Innovators: Recent Episodes
BCJobs.ca
How we started: the Innovators Podcast was born out of a demand from job seekers wanting to learn more about the companies that they were applying for positions at. Exciting, right? The podcast gives a unique opportunity for hiring managers to open up about their best practices, to share their personal career experiences and to give advice to job candidates on how to find that dream job. Our host Simon Chou brings his own diverse experiences to the mic and asks all the burning questions that job candidates are dying to know.
Got a question for us? Send us an email events@bcjobs.ca with your ideas!
In this episode, we chatted with Inga Jonsdottir, Engineering Manager at Wealthsimple, about all things front-end. Inga shares her experience of being a female software engineer and what a day in the life of a front-end developer is like. From personal anecdotes, she stresses the importance of a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout and sets this example as a manager. She advises job candidates wanting to break into fintech to become life-long learners and to keep an open mind. Her employer, Wealthsimple, is an investment platform trusted by over 2.5 million Canadians. Their total assets under administration are worth a whopping $18B Canadian dollars with a North American workforce of over 1000 employees.
In this episode, we got to dive in deep with Aurelie Guerierri, CMO of DataDome, about innovating in bot mitigation which is stopping online fraud and bot attacks by using AI against AI. She also shares her thoughts on the future of cyber security and what that will look like as technology advances and adapts. DataDome has nearly a 100% remote workforce and a very transparent company culture. Their bot and online fraud protection detects and mitigates attacks with unparalleled accuracy and zero compromise with clients including Foot Locker, Patreon, and Reddit.
Link to DataDome: datadome.co
In this episode, Ezra Parnall, Head of Operations, at Lumen5, opens up about company pay structures and discusses why they believe it’s important for companies to be transparent about wages to close the wage gap. Lumen5 is fully committed to Equal Pay. They pledged themselves with Unbounce’s Pay Up For Progress initiative back in 2020, along with companies like Bench, Klue, Thinkific, Clio, and Hootsuite. Lumen5 was recently recognized as a top 3 finalist for Culture of the Year in BC Tech’s Technology Impact Awards for the second year in a row, and has been repeatedly recognized for being one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada.
In this episode, Justin Laufer, Senior Product Manager of Cloud Services at WestJet, chats with us about innovating at one of Canada’s largest airline companies. He explains how the airline industry struggled during the pandemic, and how WestJet bounced back through adapting to a changing world and trends in technology that prioritized safety and reliability. Justin also provides insight on what it’s like to apply for leadership positions at WestJet and if higher education is necessary on a resume. The WestJet group of companies offers scheduled services to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Link: www.westjet.com
In this episode, Kevin Mueller, Director of Program Management at Hootsuite, discusses his personal journey in tech, how large versus small companies approach innovation and current changes he’s seeing in product, sales and marketing. Kevin provides sage career advice for job candidates struggling to find the right career path and when is the best time in someone’s startup career to transition to a more large scale organization. Hootsuite is a Vancouver based social media media management company whose social insights, employee advocacy, and social customer care empowers organizations to strategically grow their brands, businesses, and customer relationships with social media.
Link to Hootsuite: hootsuite.com
In this episode we got to chat with Maricar Traballo, Employer Relations & Partnership Manager, and Meri Ghazaryan, Senior Manager of Employer Partnerships at Lighthouse Labs about their bootcamp programs that they offer job candidates seeking to upgrade their skills or switch careers. Lighthouse Labs is a Canadian-based tech education company specializing in data science, web development and cyber security, making online education accessible from anywhere. They have equipped over 40,000 Canadians with the tools to thrive in the future of work through hands-on tech education and projects. They provide career services for life as a guarantee to their graduates and help to secure placements for them with their vast network of employers. Maricar and Meri also discussed what it’s like working at Lighthouse Labs and the different ways they support their remote team with unlimited sick days, extra hours off in summer and winter and a learning fund to promote professional development.
Link to Lighthouse Labs: www.lighthouselabs.ca
In this episode, Shelly Bardai, Associate Partner at IBM Consulting, opens up about supporting women in tech and leadership roles, the barriers they face, and solutions on how to retain them in these roles. Shelly also shares her thoughts on major industries adapting and changing to meet diversity, inclusion and equity, and provides tips for job candidates on applying for roles at IBM. IBM iX, an arm of IBM Consulting, is a hybrid digital agency and consultancy that works at the intersection of progressive strategy, creative vision and transformational technology to tackle the biggest business challenges.
Link to IBM: www.ibm.com
In this episode, Shelly Bardai, Associate Partner at IBM Consulting, opens up about supporting women in tech and leadership roles, the barriers they face, and solutions on how to retain them in these roles. Shelly also shares her thoughts on major industries adapting and changing to meet diversity, inclusion and equity, and provides tips for job candidates on applying for roles at IBM. IBM iX, an arm of IBM Consulting, is a hybrid digital agency and consultancy that works at the intersection of progressive strategy, creative vision and transformational technology to tackle the biggest business challenges.
Link to IBM: www.ibm.com
In this episode, we got to chat with Peloton Technologies co-founder and CEO, Craig Attiwill, about his mission to disrupt the payment technology industry in Canada by streamlining the payments process for businesses of all sizes. Craig discusses his thoughts on where the fintech industry is going and encourages job candidates interested in the industry to reach out, with an emphasis on software development. In less than one year, their team has tripled in size and raised more than a million dollars in capital of which a portion was through equity crowdfunding.
Link to Peloton Technologies: https://peloton-technologies.com/
In this episode, we got to chat with Peloton Technologies co-founder and CEO, Craig Attiwill, about his mission to disrupt the payment technology industry in Canada by streamlining the payments process for businesses of all sizes. Craig discusses his thoughts on where the fintech industry is going and encourages job candidates interested in the industry to reach out, with an emphasis on software development. In less than one year, their team has tripled in size and raised more than a million dollars in capital of which a portion was through equity crowdfunding.
Link to Peloton Technologies: https://peloton-technologies.com/
In this episode, we got to chat with Chris Taylor, CHRO at Best Buy Canada about building a career with one of the largest tech retailers in North America. Chris opens up about the mission and values of Best Buy and their transformation during the pandemic and vision for the future. He also talks about what it’s like to work at Best Buy and how to succeed as a job candidate. With more than 160 retail stores and 10,000 employees from coast-to-coast, Best Buy has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the last 5 years.
Link to Best Buy Canada: www.bestbuy.ca
In this episode, we got to chat with Chris Taylor, CHRO at Best Buy Canada about building a career with one of the largest tech retailers in North America. Chris opens up about the mission and values of Best Buy and their transformation during the pandemic and vision for the future. He also talks about what it’s like to work at Best Buy and how to succeed as a job candidate. With more than 160 retail stores and 10,000 employees from coast-to-coast, Best Buy has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the last 5 years.
Link to Best Buy Canada: www.bestbuy.ca
In this episode, Adrian Moise PhD, CEO and Founder of Aequilibrium, discusses his career journey from Microsoft and Electronic Arts to founding his own software company in Vancouver, BC. He shares his passion for digital transformation, giving his take on the opportunities of the Metaverse and the workforce of the future. Adrian also shares some of the challenges of hiring remotely and tips on how to apply to Aequilibrium. Aequilibrium is one of the Top 5 Digital Agencies in BC, providing technology consulting and implementation services. They have won multiple Vancouver UX awards for digital product design, and have been voted twice among the Top 5 Companies to work for.
Link: https://aequilibrium.com/
In this episode, Adrian Moise PhD, CEO and Founder of Aequilibrium, discusses his career journey from Microsoft and Electronic Arts to founding his own software company in Vancouver, BC. He shares his passion for digital transformation, giving his take on the opportunities of the Metaverse and the workforce of the future. Adrian also shares some of the challenges of hiring remotely and tips on how to apply to Aequilibrium. Aequilibrium is one of the Top 5 Digital Agencies in BC, providing technology consulting and implementation services. They have won multiple Vancouver UX awards for digital product design, and have been voted twice among the Top 5 Companies to work for.
Link: https://aequilibrium.com/
In this episode, Brianna Blaney, CEO & Co-Founder of Pocketed, shares her startup journey on how she created a platform to get much-needed funding into the hands of businesses and employees. Named a 30 Under 30 by BC Business in 2018, Brianna is not new to founding startups. To secure your dream job, she suggests identifying a grant your potential employer could use to subsidize your salary. Talk about a compelling value proposition! Pocketed’s platform unlocks billions of dollars in grant funding & tax credits for startups & small businesses across North America.
Link to Pocketed: hellopocketed.io
In this episode, Brianna Blaney, CEO & Co-Founder of Pocketed, shares her startup journey on how she created a platform to get much-needed funding into the hands of businesses and employees. Named a 30 Under 30 by BC Business in 2018, Brianna is not new to founding startups. To secure your dream job, she suggests identifying a grant your potential employer could use to subsidize your salary. Talk about a compelling value proposition! Pocketed’s platform unlocks billions of dollars in grant funding & tax credits for startups & small businesses across North America.
Link to Pocketed: hellopocketed.io
In this episode, Shams Albayati, Director of People and Culture at Owl.co, discusses their ambitious mission to combat the insurance industry’s $80 billion fraud problem. She explains what it’s like working at a startup in its pre-seed, seed, A, B stage and shares her thoughts on how to find a dream company to work for. Founded in only 2018, Owl recently raised $30 million USD in Series-B funding and quadrupled in staff in only 8 months!
Link to Owl: owl.co
In this episode, Shams Albayati, Director of People and Culture at Owl.co, discusses their ambitious mission to combat the insurance industry’s $80 billion fraud problem. She explains what it’s like working at a startup in its pre-seed, seed, A, B stage and shares her thoughts on how to find a dream company to work for. Founded in only 2018, Owl recently raised $30 million USD in Series-B funding and quadrupled in staff in only 8 months!
Link to Owl: owl.co
In this episode, Ilya Brotzky, founder and CEO of VanHack, opens up about what led him to founding a network of the world’s top software engineering, design, and digital marketing talent. Ilya started his career co-founding startups in Brazil before returning to Canada and realizing that he could help solve the issue of a lack of tech talent in BC. He discusses the benefits of hiring remotely and provided his top 3 tips for standing out as a job candidate. With close to 400,000+ developers from over 120 countries, VanHack is the largest diverse workforce specialized in helping companies hire tech talent fast.
Link to VanHack: vanhack.com
In this episode, Jonathan Watson, CTO at Clio, shares his journey through the tech industry to find his passion in legaltech. Previously a Director of Engineering at Zynga and Shopify, Jonathan has discovered the very meaningful impact legaltech has on people's lives through his work at Clio. Jonathan talks about the importance of having boundaries between work and personal life, and encourages anyone to apply to Clio regardless of knowledge of legaltech or of Clio’s stack. Clio is a leader in cloud-based legal technology offering practice management, CRM and client intake software that recently achieved centaur status. They aim to be a 100-year enduring company.
Link to Clio: Clio.com
In this episode, Erica Rizzo, Director of People and Culture at Metafy, opens up about the joys of working at a rapidly growing 100% remote e-learning startup. Erica discusses how they’re navigating company culture with a global team, how they don’t believe in location based salaries and shares her own personal journey of getting hired at Metafy while being an expectant mother. She also provides tips on how to be the ideal candidate for their expanding operations in Canada. Founded in August of 2020, Metafy raised an impressive $25 million dollar series A in 2022, led by Tiger Global and Seven Seven Six.
Link to Metafy: metafy.gg
In this episode, Andrew Donaher, VP of Consulting at CGI, talks about exciting tech industry changes, the differences between data and AI, and CGI’s commitment to sustainability. He also reveals who the most important person in the room is these days and the story behind his personal motto of community, curiosity and courage. Andrew also shares his personal insights for job candidates, who may be looking to pursue their passion at CGI. With 84,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI also collaborates with the European Space Agency, supporting its satellite missions.
Link to CGI:
www.cgi.com
In this episode, Daniel Ballingall, Director of National Sales Activation at TELUS, discusses TELUS’ journey from a telco to a global technology powerhouse. Daniel opens up about why TELUS is a great place to start, build and grow your career, and why the company continues to stand out in today’s market. He also shares the company’s culture mentalities such as their “fail fast” approach and investing in coaching and development, and he also shares a philosophy favorite of his to always persevere, have a great perspective, and have purpose in your life. With a staggering 55,000 employees worldwide, TELUS was recently recognized as the most valuable telco brand in Canada, and the sixth best B2B brand in Canada and only telco in the top ten.
Link to TELUS: www.telus.com
In this episode, Natalie Murray, Principal Recruiting Manager at Relic Entertainment, discusses what Relic is doing differently as a studio in the gaming industry and the importance of leveling the playing field in hiring brilliant talent. Natalie shares her passion for supporting women in the gaming and tech sector, discusses if degrees and education are a hiring requirement anymore, and opens up about what drew her to working at Relic. Relic Entertainment has over 300 employees and in 2021, they won Best Place to Work in Canada and Canada’s Best Boss Award from GamesIndustry.biz.
In this episode, we got to chat with Dejan Pralica, CEO and Co-Founder of Solesavy, about how Solesavy got started and what makes a virtual sneakersphere a unique platform to work at. Dejan shares his adventures in the start-up world, his thoughts on being an innovator and taking risks, the importance of team-building and what makes a successful job candidate at a remote start-up. His company, Solesavy, is a 100% digital sneaker community based out of Vancouver, raising $12.5 million in series A funding in 2021.
Link to SoleSavy:
www.solesavy.com
In this episode, we got to chat with Paul Rubenstein, Chief People Officer at Visier, about how he started his impressive career in New York, California, and Germany working for companies like Aon Hewett and HBO before moving to Vancouver, BC. Paul opens up about finding your career journey, the value of experience and passion over having the right academic degree, and the importance of mental health. He also shares some important job hunting tips and discusses the changing dynamics in the workforce at Visier. Visier, a Vancouver-born software company, is experiencing a steady upward trajectory and has quickly grown to be the market leader in workforce analytics. In 2021, Visier raised $125M at a $1B valuation for its big-data approach to HR analytics and planning.
Link to Visier: www.visier.com
In this episode, Lisa Zarzeczny, Co-Founder and CEO at Elevate, discusses Elevate’s innovative tech talent and NFT programs, advises on the latest tech trends to watch out for, and shares her thoughts on rethinking education. Lisa gives insight into what it’s like working for Elevate, how to get involved, and tips on radical hiring changes for job applications. Her company, Elevate, is a non-profit hub for tech, innovation & sustainability pioneers that is partnered with the UN. In 2021, Elevate received a federal government grant of almost $6 million dollars to create programs for elevating talent.
Link to Elevate:
www.elevate.ca
In this episode, Edoardo De Martin, CTO of CubicFarm Systems, discusses the types of innovative and sustainable technology at CubicFarm and the important role of agro-tech in the future of our society. He shares some important tips for job-seekers looking for positions in agro-tech and discusses company culture in a hybrid work model. CubicFarms’ mission is to use innovative technology to feed a growing world with less resources. They were recently selected as a winner in the 2022 Top Impact Companies alongside Tesla and Microsoft.
Link to CubicFarm Systems:
cubicfarms.com
In this episode, Fernanda Ave, Head of Tech Programs at CICCC, discusses how she got into tech education, the ever-changing world of tech, and what kind of jobs we should be expecting to see in the future. Fernada gives job candidates advice on how to find resources and gives tips on how to get their foot in the door in this industry. She also dives into the kinds of programs CICCC provides and is currently developing to keep up with market demands. CICCC is a vocational college with three campuses in Vancouver and almost 2000 students.
Link to CICCC:
www.ciccc.ca
In this episode, Sachi Kittur, VP of People Strategy at StickerYou, discusses her HR journey from the tech sector to the custom digital print and manufacturing industry and her passion for people. She defines personal development in the workplace, and gives 3 important tips on how to better stand out with your job application at StickerYou. StickerYou, is a Canadian success story experiencing double-digit growth over the past year and is slated to expand its workforce of 100+ employees.
Link to StickerYou:
www.stickeryou.com
In this episode, Kerris Hougardy, Head of People at Ada, opens up about company culture and working at a rapidly growing startup . Originally from the UK, Kerris recently switched from a career in commercial real estate to tech. She describes how Ada takes care of the “whole human” and discusses the pros of working for a digital first company. Ada - a software company of 400 employees, plans to double in size in 2022. In 2021, they secured Series C funding of $130 million.
Link to Ada:
www.ada.cx
In this episode, Karim Ben-Jaafar, President and COO at Beanworks discusses how he was a late-bloomer and got his career started later in life. With a background in sales and marketing, he shares some of his secrets of success, his career struggles, and tips on what employers like Beanworks are looking for in a job candidate. In 2021, Beanworks - an accounts payable software company - was acquired by Quadient, a publicly-traded French company, for $106 million.
Link to Beanworks:
www.beanworks.com
In this episode, Peter Fitzpatrick, VP of Payments at Thinkific, opens up about launching his career in sales and his personal philosophy on setting impossible goals. He discusses building an exceptional company culture, and advises job seekers to follow what authentically matters when envisioning their futures. Earlier this year, Thinkific, a platform that creates and sells online courses, joined the TSX and became one of 7 Vancouver unicorn companies in 2021.
Link to Thinkific:
www.thinkific.com
In this episode, Matt Schatz, CRO of Trulioo, shares his journey from teacher to sales in the corporate world. Matt discusses the importance of mentorship, how to support star-performing employees, and how to prepare for an interview at Trulioo. Trulioo, a Vancouver startup, is one of the biggest global identity verification solutions in the world, identifying 5 billion people and 300 million businesses. They recently raised $394 million at a valuation of $1.75 billion.
Link to Trulioo
www.trulioo.com
In this episode, Rebecca Konsolos Rahmani, Head of Partnerships & Strategy at Optix discusses how Optix is supporting hybrid and flexible offices to manage and optimize their workplace. Optix’s technology has been powering flexible workplaces for the last 5+ years in over 20 countries. Rebecca discusses the future trends of physical office space, how Optix has adopted a hybrid work model during the pandemic and offers tips on cover letter writing for job candidates.
Link to Optix:
www.optixapp.com
In this episode we spoke with Arvinder Billing, Founder & CEO, and Tammam Kbeili, CTO at Aplicar. Arvinder discusses the origins of Aplicar and how failure doesn’t exist in a start-up while Tammam shares his thoughts on what makes a great developer and how to stand out to hiring managers. Their platform Aplicar connects students and recruitment partners to global institutions. As of 2021, Aplicar is partnered with over 200 colleges and universities across Canada.
Link to Aplicar:
www.aplicar.io
In this episode, Joseph Nakhla, CEO and Founder of Tribe Property Technologies, discusses the immense growth of his company, going from 0 to $12 billion in assets since 2018. Joseph opens up about the effects of company acquisition on company culture, taking time off work to reset, and advises others to think about growth and how to get to that next level. His company, Tribe, has over 200 employees across Canada that serve 100,000 residents in over 40,000 homes.
Link to Tribe:
https://tribetech.com/
In this episode, Anna Sainsbury, Chairman and Founder of GeoComply, discusses how she built her impressive career from the ground up and spent 15 years in the gaming and compliance industry. She shares advice with job candidates on taking risks, and outlines some of the social initiatives at GeoComply. Her company, GeoComply, started off as a niche industry in cutting edge fraud solutions and now has a 300+ team with multinational offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe.
Link to GeoComply:
www.geocomply.com
In this episode, Justin Laufer, Senior Director of Operations at Carbon60, opens up about his journey in tech, starting at the University of Florida. Justin discusses the future of the cloud hosting industry, unpacks company culture, and gives advice on how to treat others. His employer, Carbon60, recently acquired award winning multi-cloud consultancy OpsGuru in 2021, expanding to 160 employees across Canada with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and St. John.
Link to Carbon60:
www.carbon60.com
In this episode, Michael Cheng, CEO and Co-Founder of Lumen5, reveals how he got started with his entrepreneurial ventures from WittyCookie to Sniply to Lumen5. Michael discusses the difference between being an intrepreneur vs entrepreneur, shares important interview tips, and predicts the future of video creation. His startup, Lumen5 - a video creation software company, was listed by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies in 2020.
Link to Lumen5:
www.lumen5.com
In this episode, Rizwan Somji, CEO of Cymax Group, shares his amazing journey of success in the tech industry, beginning with his start-up ResponseTek. He discusses current business trends alongside company vision as Cymax rapidly expands. Riz recently took home one of seven EY Entrepreneur of The Year 2021 Pacific awards while Cymax Group was a 2021 finalist in the BC Technology Impact Award by BC Tech Association.
Link to Cymax Group:
www.cymaxgroup.com
In this episode, Nick Clifford, Director of Marketing at Phoenix Labs, opens up about his 15+ years in the gaming industry and the importance of following one's passions. Nick was the branding mastermind behind Phoenix Labs’ signature multiplayer game “Dauntless” which boasts 25 million players worldwide. In 2021, Phoenix Labs was one of 11 companies awarded the “US Best Place to Work Award” by GamesIndustry.biz.
Link to Phoenix Labs:
www.phxlabs.ca
In this episode, Kylie Riggins, Chief of Staff at Beanworks, discusses the importance of networking and lessons learned as an executive assistant for the CEO of Instagram in California. She also shares the secrets behind their company growth, and opens up about the company's philosophy. In 2020, Business in Vancouver (BIV) recognized Beanworks, a Vancouver-based accounts payable software company, as #8 in their 2020 list of 100 fastest growing companies in BC.
Link to Beanworks
www.beanworks.com
In this episode, Spocket’s People & Culture Manager Annie McLeod opens up about how she got into HR work, the importance of influential mentors, and explains how dropshipping works. Annie started her HR career in startups in the UK, notably Second Home, where company growth tripled during her time there. Spocket, a Vancouver-based dropshipping marketplace, enables over 60,000+ entrepreneurs across five continents to launch and scale their online stores.
Link to Spocket
www.spocket.co
In this episode, Mike Starkey, VP of AI and Technology at Fujitsu, shares his industry experiences at global companies, how to stay updated on current technology trends, and the concept of reverse mentoring. Mike spent 31 years working for IBM as a distinguished engineer and more recently at BCIT as Associate Dean of Computing. Last month, Fujitsu was named the winner of VMware's 2021 Global Partner Social Impact Award for their business contributions during COVID-19.
Link to Fujitsu:
www.fujitsu.com
In this episode, Co-Founder & CEO Gautam Lohia, discusses the importance of defining yourself as a job candidate. Gautam has been leading digital technology companies for 25 years — mentoring countless numbers of job seekers. He recommends younger individuals define who they are as job candidates, and more experienced individuals focus less on titles and more on their impact. Today, Apply Digital has 175 employees and serves clients across North America.
Link to Apply Digital:
www.applydigital.com
In this episode, Eric Beckwitt, Founder & CEO of Freightera, discusses the secret of creating an impactful career. We first talked about the importance of remote working skills and using cover letters to attract recruiters. But most importantly, he advised job seekers to work for companies where their skills can create a meaningful impact on industries and societies. Freightera won the 2020 Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ award when revenues grew 678% from 2016-2019.
Link to Freightera:
www.freightera.com
In this episode, Bill Tam, Co-founder of the Digital Supercluster, discusses the secret of a successful starter. As board member of organizations like CBC Radio, Emily Carr University and Digital Supercluster, he's seen a fair share of startups. Bill shares his viewpoint on Vancouver's growing tech ecosystem, including promising tech innovations like VR, AR, and sustainable tech. The Digital Supercluster, as a tech accelerator, has raised over $500 million from +200 organizations since 2017.
Link to Canada's Digital Supercluster:
www.digitalsupercluster.ca
In this episode, Kasey Bayne, Lead Instructor at Brain Station and CMO at KB Consulting, discusses the importance of upskilling. Kasey started her first role in marketing in 2005 and for the last 15-years worked at various tech startups. By focusing less on career growth and more on skill growth, she became an expert marketing consultant. BrainStation is the global leader in digital skills training, with +500 industry instructors and +100,000 students.
Link to Brain Station:
www.brainstation.io
In this episode, Kevin Martin, Senior Marketing Manager at Aquatic Informatics, discusses the importance of water transformation. We also talk about his current role and tips for excelling as a marketer. The company aims to ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe drinking water through the help of software and data. Aquatic Informatics was named one of BC's Top Employers in 2020, and recently acquired by Danaher, a Fortune 500 company.
Link to Aquatic Informatics:
www.aquaticinformatics.com
In this episode, Claudia Ivanova, Head of HR at FISPAN, discusses the importance of following and working with an inspirational leader. Starting her career at FISPAN was the best decision as the leaders provided her with growth opportunities, and taught her the importance of having a open and transparent workplace. Claudia tells us the value of having an experienced CEO (Lisa Shields) take charge of the company with her 15+ years of startup experience. In 2018, Lisa's previous startup, HyperWallet, was sold to PayPal for $400 million.
Link to FISPAN:
www.fispan.com
In this episode, Darius Eghdami, President and Founder at FansUnite, shares the relation between passion and success. Darius loves sports and started betting on sports when he was of legal age. Now, his company is positioned to capitalize on the legalization of single-event betting. Passion is what drove him to leave a comfortable job at KPMG, and passion is what drives him to succeed today. In January 2021, FansUnite raised $14 million in a private placement round.
Link to FansUnite:
www.fansunite.com
In this episode, Kathy Enros, VP of People at Klue, shares her views on trust and work-life balance. With remote work on the rise, work-life balance has become increasingly difficult to achieve. Klue focuses on a transparent culture where employees can openly "check out" of the office regardless the hour. By building a strong culture of trust, the company was able to innovate and become one of the fastest-growing companies in BC. Last year, Klue raised $15 million in a Series A round.
Link to Klue:
www.klue.com
In this episode, Beier Cai, co-founder and CTO of Commit, discusses remote work, the importance of peer-to-peer support and mentorship. Beier spent 10 years at Hootsuite as the CTO and shortly after founded his first company which was acquired by Galaxy Digital—one of the largest cryptocurrency funds with assets exceeding $404 million. Today, Beier is focused on building Commit, a fully-remote team changing the way companies and employees look at software development.
Link to Commit:
https://commit.dev/
In this episode, we spoke with Mike Monty, Director of Enterprise Sales at PayPal Canada. Mike joined PayPal through the acquisition of HyperWallet, where he spent 7 years as an executive vice president in various departments like sales and finance. At HyperWallet, Mike managed relationships with major companies like Amazon, Expedia, and VRBO. Today, PayPal has 325 million active users and processes over $700 billion in payments a year.
Link to Website:
www.paypal.com
In this episode, we spoke with Vitaly Pecherskiy, Co-Founder & COO and Natalia Vassilieva, VP of People & Culture at StackAdapt. Vitaly shares with us the inception story of StackAdapt's innovative programmatic ads platform while Natalia talks about their overseas expansion plan and growth opportunities available to the entire StackAdapt team. As of 2020, StackAdapt is ranked 6th in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 ranking, and 23rd in Fast 500 in North America.
Link to StackAdapt:
www.stackadapt.com
In this episode, Jessica Nordlander, COO of Thoughtexchange, discusses her philosophy on failing and the importance of experimenting. Jessica spent 2 years at Google as the head of business development, and was recently named Sweden's Most Innovative Leader. She attributes her 10+ years of success at high growth tech companies to her ability to constantly experiment and learn new things. Thoughtexchange has over 100 corporate clients as is recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies.
Link to Thoughtexchange:
www.thoughtexchange.com/
In this episode, Geoff Fawkes, Vice President of Technology at BuildDirect, discusses the positive aspects of remote working. Geoff has been an expert remote worker for the last 15 years, working with teams across the globe. He believes that working in a virtual office leads to better work-life balance, more efficient collaboration, and a more flexible work environment. As of early 2020, BuildDirect is a fully remote company with staff in Canada and India.
Link to BuildDirect:
www.BuildDirect.com
In this episode, Charlyne Fothergill, Senior HR Business Partner at CTO.ai, discusses the importance of being fearless with career opportunities. Charlyne studied theatre and started as a teacher, before taking the leap and joining the startup scene as an HR advisor. At the time, she wasn't sure if she was ready or qualified to work in HR, but taking the opportunity opened up doors she never knew was possible. Now she is part of the leadership team at CTO.ai, a local startup which recently raised $10 million in seed funding.
Link to CTO.ai:
www.cto.ai
In this episode, we spoke with Shelly Bardai, Senior Manager of KPMG's Ignition Center and Harneet Gill, Director of Talent for Greater Vancouver. We talked about KPMG's new innovation and technology centre — the first of its kind in Canada. Harneet tells us how KPMG was able to convert their large global team into a remote workforce in under 36 hours. And Shelly shares with us the importance of innovation and what industries she would focus on if she was job seeking.
Link to KPMG:
www.kpmg.ca
In this episode, Aliya Bhatia, Co-founder and CEO of PawSwap, discusses her startup experience. She talks about the importance of finding a person that has "walked the same path" as you. And how podcasts have given her better career advice than most friends, family members or even mentors could. She talked about staying focused but recognizes that "pivoting"—i.e. changing your approach—is equally, if not more, important in order to reach your end goal.
Link to PawSwap:
https://www.pawswapapp.com
In this episode, Nicola Jones-Crossley, Executive Director of Women in Tech World, discusses her approach to networking. Whether in her home-town Sydney, Bangkok or Vancouver, she was able to build networks in order to take her career and organizations to the next level. Today, she relies on online tools like LinkedIn to broaden her network. Nicole joined the organization in 2020, and aims to empower communities to change the story of women in tech.
Link to Women in Tech:
https://womenintechworld.com/
In this episode, Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight, discusses her journey in the growing cleantech space. Jeanette started her career in clean tech right out of University. Despite all the early struggles, she believes the path of entrepreneurship was the right decision for her. Jeanette recommends young professionals take risks early on in their lives, and step outside their comfort zones. As of 2020, Foresight has helped secure +$250 million in funding.
Link to Foresight:
https://foresightcac.com/
In this episode, Louisa Yeung, VP of PDFTron, discusses the concept of sponsorship. Throughout the course of her career in finance, Louisa worked for big companies like TD Bank and Deloitte. She attributes her career growth with her financial modelling and interpersonal skills. But also her ability to acquire mentors who are willing to speak up and advocate for her—known as sponsors. In 2019, Louisa underwrote PDFTron's $95 million growth investment by Silversmith Capital Partners.
Link to PDFTron:
https://www.pdftron.com/
In this episode, Michael Fergusson, CEO of Ayogo, discusses the importance of leadership. According to him, the most important workplace trait is leadership. He values people who take responsibility for success and failures. Other important traits are compassion and persistence. Compassion for stakeholders of the company, and persistence to complete a project despite setbacks. Ayogo was twice listed among the 100 most innovative medical health companies in the world.
Link to Ayogo:
https://ayogo.com
In this episode, Mike Starkey, Associate Dean at BCIT's Computing Program, discusses the future of higher education and online learning. He recommends all students to upskill in the digital era, to ensure they have a competitive advantage over other candidates. With BCIT's computing programs, students are placed into real-life projects with real companies throughout their degree. Listen to hear about some of the innovative projects students were involved with in 2020.
Link to BCIT:
https://www.bcit.ca/
In this episode, Martin Van Den Hemel, Director of Communications at Kabu Ride, discusses the rewards of working at a growing startup. He talks about the company's early struggles with law-making authorities and having to shut down for 6 months before receiving certification as a ride-hailing service. To date, their app completed over 1.3 million rides for more than 70,000 customers. In 2020, Kabu was nominated for the BC Tech Innovation Awards.
Link to Kabu Ride:
https://www.kabu.ca/kaburide/
In this episode, Martina Valkovicova, Assistant Dean of UBC Business Career Services, discusses the importance of learning. According to UBC studies, by 2024, it will take 101 days to learn, unlearn and relearn for a new job. Therefore, she urges people to be prepared to constantly learn to progress within their careers. We also talk about her predictions for the future of work, and where students should focus in order to make an impact.
Link to UBC Sauder School of Business:
https://www.sauder.ubc.ca
In this episode, Radwa Saad (Director of Talent Programs) and Jamil Karim (Marketing Manager) of Innovate BC, discusses the importance of hiring youth workers. Not only is youth hiring funded by Innovate BC's government-funded programs, young workers often offer fresh and creative perspectives, allowing your company to see things that are sometimes overlooked. Since 2018, over 1,400 companies has received funding and benefited from Innovate BC's talent programs.
Link to Innovate BC:
innovatebc.ca
In this episode, Karm Sumal, Co-founder and CEO of Daily Hive, discusses the importance of hard work during tough times. He talks about his goals for the Daily Hive and his philosophy of hard work. Karm built the Daily Hive from the ground up and today receives +16 million views per month. He did this through grit and determination. Today, he encourages his team to not be complacent, and to strive for more rather than less during a recessionary period.
Link to Daily Hive:
https://dailyhive.com
In this episode, Tara Ataya, VP of People at Hootsuite, discusses the importance of taking care of your employees. During COVID, Hootsuite focused on taking care of their people first. Offering support in the form of additional sick leave, family caregiver leave, and work-from-home allowances. The leadership team strongly believes that taking care of employees is priority #1. And, in turn, employees will take care of the customers. Not the other way around.
Link to Hootsuite:
https://hootsuite.com
In this episode, Dana Ramnarine, Vice President of Rhum.hr, discusses the importance of practicing self-care and seeking support. She took us back 1 year to when she started Rhum.hr and the stress she felt balancing her work and responsibilities as a single-mother. Dana was able to overcome this difficult period with the support of her friends and loved ones, as well as through a free childcare community she created called “Vancouver BC Childcare Givers & Seekers”.
Link to Rhum.hr:
https://www.rhum.hr
In this episode, Darren Dahl, Associate Dean at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, discusses the future of higher education and online learning. As one of the top universities in Canada, he believes the learnings from COVID will ultimately help shape the future of higher education across Canada and the world. He foresees a future where students have the choice between in-person, virtual, or hybrid classes. Recognizing our current technological limitations, Darren talks about the steps that UBC is taking towards making this future a reality.
Link to UBC Sauder School of Business:
https://www.sauder.ubc.ca
In this episode, Sarah Main, Director of Product at WeatherBug, discusses the importance of failing. As a leader of the company, she acknowledges that failure is part of the process and is necessary for the company to move forward. However, failure needs to be looked at critically and recorded so that it can be avoided in the future. Having conversations about failure and embracing failure is part of what makes startups like WeatherBug grow so rapidly.
Link to WeatherBug:
https://www.weatherbug.com
In this episode, Natania Mathany, VP of People at A Thinking Ape (ATA), discusses the importance of having a growth mindset. She talks about one of the company's core value, which is “keep growing”. Leaders are constantly pushing themselves and team members to look for new, creative ideas and new ways of doing things. Creativity and innovation is fundamental to ATA as a games company, and they strive to add other creative members who also have a growth mindset.
Link to ATA:
https://athinkingape.com/
In this episode, Anthony Azar, Director of Talent Acquisition at Traction on Demand, discusses the importance of finding and showcasing your passion. Anthony built his 12-year career in recruitment and found that the most successful people usually have something they are passionate about. Skills are things most of us can learn pretty quickly, but it’s hard to learn passion. Certain types of tasks just appeal to us more than others.
Link to Traction on Demand:
https://tractionondemand.com/careers/
In this episode, Shane Pounder, Vice President of Operations at Flipp, discusses the importance of being "flexible" with your plans. Shane spent the early part of his career as a consultant at Bain & Co. learning business problem-solving skills, before moving to Maple Leaf Foods, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and now Flipp, a major retail technology company based in Toronto. He credits his success to his ability to be flexible and take new opportunities to learn and grow his career.
Link to Flipp:
https://www.flipp.com
In this episode, Kaylee Astle, Director of Operations at Spocket, discusses the importance of being "hungry" to learn. Kaylee started as an operations expert at Spocket, but quickly learned and developed skills in finance, customer support, and marketing. She proactively learned these skills to set herself apart as a leader of the company. Kaylee encourages new hires to constantly ask questions, and look for ways to improve themselves and the organization.
Link to Spocket:
https://www.spocket.co/careers
In this episode, Dave Evans, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Best Buy Canada, joins us to discuss the importance of problem-solving in the work place. At Best Buy, leaders are explicitly trained to "set the path forward to win" and "create an environment to get the job done". Leaders at Best Buy do not come up with solutions for the team. Rather, they help remove roadblocks, provide resources and support, and empower team members to come up with their own solutions.
Link to Best Buy Canada:
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/careers/
In this episode, Andrew Deacon, Director of HR at Clio, joins us to discuss the importance of professional development within the workplace. He believes talent development and high performance are not mutually exclusive, and that a good firm should focus on both. Leaders within Clio are constantly pushing employees to "live a learning mindset", regardless whether these skills will be used within the firm today or at a different firm tomorrow.
Link to Clio Careers:
https://www.clio.com/about/careers/
In this episode, Cyrus Moradian, CEO and Founder at Wize, joins us to discuss how he looks for gritty and persevering members to join his "army". We also talk about how he manages or "supports" his employees. He believes the best way to grow a company is to grow the people within. He emphasizes supporting his team, over-communicating, and maintaining a flat structure where he and other leaders are always accessible—especially during a pandemic.
Link to Wize Careers:
https://wizedemy.com/careers
In this episode, Yvonne Wu, Recruitment Manager at PayPal, joins us to discuss the importance of maintaining a growth mindset amidst tough times. During COVID, PayPal launched a relief fund to support their employees and team members, provided employment security and confidence, and rolled out key products such as QR code and cryptocurrency payment technology to support their global push towards touch-less payments.
Link to PayPal Careers: https://www.paypal.com/ca/webapps/mpp/jobs
In this episode, Jesse Dallon, Human Resources Manager of Piranha Games, joins us to discuss the importance of their fun and informal culture. And shares with us how a laid-back work environment encourages innovation and a strong creative process. Jesse shares with us details of what their culture looks like (i.e. beer Fridays, game breaks, etc.). Piranha Games was founded in 2000, and is best-known for the Free-to-Play game title MechWarrior Online.
Link to Piranha Games: https://piranhagames.com/
https://piranhagames.com/
In this episode, Arthur Kononuk, Co-founder of Tentree, joins us to discuss the importance of taking charge. We talk about the roots of Tentree and dive deep into their give-back model of planting 10 trees for every product sold. Arthur shared his initial fear of planting trees from a financial and logistical standpoint, and how they took the leap for a greater cause. Tentree has been featured on Dragons' Den and was selected as a 2019 Top Innovator by Apparel magazine.
Link to Tentree: http://tentree.ca
In this episode, Raghwa Gopal, CEO & President of InnovateBC, joins us to discuss the importance of building a strong corporate culture, and why it's up to the leaders to build it and the HR team to facilitate it. The culture at your organization sets expectations for how people behave and work together. It also guides decision-making, and improves overall workflow. This all begins with the leader deliberately planning how he/she wants the company to look like.
www.innovatebc.ca
In this episode, Erin Girard, Talent Lead at Spare Labs, joins us to discuss the importance of accommodating for and encouraging the people within your organization. We talk about the leaders at Spare Labs and how they encourage team members to contribute to new ideas with something tangible. Accommodating employees means going above and beyond to show care. This means shipping out entire office setups (tables, desks, etc) amidst a global pandemic, interviewing prospective employees after-hours, and more.
Link to Spare Labs: https://sparelabs.com/
In this episode, Dalena Nguyen, Talent Branding Specialist at Thinkific, joins us to discuss the importance of focusing on a values fit rather than a culture fit when hiring talent. Building and nurturing an innovative company culture requires finding the right people that blends well with the company culture. However, since everybody is different in their own unique ways, focusing on building the right values can sometimes lead to better end-results.
Link to Thinkific: www.thinkific.com