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Startupville

Startupville

By Innovation Place

Startupville features interviews with successful small-city tech founders on what it’s like to start and grow a tech startup in a smaller city away from the major hubs of Silicon Valley and Toronto, and how that has shaped their business. At Startupville, we challenge the notion that the next big thing can only be made in Silicon Valley.

Startupville is produced in partnership by Innovation Place and Martin Charlton Communications.
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Ep 76 - Uniting the Prairies - Prairie tech's going UP!

StartupvilleJun 23, 2022

00:00
47:40
Ep 91 - Iain Wallace w/ Proxima Research and Development

Ep 91 - Iain Wallace w/ Proxima Research and Development

Happy Global Biotech Week!


Global Biotech Week (GBW) is an annual week-long celebration of all things biotechnology and is an excellence tool for increasing awareness of the industry's global and economic significance.


GBW is particularly special for Saskatchewan because our province hosts over 30% of Canada's agricultural biotechnology activity and continues to develop in areas like genomics, plant-made pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.Saskatchewan has already made a huge impact in biotechnology and future big ideas are on the horizon!


We spoke with one of biotech's rising stars Iain Wallace, Co-founder of Proxima Research and Development, a local Saskatchewan startup that provides scalable and customizable scientific services with an emphasis on affordability and accessibility, about exciting innovations in biotech and what's next!


To learn about how you can get involved with local events during GBW which is September 25-29, visit globalbiotechweeksask.ca.


Thanks for watching!

Sep 21, 202324:59
Ep 90 - Mark Cooper w/ Prairie Clean Energy

Ep 90 - Mark Cooper w/ Prairie Clean Energy

Prairie Clean Energy is one of Saskatchewan's most exciting new cleantech startups because of its game-changing approach to providing an environmentally sustainable solution to agricultural waste.
Prairie Clean Energy recently
received $180,000 from the Agtech Growth Fund to support the development of a technically viable pathway in Saskatchewan for producing and using flax straw pellets as industrial biomass fuel. This solution addresses the global biomass shortage and provides farmers with an economical and environmentally conscious way to use flax waste.
President & CEO Mark Cooper joins Startupville to talk about the company's aim to provide secure, renewable, sustainable, and abundant biomass fuel to customers around the world and how they can achieve it from right here in Saskatchewan.
This episode of Startupville is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan. 

Thanks for listening!

Aug 23, 202317:58
Ep 89- Erin Pisko w/ Innovation Asset Collective

Ep 89- Erin Pisko w/ Innovation Asset Collective

We spoke with Erin Pisko, Vice President of Intellectual Property Strategy with Innovation Asset Collective (IAC), a not-for-profit organization that helps Canadian companies leverage IP strategy to compete and scale. IAC's educational programming, funding opportunities and access to a patent pool with up to $10M to acquire patents and market intelligence makes it easy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to secure ownership of their innovation and protect their edge and  control their data. With this access and Innovation Saskatchewan's recent partnership with IAC, Saskatchewan startups have another tool to compete and scale in a global market and become the next great SK tech success!

Jul 19, 202328:25
Ep 88 – Uniting the Prairies 2023

Ep 88 – Uniting the Prairies 2023

Prairie tech is going UP! 🚀
Uniting the Prairies showed yet again why it has become the Prairies' premier startup-focused tech conference for A-tier founders, active investors and tech leaders from across Canada and beyond.
We spoke with startup founders, tech leaders and global investors from across Canada to discover why Prairie tech is the next big thing!
Settle in for incredible insights and stories from our guests:

➡️ Yuri Navarro, Kanata Ventures
➡️ Kimberly Bennett, Co-Founder of Fidu
➡️ Grant Lahring, Co-Founder of Goodlawyer
➡️ Erin Pisko, Vice President of Strategy with Innovation Asset Collective
➡️ Tom McDonell, CEO of HazTrack Inc.
➡️ Serese Selanders, Founder and CEO of SolusGuard
➡️ Robert Irwin, Co-Founder and CEO at Village Wellth
➡️ Thamidur Rashid Taseen, Founder and Director of TRT Technologies Ltd.
➡️ Steve Karagioules, Founder of Pathfinder SBS


This episode of Startupville is brought to you by Co.Labs and Innovation Saskatchewan. Innovation Saskatchewan is a proud sponsor of UP and funder of Co.Labs.

Jun 22, 202353:28
Ep 87 – Canadian Innovation Week 2023

Ep 87 – Canadian Innovation Week 2023

Happy Canadian Innovation Week!

Yearlong Innovation Saskatchewan supports the incredible ingenuity of Saskatchewan's innovation ecosystem, and Canadian Innovation Week gives us a special opportunity to ensure the inspiring stories and phenomenal successes of the Saskatchewan tech sector and research community are shared beyond our provincial borders.

Today we're celebrating #InnovateForHealth by exploring the groundbreaking contributions of Saskatchewan-based research institutes and their significant impact on the lives of Canadians and people around the world.

Dr. Volker Gerdts, Director and CEO of Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), talks about VIDO's role as Canada's centre for pandemic research and as a world leader in infectious disease research.

Patrick Odnokon, CEO of Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), talks about SHRF's role in supporting health research and making it accessible to everyone in the province.

Dr. John Root, Executive Director of Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, talks about how the Fedoruk Centre helps improves the health and well-being of our communities through nuclear methods and innovations.

The Startupville podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan and was recorded in our recording studio inside Collider Saskatoon – Saskatchewan's only tech and research co-working space.

Thanks for listening!

May 16, 202301:00:25
Ep 86 - Jeff Dyck w/ Siemens EDA

Ep 86 - Jeff Dyck w/ Siemens EDA


Siemens EDA, a segment of Siemens Digital Industries Software, is a technology leader in electronic design automation (EDA) software and hardware and their tools and industry-leading tech enable customers to embrace digital transformation to accelerate the pace of innovation. In 2017, Siemens acquired Solido Design Automation, a Saskatoon-based company that was the world leader in machine learning-based EDA software for variation-aware design and characterization.

On this episode, we talk with Siemens EDA Senior Director of Engineering, former Solido Vice President and local legend Jeff Dyck about his professional journey and how Siemens EDA has grown by more than 10x since we last spoke. We also dive into exciting topics like the future of AI, how to maintain startup growth and how to create a company culture that makes employees want to come into the office.

Buckle up folks, this is a good one!
 
The Startupville podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan and was recorded in our new recording studio inside Collider Saskatoon -- Saskatchewan's only tech and research co-working space.
 
“There’s going to be a whole bunch of applications that are going to emerge in the next few years. It’s happening incredibly quickly. A thousand new startups trying to use large language models for all kinds of verticals that have never been thought of before. If you can find a data set, you go and train it and see if that’s a cool thing, then figure out what you need to do to turn it into a product.” – Jeff Dyck on generative AI

Apr 26, 202340:28
Ep 85 - Breeding Success

Ep 85 - Breeding Success

Dark Horse Ag Ventures believes that agriculture is a community built upon innovation and dedication to the craft of feeding the world. Their mission is to simplify precision agriculture and make advanced agronomy applicable, easy to learn, and accessible. Through their platform, they address the struggles that farmers and agronomy businesses have collecting and processing data with the backing of acclaimed experts in digital agriculture and crop science to keep things simple.
 
On this episode of Startupville, we talk with Co-Founder and CEO, Tyler Lefley, about their experience going through (and winning!) the Co.Launch X cohort, how they are adopting existing and new technologies to make precision agriculture easier, what they’re looking forward to most in their next adventure in Cultivator’s Ag-tech Accelerator cohort, and so, so much more!
 
The Startupville podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan.
 
“The real treat [of operating in Saskatchewan] is having your immediate market right outside your front door. That’s tough to beat when you look at the experts and the expertise, and the willingness for fostering ag-tech companies.” – Tyler Lefley, Dark Horse Ag Ventures

Mar 22, 202326:08
Ep 84 - Live at Cultivator's 24 Hour Startup

Ep 84 - Live at Cultivator's 24 Hour Startup

Join us in the Startupville Thunderdome recording live at the 24 Hour Startup event at Cultivator HQ.

24 Hour Startup is hosted at Cultivator HQ in Regina, Saskatchewan, and brings together the best and brightest entrepreneurs, developers, lead designers, and makers, to pitch ideas, form teams, and build a minimum viable product (MVP) in 24 hours. Participants experience what its like in day-to-day startup life while building their company, but with access to some of the world’s top mentors, entrepreneurs and supporters who are ready to help them launch in their pitch to celebrity guest judges!

On this episode, we've condensed 24 hours into just under 40 minutes and features exclusive interviews with some of the celebrity guest judges as well as past and current participants. Get the full scoop on what went down during this year’s 24 Hour Startup by tuning in now.

We sit down with
Danielle Gifford (Movement51), Dana Abdullah (Bell Ventures), Hannah Tait (past participant/winner), Zakiyyah Noorally (participant) and Jordan Lazaroff (participant).

This podcast is brought to you by Cultivator & Innovation Saskatchewan

“What I’m really excited for is just the diversity in teams that have come together and what they’re able to accomplish in 24 hours. It’s really, quite astounding, when you see all these ideas up on a wall, and then you actually see it conceptualize into a business model in terms of a target market audience and how they would actually generate revenue.” – Danielle Gifford, Movement51.

Feb 22, 202338:54
Ep 83 - Tech for Tanks w/ Curtis Kolibab

Ep 83 - Tech for Tanks w/ Curtis Kolibab

Selling seeds, chemicals and fertilizers to farms on the prairies was the primary goal of North Star Systems, and one of the biggest challenges was keeping clients’ product properly stocked.

In 2018,
North Star Systems set out to create a solution for the distribution of product from manufacturer to retailer to farmer in the field. Now, their Saskatoon-based team of engineers manufactures Tattle Systems devices, a complete and closed system that connects the device to the user through any smartphone, app or tablet, creating an innovative, real-time remote monitoring and data solution that increases efficiencies, profitability, sustainability and more for their clients.

On this episode, we explore how finding the solution to a problem can lead to running a successful tech startup, how to keep employees engaged in today’s everchanging work environment, and how a non-tech agriculture expert can tap into the world of IoT with tech partners to work together on a fast scaling agri-tech enterprise.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“People love investing in technology if its going to help them, reduce their costs and make their lives easier, but you have to prove it. So show it, and constantly be a shower, and a promoter.” Curtis Kolibab, CEO, North Star Systems Inc.

This episode was recorded on July 5, 2022.

Jan 11, 202322:57
82 - I spy with my LoRa eye...

82 - I spy with my LoRa eye...

On this episode, we feature Jeff Shirley of Rivercity Innovations and Mike Stefaniuk with Sasktel's Collaboration and Innovation Team.

It began with the Rural Crime Challenge at Innovation Saskatchewan where Jeff Shirley created a solution to prevent the theft of beehives at their family farm. Later, shifting from GPS trackers to LoRa technology, Rivercity Innovations expanded into designing, building, and delivering sensors and data monitoring solutions to support their world-wide clientele.

Scaling this type of business in Saskatchewan could seem infinitely impossible without the help of experts, mentors, and access to stake holding resources. That’s where the Innovation Program at Sasktel can help. They are a dedicated team made up of experts that use a collaborative process in assisting founders identify and solve business problems, help connect silos, evolve culture and approach, and ignite innovation.

On this episode, we explore how the Innovation Program at Sasktel works, how its helping local startups grow and scale beyond the borders of Saskatchewan, and learn about all of the exciting work being done by one of their key players – Rivercity Innovations.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“The telecom in this province is Sasktel. They have hundreds of thousands of clients that need solutions. If I can create a solution that fits their business model, makes them profitable, creates jobs locally, and puts dividends back into the community, what better channel and partner for me to grow my business faster and more profitable than that?” – Jeff Shirley, Founder & CEO, Rivercity Innovations

Dec 14, 202224:21
81 - Startup Summit - See you at the top! Part 2

81 - Startup Summit - See you at the top! Part 2

Check out live exclusive interviews with some of the keynotes, panelists, investors and founders from the 2022 Startup Summit conference in Regina, Saskatchewan.

On this episode, we feature Albert Jame (
Zu), Stephanie Boon (54e Dev Studios) and Jan Arp (The Holt Xchange).

Startup Summit is a local conference that focuses on connecting founders, mentors and investors from across North America through curated 1:1 sessions, workshops, keynotes and panel discussions.

This year, Startup Summit was bigger and better than ever. Returning to an in-person format at Cultivator's new headquarters in Regina, Saskatchewan, more than 350 attendees gathered to learn, network and help grow the Saskatchewan tech ecosystem.

Startupville received a personal invitation to bring the Startupville Thunderdome to the conference to record live exclusive interviews with some of the speakers, investors and startup founders. We’re excited to share this content with you in a two-part mini series so that our listeners can get the scoop on what went down at Startup Summit and all of the insights on our prairie tech scene.

This special episode is brought to you by Cultivator, Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“Cultivator did a good job promoting this. You see who the mentors are ahead of time! We went to the mentor sessions yesterday, which was like speed dating for startups, which I thought was really, really, cool!” - Stephanie Boon, Head of People and Operations at 54e Dev Studios

Nov 09, 202240:25
Ep 80 - Startup Summit - See you at the top! Part 1

Ep 80 - Startup Summit - See you at the top! Part 1

Startup Summit is a local conference that focuses on connecting founders, mentors and investors from across North America through curated 1:1 sessions, workshops, keynotes and panel discussions.

This year, Startup Summit was bigger and better than ever. Returning to an in-person format at Cultivator's new headquarters in Regina, Saskatchewan, more than 350 attendees gathered to learn, network and help grow the Saskatchewan tech ecosystem.

Startupville received a personal invitation to bring the Startupville Thunderdome to the conference to record live exclusive interviews with some of the speakers, investors and startup founders. We’re excited to share this content with you in a two-part mini series so that our listeners can get the scoop on what went down at Startup Summit and all of the insights on our prairie tech scene.

This special episode is brought to you by CultivatorInnovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

On this episode, we feature Danielle Graham (Pheonix Fire & The Firehood), Brad Fekula (Fix it Up) and Vanesa Cotlar (PolicyMe).

“If you’re in Winnipeg or Regina and you show up to an event, you’re probably going to see at least five people that you know that you can go talk to. It’s been so nice to see the way the community is built here and the support that people have for one another, and that’s been one of those big themes over the last day or two.”  - Vanessa Cotler, Head of People at PolicyMe.

Oct 31, 202230:30
Ep 79 - Luxsonic Has Entered the Chat

Ep 79 - Luxsonic Has Entered the Chat

Join us as we chat with the winner of the Startup TnT Spring Investment Summit in Saskatchewan!

The Startup TnT Spring Investment Summit launched in March of 2022, bringing together more companies and more investors to the prairie tech investment scene. This time, we’re chatting with the winner of the Spring investment summit, Mike Wesolowski with
Luxsonic Technologies Inc.

Luxsonic is empowering the healthcare industry with immersive solutions that enhance medical education, professional training, and healthcare delivery. Mike wowed the investors and attendees at the Finale event when he brought along the virtual reality headset that they use in the medical field so that everyone could see exactly what their product and technology looked like from the outside-in!

Join us as we talk with Mike about his experience with the Startup TnT Investment Summit, creating a healthy, positive and effective work environment, and hear his story on how his team is changing the future of medicine by bringing virtual reality to the medical industry.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

If you’re interested in watching the Fall Investment Summit live, visit startuptnt.com to register for an event near you in either Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina or Manitoba!

“We’re scratching the surface of immersive technology. The ability to connect people within virtual spaces, leveraging other technologies like artificial intelligence, I think we’re going to see a significant transformation of workflow.” – Mike Wesolowski, CEO of Luxsonic Technologies Inc.

Oct 24, 202227:22
Global Biotech Week 2022

Global Biotech Week 2022

Global Biotech Week started 19 years ago right here in Canada, and has since gone global, raising awareness for the significant role biotech plays in the world today.

To celebrate Global Biotech Week, we’ve interviewed three leaders in the biotech sector, to learn more about what they do and how we can celebrate between September 26-30. We talked with Mehmet Tulbek of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, Heather Deobald with Quantum Genetix and Jackie Robin from Ag-West Bio.

The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre is a non-profit organization and leader in providing expertise and resources to assist agri-businesses to create innovative products and value added opportunities in the food industry.

Quantum Genetix is an agricultural technology company that harnesses the power of genomics to improve agriculture efficiency.

Ag-West Bio is Saskatchewan’s bioscience industry association and bioeconomy catalyst.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“We have to really put Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, more on the map, and Global Biotech Week is a really great way to do this.” – Mehmet Tulbek, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre

Sep 27, 202235:48
Ep 77 - Uniting the Prairies - Prairie tech's going UP!

Ep 77 - Uniting the Prairies - Prairie tech's going UP!

Uniting the Prairies, or UP Conference, is a local conference that brings top startups from across the prairies together to connect with global investors and tech leaders to collectively elevate the prairie tech community.

This year, UP returned to in-person at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Startupville was granted exclusive access to record on-site interviews during day two of the conference, and with over 12 interviews and 118 minutes of edited content, we’re releasing a four episode mini-series to share everything we learned at UP this year.

In our final episode of the Uniting the Prairies miniseries, we're bringing it home with three final interviews featuring Saskatoon's finest! Join us as we chat with Keli Propp, Co-Founder of Immigrate, Krystian Olszanski, Co-Founder of Cadence, and local mentor and investor of the tech startup community, Jeff Dyck.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

When asked what highlights and takeaways there were while being at the 2022 UP Conference, Krystian Olzanski, Co Founder of Cadence had this to say: “In between the sessions, I love catching up with other startups, exchanging quick ideas, solutions and tips, as well as meeting with investors that I normally wouldn’t be able to just email to schedule a call with!”

We are giving a special shoutout and thank you to our pals over at Co.Labs for allowing us to set up the Startupville Thunderdome at the 2022 UP Conference to bring you this exclusive content.

Jun 29, 202224:44
Ep 76 - Uniting the Prairies - Prairie tech's going UP!

Ep 76 - Uniting the Prairies - Prairie tech's going UP!

Uniting the Prairies, or UP Conference, is a local conference that brings top startups from across the prairies together to connect with global investors and tech leaders to collectively elevate the prairie tech community.

This year, UP returned to in-person at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Startupville was granted exclusive access to record on-site interviews during day two of the conference, and with over 12 interviews and 118 minutes of edited content, we’re releasing a four episode mini-series to share everything we learned at UP this year.

Featured today are another three new guests to the show, Blaine Korte (Fidu Legal, SK), Cressida Raffin (Birdie Break, AB) and Hassan Naqvi (Startup TnT, SK). We chat with our guests about the fantastic support in the prairie tech ecosystem, raising funds and scaling up!

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“There’s such a glaring hole in the market place right now. We had friends that would post on Kijiji or Facebook to try to find somebody, and its seemed so shocking, risky, and archaic to us. We thought, ‘how is there not a solution to this? Let’s do something about it.’” – Cressida Raffin, CEO & C-Founder, Birdie Break

Jun 23, 202247:40
Ep 75 - Uniting the Prairies 2022 - Prairie tech's going UP!

Ep 75 - Uniting the Prairies 2022 - Prairie tech's going UP!

Prairie tech's going UP!
A special mini-series featuring live interviews from the 2022 Uniting the Prairies Conference in downtown Saskatoon, SK.

Uniting the Prairies, or UP Conference, is a local conference that brings top startups from across the prairies together to connect with global investors and tech leaders to collectively elevate the prairie tech community.

This year, UP returned to in-person at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Startupville was granted exclusive access to record on-site interviews during day two of the conference, and with over 12 interviews and 118 minutes of edited content, we’re releasing a four episode mini-series to share everything we learned at UP this year.

Featured today are another three guests representing our beautiful prairie provinces, Noah Palansky (Taiv, MB), Melanie Morrison (BetterCart Analytics, SK) and Jade Alberts (Peer Guidance, AB). We chat with our guests about the fantastic support in the prairie tech ecosystem, raising funds and scaling up!

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“We’ve got to start shouting from the mountain tops and say, ‘you know what, we are frickin’ great up here [Prairies] and great things are happening,’ and sharing that with everybody.” – Jade Alberts - Founder, Peer Guidance


Jun 15, 202227:20
Ep 74 - Uniting the Prairies 2022 - Prairie tech's going UP!

Ep 74 - Uniting the Prairies 2022 - Prairie tech's going UP!

Prairie tech's going UP!
A special mini-series featuring live interviews from the 2022 Uniting the Prairies Conference in downtown Saskatoon, SK.


Uniting the Prairies, or UP Conference, is a local conference that brings top startups from across the prairies together to connect with global investors and tech leaders to collectively elevate the prairie tech community.

This year, UP returned to in-person at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Startupville was granted exclusive access to record on-site interviews during day two of the conference, and with over 12 interviews and 118 minutes of edited content, we’re releasing a four episode mini-series to share everything we learned at UP this year.

Join us on this first episode as we chat with three brand new guests to Startupville, Amy Bronson (AlchemistX, AB), Jordan Smith (Renterii, MB) and Dawson Norrish (Cubbi, SK). We learn about what's going on with these exciting organizations, get insights into all things UP, and of course, find out how to support our friends in the prairie tech ecosystem.

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“Part of our ethos is how you democratize that Silicon Valley access and make that something that you can reach elsewhere, even from Saskatoon.” – Amy Bronson, Director of Global Corporate & Government Innovation, AlchemistX

Jun 08, 202231:19
Ep 73 - Inspiration meets Innovation

Ep 73 - Inspiration meets Innovation

A special episode in celebration of Canadian Innovation Week & Women Entrepreneurs' Week

May 16-20 is Canadian Innovation Week and Women Entrepreneurs' Week and, for the first time ever, the Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed this week as Saskatchewan Innovation Week.

To celebrate, we collaborated with
Innovation Saskatchewan and Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) to highlight and celebrate the hard work of our local entrepreneurs.

While the technology sector in Saskatchewan is experiencing significant growth, women and Indigenous people continue to be underrepresented in the tech labour market. To address this gap, Innovation Saskatchewan collaborates with various partners to deliver programs centred around skills training and capacity building in underrepresented groups, including partnering with WESK on the Founders Table program, which increase access to funding resources, networks, mentorship, and business advising to women-led tech and tech-enabled companies.

We spoke with Josie Fries, Marketing Advisor at WESK about their work in the community and the WESK Summit Gala next week and three finalists of the Innovation Award: Kayla Kozan from PEAK Wellness, Dr. Christine Beck from Waggle Mail, and Alicia Soulier from SalonScale. The finalists talked about their creative process, community impact and the innovative entrepreneurs making Saskatchewan proud!

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

“You just have to act extremely quick because efficiency is really what’s going to make you succeed in this game. You’ve got to get really comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Alicia Soulier, Founder & CEO of SalonScale.

May 19, 202249:48
Ep 72 Drafted to the Big League w/ Tanner Goetz
Mar 23, 202220:19
#71 - To Infinity, and Beyond!
Feb 16, 202228:55
# 70 Viva la Ag-Revolution
Jan 19, 202226:52
#69 Bringing home the bacon
Dec 15, 202130:28
#68 Reduce, Reuse, Robotize w/ Sam Dietrich
Nov 24, 202119:32
Global Biotech Week 2021
Sep 29, 202151:12
Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Calgary, Alberta
Jun 16, 202140:06
Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Regina, Saskatchewan
Jun 09, 202132:09
Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Jun 02, 202130:11
Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Edmonton, Alberta
May 26, 202125:41
 Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Special – Uniting the Prairies 2021 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Uniting the Prairies, or UP Conference, is a virtual conference on June 23rd and 24th that brings together the top startups from across the Canadian prairies to connect with global investors and tech leaders, and collectively elevate the prairie community.   

The Canadian prairies are on a tear, with five cities rapidly growing their tech sectors, and this conference is a chance for each of them to put their collective energy together to drive things forward even more.   

Leading up to the conference, we are hosting a five episode mini-series to highlight the five major prairie tech cities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.  We’re kicking off this series with the city where the UP Conference started just two years ago, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.   

We talked with Matt Stefan, The Executive Director of Co.Labs, Saskatoon’s tech incubator and organizers of the UP Conference, along with Wanda Hunchak, Executive Vice President of venture firm Westcap Management, and Serese Selanders founder and CEO of the fast growing startup, SolusGuard about where the Saskatoon tech ecosystem is today, and where it’s headed.

Subscribe and don’t miss upcoming episodes highlighting Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina, and Calgary!  

“I think what’s really unique about Saskatoon [and] Saskatchewan as a whole is just the collaboration aspect. And the fact that, I never feel like, and I think my fellow entrepreneurs don’t feel like we’re competing against each other. I think we feel like we’re doing this together, we’re in it together“ – Serese Selanders

This podcast is brought to you by Innovation Saskatchewan & Martin Charlton Communications

Special thanks to Uniting the Prairies and Co.Labs

May 19, 202129:50
#61 Immigration Nation w/ Dirk Propp

#61 Immigration Nation w/ Dirk Propp

We talked with with Dirk Propp of Immigrate Software.

Dirk spent 15 years helping people immigrate to Canada as an immigration consultant. And, with a business growing rapidly through positive referrals, he identified ways to automate parts of his business, while still delivering the same level of referral-worthy service.

Now, Dirk isn’t just helping his business, but the whole Canadian immigration industry, with his startup Immigrate helping people pursue their dream of living in Canada faster, at a lower cost.

We talked with Dirk about how he started the company, a recent rebrand that changed everything, and his plans for massive growth in the near future.

Apr 28, 202119:59
#60 Making Memories w/ Jessica McNaughton

#60 Making Memories w/ Jessica McNaughton

We talked with Jessica McNaughton of MemoryKPR.

After years as a successful executive leader, Jessica ventured off on her own to try and solve a problem near and dear to her heart. Keeping peoples’ stories alive.

Jessica started MemoryKPR to fill in the gaps that social media and digitization has left in our lives. Thanks to digitization, we all create our stories in entirely different ways, and Jessica identified a need for creative solutions for how we keep and pass on these stories.

We talked with Jessica about the mission of MemoryKPR, and how they’re marching forward to change the way we create and keep our memories.

Apr 14, 202130:16
#59 - Blood in the Water w/ Neil Anderson

#59 - Blood in the Water w/ Neil Anderson

We talked with Neil Anderson of SkillShark.  

The best ideas often come from lived experience. As a softball coach, Neil experienced firsthand the long, tedious process of athlete evaluations which still involved pen and paper, and mountains of unreliable data that weren’t being used to their full potential.   

So, he took matters into his own hands, and what started as a complex excel spreadsheet is now a user-friendly digital platform that’s revolutionizing how athletes are being evaluated around the world. From youth sports’ young rising stars, to professional, and even Olympic athletes, With most coaches around the world still using pen and paper, there’s blood in the water for SkillShark.

Mar 31, 202127:01
#58 An Impactful Partnership w/ Thomas Benjoe & Denis Carignan

#58 An Impactful Partnership w/ Thomas Benjoe & Denis Carignan

In 2015, PLATO Testing identified software testing, a service primarily outsourced to other countries, as an opportunity to help bring more Indigenous people into the ICT industry. Since then, they have trained more than 150 Indigenous people, many of whom still work for the company today.”

“In 2019, they partnered with FHQ Developments, the economic development corporation for the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council in Saskatchewan. Through this partnership, they created PLATO Sask, a Saskatchewan-based, Indigenous-owned software testing business that offers training and employment for Indigenous people in Saskatchewan.

The partnership has been a great success, both in continuing to grow the booming Saskatchewan tech industry, and in providing a path into the sector for people who previously had limited access to the opportunities and resources needed to do so.

So we wanted to chat with Thomas and Denis to learn more about their story, and what they’ve learned that can help others in the tech sector increase access to opportunity and build more inclusive companies.

Mar 17, 202139:27
#57 It’s now or never w/ Jared Fedorchuk

#57 It’s now or never w/ Jared Fedorchuk

We talked with Jared Fedorchuk, CEO and Partner of Levis Tech about their journey as a company. How they started life as a digital agency, and followed their expertise, and the market to change their business

They’ve even started to dive into the startup world, spinning off some of their proprietary tech into products of their own, moving some of their business from a service-based model, to a Software-as-a-service product-based model. We talked with Jared about the factors that led to their recent pivots, and where Levis is headed into the future.

Mar 10, 202118:44
#56 Building a Foundation for Building Games w/ Darcy McLane

#56 Building a Foundation for Building Games w/ Darcy McLane

We talked with Darcy McLane, Executive Director of SaskInteractive. Darcy was on the show last April to talk about the Labour Market and Economic Impact study that quantified the massive growth of the Saskatchewan tech sector in the years prior.

The study was a good barometer of where the Saskatchewan tech sector sat heading into the pandemic, so we caught up with Darcy about where things are at today after nearly a year.

But, SaskInteractive does a lot more than measure the Saskatchewan tech sector, and we wanted to talk about what they’re doing to help kickstart the Saskatchewan game development community. While there might not be many big game companies in the province, there are tons of people making games who are desperate for a community of support. We talked with Darcy about how he and SaskInteractive are helping to bring those people together and build a strong foundation to grow the video game sector in the province.

Feb 17, 202127:57
#55 Filling Big Shoes w/ Matt Stefan

#55 Filling Big Shoes w/ Matt Stefan

We talked with Matt Stefan, the new Executive Director of Co.Labs, Saskatoon’s tech incubator.

In under four years, Co.Labs has already left a lasting legacy on the Saskatchewan tech community, thanks in no small part to its recently departed co-founders Jordan Dutchak and Alex Shimla. They’ve left two pairs of big shoes to fill, and if anybody is up to the task, it’s Matt Stefan.

A Saskatchewan native, Matt is returning to the province from the Toronto tech scene to lead Co.Labs into its next chapter. We talked with Matt about making the move back to his home-province, and his vision for Co.Labs moving forward.

Feb 03, 202128:35
#54 Community is Currency w/ David Crossman

#54 Community is Currency w/ David Crossman

We talked with David Crossman, Co-Founder and CTO of Citrus, and Founder of HackRegina.

Much has changed in David’s life over the last year. He went from a solo founder spinning his tires to a Co-founder speeding down the track, and the tech community he helped build was thrown headfirst into a global pandemic. So we talked with David about his journey of perseverance as an entrepreneur, and where Citrus and the Regina tech scene as a whole is heading into the future.

Jan 20, 202136:07
Global Biotech Week 2020 w/ Shawn Ritchie, Masood Rizvi, and Brent Zettl

Global Biotech Week 2020 w/ Shawn Ritchie, Masood Rizvi, and Brent Zettl

We’re excited to partner with Ag-West bio and present a special episode for Global Biotech Week 2020!

To celebrate Global Biotech Week, we’ve interviewed three biotech entrepreneurs, based here in Saskatchewan, to learn more about what they do, and what makes biotech different from the typical startup experience.

First in today’s episode, we talked with Shawn Ritchie, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Med-Life Discoveries, a leader in developing novel treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, MS, and more.

Next up is Masood Rizvi, Head of Genomics at NRGene Canada, a biotech startup that’s optimizing crop production through genomic AI solutions.

Last but not least, we talked with Brent Zettl, a pioneer in the Canadian medical cannabis industry, having co-founded CanniMed Therapeutics that was acquired for 1.2 billion dollars, who has since started his new venture, ZYUS, harnessing the power of cannabinoids to develop treatments that improve quality of life and well-being for patients.

For more information on Global Biotech Week and the amazing virtual events from Ag-West, visit http://www.globalbiotechweeksask.ca/

Sep 23, 202037:57
The Ultimate Pivot w/ Kirk Morrison & Gillian Delgaty

The Ultimate Pivot w/ Kirk Morrison & Gillian Delgaty

We talked with Kirk Morrison and Gillian Delgaty of Krugo. As you might remember, Kirk joined us on the show earlier this year just prior to the world as we knew it shutting down, including everything Krugo had been working on up to that point as a travel and entertainment app that helps people find unique, in-person experiences.   

It would have been easy to throw in the towel, as an early-stage travel startup facing up to a year or even longer without recreational travel and large in-person experiences. Instead, Kirk, Gillian, and their team drilled down to the core of why Krugo exists in the first place, helping people find unique experiences wherever they go.   So, they made the ultimate COVID pivot to launch KrugoFest, a unique music festival using hotel balconies for the perfect socially distant staycation experience.   

We talked with Kirk and Gillian about why a tech startup would organize a music festival, how they pulled it off in a matter of weeks, and what made it   

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Sep 02, 202026:43
Helping Restaurants Survive & Succeed w/ Justin Holmes

Helping Restaurants Survive & Succeed w/ Justin Holmes

We talked with Justin Holmes, VP of Growth with 7shifts, one of Canada’s fastest-growing tech startups helping restaurants to be more efficient, and better engage their workforce.

What do you do when your entire customer base is forced to shut down? In the face of a global pandemic, restaurants everywhere had to pivot their businesses like they never had before, so we talked with Justin about the many ways in which the industry has been impacted, and how 7shifts has stepped up to help their customers keep moving forward during unprecedented times.

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Aug 19, 202035:48
Startupville Trailer - COVID Talks

Startupville Trailer - COVID Talks

The world is now in the process of going through one of its largest pivots many of us have seen in our lifetimes. So in true startup fashion, we've pivoted our podcast!

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Aug 11, 202001:26
Safety First w/ Ryan Quiring

Safety First w/ Ryan Quiring

We talked with Ryan Quiring, co-founder and CEO of SafetyTek, a platform that helps companies create accountability and engage their workforce around safety.

Safetytek has been through a lot since we last talked with them in our first season. So we talked with Ryan about their experience in Alchemist Accelerator in Silicon Valley, refining their sales funnel, and how they’re helping their customers return to work safely in the wake of COVID-19.

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Aug 05, 202057:10
Building a Better Cart w/ Melanie Morrison

Building a Better Cart w/ Melanie Morrison

We talked with Melanie Morrison, founder and CEO of Bettercart, an app that helps save consumers the most money at the grocery store.   

Melanie has a very unique founder’s story. So we talked with her about what drove her to start Bettercart, and she’s encouraging others to take the leap.   

We also dove deep into her startup, and how she’s working with her team to try and make a big wave in the grocery industry, a notoriously competitive market.  

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Jul 23, 202044:14
A United Front w/ SalonScale

A United Front w/ SalonScale

We talked with Alicia Soulier of SalonScale. This time, she’s joined by her new co-founders, COO Kim Badiuk, and CTO Tyler Gatehouse.  Since we last talked with Alicia in Season 3 of the show, they have been a startup powerhouse, successfully raising their first major round of funding and fueling massive growth. This includes growing by 101% since March of this year, when most salons in North America were forced to temporarily shut down.   

We talked with the three of them about how they have managed to sustain this rapid growth during what is perhaps the hardest time in the history of their industry, by streamlining their efforts and doubling down on their commitment to help salon owners succeed.   

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Jul 09, 202029:39
Protecting Local w/ Jeff Tomlin

Protecting Local w/ Jeff Tomlin

We talked with Jeff Tomlin, the Chief Marketing Officer of Vendasta. Vendasta is a platform for selling digital solutions for local businesses and is one of Canada’s fastest-growing tech companies.  

Last summer, Vendasta closed a $40 million dollar round of fundraising, the largest venture capital raise in the history of Saskatchewan tech. So needless to say, they were on a tear, fueling massive growth coming into 2020.   

And then a global economic crisis happened. So we talked with Jeff about how this impacted the Vendasta rocketship, and how they’ve positioned themselves to continue growing. Vendasta sells digital solutions to small businesses in an age where small businesses are moving online faster than ever. So Jeff shared some incredible insights from their team on some of the trends that will emerge from the pandemic, and how they are working hard to help small businesses not only survive but thrive in 2020.   

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Jun 25, 202034:22
Special: A Golden Age of Innovation w/ Jeff Dyck

Special: A Golden Age of Innovation w/ Jeff Dyck

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.   

We talked with Jeff Dyck, Director of Engineering with Mentor, a Siemens Company. He was involved in the largest tech acquisition in province history when their startup Solido was acquired by Mentor in late 2017, and since then they have continued to grow their team. Jeff has been an invaluable mentor and thought leader for early-stage startups in the Saskatchewan tech community.   

We had a great conversation with Jeff about many things. Like breaking down the last half year from pre-pandemic, to the massive shift to working from home in March, and on to what he describes as a new “golden age” of tech and innovation, spurred on by the pandemic. We also talked about some local examples of startups that have stepped up to the challenge, and he gave his thoughts on how the acceleration toward more globalized, decentralized workforces can impact both employees and employers.

Jun 10, 202040:14
Special: Ready, Set, Andgo w/ Tom Ross

Special: Ready, Set, Andgo w/ Tom Ross

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

We talked with Tom Ross, CEO of Andgo Systems, who make smart absence management software, creating efficiencies and improving the lives of everyone involved.

Andgo is focused on helping essential industries like healthcare manage their staff scheduling in a time where this is more important than ever. So we talked more about how they’ve adapted to serve an industry moving headlong toward digital transformation, and what this has meant for their own strategic direction. We also talked about their recent decision to invest in re-branding and positioning the company for success moving forward.

Jun 04, 202031:51
Special: This Ain’t Her First Rodeo w/ Monique Simair

Special: This Ain’t Her First Rodeo w/ Monique Simair

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.

Today we’re talking with Monique Simair, Founder & CEO of Maven Water and Environment, her second clean-tech startup in Saskatoon that’s applying the best of modern technology to water treatment in industrial sectors.

We talked with Monique about her journey in founding, building, and selling her first startup, and how she’s taken everything she’s learned into building her next company. Monique has flipped conventional norms on their head multiple times, so we talked more about her thoughts on disruption, how she’s has brought her innovations to market, and how her team has been working through the new normal to continue their growth.

May 27, 202034:49
Special: Closing the Training Gap w/ Pablo Listingart of ComIT

Special: Closing the Training Gap w/ Pablo Listingart of ComIT

We’re having conversations with tech leaders on how they’re facing the COVID-19 crisis head-on, how startups and tech companies can approach the challenges ahead, and how the world changing before our eyes will present unique opportunities for startups and innovators.   

Today we talked with Pablo Listingart, Founder and Executive Director of ComIT, a charity that is helping solve the tech labour gap by teaching the software development and soft skills that are needed by Canada’s growing tech sector, at no cost to the student.   

We talked with Pablo about his journey to start ComIT to help improve access to careers in tech in South America, and how he has grown their programs both in South America, and now in eight Canadian cities. We also talked about how the COVID crisis has impacted the employment market, and how Pablo and ComIT are working to help give more people access to successful careers in tech, where talent is still in high demand.

May 20, 202030:53