and what have they done to help you? We also had Megan McElwain Vice President & General Manager & Susanna Cluff-Clyburne Senior Director, Parliamentary Affairs joining us from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to discuss their findings and Government Program updates The link to the Statistics Canada survey that Susanna mentioned, it is available here: www.statcan.gc.ca/csbc Proudly sponsored by: BDC

Kick start your company’s path to pricing excellence. This Peer Group meeting will be 50% introduction to best practices in pricing software, software-enabled systems, and new innovation, and 50% open discussions around addressing some of your biggest challenges in pricing and offer design in a fast-paced digital era. Bio: Scott Miller, CMA,CPA, is Founder of Miller Advisors Inc (www.miller-advisors.com), a boutique consultancy specializing in pricing and offer design strategies for B2B software companies. With over 20 years of pricing experience that includes senior consulting roles as well as corporate global pricing director roles with $10B technology firms, Scott is also a partner and lecturer with the International Software Product Management Association (ISPMA) and the Professional Pricing Society (PPS).

The presentation will include an introduction to valuation theory, including an overview of fundamental valuation approaches, valuations of early-stage companies and differences between price and value in a transaction. There will also be an introduction to investor presentations, which are a crucial element of raising financing. It will include an overview of the content that should go into investor presentations, considerations for a robust analysis, and tips to capture investor attention. Presented by Marco Lamanna, Manager, Valuation and Economics, Transaction Advisory Services and Fraser Voll, Manager at Ernst and Young. Generously Sponsored by: E&Y

This week's TechConnex Podcast with Sergey Ross, we discuss!! - Why podcasts are an amazing marketing opportunity for businesses and personal brands - What makes a successful show - What do you do with the content after - What Platforms to use and get sponsorship Sergey Ross Show is an interview series that explores how thought leaders in business, sports & entertainment think, the psychological side of their success. https://www.sergeyross.live/ Thank you for your continued of our Podcasts and TechConnex

Driving Culture and Engagement in an organization is often seen as requiring big ideas and even bigger budgets. Most of us do not have the bandwidth for large-scale projects focused on these things alone. Now with your entire workforce working from home, how are you driving Culture and Engagement? Come share your grassroots initiatives, ideas and the hacks that are working for your company to define your culture and support engagement.

Keys to Top Sales Performance - ONLINE SESSION Buying in the last few years has changed more than ever. Buyers are more educated, there are endless options, and buyers are distracted and short on time. Sellers and sales organizations are struggling to keep up. But there are specific actions that Top performers and Top-Performing Sales Organizations take that allow them to achieve superior results. Through the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, we analyzed data from 472 sellers and executives from mid-size to some of the world's largest companies to learn what they do to achieve top sales performance. In this session learn about 5, data-backed keys to top sales performance that will help you unleash your sales potential in 2020. Learning Outcomes 1 big idea—one absolute essential—that you need to perform at elite levels in sales 5 keys to help you get to top sales performance What the top sales organizations and sellers do to beat their sales goals How to maximize your own sales motivation and unleash your sales potential The 3 sales skills you and your team must possess

TechConnex Marketing Peer Group April 2020 Walk onto the marketing or sales floor of any modern office and chances are you'll see a funnel, hear people talking about a funnel, or be asked to draw a funnel yourself. For years, companies have structured their business strategies around the funnel — and it worked. But recently, the funnel has begun to fail marketers, salespeople, and business leaders alike. Today, customer referrals and word-of-mouth have become the largest influence on the purchase process, which means the funnel has one major flaw: It views customers as an afterthought, not a driving force. You see, funnels produce customers but don't consider how those customers can help you grow. That’s where the flywheel comes into play. This session is facilitated by Kevin D'Arcy, CEO of Thinkfuel Marketing. https://www.thinkfuel.ca/ This Peer Group is sponsored by: AMD. https://www.amd.com/en

Please join us for the first recording of the Virtual Tech CEO Peer Group on Friday April 3rd, 2020.  We will be discussing the affects of Covid-19 to your business, Government Aid, Taxation and the Global Effect this has on everybody!! Howard Lerner CPA, of SBLR LLP will be leading a discussion on:COVID-19 government assistance programs and actions designed to improve cash flow. Mark Lijour of ICTC will be discussing the following 3 items 1. How does COVID-19 and the state of the global economy affect your business?  2. Tips, tools and practices to move operations online 3. Other support and programs from ICTC. If there is anything else, please let us know! Sponsored by: BDC

In this podcast, Desi Narayanan Partner at Building Perspective Inc. discusses taking a step back to evaluate your business and its processes. Desi will provide valuable insight to keep your business going while staying cash and mentally positive. Desi Narayanan is an entrepreneur and recognized leader in the field of Structured Continuous Improvement. He finds and grows early stage companies through a disciplined process of commercialization. He has also facilitated organizational transformations across a wide range of industries that include energy production, manufacturing, healthcare, and research & development over the last 20+ years. His deep practice of Lean Six Sigma has allowed him to innovate new frameworks within the body of knowledge. Desi regularly makes business magic by bringing together great ideas, thoughtful people, and powerful execution to create opportunities for all. https://www.buildingperspective.com/team

How to Thrive Through Challenges and Change Grab your coffee or your cup of tea and join us for a conversation on how you are thriving through these challenging times and share what you are doing to keep yourself and your teams connected. This session is sponsored by: IBM