Who Are These Startups: Recent Episodes
The Startup Coach founder of TorontoStarts
Mastering the Art of Startup Storytelling with Will GreenblattIn this episode of "Who Are These Startups?" your host, The Startup Coach, sits down with Will Greenblatt, a former actor turned public speaking coach and co-founder of OutLoud Speakers School. Recorded live at the Collision Conference, this conversation delves into the world of startup storytelling, public speaking, and the unique challenges that founders face when pitching their ideas in crowded, competitive environments.
About Our Guest: Will Greenblatt
Will Greenblatt is the co-founder of OutLoud Speakers School, where he uses his background in acting and teaching to help startup founders and entrepreneurs become confident, authentic speakers. With years of experience on stage and in classrooms across the globe, Will has honed his skills in storytelling and communication. His journey from a child actor to a public speaking coach offers a unique perspective on how performance skills can be leveraged in the business world.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
- From Acting to Public Speaking:
- Will shares his journey from being a child actor to becoming a public speaking coach. His early experiences in acting taught him the importance of performance, but it was his time as a teacher in Spain and China that helped him realize the value of authenticity in communication. This realization led him to co-found OutLoud Speakers School, where he now helps founders tell their stories with confidence and clarity.
- The Importance of Authenticity:
- In a world where startup founders are constantly pitching their ideas, authenticity can set you apart. Will emphasizes the power of being genuine and relatable when communicating your message. Whether you're on stage at a pitch competition or networking at a conference, being yourself and connecting with others on a human level is crucial.
- Tips for Pitching in Crowded Environments:
- Pitching in environments like the Collision Conference can be daunting. Will offers practical advice for startup founders on how to capture and maintain an audience’s attention amidst the noise. He suggests keeping your pitch simple, your slides clean, and your delivery powerful and engaging. He also highlights the importance of handling Q&A sessions with confidence, as this can make or break a pitch.
- Networking with Intention:
- Networking at large events can be exhausting. Will advises founders to pace themselves, take breaks, and approach networking with the intention of making genuine connections rather than just seeking opportunities. Asking thoughtful questions and offering to help others can create meaningful interactions that benefit both parties.
- Crafting a Memorable Pitch:
- Will discusses the common mistakes founders make when pitching, such as failing to make eye contact, turning their back on the audience during Q&A, and ending their pitch weakly. He stresses the importance of ending with a strong call to action that ties back to your core message, leaving a lasting impression on your audience.
- The Role of Public Speaking in Startup Success:
- For startup founders, public speaking is more than just a skill; it’s a necessity. Will explains how mastering the art of storytelling and communication can accelerate fundraising efforts and enhance personal branding. Whether you’re speaking to investors, customers, or your team, the ability to articulate your vision clearly and passionately is essential for success.
Connect with Will Greenblatt:
- LinkedIn: Will Greenblatt
- OutLoud Speakers School: OutLoudNow.com
- YouTube Channel: Will Greenblatt Speaking Coach
Resources and Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Startup Talk Podcast
- Who Are These Startups?
- Silicon Scoop Podcast
- Futuretech Podcast
- Startup Investor Drinks
- TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community
- Work with The Startup Coach
Follow Us on Social Media:
- Twitter: @TorontoStarts
- LinkedIn: Startup Coach
- Instagram: @TorontoStarts
- YouTube: TorontoStarts Channel
Join Us for Live Events:
- Don’t miss out on the chance to connect with other entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts. Check out our upcoming events at TorontoStarts.
Tune in to this insightful episode to learn how you can improve your public speaking and storytelling skills to take your startup to the next level. Whether you're preparing for a pitch competition or looking to refine your networking approach, Will Greenblatt's tips and strategies will equip you with the tools you need to succeed.
Unlocking the Secrets of Time: Exploring the World of WatchDNAWelcome to another insightful episode of "Who Are These Startups?", the podcast that brings you closer to the innovative minds behind Canada's most exciting startups. In this episode, The Startup Coach interviews Thomas J. Sandrin, the visionary founder of WatchDNA, a platform dedicated to educating and uniting watch enthusiasts worldwide.
Introduction:The watch industry has long been a bastion of tradition, with its deep roots in craftsmanship and luxury. However, as digital transformation reshapes industries, the watch sector has not been left untouched. Thomas, with over 15 years of experience in the watch industry, saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. This episode delves into how WatchDNA is revolutionizing the way people learn about and connect with watches.
The Genesis of WatchDNA:Thomas shares his journey into the watch industry, which began 15 years ago and evolved with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with the challenges of a rapidly changing world, Thomas returned to school to gain new insights into the industry. His research revealed a significant gap in how watch brands and retailers connected with their audience online. This led to the creation of WatchDNA, a platform that not only educates consumers about watches but also offers a unique, non-commercial space where watch lovers can come together.
What Makes WatchDNA Unique?In a market saturated with e-commerce platforms, WatchDNA stands out by focusing on education and community rather than sales. Thomas explains that while many websites offer reviews and articles with a subtle push towards a purchase, WatchDNA takes a different approach. It serves as an encyclopedia of watches, highlighting both well-known and lesser-known brands. The content is crafted by a team of journalists who focus on the lifestyle aspects of watches, offering readers insights on the cultural significance of timepieces, and how to choose the right watch for different occasions.
A Community for Watch Enthusiasts:One of WatchDNA's core missions is to create a community of watch lovers. Thomas talks about how the platform allows users to contribute their own content—whether it's articles, videos, or photos—fostering a sense of belonging among watch aficionados. This user-generated content enriches the platform, making it a dynamic and evolving resource for all things related to watches.
Social Responsibility and Giving Back:Thomas’s commitment to social responsibility is another key aspect of WatchDNA. For every action taken on the platform, such as signing up for the newsletter or following on social media, a portion of the proceeds is donated to non-profit organizations. Thomas collaborates with 1% for the Planet and B1G1, contributing to environmental and humanitarian causes, such as providing books for children. This dedication to giving back adds a deeper layer of meaning to WatchDNA, aligning the brand with values that resonate with today's socially conscious consumers.
WatchDNA at Collision:The conversation takes an exciting turn as Thomas discusses his experiences at Collision, one of the world's largest tech conferences. Attending Collision was a strategic move for Thomas, aimed at increasing brand awareness and networking with like-minded entrepreneurs. He shares memorable moments from the event, including engaging discussions about quantum computing and learning from other entrepreneurs' experiences. These interactions have not only inspired him but also fueled his passion for integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and augmented reality into WatchDNA's platform.
Future Plans and Vision:Looking ahead, Thomas is excited about the future of WatchDNA. He envisions expanding the platform's reach by integrating more advanced technologies and collaborating with new contributors who bring fresh perspectives to the table. His ultimate goal is to make WatchDNA the go-to platform for anyone interested in watches, whether they are seasoned collectors or newcomers to the world of horology.
Connect with WatchDNA:Listeners can explore more about WatchDNA by visiting WatchDNA.com. Thomas is also active on LinkedIn, where he shares insights and updates about the platform. For those who are passionate about watches or interested in the intersection of technology and timepieces, WatchDNA is a must-visit.
Final Thoughts:This episode of "Who Are These Startups?" is a testament to how passion, coupled with innovation, can create something truly unique. Thomas’s journey with WatchDNA is a fascinating example of how traditional industries can be revitalized through modern technology and a strong sense of community. Whether you're a watch enthusiast or simply interested in how startups are changing the world, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration.
Stay Connected:To keep up with more stories like this, subscribe to the Who Are These Startups podcast. Also, check out our other shows like the Startup Talk Podcast, Silicon Scoop Podcast, and the Futuretech Podcast. For those interested in the vibrant startup community in Toronto, be sure to explore the TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community and attend our Startup Investor Drinks events.
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- Startup Coach on LinkedIn
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Work with The Startup Coach:If you're looking to take your startup to the next level, consider working with The Startup Coach. With a wealth of experience and a passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed, The Startup Coach is here to guide you on your journey.
Interview with Team Pumpkin In this exciting episode of the Who Are These Startups? podcast, The Startup Coach catches up with Team Pumpkin at the Collision conference to explore their journey, mission, and innovative approach to empowering startups. Team Pumpkin, a significant player in the global market, is part of the TPGC group of companies, boasting a remarkable track record of over 12 years. With a footprint spanning five continents, serving 400+ clients, and completing more than 1000 projects, Team Pumpkin is a force to be reckoned with in the full-stack technology and marketing solutions industry.
Who Is Team Pumpkin?Team Pumpkin is not your average marketing and technology solutions provider. They have carved out a unique niche by offering comprehensive services that go beyond the conventional. While their primary focus is on delivering full-stack technology and marketing solutions to large corporations and governments, they also have a deep-rooted commitment to fostering innovation through their startup enablement program.
Their startup enablement program is particularly intriguing. Team Pumpkin seeks out startups that are challenging the status quo in industries that have become stagnant. They aim to disrupt these industries by accelerating product development through a cost-plus-equity model. This means they not only provide the necessary tools and expertise for startups to succeed but also take on a vested interest in their growth and success.
The Power of Tech-Enabled MarketingIn today’s highly competitive business environment, standing out from the crowd requires more than just a robust marketing strategy. Team Pumpkin recognizes this and has pioneered what they call "tech-enabled marketing." This innovative approach leverages cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create marketing campaigns that are not only impactful but also unforgettable.
Unlike traditional marketing efforts, which can often boil down to a battle of budgets, tech-enabled marketing allows companies to differentiate themselves in more meaningful ways. By utilizing their in-house production studios, Team Pumpkin helps brands craft unique narratives that resonate with their target audiences and give them a competitive edge that money alone can’t buy.
Who Should Partner with Team Pumpkin?Team Pumpkin is an ideal partner for startups and established companies alike who are looking to break away from the mundane and drive meaningful change in their industries. Whether you’re a startup aiming to disrupt an entrenched industry or a corporation looking for innovative ways to enhance your marketing efforts, Team Pumpkin has the expertise and tools to help you achieve your goals.
If your company is ready to take its marketing and technology strategies to the next level, you can reach out to Team Pumpkin through their website at teampumpkin.ca. Don’t miss the opportunity to work with a team that has the experience, innovation, and global reach to propel your business forward.
Join the ConversationWe invite you to listen to the full episode to hear more about how Team Pumpkin is changing the game for startups and established companies alike. Visit WhoAreTheStartups.com to catch up on all our episodes, and make sure to check out our live events at TorontoStarts.com/events.
For more resources and insights, be sure to explore our other podcasts:
- Startup Talk Podcast - Dive into deep discussions about startup life, challenges, and successes.
- Silicon Scoop Podcast - Stay updated with the latest in tech and startup news.
- Futuretech Podcast - Explore the future of technology and its implications for startups and beyond.
Get Involved with TorontoStartsTorontoStarts is the leading startup and entrepreneur community in Canada. Join us to network, learn, and grow your startup. Whether you’re looking to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, find a mentor, or gain access to invaluable resources, TorontoStarts has something for everyone. Explore our community and see how we can support your startup journey at TorontoStarts.com.
Don’t miss out on our popular events like Startup Investor Drinks, where you can mingle with investors and fellow entrepreneurs in a relaxed setting.
Follow Us on Social MediaStay connected and never miss an update from TorontoStarts:
- Twitter: @TorontoStarts
- LinkedIn: Startup Coach
- Instagram: @TorontoStarts
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Listen to the episode now and get inspired by Team Pumpkin’s approach to innovation and marketing excellence!
Podcast Show Notes: Who Are These Startups? Episode 7 – SolyntekIn this episode of Who Are These Startups?, The Startup Coach takes you behind the scenes at the Collision Conference to speak with Iskander, the co-founder and CEO of Solyntek. This episode provides an insightful look into the story, challenges, and future plans of a startup that is making waves in the construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors by leveraging AI to enhance workplace safety.
Introduction to Solyntek:Solyntek is a cutting-edge Canadian startup focused on reducing risks in high-stakes industries such as construction, manufacturing, and energy. By harnessing the power of AI, Solyntek transforms existing security cameras into smart-enabled devices that proactively detect and mitigate risks in the workplace. This innovative approach not only helps safeguard workers but also protects critical assets, contributing to a safer and more efficient work environment.
The Inspiration Behind Solyntek:The story behind Solyntek’s founding is both poignant and powerful. Iskander shares a personal tragedy that catalyzed the inception of the company. With a background in oil and gas, he witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of an industrial accident that claimed a life—an incident that could have been prevented with more proactive safety measures. This experience motivated him and his co-founder to develop a solution that could help prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Target Audience:Solyntek’s primary audience includes companies operating in high-risk environments, specifically in the energy, manufacturing, and construction sectors. The startup is particularly focused on safety managers who are on the front lines of ensuring workplace safety. By making their jobs easier and more effective, Solyntek aims to create safer work environments across these industries.
What Sets Solyntek Apart:In a crowded marketplace, Solyntek differentiates itself through a holistic approach to safety. Unlike competitors who may rely on single data sources, Solyntek integrates multiple data streams—including camera feeds, sensors, and company safety documentation. This comprehensive view allows for real-time risk detection and response, setting Solyntek apart as a leader in proactive safety solutions.
Challenges and Growth:Like many startups, Solyntek faces the challenge of a lengthy sales cycle, particularly when dealing with large corporations. To overcome this, the team is working on refining their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to better target companies that will benefit the most from their technology. By honing in on a specific niche, they hope to streamline the sales process and accelerate growth.
Funding and Future Plans:Solyntek has already secured a pre-seed SAFE investment of $50,000 and additional grant funding. However, to fully commercialize their product and scale operations, the company is seeking to raise an additional $1 million over the next 24 months. This funding will be crucial for product development and expanding their market presence.
Collision Conference Experience:Iskander shares his experience at the Collision Conference, where Solyntek aimed to connect with potential partners, engage with the media, and attract investors. He highlights the strong interest from Japanese companies in their technology, which could open up exciting opportunities in new markets.
Connect with Solyntek:Interested in learning more about Solyntek? Visit their website or connect with them on LinkedIn. Stay tuned as they continue to innovate and transform workplace safety in high-risk industries.
Links & Resources:
- Startup Talk Podcast – More insights and stories from the startup ecosystem.
- Who Are These Startups? – Discover more Canadian startups and their journeys.
- Silicon Scoop Podcast – Get the latest on tech trends and innovations.
- Futuretech Podcast – Explore the future of technology and its impact on our world.
- Startup Investor Drinks – Join us for networking and discussions with fellow entrepreneurs.
- TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community – Connect with the largest startup community in Canada.
- Work with The Startup Coach – Get expert coaching and guidance for your startup journey.
Follow Us on Social Media:
- Startup Coach on LinkedIn
- YouTube – Subscribe for more content from TorontoStarts.
Conclusion:This episode of Who Are These Startups? showcases the innovation and dedication driving Solyntek forward. With their AI-powered safety solutions, they are poised to make a significant impact in industries where safety is paramount. Tune in to hear more about their journey, the challenges they face, and their plans for the future. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!
Podbeat Energize Your Podcast Experience: An Interview with Nathan MontiethIn this energizing episode of Who Are These Startups?, The Startup Coach catches up with Nathan Montieth, co-founder of PodBeat, during the Collision conference. Nathan shares the innovative journey of PodBeat, an app that enhances the podcast listening experience by adding customizable beats to any podcast. Whether you're working out, jogging, or just need an extra boost of motivation, PodBeat allows users to add a beat that perfectly matches their tempo and mood, making every podcast session more dynamic and engaging.
Introduction:Podcasts have revolutionized the way we consume content, providing an unparalleled platform for learning, storytelling, and entertainment. However, one challenge that many listeners face is the lack of energy or motivation when listening to podcasts during physical activities. This is where PodBeat comes into play. Nathan Montieth, co-founder of PodBeat, sits down with The Startup Coach to discuss how this innovative app allows users to add beats to their favorite podcasts, creating a more immersive and energetic listening experience.
Key Discussion Points:
- Origins of PodBeat:Nathan recounts the personal story that led to the creation of PodBeat. The idea was born when his wife, a former DJ, lost her sight temporarily after cataract surgery. To keep her motivated during workouts, Nathan would manually add beats to the podcasts she listened to. Realizing there was no existing solution for this, they decided to create PodBeat. This unique app now allows users to customize their podcast experience by adding the perfect beat to keep their energy levels high during any activity.
- How PodBeat Works:PodBeat is designed with user control at its core. Users can choose from a variety of beats—ranging from lo-fi to metal—to accompany any podcast. The app also provides features such as volume control and the ability to speed up or slow down the beat to match the user's pace. This customization ensures that the content remains the focus, while the beat serves as a background enhancer.
- Target Audience:PodBeat primarily targets podcast enthusiasts who are also fitness-conscious. However, its appeal extends beyond this niche, as it caters to anyone who desires a more dynamic podcast experience. The app has gained significant traction on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where users can sample podcasts with and without beats, showcasing the app's unique value proposition.
- Growth Strategy:Nathan discusses PodBeat's current freemium model, which allows users to download the app for free and access a selection of beats. To further monetize the platform, PodBeat plans to introduce a subscription model, offering exclusive beats and weekly beat drops for a nominal fee. Additionally, PodBeat aims to build a strong community by collaborating with podcasters who promote the app in exchange for promotion on PodBeat’s social channels.
- Impact on the Podcasting Landscape:PodBeat is not just an app; it's a movement towards a more engaging and personalized podcast experience. By putting the control in the hands of the listener, PodBeat allows each user to curate their podcast experience in a way that best suits their needs, whether they're looking to stay motivated during a workout or simply enjoy their favorite shows with a new twist.
Call to Action:Interested in enhancing your podcast experience with beats? Download PodBeat today from the App Store or Google Play Store. You can also visit podbeat.com to learn more about the app and how it can revolutionize your podcast listening.
Additional Resources:
- For more startup stories and insights, check out our other podcasts:
- Startup Talk Podcast
- Who Are These Startups
- Silicon Scoop Podcast
- Futuretech Podcast
- Upcoming Events:Join us at our next Startup Investor Drinks event and network with fellow entrepreneurs. Stay updated with all our events by visiting the TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community.
Connect with Us:Stay connected with TorontoStarts and The Startup Coach on social media for more insights, updates, and exclusive content:
- LinkedIn - The Startup Coach
- YouTube
Conclusion:Don't miss out on the latest in startup innovation—tune in to Who Are These Startups? for more inspiring stories. Whether you're a startup founder, entrepreneur, or simply a podcast enthusiast, there's something for everyone in this exciting episode featuring PodBeat. Download the app today and take your podcast experience to the next level!
Who Are These Startups? Featuring Joseph Pinho, Co-Founder of Mod Merch on DemandIn this episode of "Who Are These Startups?", The Startup Coach interviews Joseph Pinho, the Co-Founder of Mod Merch on Demand, during the Collision conference in Toronto. Mod Merch on Demand is an innovative platform within the creator economy that empowers creators, communities, and businesses to collaborate with their fans in producing custom merchandise. This episode delves into the origins of the company, the challenges faced by independent creators, and how Mod Merch on Demand is revolutionizing the way fan art is commercialized.
Episode Overview
Joseph Pinho recounts the inspiration behind Mod Merch on Demand, highlighting how the company emerged from a need to support independent music artists struggling to launch their merchandise. Recognizing a broader opportunity within the creator economy, Mod Merch on Demand expanded its focus to include fan art, providing a legitimate channel for fans to collaborate with creators. The company offers a B2B SaaS platform that enables fans to upload their designs, which creators can then approve and sell as official merchandise. This process not only legitimizes fan art but also opens up new revenue streams for creators while strengthening their connection with their community.
Key Takeaways
- The Genesis of Mod Merch on Demand: Joseph shares that the idea for the company came from observing the difficulties independent music artists faced in setting up their merchandise. Mod Merch on Demand evolved to address a significant gap in the market by allowing fan art to be formally recognized and monetized within the entertainment industry.
- How the Platform Works: Mod Merch on Demand integrates with existing websites, merch stores, or marketplaces, offering a licensing system where fans can submit their designs. These designs are then reviewed, approved, or revised by the creators, making the entire process collaborative. The platform is a tool that facilitates seamless interaction between creators, their businesses, and their fans.
- Funding and Growth: Mod Merch on Demand has been bootstrapped from the start, with a focus on organic growth through strategic partnerships and collaborations. Joseph discusses the company’s current funding situation and its plans for scaling through innovative collaborations within the creator community.
- Collision Conference Insights: Joseph attended Collision to connect with other startups, creators, and companies. He reflects on the valuable experiences and connections made during the event, particularly in the context of Toronto's vibrant tech ecosystem.
- Who Should Reach Out to Mod Merch on Demand?: The platform is ideal for businesses, community leaders, and creators looking to enhance their merchandise offerings by incorporating fan-generated content. Whether you're an artist, influencer, or part of a larger community, Mod Merch on Demand provides the tools to monetize fan art while fostering deeper engagement with your audience.
Additional Resources and Links:
- Mod Merch on Demand: modinc.ca
- Startup Talk Podcast: StartupTalk.ca
- Who Are These Startups?: WhoAreTheStartups.com
- Silicon Scoop Podcast: Silicon Scoop Podcast
- Futuretech Podcast: Futuretech Podcast
- Startup Investor Drinks: Startup Investor Drinks
- TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community: TorontoStarts
- Work with The Startup Coach: The Startup Coach
Follow Us on Social Media:
- Twitter: @TorontoStarts
- Startup Coach on LinkedIn: Craig Major on LinkedIn
- Instagram: @TorontoStarts
- YouTube: TorontoStarts on YouTube
Tune in to "Who Are These Startups?" for more founder stories and insights from the Canadian startup ecosystem. Don’t forget to check out our upcoming live events and workshops designed to empower entrepreneurs and foster growth within the startup community.
This episode is essential listening for anyone involved in the creator economy, fan engagement, or the future of merchandise in the digital age. Whether you're an artist seeking to monetize your fan base or a business exploring new revenue streams, Joseph Pinho’s insights offer valuable guidance on how to leverage fan art in a meaningful and profitable way.
Exploring AI-Powered Learning with MiiApps - Featuring Nancy SunWho Are These Startups? - MiiApps: Revolutionizing Children's Reading with AI
Host: The Startup Coach (Learn More)
Guest: Nancy Sun, Founder of MiiApps
MiiApp on the Web
In this engaging episode of the Who Are These Startups? podcast, The Startup Coach sits down with Nancy Sun, the visionary founder behind MiiApps. Recorded live at Collision, one of the largest tech conferences in the world, this episode delves deep into how MiiApps is transforming the way children learn to read using the power of AI.
The Genesis of MiiAppsNancy Sun's journey into the world of AI and education was sparked by a personal experience. As a mother, she noticed her son struggling with reading from a very young age. Despite offering books on topics he loved, his attention would quickly wane, leading to concerns about his language development. After his eventual diagnosis of ADHD, Nancy began exploring solutions that could cater to his unique learning needs. This exploration led to the birth of MiiApps, a platform designed to make reading more engaging and inclusive for all children, especially those with neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and dyslexia.
How MiiApps WorksMiiApps' flagship product, StoryMi, is an AI-driven reading platform that serves children aged 2 to 12. Unlike traditional reading methods, StoryMi incorporates neurodivergent-friendly features, such as reading masks and specialized text formatting, to ensure that children with ADHD and similar conditions can fully engage with the content. The app also emphasizes short, action-packed sentences that cater to the unique attention spans of these children, resulting in significantly improved comprehension and enjoyment during storytime.
AI: A Tool for Inclusivity and EngagementOne of the standout aspects of MiiApps is its commitment to inclusivity. Nancy highlights how the platform allows children to create their own stories, complete with AI-generated illustrations, making reading a more interactive and imaginative experience. This feature is particularly beneficial for children who might struggle with traditional reading formats, offering them a personalized and engaging way to interact with stories.
The app also supports language learning by allowing stories to be translated and rewritten at different reading levels. This feature not only helps children learn new languages but does so in a way that is age-appropriate and contextually relevant. For example, a story written for a seven-year-old in English can be translated and simplified for a three-year-old in French, helping young readers develop language skills at their own pace.
The MiiApps Community: Stories by Kids, for KidsMiiApps aims to create a vast library of stories, with the goal of reaching one million stories by year-end. These stories are created by children and for children, fostering a sense of community and shared experience. This feature is particularly important for families who may not be able to afford premium services, as it offers free access to a wealth of content that resonates with children facing similar challenges.
The Role of AI in EducationDuring the conversation, Nancy and The Startup Coach discuss the broader implications of AI in education. While AI has often been viewed with skepticism, especially in the context of children's learning, Nancy argues that it can be a force for good. She sees AI as a tool—much like a hammer—that can build or destroy, depending on how it’s used. In the case of MiiApps, AI is being harnessed to address real societal challenges, helping children who have traditionally been overlooked by the education system.
MiiApps at CollisionNancy's appearance at Collision was not just about promoting MiiApps, but also about engaging with the startup community and spreading the message that AI can be a powerful ally in education. She emphasizes the importance of using AI ethically and effectively to create tools that make a positive impact, particularly in areas where traditional methods have fallen short.
Where to Find MiiAppsListeners interested in exploring MiiApps can find the app available on both the App Store and Google Play under the name StoryMi. The platform offers a free trial, allowing users to create and translate stories without any initial cost. For those who wish to explore the community aspect, thousands of user-generated stories are available for free, making it accessible to all.
Closing ThoughtsThis episode of Who Are These Startups? is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of AI and education. Nancy Sun's insights into how technology can be leveraged to create more inclusive learning environments are both inspiring and thought-provoking. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the future of learning.
Resources Mentioned:
- Startup Talk Podcast
- Who Are These Startups
- Silicon Scoop Podcast
- Futuretech Podcast
Join the TorontoStarts Community:
- Startup Investor Drinks
- TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community
- Work with The Startup Coach
Follow Us on Social Media:
- LinkedIn - The Startup Coach
- YouTube
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from Canadian startups that are making waves in their industries. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your network!
Show Notes for the Upcoming Episode of "Who Are These Startups?" featuring Carlos Oriana of DeNiroWelcome to another exciting episode of Who Are These Startups?, the podcast that features interviews with founders of innovative Canadian startups, giving you an inside look into their journeys, challenges, and successes. Hosted by The Startup Coach, this episode takes us to Collision, one of North America's largest tech conferences, where we sit down with Carlos Oriana, the founder of DeNiro—a digital wallet that is revolutionizing financial services for the Hispanic community in the United States.
Episode Overview
In this episode, Carlos Oriana shares the story behind DeNiro, a digital wallet specifically designed for the Hispanic market in the United States. As an immigrant himself, Carlos recognized a gap in the financial services offered to Hispanics—a community that contributed $3.2 trillion to the U.S. GDP last year alone. DeNiro is more than just another digital wallet; it’s a platform that speaks the language of its users—both literally and figuratively. With DeNiro, users can create bank accounts without a Social Security number, load cash at physical locations like Walmart and 7-Eleven, and seamlessly participate in the digital economy with features like Apple Pay and Google Pay integration.
Key Takeaways
- Catering to the Hispanic Community:Carlos emphasizes that DeNiro is tailored specifically for Hispanics in the U.S., filling a critical gap in financial services. Traditional banks have been slow to adapt to the needs of this community, and even when they did, the digital banking revolution had already begun. DeNiro’s unique approach allows users to open accounts without traditional identifiers like a Social Security number, making banking accessible to more people.
- Innovative Features:What sets DeNiro apart from other digital wallets? It’s the first to allow users to create a bank account without a Social Security number, accepting ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) instead. Additionally, users can load cash into their accounts at physical locations, and start using their DeNiro debit cards within seconds. This inclusivity and ease of use are key components that make DeNiro a standout in the market.
- Future Expansion Plans:DeNiro is not just stopping at the U.S. market. With recent partnerships in Mexico, El Salvador, and Colombia, DeNiro plans to expand across Latin America. Carlos shares that within the next three to five years, they aim to have a significant presence in these countries, further extending their reach to millions of underserved Hispanics across the continent.
- Networking and Partnerships at Collision:Carlos also discusses the importance of events like Collision for networking and building strategic partnerships. The exposure to potential investors, partners in blockchain and crypto, and the media has been invaluable for DeNiro’s growth. He encourages anyone interested in tapping into the Hispanic market—be it investors, businesses, or strategic partners—to reach out and join this rapidly expanding ecosystem.
About DeNiro
DeNiro is a digital wallet focused on providing financial services to the Hispanic community in the United States. With the ability to create accounts without a Social Security number, load funds at physical locations, and seamlessly integrate with digital payment systems, DeNiro is breaking down barriers and making financial inclusion a reality for millions.
Additional Resources
- Startup Talk Podcast
- Who Are These Startups?
- Silicon Scoop Podcast
- Futuretech Podcast
- Startup Investor Drinks
- TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community
- Work with The Startup Coach
Connect with Us
- Follow TorontoStarts on Twitter
- Connect with The Startup Coach on LinkedIn
- Join us on Instagram
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great content.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in fintech, financial inclusion, and the growing Hispanic market. Don’t miss out on Carlos Oriana’s insights and the story behind DeNiro, a startup that is truly making a difference. Tune in now on Who Are These Startups? and stay ahead of the curve in the world of startups and innovation!
Who Are These Startups Podcast featuring Danielle Graham from The FirehoodWelcome to another episode of Who Are These Startups?, the podcast that shines a spotlight on Canadian startup founders. In this episode, our host, the Startup Coach, takes you to the heart of Collision, one of the biggest tech conferences in North America, where he sits down with Danielle Graham, a prominent figure in the Canadian startup ecosystem and the driving force behind The Firehood and the Archangel Network of Funds.
A National Impact: The Firehood and Archangel Network of FundsDanielle Graham, a powerhouse in the Canadian venture capital scene, shares insights into her work with The Firehood and the Archangel Network of Funds. The Archangel Network, based in Waterloo, is a crucial backend system supporting multiple emerging managers and their respective funds, including Adrenaline, Starforge, Axion, and Phoenix Fire. The Phoenix Fire fund is particularly noteworthy as it focuses on supporting women-led startups, demonstrating a strong commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the Canadian tech industry.
The Firehood, on the other hand, is more than just a fund—it's a dynamic network of women angels dedicated to empowering female entrepreneurs across Canada. With a broad focus on industries such as MedTech, CleanTech, Cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation, The Firehood ensures that women-led startups have the resources, support, and investment opportunities they need to thrive.
The Role of Collision and Local Canadian ConferencesDanielle is no stranger to the Collision conference, a hub where global investors and startups converge. However, her primary focus remains on Canadian initiatives like SAS North, Startup Fast, Elevate, and Uniting the Prairies. These events provide a platform for Canadian women entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas and secure significant investments, often culminating in on-the-spot funding decisions that can transform their business trajectories.
One highlight of Danielle’s year is her involvement in Startup Fast, where she oversees the Women in Tech Prize. Now in its third year, this prize brings together angel investors from across Canada to support female founders in a unique and impactful way. With a VIP space on the docks, this event offers a prestigious and supportive environment for women entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas and secure vital funding.
Investment Readiness and Supporting Women EntrepreneursA key aspect of Danielle's mission is preparing women entrepreneurs for the investment world. Through a specialized program called Elevate Women Plus, which operates in partnership with Elevate, Danielle and her team provide crucial support to women raising their first rounds of funding. The success of this program is evident, with over 50% of participating companies in each cohort successfully closing their pre-seed rounds—a remarkable achievement that underscores the effectiveness of the program.
For female entrepreneurs looking to break into the startup world, The Firehood offers more than just funding. It provides a community, a support system, and a pathway to success in a challenging and competitive industry.
Get Involved with The FirehoodIf you're a woman entrepreneur interested in learning more about The Firehood, or if you're an investor looking to support female-led startups, Danielle Graham invites you to connect. You can find her on LinkedIn or visit thefirehood.net to fill out their intake form and become part of this growing community.
Additional Resources: Startup Talk Podcast: Discover more stories and insights from the Canadian startup ecosystem. * Who Are These Startups?: Stay updated with our latest episodes and interviews. * Silicon Scoop Podcast: Dive into discussions about tech trends and industry news. * Futuretech Podcast:* Explore the future of technology with expert insights and analysis.
Upcoming Events: Startup Investor Drinks: Network with investors and like-minded entrepreneurs in Toronto. * TorontoStarts Startup and Entrepreneur Community: Join a thriving community of entrepreneurs for events, workshops, and more. * Work with The Startup Coach:* Get personalized coaching and support for your startup journey.
Connect with Us on Social Media: Twitter: @TorontoStarts * Startup Coach on LinkedIn: Craig Major * Instagram: @TorontoStarts * YouTube:* TorontoStarts
Join us as we continue to highlight the stories of Canadian startups and the people behind them. Whether you're a founder, investor, or someone passionate about innovation, Who Are These Startups? is your go-to podcast for inspiration and insight. Stay tuned for more episodes, and don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
Revolutionizing the Dating Game with U Got GameWatch The Video Interview Here:Who Are These Startups? U Got Game
In this episode of Who Are These Startups?, we sit down with the founders of U Got Game at Collision 2024. Join Jordan Wall (COO and Co-founder), Rajesh Kadi (CEO and Co-founder), Garkar Anujla (CTO and Technical Founder), and Hermit from Team Pumpkin as they discuss their innovative approach to dating apps. They share how U Got Game is breaking the mold of traditional swipe-based dating apps by introducing gamified party games that create unique and engaging dating experiences.
Key Discussion Points:
- Introduction to U Got Game: Learn about the inspiration behind U Got Game and how the founders aim to disrupt the dating app industry with their unique platform.
- How It Works: The team explains how U Got Game differentiates itself from apps like Tinder and Bumble, with a focus on real-time, drop-in audio games that create more meaningful connections.
- Challenges and Innovations: The founders discuss the significant challenges they’ve faced, from building a new type of product from scratch to finding effective ways to grow their user base.
- Collision 2024 Insights: The team shares their experiences at Collision, including interactions with investors and insights into the venture capital landscape.
- Future Plans and Investor Opportunities: With their closed beta recently launched, the team is excited about their next steps and invites interested investors to connect.
Notable Quotes:
- "We're really trying to change that whole monoculture [of dating apps] and break that cycle with gamified party games." - Jordan Wall
- "With U Got Game, it's not just swipe left, swipe right—it's an experience that brings people together in a fun and interactive way." - Rajesh Kadi
Call to Action:To learn more about U Got Game and join their innovative dating community, visit UGotGame.tv.
Connect with Us:Stay updated with the latest episodes and live events by visiting WhoAreTheseStartups.com and TorontoStarts Events.
Hashtags: #UGotGame #DatingApp #StartupPodcast #Collision2024 #TorontoTech #InnovativeDating #StartupCommunity
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Automated Transcript of U Got Game on Who Are These StartupsWelcome to Who Are These Startups?
podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups.
U Got Game.
How's it going guys?
Amazing.
You enjoying collision so far?
Oh it's great.
So please introduce yourselves for our audience and tell us about U Got Game.
Okay so I'm Jordan Wall, co-founder and I'm Jordan Wall co-founder and COO of UGot Game.
Hi I'm Rajesh Kadi, I'm CEO and co-founder of U Got Game.
I'm Garkar Anujla, technical founder and CTO at U Got Game.
Yeah I'm Hermit from Team Pumpkin and we are the tech force behind U Got Game.
What inspired you to start U Got Game?
Well right now current dating apps are swipe left, swipe right so we're really trying to change that whole monoculture and really try to break that cycle.
So what we have is gamified that landscape by having gamified type of party games that people can use to meet each other and go on these unique dates which we have in our dating marketplace.
Really great experiences we partner with a bunch of places around Toronto and we're really hoping people are going to enjoy it because it's growing every day and we're really helping small businesses as part of our joy.
So how is it different from say traditional dating apps like Tinder or Bumble?
So compared to like the traditional dating app where you would swipe left, swipe right it's all it is is like a virtual slot machine.
With U Got Game the way our app works is you create a profile, you have your preferences and you're thrown into a game lobby with other people that meet your preferences.
From there you then anonymously play these like drop-in audio games.
So it's kind of like the dating game or love is blind but real time with drop-in audio and so you're asking questions the contestants are answering and round by round you're ranking the answers.
After three rounds the contestants eliminated and in the fourth round it's like a compatibility test, the speed round that is rapid fire and you're kind of using the answers that the Bachelor or Bachelor at are giving as the Rubicon for the answers that the contestants give is a kind of how to grade them and then based on that one contestant is the better choice and then that is that's how you kind of find your match right now.
What's been your most significant challenge with U Got Game?
I mean there's a lot of different places to start.
The product we're making is completely new there's not really much like it so building it out from the base making sure we have a really good foundation not only for our marketplace, our game but also something that users can really plug into and feel like they're really getting into the experience right away making sure it's quick and seamless and on top of that we also have a lot of interesting challenges when it comes to exploring new avenues for how do we reach new users, how do we promote content, how do we get people actually online playing the games so we have a healthy consistent population that's always going to be growing bringing in new people and it's what we're here to do today and hopefully we find some great ways to get those problems out.
So what brings you to collision?
What brings everyone to collision investment and money right?
We're here we just have a closed beta that's launched and we're getting ready to showcase what we're all about two investors setting meetings we are available to do that and we have a whole team behind it a whole platform to show and even a deck that can really showcase what we're about today or about tomorrow and years into the future.
We have a whole financial plan laid out we're cost effective we keep the prices low that's why we're with team Pumpkin because they're the best bang for you buck and know what they're doing and we're just going to drive that force forward we're really excited and if anyone's out there listening that's investors come our way it's a big bright boot team Pumpkin let's go.
Have you met any interesting people or had any memorable experiences so far?
Yeah I mean I've met with a few investors at a few of the side events as well as uh some of the main events with collision and it's been really interesting in the conversations what the venture capital land landscape is like here in Canada as well as like abroad and kind of people have been very helpful like we had one VC who you know he said this isn't really my wheelhouse but I know a couple of guys and connected me with them like right away to have conversations and I thought that was something that doesn't often happen in the VC space for startups like us and so we really appreciate that kind of help.
And if people want to find out more about U GOT game where do they go?
They go to UGOTGame.tv look us up.
Fantastic thanks for talking to me today.
Awesome thanks so much Craig.
This has been Who Are These Startups?
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Understanding and tracking the climate impact of your investments with AlterClimate co-founders Cedric Robert and Kevin Gentil-Cantin on Who Are These Startups Podcast.
For more engaging interviews with founders of innovative Canadian startups, visit whoarethesestartups.com and explore live events at torontostarts.com/events.
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Talking AI Podcasting tools with Armel Beuadry Kembe founder of Trebble.fm. Hosted by the Startup Coach this episode explores Trebble.fm’s startup story, and understanding what led Armel to build the suite of tools to make it easy for people to edit and publish podcasts. We also explore learning about pitching startups, tips for founders, and reaction to all the AI fear and more.
For more engaging interviews with founders of innovative Canadian startups, visit whoarethesestartups.com and explore live events at torontostarts.com/events.
Links:
- Trebble.fm website
- Armel Beuadry Kembe on LinkedIn
- Startup Talk Podcast
- FutureTech Podcast
Check Out our Monthly Startup Investor Drinks
in person and online mentoring – Mentoringmagic.ca
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In this episode of "Who Are These Startups," join us as we delve into the world of AI and machine learning with Mike Leslie, co-founder of Revela. Hosted by The Startup Coach, the podcast explores the journey of Revela—a machine learning and AI monitoring system designed to ensure the continued performance and integrity of AI models. Mike discusses the challenges faced by AI engineers and data scientists, revealing how Revela provides a vital toolkit to maintain model relevance, prevent bias, and optimize decision-making. Tune in to discover the story behind Revela's transformation from a consulting firm to a product-driven company and gain insights into the evolving landscape of AI technology and its responsible deployment. Explore how AI is being embraced and how Revela is playing a pivotal role in shaping a safer and more efficient AI-driven future.
For more engaging interviews with founders of innovative Canadian startups, visit whoarethesestartups.com and explore live events at torontostarts.com/events.
Links:
Revela.io website
Revela.io on LinkedIn
Mike Leslie on LinkedIn
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Automated Transcript of Revela on Who Are These Startups
SPEAKERS
Mike Leslie of Revela.io, The Startup Coach
The Startup Coach 00:00
Welcome to Who are the startups, podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are these startups? I am the startup coach, founder of Torontostarts and with me today is Mike Leslie, co founder of Revela. Welcome, Mike.
Mike Leslie of Revela.io 00:15
Hey, Craig, nice to Nice to meet you. And thanks for the time.
The Startup Coach 00:17
What does Revela do?
Mike Leslie of Revela.io 00:19
So Revela is a machine learning and AI monitoring system. So basically provide guardrails for AI machine learning models and production goal, they're making sure that they're basically performing properly, and they're not getting too stale over time. And then ultimately, you know, being unbiased and all that kind of stuff.
The Startup Coach 00:37
Who is Revela For?
Mike Leslie of Revela.io 00:39
So Revela is for machine learning? Engineers and data scientists are the users, they're the ones who basically use it to understand when do you want to retrain your model. So you got them all in production, you know, when's the best time to retrain it, minimize your use of compute power, and just your own time as far as like managing that. And we also appeal to the executive team as well. So this might be a CEO of an enterprise he wants to gain some visibility into how are my machine learning AI investments performing, right, so we are that way to measure that and then bring that information up to say, putting money in these areas. So it's fraud detection, running, insurance claims, so on and so forth. And understanding how that is playing out as far as investing further into it.
The Startup Coach 01:20
What is your startup story
Mike Leslie of Revela.io 01:22
Revela started four years ago, 2019, we were actually a machine learning AI consulting company before that. And then we decided through the insight we gained seeing these machine learning engineering projects basically fail over time, because we could help them develop it, we'd leave, the models would basically go stale over time, and start drifting. So we decided to pivot to become a product company early last year to make sure that, you know, we can help more teams prevent that issue from happening in the future.
The Startup Coach 01:49
What drives you,
Mike Leslie of Revela.io 01:51
it's really about just enabling this massive deployment and explosion of like AI technologies that we're seeing globally right now.
Welcome to the latest episode of Who Are These Startups Podcast! In this exciting conversation, our Startup Coach sits down with Pedro Bento de Faria, the CEO and co-founder of Kelsen, a game-changing legal tech startup. Discover how Kelsen utilizes AI to generate long-form bespoke technical writing, catering to the needs of lawyers and law firms. Pedro shares his journey from a litigation lawyer to an AI entrepreneur, unveiling the driving force behind Kelsen's mission. Dive into the world of legal tech innovation and gain valuable insights into the future of the legal industry. Tune in now for a captivating discussion on AI's transformative role in legal writing!
Links:
Kelsen on the Web
Kelsen on LinkedIn
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Automated Transcript of AI-Powered Legal Writing: The Future of Law Firms with Kelsen
The Startup Coach
Welcome to Who are the startups podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are these startups? I'm the startup coach, founder of Toronto starch. And with me today is Pedro bento de Faria, CEO and co founder of Kelsen. Welcome, Pedro.
Pedro Bento de Faria
Hi, thank you. Nice to be here.
The Startup Coach
What does Kelsen do?
Pedro Bento de Faria
So calcium or developing AI based software that generates very long form bespoke technical writing, the high value added stuff for the legal sector for lawyers and for law firms.
The Startup Coach
Is Kelsen for a specific type of lawyer or lawyer firms or anybody in the legal industry. Well,
Pedro Bento de Faria
the way we see it Kelsen could be used by anybody in the legal industry. But as we're going to market, we're targeting initially small and medium sized law firms. From there. After we get that foothold, we plan to scale up to larger law firms and in house legal departments.
The Startup Coach
What is your startup story?
Pedro Bento de Faria
Well, so I'm a courier. Attorney. I was a litigation lawyer for 10 years. And when you do litigation, most of what you do is either writing or reviewing other people's writing. And around 2019, when my son was born, I got really frustrated, because I couldn't fit to spend as much time as I wanted with him, because I was stuck in the office writing. And one day, I was stuck at midnight, an all night drafting session. And I realized that there had to be a better way to do these things. And that's when it struck me that we could use AI to produce these first drafts of long form legal texts, like pleadings, which is what we're doing right now.
The Startup Coach
What drives you?
Pedro Bento de Faria
Well, I find the idea of bringing something into the world that has never been done before. exhilarating, and specifically in entrepreneurship, because I was a lawyer before and most of what I did was solving other people's problems. The idea now of doing my own project, is is extremely motivating for me.
The Startup Coach
How do you define success? Well,
Pedro Bento de Faria
that are more abstract, macro level, for me success would be the ability to look back at my life and know that I lived my own life and changed my own goals. At a more micro level, I think that's a moving target. It's always changing once you get there, it has evolved. But right now, success for us would be launching our product and going to market in the next few months.
The Startup Coach
I can see all different kinds of business models with this. What is the business model for Kelsen?
Pedro Bento de Faria
So very simple, we're b2b on a hybrid monthly subscription. So basically, the customer the law firm will pay a base month's subscription plus a variable amount corresponding to how ...
In this episode of "Who Are These Startups," host Startup Coach sits down with Amy Lorincz, CEO and co-founder of Vope Medical, a groundbreaking startup in the healthcare industry. Vope Medical is developing an AI-driven software that aims to improve vision during minimally invasive surgeries. By leveraging computer vision, they eliminate the need for manual lens cleaning, ensuring seamless and efficient surgeries. Amy shares the startup's journey, from identifying the problem through interviews with surgeons to their unique solution. Tune in to learn more about Vope Medical's mission to enhance surgical procedures for both surgeons and patients.
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Vope Medical on the Web
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Automated Transcript of Vope Medical Who Are These Startups Podcast
The Startup Coach
Welcome to Who are the startups, podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are the startups I am the startup coach founder front of starts. And with me today is Amy Lorincz, CEO and co founder of Vope medical. Welcome, Amy.
Amy Lorincz
Thanks for having me.
The Startup Coach
What does Vope medical do
Amy Lorincz
so we are developing an AI driven software that improves vision and minimally invasive surgery. This is compared to a mechanical cleaning process where a surgeon has to physically clean a camera lens, we're taking a different approach and leveraging computer vision to clean the image feed that the surgeon sees so that surgeries can go on seamlessly and efficiently.
The Startup Coach
Is it for a specific type of hospital a specific type of surgeon.
Amy Lorincz
It is for surgeons and patients and this is any surgeon that is performing endoscopic procedures, so procedures that require a small camera lens to see a picture of the surgical site. So for them, we're really solving the problem where as you can imagine, if you're performing surgery and can't see what you're doing, it's highly stressful and disruptive. And surgeons really want to focus on the procedures they're performing in their patients. So solving that problem for them. And then on the patient side with our software, we can actually reduce the time that they spend in surgery. So that's better from a healing perspective and patient safety perspective. So really developing the software for the surgeons and the patients.
The Startup Coach
What is your startup story.
Amy Lorincz
This startup started from a surgical innovation program at McGill, we interviewed 30 minimally invasive surgeons found that vision as a problem were typically 37% of the total time in surgery, surgeons can't actually see clearly what they're doing. So from there, we decided to address that problem with a different approach that is currently not on the market, and really validated that problem with them. And the product we're solving for using a computer vision approach and a software cleaning approach to cleaning this lens contamination. And from there really brought on different researchers on our team. So we have a PhD researcher Dimitri, who's our CTO from Mila, also Martin on our technical team to help us with the software development side of things. So that's pretty much how we started and where we're at right now. What drives you, I have a background in industrial engineering. So I've always been really interested in optimizing processes and systems and I also have a really big passion for the healthcare industry and making improvements there. So those two coupled and finding a solution to a persisting problem in the space that hasn't been solved yet is super motivating. For me,
Welcome to the latest episode of Who Are These Startups Podcast! In this episode, our Startup Coach sits down with Noah Crampton, the CEO of Mutuo Health Solutions, the brilliant minds behind AutoScribe. Join us as we dive into how Muto Health Solutions is leveraging AI to revolutionize the healthcare industry. Discover how their innovative technology streamlines doctor-patient interactions, saves valuable time, and alleviates the administrative burden on healthcare professionals. Get inspired by Noah's journey as a family physician turned entrepreneur, driven by a mission to solve the burnout crisis in healthcare. Don't miss this insightful conversation packed with valuable insights and the future of healthcare.
Links:
Mutuo Health Solutions on the web
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Mutuo Health Solutions - Who Are These Startups - Automated Transcript
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
ai, doctors, startups, toronto, technology, mutuo, market, noah, founder, solutions, scribe, product, patients, solving, healthcare, administrative tasks, business, people, application, prototype
SPEAKERS
Noah Crampton, The Startup Coach
The Startup Coach
Welcome to Who are the startups, podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are the startups I am the startup coach, founder of TorontoStarts and with me today is Noah cramped and CEO of Mutuo Health Solutions and makers of auto scribe. Welcome, Noah.
Noah Crampton
Thank you.
The Startup Coach
So what does Mutuo Health Solutions do?
Noah Crampton
We have a product called Autoscribe, which is an AI based scribe technology for doctors. So you can imagine you're at your doctor's office, and there's a microphone in the exam room attached to the computer in the exam room. And as the doctor is asking the patient questions, it listens to the conversation, and in real time generates a note that the doctor would normally type themselves. So it saves the doctor like up to 50% of their time on note taking, who is Mutuo Health Solutions for that just for doctors is for dentists, all health care. The nice thing about our technology is that the AI is very flexible. We built a lot of different note templates for any kind of health care provider. Right now we're targeting, you know, the standard physicians in the community, whether they be family physicians or specialists, but any any healthcare provider can use it.
The Startup Coach
What is your startup story and what drives you?
Noah Crampton
I'm a family physician, myself, and I wanted to solve my own problem. And we knew that AI was coming up with amazing solutions to problems. And one of them that I was passionate about was how much time doctors spent doing administrative tasks that are causing a burnout crisis in health care, doctors are leaving the profession because there's just so much paperwork that's being dumped on them. So I started researching this area about five years ago, and I collaborated with the computer scientists from the University of Toronto, and we started to prototype how to generate this AI scribe tool, and we got really good performance. And so during the pandemic, we refined the prototype into you know, alpha, beta, and did all the privacy, security and legal stuff required and healthcare and we've been in the market for the last four months with, we're now up to 10 users of our product,
The Startup Coach
and how do you define success.
Noah Crampton
So I'm here to make a big impact in healthcare, you know, certainly want to see traction with the tool, making sure that it provides value to clinicians.
In this episode of Who Are These Startups the Startup Coach sits down with Iskander El Amrim co-founder and CEO of Solyntek providing AI powered EHS / predictive maintenance solution that prevents risky situations in the workplace.
Links:
Solyntek URL
Iskander El Amrim on LinkedIn
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In this episode of “Who Are These Startups,” the Startup Coach sits down with the co-founders of Uwear.ai. Uwear.ai, is building an AI-powered software that allows online clothing stores to generate studio-quality photos of their products without going through a traditional photoshoot.
Links:
- UWear.ai Website
- Uwear.ai on LinkedIn
- Startup Talk Podcast
Check Out our Monthly Startup Investor Drinks
TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
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In this episode of “Who Are These Startups,” the Startup Coach sits down with Hanyin Chen, the CEO and Co-Founder of ASKaFOX. ASKaFOX is on a mission to enhance worldwide manufacturers’ supply chain resiliency through the power of AI. Hanyin explains how they provide manufacturers with contingency plans during supply disruptions, offering fast and reliable solutions. Using NLP, ASKaFOX enables efficient supplier discovery, matching customer queries with the best possible data points. They also employ an Uber-like in-factory auditing service to validate potential suppliers from an industrial perspective. Tune in to learn how ASKaFOX revolutionizes manufacturing partnerships and eliminates the need for exhaustive Google searches, trade shows, and extensive business travel.
Links:
- AskaFox Website
- Medium
- Substack
- Startup Talk Podcast
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TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
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In the latest episode of “Who Are These Startups,” the startup coach sits down with Jerry Chien, the CEO and Co-founder ofGravvity, a Canadian startup revolutionizing the creation of 3D augmented reality and virtual reality shops. Gravvity enables anyone to easily build virtual shopping experiences without the need for coding expertise, catering to the growing trend of virtual environments where kids spend hours each day.
As the podcast dives into the interview, Jerry explains the current landscape of virtual shopping experiences and how major brands are increasingly investing in this space. However, the main challenge lies in the complexity and cost associated with hiring development teams to create these virtual shops. Gravvity aims to simplify the process, making it accessible and affordable for anyone to bring their virtual shops to life.
The interview covers a range of topics, including Gravvity’s core offering, their target audience, and the story behind the startup’s inception. Jerry also discusses what drives him as an entrepreneur and how he defines success in the dynamic world of technology startups.
The conversation delves into Gravvity’s business model, funding situation, and the lessons Jerry has learned along the way. He reflects on the biggest challenges faced as a founder and shares insights on effective pitching techniques. Additionally, Jerry reveals his favorite productivity hack, utilizing ChatGPT, and talks about the Next AI program, which Gravvity is a part of.
For aspiring founders, Jerry provides valuable tips and advice, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and team building. As an AI founder, he shares his thoughts on the current debates surrounding AI development and addresses the concerns and fears associated with it.
Listeners can connect with Jerry and Gravvity on LinkedIn, where they can learn more about the company’s innovative approach to web3 store creation. Building such stores may seem daunting, but Gravvity aims to streamline the process, reducing the time commitment and asset requirements typically associated with it.
Tune in to this episode of “Who Are These Startups” to gain insights into the world of virtual shopping experiences and how Gravvity is transforming the way we shop in virtual environments.
Links:
Gravvity Website
Jerry Chien on LinkedIn
- Startup Talk Podcast
Check Out our Monthly Startup Investor Drinks
TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
Angel Investor List
Venture Capital List
Join us on Reddit
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Automated Transcript of Gravvity – Who are these startupsSUMMARY KEYWORDS
founder, startup, gravvity, create, ai, shop, companies, virtual, space, big, product, opportunity, super, day, experience, path, marketplace, executable, building, shopify
SPEAKERS
Jerry Chien, The Startup Coach
The Startup Coach
Welcome to Who are the startups podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Don’t let pain hold you back, get fast pain relief with the pain removers, maximum strength pain relief balm, the perfect solution for chronic pain and sore muscles, visit the pain removers.com and get back to living your life to the fullest. Welcome back to who are these startups. I’m the startup coach, founder of Toronto starts and with me today is Jerry Chen, CEO and co founder of gravvity. Welcome, Jerry.
Jerry Chien
Thanks a lot, Craig, really appreciate it.
The Startup Coach
What is gravvity do
Jerry Chien
so we make it possible for anyone to create 3d augmented reality and virtual reality shops basically had in the marketplace right now all the biggest brands are creating these virtual shopping experiences, because they realized that kids are spending almost three hours a day in these virtual environments like Roblox, Minecraft and fortnight. And it’s projected to reach you know, to $2.6 trillion by 2030. So the big brands are piling in. But the real challenge right now is that it’s really complicated and expensive to hire teams of developers to create these virtual shopping experiences. And with gravvity, we basically make it super simple and easy for anyone to be able to create these virtual shops, without any coding experience require.
The Startup Coach
What kind or size of business is gravvity for
Jerry Chien
was basically for any type of business. To be honest, it could be for a big global brand, or it can be a small little retailer. Similar to what Shopify has done. For the ease of creating online shops, we’re basically making it just as easy to create these types of immersive virtual shopping experiences.
The Startup Coach
What is your startup story?
Jerry Chien
So we actually started in the height of COVID, or startup COVID. Back in January of 2020. Myself, I previously built the world’s first billion dollar insurance program for cryptocurrencies convincing 20 different traditional property and casualty insurance companies back in 2017, to put up a billion dollars. And so from that experience, I had quite a bit of work through different opportunities. And then my co founder, Jason Harrington, who is really a genius, sort of product advertising guy from Spotify, Snapchat, and Twitter. And we embarked on this journey to really think about how we can actually create tools using AI and XR, to help creators come up with better content in the social space. That’s kind of how we started our Genesis. And through that path, we ultimately landed on, you know, being really focused on serving the virtual shopping space. What drives you? Personally, I really want to empower as many people as I possibly can, having sort of drank from the Kool Aid of blockchain crypto space, and I definitely saw the fact that there’s this huge future where hopefully, we can spread the power and wealth, I guess, better for everyone and create more accessibility and opportunity for smaller sort of players to stick their nose in and try to get some outcomes that run our seem to be kept by sort of consolidation and big conglomerates in the world.
The Startup Coach
How do you define success?
Jerry Chien
Well, for me, it’s really about you know, how much impact I can have on people, especially people that I care about. But certainly, I want to find that the path where people can have the best opportunity to maximize their own potential. So that’s truly what drives me. And that’s how I measure success is that if my team is doing well, they’re healthy, they’re successful. My partners are successful, I believe in creating Win Win scenarios for everyone that I sort of get involved with.
The Startup Coach
What is gravvity’s business model?
Yeah, so right now, it costs literally hundreds of $1,000 to create a virtual shop. And with gravvity, you can actually create a virtual shop for free. It usually takes, you know, months to create a virtual shop. Now you can create a virtual shop in minutes using our templates and our AI solutions. And basically, you can run your shop for less than it costs to run a shop or Shopify. And so it’s a monthly subscription plan. And then we have the adoption, depending on the partnerships that we have. I’ve also collecting fees on a processing fees on all the different shop transactions that are happening.
The Startup Coach
What is your funding situation?
Jerry Chien
We’re basically at this point still grinding along in terms of bootstrapping our business as far as we can go. We have raised money through equity crowdfunding, and we have raised money through government, you know, loans and subsidies and things like that. But we’ve been trying to stay lean and mean and we’re about now at the time that we’re ready to scale. So we’re currently seeking and exploring all the different lead investor options to help us reach sort of our goals over the next six to nine months.
The Startup Coach
What is your biggest learning as a founder, I
think, you know, everyone tells you hey, man, it’s hard. It’s a grind. It really is. And as big as your idea is, you know, I think and youth Hope that you can get funding for it. If I was to go back in time, I definitely would have picked something that is very executable where it doesn’t rely on any venture funding for sure. You know, something that I can get to market quickly, something that can be monetized, and use that as a building block for whatever other bigger vision that you actually have. So I think the commitment to analyzing the opportunities and being more thoughtful around, you know, what’s realistic to achieve with the resources that you have at hand, versus expecting or hoping or relying on the fact that a VC would have to come in to save the day?
The Startup Coach
What’s your biggest lesson in pitching your startup?
Jerry Chien
I think the biggest thing is, and when we started pitching, it was like, tell them everything that you possibly can about your product, your business, and, you know, make sure that you answer all the questions that everyone always try to predict, I guess everything and try to try to tackle that in the pitch. What I’ve learned is, if that’s not what really matters, but there’s always gonna be questions, there’s always gonna be things you can’t cover. So find a really cool story, a cool narrative that touches on the highest level of key key points, that creates curiosity and interest in what you’re doing and establishes trust and belief that you can actually execute. So that’s kind of what what I’ve learned over the years, and certainly, we’ve gone through literally hundreds of different pitch decks. So yeah, definitely being confident and having a very clear, simple story to tell.
The Startup Coach
Being an AI founder, what’s your favorite productivity hack or AI tool?
Jerry Chien
There’s not gonna be the most unique answer here. But, um, you can’t ignore the impact that Chachi Beatty has had on everybody and everything, like the casual, anybody who’s just, you know, has any challenge in writing or understanding something or researching something? How could you ignore that tool? And so yeah, I use it, literally. And it saved me so much time. And also I think what’s unique for me anyways, I use it for a lot of validation of like, Hey, man, I have this thoughts. Here’s how I wrote something, is there anything else that’s missing that would be normally should be included? And to me, that’s huge to have the confidence that you’ve covered generally, what you think is the right topics?
The Startup Coach
You are in the next day I program? Can you tell us a little bit about your experience?
Jerry Chien
Oh, man, the next day I program has been awesome. Our venture manager Stephanie has been just incredible to work with, I mean, any startup there’s ups and downs and things that you’re you’re working on, and we certainly had our fair share. And they’re always been there to guide us with sort of, not just what best practices are, but obviously what other you know, other companies have dealt with and how they’ve handled it. And, you know, the guidance they provided have been truly sort of invaluable. The network that you’re building, I think it’s super amazing. Like, everyone’s all trying to ask hustle on their own projects, but I’ve never had a problem with anybody else, you know, reaching out to anybody else and saying, Hey, what do you think of this with that, and then providing with support and, and hopefully they feel comfortable sort of doing that same with me as well. So yeah, it’s definitely a very different accelerator, I would even call an accelerator, you know, they frame it as really sort of a founder development program. And that’s truly what it is, you feel like they’re investing and trying to build you, as a founder to give you the the building blocks to be successful. And that’s something that is absolutely necessary. And I wish that we would have experienced next AI a little earlier, would have definitely would have saved us a lot of headaches and bumps in the road that we would know to overcome quicker and maybe easier along the way. So yeah, nothing but great things to say. And hopefully any other startup has the opportunity to be involved in that program.
The Startup Coach
Do you have any tips for founders,
Jerry Chien
as I said earlier, the, you know, the concept of building something that’s small and executable and monetizable. In the beginning, you know, I think it can’t be understated. I think that’s really, really valuable to understand. It also gives you a path where you are in control of what you’re trying to do. And, you know, I think you get pulled in so many different directions by so many advisors resources to people just kind of having their you know, their thoughts and their from their experience. But you need to shape your own path. And I think having control by having a scope that makes sense that you’re able to execute on really will streamline your experience. And I think that’s the biggest lesson that I’ve learned over the years.
The Startup Coach
As an AI founder, what is your reaction to the current called the pause AI development and all the fear around it?
Jerry Chien
Was the fear warranted? I think yes. Is it realistic to actually pause? No, I think it’s just that’s just the way I feel about it. I feel like it’s a lot of bluster PR based for the industry or for specific strategic reasons people are calling for it. I think the Pandora is out of the box and I don’t think there’s going to be any way to actually put the genie back in for me. It’s really about how do we educate people enough to understand how people should be using it. And for the Malicious or bad players, you know, how do we actually build tools to detect and navigate that so for every problem that exists with this, there should be a counter solution that should be available. To believe, hopefully help stabilize and balance the market. Oh,
The Startup Coach
building a web three store sounds pretty daunting, what kind of assets and time commitment is needed from a founder or a startup or any company really, to do it with gravvity and make it look professional?
Jerry Chien
Well, actually, it would have shot templates, just the same as a Shopify does. And you literally just pick the template that you want. And in a matter of minutes, you could be live selling items. So, you know, obviously, there’s some technical challenges that are still in our path in terms of getting products, physical world products scanned in efficiently into 3d spaces. But that’s that technology is moving at lightning speed. And we fully expect that by the time we’re fully scalable, that that will be solved with all the all the things that we’re researching and seeing in the marketplace. It’s something that we’ve made a point of trying to keep it as simple as you possibly can. You literally pick a virtual space pick, upload your logos, your color, your vibe, your music, or whatever you’re choosing, and your products, and you’re basically ready to go. So we’ve kind of made it super simple to create a shop.
The Startup Coach
Everyone talks about hustle, what kind of traction is gravvity getting in the marketplace?
Jerry Chien
Yes, so actually, our beachhead marketplace is actually Japan. A place where virtual experiences and Metaverse is just part of their everyday life, but definitely leaders in that space. So back in 2022, we were actually selected by the Canadian government. It’s one of the 10 companies to represent Canada on a Metaverse trade mission to Japan. And through that, we’ve developed incredible partnerships and discussions with some of the biggest companies in Japan. So we’ve developed three POCs already over the past three months. And we have a pipeline of over 20,000 shops that we’re ready to capitalize on. So the projects are super cool. We’re working with some of the best Atomy companies studios, studios that have over 4000, TV and film sort of titles. And so like, yeah, we’re super excited to be there. And you know, what’s really great about being there is that you don’t no one asks you why would someone want to shop in a virtual space? Well, because that’s already happening, and people are already sort of comfortable with that. So it really creates a headwind for us. Right, tailwind? I’m not sure. But it’s really creates a good opportunity for us to launch. And I think there were a lot of great support from the Canadian and Japanese government. So we’re super keen to keep pushing on that pipeline.
The Startup Coach
Where can our listeners connect with you and gravvity online?
Jerry Chien
Yeah, check me out on LinkedIn. I think that’s the place where I’m most active in terms of just being responsive. So definitely feel free to DM me or follow me or whatever you like on LinkedIn. Obviously, our website is gravvity.ai. So feel free to check out we’re all belts, you can check out our demo of our product, which I think is cool. So yeah, look forward to engaging with anybody who’s keen to find out more about us.
The Startup Coach
I really appreciate you taking the time to be a part of who are these startups.
Jerry Chien
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Craig would appreciate it.
The Startup Coach
This has been who are the startups? Find out more at whoarethestartups.com and check out our live events at Torontostarts.com/events
David Oram, the co-founder of Luca Theory, shares his insights on the importance of having a consistent, scalable process for decision-making in the fast-paced world of startups. He discusses how Luca Theory aims to improve collective intelligence by correcting cognitive biases and creating strong alpha for select communities. Oram also shares his personal routine for getting into a flow state and reducing decision-making fatigue. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the startup world and how to make better decisions using collective intelligence.
In the fast-paced world of startups, decision-making is a crucial skill. David Oram, an AI founder, knows this all too well. In this episode of the podcast “Who Are These Startups,” he shares his insights on the importance of having a consistent, scalable process when making investments and starting companies.
Oram is the co-founder of Luca Theory, a platform for sharing insights and predictions about the future and being rewarded for those predictions. The idea for the platform came from Oram and his co-founders’ struggle with making group decisions due to cognitive biases. They wanted to build tools and technologies to improve their collective intelligence and make it more widely available.
Luca Theory’s goal is to create strong alpha for select communities and environments where they want that alpha. They aim to track insights and perception over time and help users understand who to trust in certain domains. The platform aims to correct for cognitive biases such as the follow-the-leader effect and the Dunning Kruger effect.
Oram believes routine is paramount for getting into a flow state, and it looks different for everyone. For him, having a consistent breakfast and coffee in the morning and reading before bed helps ground him and reduce decision-making fatigue. He also acknowledges the importance of dealing with the volume of complex decisions and keeping an even keel.
When asked about the call to pause AI development, Oram was caught off guard. He believes in adapting to new technologies and thinking critically about their values for individuals and companies. He supports regulation and strong frameworks to manage AI, but does not believe in stopping its development altogether.
Luca Theory’s website, lucatheory.com, explains their ideology and showcases their work. Oram and Luca Theory’s founding team profiles are available on their website and LinkedIn. They also use Telegram to stay connected.
Overall, Oram and Luca Theory’s mission is to help individuals and communities make better decisions using collective intelligence. Their focus on correcting cognitive biases and creating strong alpha is a novel approach that could have far-reaching implications. As the startup world continues to evolve, Oram’s insights and expertise will undoubtedly be in high demand.
Links:
- Luca Theory Website
- Luca Theory on Facebook
- Luca Theory on Instagram
- Luca Theory on TikTok
- Luca Theory on LinkedIn
- David Oram on LinkedIn
- Next AI
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Automated Transcript of Luca Theory – Who Are These Startups Podcast
The Startup CoachWelcome to Who are the startups. Podcast shorts featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups
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Welcome back to who are the startups. I’m the startup coach, founder of TorontoStarts and with me today is David Orem, co founder of Luca theory. Welcome, David.
David Oram of LUCA TheoryThanks for having me.
The Startup CoachWhat does Luca theory do?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryWe quantify human perception. And we’re on a mission to track 1 billion predictions over the next five years,
The Startup Coachwho is Luca theory for?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryLuca theory is for anybody who wants to share their insight about the world and where they think it is going. And to be able to be rewarded for those predictions and learn along the way to see how their knowledge of the future evolves. And then they can use the insights generated by themselves and the community to make better decisions.
The Startup CoachWhat is your startup story,
David Oram of LUCA TheoryWe had a decision making problem amongst the co founders of the company, we were getting into business together, we were looking the best ways to invest some of the money we’ve made, made some recruiting decisions and things like that. And we realized that making group decisions was very hard. It was fraught with cognitive biases. And we were very easy to get caught up on the wrong things and not really articulate exactly what we thought would happen in a certain market or idea. So we wanted to build tools and technologies to build our own collective intelligence. And then we decided we wanted to make those more widely available.
The Startup CoachIs Luca theory trying to build a business Oracle for every business?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryNo, we want to create really strong alpha for select communities and environments where they want that alpha. So if you’re looking at some very early stage crypto investments, or you’re looking to gain an edge on your football predictions, or you really want to get really strong at predicting interest rate changes, whatever your community really wants to hone in on, and it is a portion of your company’s overall knowledge that we can track those insights and that perception over time will help you understand who to trust in certain domains, who not to trust in certain domains, when your team has been really hot recently, maybe when they’re not doing so well. And we can evolve and grow with you in that type of environment.
The Startup CoachYou talked about cognitive bias, can you tell me a little bit about how you catch that or take it out of the equation?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryGreat question. Yeah, this is one of the first things we really started working on, and there’s so many of them, you’re never gonna be able to catch all of them, and you’re never gonna be able to be perfect. So for us, it’s just being better all the time at it. And I think to which we find help a lot frame up this ideology. And then we can unpack more kind of when we get deeper with people. One is with regards to, I always say like a follow the leader effect. So oftentimes, the most senior a loudest person in the room speaks. First, they have a really dominant voice that everyone else will kind of just follow in order, and not necessarily challenge that outcome. But one thing we like to do is when we’re doing large prediction sets, is we don’t show whose thinking was either individual or the group before we let other people see what they’re predicting. So that they can have a chance to be able to really share their all novel insight, because people are very easily manipulated. So this is one biases that we find can really hamper teams getting a better broad set of opinions and ideas out there. And then we can call it later. It’s sort of like we’re trying to find diverges, but that’s what we find helps, and then another is trying to correct for the Dunning Kruger effect. This is the one that made everybody and COVID expert after two weeks in March. This is why it makes everybody an expert right now on AI is that when you first learn a subject, you get really confident and you think you’re over the moon and you know so much, but you have a sharp drop off in your knowledge and you’re actually perceived perception, and then eventually it plateaus. So figuring out a way to correctly wait new people because that new people aren’t always wrong. And sometimes they have great initial insights. But how we correctly wait how much credit to give to new people to an environment when they haven’t been exposed to predicting the outcome of a UK election or something like that. We need to know how much we should trust people’s perception there and how much we should trust people that have had a proven track record in similar environments are the exact same type of prediction. So that’s just two we like to look at but obviously there’s very many
The Startup CoachUsing Luca theory inside a company is the goal to weight the decision making process to either know who the best expert to make the decisions in this area are order weighted overall. So as a collective team, you’re bringing to the top what you think is the most likely outcome?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryBoth, because some things we can do very quickly without a lot of historical knowledge and evidence of the way that this team or a subset of this team has made decisions in environment. But the best use case is knowing over time, who to trust in certain domains and waiting those people more so than everybody else. Because realistically, one hand one vote is not the best decision making environment whatsoever. And this is a big piece we’re actually starting with Next AI is if we’re looking at Super forecasters that have proven that they can predict what interest rates are going to be versus people that are just getting going versus people that have been good at predicting just general things overall, how much do we wait, each of these different buckets and the subset of the communities? How much should we wait those people over the general consensus, and we can do a lot of study on that the backcast some of our models, but yet again, for us is always that forward looking perception side of things,
The Startup Coachwhat drives you?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryReally want to be less wrong when I’m making decisions, and is a big challenge when you’re making investments or starting companies, and having a really strong scalable, consistent process where I can learn from my own knowledge evolutions, I can learn from my team’s knowledge evolution, and we can build more tools for that so we can make better decisions overall, I feel like that’s going to be a great success for ourselves, our community and our clients.
The Startup CoachAnd how would you define success?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryHappiness is always the key to success, and being able to realize that at the end of the day, you’re feel recharged right away, we were having this conversation with a lot of sub maybe some of our interns earlier in their career is like you don’t want to go to a job that drains you. At the end of the day, you’re hoping to wake up recharged, like we gotten to the point now is where we want to feel like at the end of the day, we feel as equally satisfied and ready to go and looking forward to the next day and tackling the problems we want to work on working with the people we’re really passionate about working with, and continue to evolve that and having that success go across the community, not just an individual piece is all about the people you’re doing it with. I mean, it’ll lift everybody up throughout the program process,
The Startup CoachWhat is your biggest learnings along the way,
David Oram of LUCA Theoryit’s definitely centered around the degree and volume of complex decisions that you’re going to have to make over and over and over and constantly being able to have to deal with sometimes in the same days, not as in the same hour, the best news you had for your company a long time and the worst news you’ve had for your company a long time. And being able to kind of keep an even keel and respect that not get too high with the highs not going to low with the lows. And appreciate that you’re going to constantly have to make these very tricky decisions all the time.
The Startup CoachWhat’s your favorite productivity tool or AI tool?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryProductivity tool would definitely be OneTab, too many times have sat with people and you’ll look at their browser and they have like 50 tabs open. And they might have three or different three different browsers go and try to keep all their tabs open. And it just ruins their machine and makes them unproductive. And there’s just one button you can click saves all those in a easy place where you can pick back up your research and your work. Exactly the topic opened up all the same windows in the same way. That’s one tool I’ve used for like a decade now. And it still shocks me how so many people still just have like infinite tabs and bookmarks. It’s just not a great way to live your life. And on the AI side, the Notion integration with chatGPT has been my one that has been the stickiest for me over the past six months, let’s say as I’m learning how to have some memory with the AI, it knows I’m talking about my company when I’m doing business plans when I’m doing proposals when I’m doing social media. It knows my company now a little bit. So the recommendations and insights it gives back are much more tailored to my niche. And it does not like when I’m starting chat like the normal chatGPT and start from scratch every time where I have like a new memory bank when I’m in notion. It allows me to work with my existing institutional knowledge that I’m given the AI and it feels much more powerful for me now.
The Startup CoachYou’re in the Next AI program right now. Can you tell me anything about that?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryYeah, it’s one of the top if not the top founder and company development program in Canada for early stage AI companies. It has great connections with the universities and the startup ecosystem. owns around Canada. And it really allows us to get access to incredible knowledge and mentorship, the latest trends in AI. So when we’re making some of these very fundamental decisions in our companies, about how we want to design our models, how we want to structure our data, and how we want to prepare ourselves for success, they help us do that. And it’s quite, it’s quite powerful.
The Startup CoachDo you have any tips for founders?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryRoutine is paramount,you need to have a consistent set of ways you can get yourself in flow state. And what that looks like for everybody is completely different. But you you need that, for me, I’m a big first thing in the morning. Last thing at night guy is almost always the exact same for me, in terms of what coffee and breakfast I’m having to like read a book before bed and these things is ground me at the start and end of days. So I don’t need to have an additional decision making environment around those. Because as I alluded to earlier, you have so many decisions to make all the time. If you’re struggling with these more simple ones on a daily basis, that should be pretty consistent, I find that you get decision making fatigue much faster. And then you can’t make that really strong point that well thought of decision, you know, some of those on the spot.
The Startup CoachAs an AI founder, what is your reaction to the current call to pause AI development and the fear around it?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryIt definitely caught me off guard when I first heard it come out, to be honest with you, as someone who has been exposed to new technologies my whole life I’d grown up you know, with the newest video games, with the newest social networks with the newest forms of internet currencies with Bitcoin, and the newest now AI bots, it just you learn to adapt to them, you learn to understand what they are, and you learn to think pragmatically and critically for yourself and where you think they fit in and what those values could be for you, your company or like Not at all. So when you see a group just call for stopping something I find that just pushes things to the shadows. And then it just ends up with a whole different version of its evolution, where then you got to go back to the way we used to use like torrenting networks and stuff like that, it’s like pushing it to the brand is like is not going to stop it. It’s just going to evolve it in put it in a different set of players hands rather than be like, let’s be more open about everything we’re doing for the next six months instead of trying to stop it. So there’s another thing Why are you trying to stop it? Are you behind? Are you not as far as long as you thought you’re gonna be? If someone else has a competitive advantage that you wish you had? Um, what are you really trying to get at here? I’m all for regulation of all four strive frameworks and policies and ways to manage this stuff. So people don’t get exposed to bad financial advice or bad health advice. These things are important, but you don’t just say stop it because like is, you know, moving too fast, I don’t think
The Startup CoachWhere can our listeners connect with you and Luca theory online?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryLucatheory.com will get you to the website. And that will explain much more about AI our ideology around collective intelligence, around quantifying perception, see some of the things were growing and doing there. So always happy to connect there. And then each of our profiles for the founding team is on there to LinkedIn. I’m David Orme, on LinkedIn, always a great way to stay connected on the professional network side. And then we like you know, telegram is always good to stay up on the latest. They ever hit me up elsewhere, I’ll be able to get in touch.
The Startup CoachThank you, David. I really appreciate you taking the time today to give us your insights and be a part of who are these startups?
David Oram of LUCA TheoryThanks, Craig. Great to be here. And we’ll be happy to be back.
The Startup CoachThis has been Who are these startups? Find out more at whoarethesestartups.com and check out our live events at Torontostarts.com/events
Welcome back to Who Are These Startups. Podcast shorts featuring founders of Canadian startups, hosted by the Startup Coach. This episode features co-founder and CPO of InheritChain Sodaba Rameh.
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Welcome back to Who Are These Startups. Podcast shorts featuring founders of Canadian startups, hosted by the Startup Coach. This episode features Visto.AI CEO and Co-founder Josh Schachnow.
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Visto AI on Who Are These Startups Podcast Transcript (Automate)
Visto AI on Who Are These Startups podcast final.mp3 - TranscriptWelcome to who are these startups podcast shorts, featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to. Who are these startups with me? Today is Josh Shack. Now. Co-founder and CEO of Vista Way. I welcome Josh, thanks for having me, Greg appreciated. What does Vista do? We are an immigration tech company. So we we've been around for a few years. Now, you can find on our website, a lot of tools, if you're an aspiring immigrant to learn about the different programs and waste to come to Canada. But primarily what we focus on now is helping connect Canadian companies with skilled workers abroad more specifically right now Tech workers from abroad. So we've built a platform where companies can find interview and sponsor AKA bring through the immigration programs foreign Tech Talent into their Canadian offices. What is your startup story? Well, I'm an immigration lawyer by trade, I don't dress like it anymore. Part of what I like so much about the tech world, but I've been practicing immigration law out of out of Toronto, for the last five years. Five and a half years and was working primarily with tech companies, more and more of them started and continue to sponsor foreign Talent, just because of how competitive it is in, in Canada, North America. Now it's becoming Global how competitive it is in terms of the war on talent. And after a few years of working with a lot of tech companies and seeing the cool things they were building, I was just confused about why nobody was building, m e, n e, tachyon immigration. So I started this. So about two-and-a-half years ago, we started with more of a b2c focus but pivoted over the last summer to building this B2B platform that I just talked about and the team's grown, have a co-founder Alex to see to do we have a developer of Our Own in Mexico A few other contractors that we work with from around the world. Some awesome investors so it's it's grown a lot in a couple years and hopefully we'll continue to grow a lot more. What drives you? What drives me? I think, just solving big problems for a lot of people I like doing immigration work, but it wasn't, I guess so efficient in a lot of traditional professionals operating we're seeing this in a lot of Industries, right? Where Tech comes in and just kind of changes the way things work and changes, how efficient and effective things can be done. And so what really drives me, especially, as it relates to Visto is being able to help so many companies grow their teams. Because we know that companies are really only as good as their people and can really only grow as quick as they can. Add more great people. So, helping a lot of companies and helping a lot of immigrants because there's a lot of people around the world that weren't, as lucky as I am, as I was growing up and now I continue to get to live in Canada, which I think is in a, one of the best countries to live in in the world. And there's a lot of people out there who want to start Lives in different countries for any number of reasons. And what our platform does is help those people.
Welcome back to Who Are These Startups. Podcast shorts featuring founders of Canadian startups, hosted by the Startup Coach. This episode features Javelin Sports with Justin Ford.
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Javelin Sports on Who Are These Startups Transcript (Automated)
Javelin Sports on Who Are These Startups
The Startup Coach: Welcome to who are these start-ups podcast shorts, featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are these startups? I'm your host and startup coach. Founder of Toronto starts one of the largest startup communities in Canada. And with me today is Justin Ford CEO and co-founder of javelin sports. Welcome Justin.
Justin Ford of Javelin Sports: Thanks, Craig.
The Startup Coach: Let's jump right into it. What does javelin sports.
Justin Ford of Javelin Sports: So javelin sports is an organization whose goal is to make it easier to play sports. We operate with the core belief that sports are social. So we put most of our time and effort into focusing on building sport communities and then providing them good ways to communicate with each other.
Through working with sports players, organizations, leagues in this manner, we've grown a player base of over 30,000 players. And recently we've been kind of expanding on what we currently offered to also allow players to. Match with other players, one-to-one in their area to chat with them and that way, and then also even book places.
The Startup Coach: What is javelin sports startup story. So
Justin Ford of Javelin Sports: we actually started as a group project that I was working on in my final year at university. I didn't actually think I necessarily wanted to go into entrepreneurship when I was younger, but through building out this group project, I guess I kind of caught the entrepreneurship bug.
I really enjoyed the work we were doing for that. I managed to speak with some of our clients and this was in the sports space. So it was a problem that I'm really passionate about solving. So everything kind of aligned. Uh, we launched in 2017 and since then have been kind of slowly scaling up what.
There's a number of different things that drive me. Initially, I started working on this once again, cause I just want it to make it easier to play sports. I played a lot as a kid, but after I graduated high school, I was playing less and less. There had to be some way to fix this issue. And there has to be other people who are facing my problems.
If you look at numbers, I think 27% of adults are actively playing sports. Whereas about 76% of them say they want to either start playing or play more. So there's this big gap. And we thought if we could build something that simplifies the process makes it easier to connect with people in your area, easier to find games, easier to communicate with other players.
Then we could truly increase sports participation rates around the world. With that being said, Toronto has really bustling startup ecosystem. I know you're one of the big drivers behind that. So, so thank you for all the work you're doing there, Craig, through speaking and meeting with a lot of these entrepreneurs and other founders, I started to see from an overall view, just how interesting and exciting the startup community is.
So I'm now viewing this as kind of the first of many, hopefully business ventures that I'm working on with just the intent of, of helping solve big problems through the use of,
Welcome back to Who Are These Startups. Podcast shorts featuring founders of Canadian startups, hosted by the Startup Coach. This episode features uCast with Rand Abous Ras.
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uCast on Who Are These Startups Transcript (Automated)
Startup Coach: Welcome to who are these startups podcast shorts, featuring founder interviews of Canadian startups. Welcome back to who are these startups? I'm your host. The founder of Toronto starts one of the largest startup communities in Canada. And with me today is Rand of uCast welcome Rand.
Rand Abou Ras: I'm doing great.
Startup Coach: Let's jump right into it. What does uCast do?
Rand Abou Ras: So we are a marketplace and ad management platform that helps connect podcasters and brands who want to advertise on audio platforms. And we do all host read ads and our main revenue stream is through CPM and CPA campaigns.
Startup Coach: What is uCast startup story?
Rand Abou Ras: I started podcasting a really long time ago. I started, when I moved to Canada, I started getting featured on platforms like globe and mail CBC, a lot of other, you know, Toronto news outlets. And the title was always no Syrian refugee does this or Syrian refugee does that? It was tokenizing. I really didn't like the way it was portrayed. I actually tried taking the stories down.
They wouldn't agree. They said to you. No, this is the story that we got, and this is the headline that we're running with. Take it or leave it. And so the first time I went on a, actually on a CBC based podcast called fresh air to talk about it. And that was like the first, the first exposure to podcasting that I ever got.
And then. We really liked it. I started podcasting on my own. It was just as a hobby. I'm really nothing serious. Um, but when you're in podcasting, you very quickly understand the, the, the, the setbacks of the podcasting world or the industry. So I started doing these different product mock ups, cause I have a product design background or user experience design background.
And so I would create these like different product mock-ups and these are flows and I would post them on Reddit. Discord podcasting communities. And I would just let people, you know, vote for whichever solution they like. And eventually the idea of podcast monetization for the long tail was the one that everybody was interested in.
So I said, Hey, let's, let's try doing it. I contacted a very good friend of mine. Who's a software engineer. His name is Daniel Martinovich and he's now my co-founder and we started building EUCAST and, uh, that's how we started.
Startup Coach: What drives you?
Rand Abou Ras: Honestly, my love for product more than anything, a lot of people, you know, have that, that passion about their startup.
Uh, but to me, it's my passion for, for product, really, for innovation, for creativity. Um, my ability to just wake up in the morning, talk to customers, understand what, you know, what, what is, what is their setbacks? What is their pain points? And being able to design that process to me that. I love doing that more than anything.
So yeah, that's what drives me.
Startup Coach: How do you define success?
Rand Abou Ras: Honestly, I define success by your failures and I'll, I'll explain what that means. So, you know, if you've, if you've had somewhat of a successful life, but your entire life has been. Quote unquote successful. It is very difficult for you to perceive success be...
Who Are These Startups, this episode features InStage co-founder Imran Mouna. This 10 minute rapid fire conversations with founders where you get to know just who are these startups.Who Are These Startups at WhoAreTheseStartups.com
InStage - https://www.instagepractice.com/
Discussion includes:
InStage Startup StoryWhat Drives Imran as an EntrepreneurHow Imran defines success
InStage Business Model
B2B and B2C
Funding Situation
BootstrappedGrantsPitch CircuitCustomer Pay
Biggest Learning
Get the Product Out EarlyTalk to Customers Using the Product and Listen"If you are Trying to serve your customers you should be listening to them"
Lesson Pitching Your Startup
Keep it SimpleStop Telling How Great Your Company is and start talking about how you can help people
Favourite Productivity Hack
Pomodoro Technique
Canadian Startup Resources
TorontoStarts (formerly Startup Toronto)MarsDDHelix
Tips for Founders
Keep Each Other Motivated
Books for Founders
Pitch Decks Founders Should Read Steam and Netflix
Connect with InStage
InstagramInStage on TwitterLinkedIn
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Who Are These Investors PodcastStartup Talk Podcast
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TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
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Join us on Reddit
TorontoStarts YouTube Channel
Starting A Business in Ontario: A Resources Guide For Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Scaleups
Startup Pricing Strategies
The Startup List
Monthly Entrepreneur & Startup Investor Speed Dating
Join us for Startup Pitch Battle
Welcome to Who Are These Startups, this episode features Christopher Tufford of Green Apple Gives. Listen to this under 10 min rapid fire conversation where you get to know just who are these startups.
Discussion includes:
Green Apple Gives Startup StoryWhat Drives Christopher as an EntrepreneurHow Christopher defines successGreen Apple Gives Business ModelFunding SituationBiggest LearningLesson Pitching Your StartupFavourite Productivity HackCanadian Startup ResourcesTips for FoundersBooks for Founders
——
Who Are These Investors PodcastStartup Talk Podcast
Register for Startup and Entrepreneur Events here
TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
Angel Investor List
Venture Capital List
Join us on Reddit
TorontoStarts YouTube Channel
Starting A Business in Ontario: A Resources Guide For Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Scaleups
Startup Pricing Strategies
The Startup List
Monthly Entrepreneur & Startup Investor Speed Dating
Join us for Startup Pitch Battle
Welcome to Who Are These Startups, this episode features Nadia Ladak co founder of Marlow. Listen to this under 10 min rapid fire conversation where you get to know just who are these startups.
Discussion includes:
Marlow’s Startup StoryWhat Drives Nadia as an EntrepreneurHow Nadia defines successMarlow’s Business ModelFunding SituationBiggest LearningFavourite Productivity HackCanadian Startup ResourcesTips for FoundersBooks for Founders
Follow Marlow on Instagram at @Marlow and on TikTok @Wearemarlow
——
Who Are These Investors PodcastStartup Talk Podcast
Register for Startup and Entrepreneur Events here
TorontoStarts Entrepreneur and Startup Community
Angel Investor List
Venture Capital List
Join us on Reddit
TorontoStarts YouTube Channel
Starting A Business in Ontario: A Resources Guide For Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Scaleups
Startup Pricing Strategies
The Startup List
Monthly Entrepreneur & Startup Investor Speed Dating
Join us for Startup Pitch Battle