What The Tech?

The Companies That Win This Decade Will Be the Ones That Learn Fastest: Inside Limitless AI

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

In this episode of What the Tech from Boast.AI, we sit down with Matthew Dillon, CEO and Co-Founder of Limitless AI, to discuss how AI automation is changing customer discovery—and why the real competitive advantage isn't speed, it's learning.

What You'll Learn:

→ Why the customer discovery phase is moving from Google to AI search engines
→ How Limitless AI automates the first step of the customer journey while capturing critical intent signals
→ The self-improving loop: how captured conversation data trains AI to be more effective
→ Why service-based businesses need enterprise-grade customer intelligence (and why it's now accessible)
→ Matthew's entrepreneurial journey: from lawn care at age 10 to AI automation at 21
→ How real customer use cases drove product development (not the other way around)
→ The R&D investment required to build AI agents ($10K+/month in Claude API costs alone)
→ Why SR&ED tax credits matter for bootstrapped AI startups
→ Partnership strategy: scaling through e-commerce platforms and agencies
→ How SMBs can access the same customer intent data that enterprises spend hundreds of millions to understand

Key Insights:

"The companies that win in the next decade, they're not just gonna respond faster. They're gonna learn faster. They're gonna learn about their buyers' signals, wants, needs, pain points, objections—and surface those quicker."

"It's not about automating for the sake of automating. It's tracking the conversation, understanding what the customer actually asked for, and using that to improve the AI and the product itself."

"We didn't develop an idea. We went out, integrated, worked with multiple different businesses, got proof cases, and then built a product around it."

Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence.

Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth.

Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

Bending Gravity To Build Houses Faster

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

If you have ever watched a new build drag on for months, balloon in price, and still feel like a custom prototype at the end, you already know the real problem with housing: the process does not scale. Today we sit down with Vikas Enti, CEO and co-founder of Reframe Systems, to talk about a different model for construction, one that borrows lessons from robotics, systems engineering, and manufacturing to make housing faster, cheaper, and more predictable.

Vikas helped lead major deployments at Amazon Robotics after the Kiva acquisition, and he brings that “complex systems” mindset to one of the most stubborn industries in America. We dig into why jobsite construction stays serialized and weather-dependent, and how Reframe’s low-cost modular microfactories change the equation by decoupling work from the site. He explains the idea of “bending gravity” inside the factory, how worker augmentation enables generalists to do skilled tasks, and why their robotics roadmap is designed to raise automation without the price tag of traditional industrial systems.

We also get concrete about where this matters most: infill development in existing neighborhoods, where zoning differences and approval friction can make costs spike to $300 to $400 per square foot. Vikas walks through how computational design and software-driven engineering support mass customization across municipalities, plus what they are learning from projects in Massachusetts and from wildfire rebuild work in Altadena. Finally, we talk team building, vertical integration, and what is coming next: a production-scale facility, a five-story apartment building, and an aggressive push toward higher volume.

If you care about construction technology, affordable housing, low-carbon homes, modular building, or the future of factory-built housing, this one is for you. Subscribe for more conversations with builders and technologists, share this with a friend who debates housing policy, and leave a review with your biggest question about scaling microfactories.

Why Digital Transformation Still Matters in the AI Era

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

On this episode we welcome to the show Garrett Fritz, Partner and CTO at MetaCTO. Garrett brings more than 10 years of experience leading software development and digital transformation to his role at MetaCTO, where his team helps business owners create new revenue streams, increase customer lifetime value and improve profit margins through mobile app design and development.

Garrett is especially adept at helping non-technical founders turn ideas into high-performing mobile apps and AI-enabled products, with work spanning wellness, education, sports, and professional services.

How Tech Thursday Became the Heartbeat of Canada's Prairie Tech Ecosystem

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:00:00 -0400

Here's how you know you're in the right place: You walk into a podcast studio in a shared co-working space in Calgary called Thin Air Labs. It's the kind of space where real work happens; not polished, not pretentious, just functional and full of energy. And it's become the epicenter of meaningful conversations about building tech companies in Canada.

That studio is home to Tech Thursday; and Phil Burns, who created it, is the kind of person who believes that the best ecosystems aren't built top-down, but instead by showing up, week after week, and asking the right people the right questions.

The Secret Costs of Condo Living (And How CondoScan Decodes Them)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400

In this episode of What the Tech from Boast.AI, we sit down with Nyle MacLeod, Co-Founder of CondoScan, to discuss why condo buying is fundamentally different—and why most buyers have no idea what they're actually purchasing.

What You'll Learn:

→ Why buying a condo means you're buying into a corporation (not just a home)
→ The hidden documents and financial accounts that scare first-time buyers
→ How reserve funds, special assessments, and bylaws actually work
→ Why CondoScan's document review helped one buyer negotiate $100K off asking price
→ The difference between due diligence and overwhelming information
→ How personalized analysis reveals risks unique to each buyer
→ The realtor tool launching soon that changes the buying experience
→ Why Calgary's startup ecosystem is powerful for early-stage founders
→ What happens when you prioritize clarity over complexity

About Nyle MacLeod:

Nyle grew up entrepreneurial, working at scrappy startups while in business school. He's a generalist who loves the zero-to-one phase of building—finding problems and getting them started. He reconnected with developer co-founder Ewan when Ewan brought the idea for CondoScan: what if we made buying a condo less terrifying?

About CondoScan:

CondoScan provides Alberta's fastest condo document review, taking the heavy lifting so customers can buy condos with confidence. They analyze condo corporation finances, identify risks, explain everything in human language, and personalize recommendations based on each buyer's situation. Same-day delivery. Dedicated support throughout.

The $50,000 Question: How Bōde is Fixing Home Selling

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:00 -0400

Robert Price had built something remarkable. At Axia, he helped grow a multi-billion dollar fiber optics company from the early days of cloud computing. Then, when the company sold, he'd earned the right to step back and think about what mattered.

Instead, he wrote a $50,000 check.

At the time, Robert was selling a home and buying another at the same time. By the end of closing, after all the broker fees, commissions, and processing costs, he'd paid $50,000 for what felt like nothing; a few signatures and some paperwork, all tied to a system that hadn't changed in decades.

"That's when it hit me," Robert realized. "Everything about buying and selling a home is now digital. We shop online. We see listings online. We find each other online. But somehow we still need two brokers to close the deal."

That question became Bōde.

How Purelend Is Eliminating Hours of Manual Document Review

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, recorded in person at Thin Air Labs in Calgary, we sat down with Sebastien Hiscock, Co-Founder of Purelend, to discuss how his company is using AI to fully automate the manual checks and underwriting that have plagued the mortgage industry for decades, and why the best AI solutions empower humans rather than replace them.

Sebastien's path to founding Purelend is a masterclass in experiential learning. He started as a software developer at WestJet, got his first "fake startup experience" building the Swoop subsidiary, then joined Neo Financial at an incredibly early stage as one of the first 10 employees in mid-2019.

How Bidaya AI Levels the Playing Field for Government Contracts

Mon, 25 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, recorded in person at Tech Thursday in Calgary, we sat down with Omar Sabbagh, CEO of Bidaya AI, to discuss how his company is using AI to level the playing field for small and mid-sized firms bidding on government contracts

Omar's journey to founding Bidaya is wonderfully nonlinear. He's a mechanical engineer by training who thought he'd be a biomedical engineer. Instead, he worked in finance doing equity research on oil and gas stocks, watched his firm transform from a traditional research company into a tech company, then decided to work at Shopify to be "in the thick of it."

How Think Accounting Helps Innovation-Driven Companies Scale Smarter

Mon, 18 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Varun Sehgal, CPA and Founding Partner of Think Accounting, to discuss how his firm's transformation from a traditional location-based practice to a cloud-first national firm changed everything, and how accountants play a critical coordination role in helping Canadian businesses maximize R&D tax credits like SR&ED.

Varun's journey started at Ernst & Young in audit, then moved to industry roles. But in 2016, he made the leap that would define his career: Leaving corporate life to build Think Accounting with his business partners.

Today, Think Accounting delivers accounting, bookkeeping, tax services, tax advisory, M&A advisory, and fractional CFO work. They also play a crucial role in identifying SR&ED candidates and coordinating with specialists like Boast to ensure clients maximize non-dilutive funding.

How telli Automates Customer Journeys Without Losing the Human Touch

Tue, 05 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Philipp Baumanns, Co-Founder and COO at telli, to discuss how AI voice agents are transforming B2C customer journeys, and why the most successful entrepreneurs focus on solving problems they've experienced firsthand.

Philipp's journey started on the other side of the entrepreneurship equation. He worked in venture capital and private equity, looking at companies from the outside. But he quickly realized the most interesting stories came from the entrepreneurs actually building the businesses.

Backed by Y Combinator and Cherry Ventures, telli serves customers ranging from Sky (Comcast subsidiary) to Viessmann (part of Carrier) with a mission that resonates deeply with Boast's ethos: Enable businesses to achieve growth and scale without overextending their resources.

How AirDev Turned No-Code Development Into an Assembly Line

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Vlad Leytus, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AirDev, the global leader in no-code and Bubble.io development. Vlad shared how AirDev enables customers to build powerful custom web apps in a fraction of the time, cost, and effort of traditional agencies, and how R&D tax credits have been critical to their growth as a bootstrapped, US-based company serving hundreds of clients from one-person startups to Fortune 100 enterprises.

The mission: Make software development faster, cheaper, and more accessible—without requiring coding expertise.

The approach: Treat software development like an industrial process. Standardize what can be standardized, modularize what's common, and customize only what's unique.

The result: A San Francisco-based company that's been growing for 10+ years, bootstrapped entirely on revenue, now retooling for the AI era.

And they're doing it all while claiming R&D tax credits to fuel continued innovation in their development framework, project management tools, and assembly-line approach to custom software.

How Symbiotic AI Is Making Precision Heart Health Decisions Data-Driven

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Arjun Puri, CEO and Co-Founder of Symbiotic AI, to discuss democratizing precision heart health, why SR&ED tax credits should be a badge of honor, and how personal tragedy sparked a mission to reduce variability in life-or-death medical decisions.

Today, Symbiotic AI is building Revaz AI—an AI-enabled clinical decision support solution specifically focused on coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death and disease globally. Revaz helps clinicians choose between treatment options like medical therapy, stenting, or bypass surgery by generating personalized risk predictions for each pathway.

How Possibility Neurotechnologies Is Making Brain-Controlled Interaction Accessible to Everyone

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Dion Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO of Possibility Neurotechnologies, to discuss brain-computer interfaces, the power of getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and how Canadian non-dilutive funding programs are enabling groundbreaking neurotechnology innovation.

Dion's journey is unconventional. She started with lemonade stands, redesigned secondhand clothes to sell at local markets by age 10, and planned to attend fashion school. Instead, she became one of the few researchers in the world with expertise in brain-computer interfaces, then built a company making brain-controlled interaction accessible to everyone.

Her first product, Think2Switch™, is "a bit like Siri for your thoughts." It translates brain signals from off-the-shelf brain-sensing headsets into usable commands so you can control computers, toys, or smart devices using your thoughts.

How Nimble Science Is Unlocking the Small Intestine's Secrets

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

n our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Sabina Bruehlmann, CEO of Nimble Science, to discuss a truly revolutionary innovation: Accessing the "dark side of the moon" of human health, the small intestine.

Sabina's journey started with free computers and straight lines. She became a mechanical engineer in the mid-90s because of a push for women to enter engineering, and because she could "draw really straight lines." But after landing at a biomedical institute, she discovered her true calling: Biomedical engineering, "the ultimate engineering because you have to reverse engineer one of the most complex machines on the planet."

Today, at Nimble Science, Sabina and her team have developed the SIMBA™ Capsule, a clinically validated ingestible device that's changing how we understand gut health, food absorption, drug effectiveness, and diagnostics. They're working with Food giants to biopharma companies developing biologics.

How Patabid Uses AI to Make Construction Estimating Safer and Smarter

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Melvin Newman, CEO and Co-Founder of Patabid, to discuss how AI is transforming construction estimating and why innovation in this space matters more than most people realize.

Melvin's journey is unconventional. He's a mechanical engineer who taught himself neural network development by buying textbooks on natural language processing in 2015, built an AI system that worked so well it "terrified" him, and turned a side project into the #1 unified public tender and electrical estimating software platform in North America. Along the way, he's become a passionate advocate for R&D tax credits, construction innovation, and using AI to amplify human expertise, not replace it.

The Burnout Tax: Why R&D Investment Fails Without People Investment

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Dr. Ty McKinney, founder of 8 Bit Cortex, to discuss a topic that's often overlooked in the innovation economy: How burnout silently drains revenue, productivity, and innovation capacity from growing companies.

Ty brings a unique lens grounded in neuroscience and a deep understanding of what he calls the "burnout tax,” which is the hidden costs organizations pay when their leadership, operations, and innovation teams aren't working at full capacity. For leadership, that tax shows up as money left on the table when teams can't visualize clear paths to revenue growth. For operations, it manifests as absenteeism and presenteeism that kill productivity. And for innovation teams, it translates directly into delayed product launches, increased bugs, higher churn, and slower ARR scaling.

Think Bigger: How AI is Reshaping Staffing, IP Strategy, and R&D Funding for Startups

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

In our latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Anuj Rastogi, Managing Director at Backstretch, to discuss how AI is fundamentally reshaping product development, intellectual property creation, and staffing strategies across Canada's innovation ecosystem.

After two decades in the digital agency world, Anuj made a complete pivot into talent acquisition and executive search. He's become a familiar face across Canada's startup community (attending 38 events in 2025 alone), giving him a front-row seat to how AI is changing everything about how companies build products, create defensible IP, and staff their R&D teams; insights that matter deeply to businesses maximizing access to government funding like SR&ED tax credits.

From Painful to Unsustainable: How Frugal AI Helps Developers Fix Cloud Cost Before It's Too Late

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Mike Weider, Co-Founder and CEO of Frugal AI, the world's first AI-native application cost engineering platform. Frugal empowers developers to reduce application costs by automatically fixing inefficient code patterns that run up cloud spend—bridging the friction between finance and engineering teams while helping deliver more agile products.

We first connected with Mike at SaaS North in Ottawa (where Boast had just celebrated the launch of Budget 2025 and enhanced SR&ED funding). Mike pitched Frugal at the TechTO Rocket Stage, and his perspective immediately stood out: this wasn't just another dev tool—it was a solution to a problem that's gone from painful to unsustainable.

Mike brings serious credentials to this mission. He's served as Founder and CEO at three previous venture-backed startups that all went on to major acquisitions. He's an independent board member at numerous businesses and nonprofits (including Invest Ottawa), and an active seed investor. His pattern-recognition across multiple successful exits gives him a unique lens on what problems are worth solving.

Beyond the Bright Shiny Objects: How Ollon Helps Teams Build Better

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Chris Ellefson, President and CTO of Ollon, a boutique agency specializing in custom software application development. Ollon works with teams to meet tight deadlines, strengthen their capacity, and rescue abandoned code, seamlessly integrating within organizations to fill skill gaps and extend in-house capabilities.

We've been fans of Chris and his team since we first connected in 2024, co-hosting and participating in pitch competitions for innovative businesses across Eastern Canada. Chris has served as a tech lead and mentor at organizations on both sides of the border, and his perspective on building sustainably in Canada's tech ecosystem offers valuable lessons for founders at every stage.

Turning Moments Into Memories with Sophie Jiang of MoVA Realities

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Sophie Jiang, CEO and Co-Founder of MoVA Realities, a company on a mission to solve what Sophie calls "the hardest problem in business": turning audiences into champions who carry your story forward. We first connected with Sophie at SaaS North in Ottawa, where she took part in a pitch competition sponsored by Boast and TechTO, and absolutely wowed the crowd.

MoVA helps businesses turn their brands into 3D experiences where human connection meets scalable innovation. Built on the science of memory and crafted with the elegance of technology and art, MoVA ensures brand experiences stand out in a world flooded with content, text, and noise.

Sophie's journey to founding MoVA is rooted in her architecture background at Princeton, where a cross-disciplinary accelerator program introduced her to the power of AR and VR and changed everything.

Building Without the Boys Club: How Athena Collective is Democratizing Entrepreneurial Success for Women

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast we sat down with Mikayla Stewart, Co-Founder and CTO of Athena Collective, a platform and community designed to ensure that every female entrepreneur has the resources and tools they need to succeed—regardless of background or bank balance.

Mikayla brings a unique background to this mission: she's served as a fractional COO for 12+ stealth-stage startups, turning chaotic early-stage businesses into well-oiled machines. More recently, she's been building custom AI-powered applications that solve operational problems without unnecessary bloat. At Athena Collective, she's channeling all that operational expertise and technical skill into solving a problem that has frustrated her for years: the systematic disadvantage female founders face when building businesses.

Turning Conversations Into Action: How Momentum.io Makes Conversational Data Your Competitive Moat

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Jonathan Kvarfordt, VP of GTM Strategy at Momentum.io and founder of the GTM AI Academy. With over 15 years in revenue excellence and GTM acceleration, Jonathan has developed an AI GTM data orchestration platform that's fundamentally changing how businesses capture, structure, and activate conversational data.

For customers like Zscaler, DemandBase, Ramp, and 1Password, this has translated into productivity gains of 3-10 hours per rep per week. But the real breakthrough isn't just about time savings—it's about unlocking a competitive moat that most companies don't even realize they're sitting on.

Beyond the CRM: How Bloks is Building the Ultimate Relationship Management Tool

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

On the latest episode of What The Tech, we welcome Bloks co-founder and CEO Marc Gingras. We first connected with Marc as part of our activation with the TechTO team at SaaS North in Ottawa back in early November, where Marc took the stage to explain the game-changing innovation behind the Bloks platform.

At Bloks, Marc’s team is helping Venture Capital and Private Equity partners rethink their work by eliminating the tedious busywork that’s strife in traditional CRMs and investment workflows, freeing teams up to focus on discovering and nurture the future’s most exciting companies.

This is just part of Marc’s journey through the innovation ecosystem, as he’s been a leading entrepreneur in Ottawa and beyond for more than a decade. I’m excited to learn about his path through Canada’s tech ecosystem, the incredible work his team is doing at Bloks, and what’s on deck for 2026.

Quebec's AI Revolution: Inside the CDAE-IA Transformation and Boast's Purpose-Built Solution

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

On the latest episode of What The Tech, we welcome a few members of the Boast team onto the show for a discussion focused specifically on driving (and funding) innovation in Quebec.

If you’re a Quebecois business leader or techie, you may have heard that the province’s banner e-business tax credit—known colloquially as CDAE—is being revamped starting next year as the province expands the vision and support for fostering innovative business within Quebec.

One of the biggest enhancements to the program is a greater focus on—you guessed it—AI, and rewarding businesses who are using the latest and greatest tools and techniques to push the boundaries on what’s possible when it comes to R&D.

Joining the show to unpack it all are Joshua Martin, who leads Boast's Quebec Sales Division, and Blake Nelson, who leads Boast’s product development team and is one of the brains behind our new solution dedicated to claiming R&D tax credits in Quebec as CDAE transforms into CDAE-IA in 2026.

This is quite the brain trust we have on hand; we dive right in and pick their brains on what the new program means for innovators in Quebec and how Boast is ‘meeting the moment’ with our new dedicated CDAE-IA solutions.

How EnviroApps is Digitizing Hazmat Transportation Safety

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Amit Bhargava, co-founder and CEO of EnviroApps Inc., a Calgary-based company making the transportation of dangerous goods safer by developing the first proven electronic hazmat shipping paper solution in Canada. Over the past five years, Amit and his team have been on a mission to replace what they call "CRAPI" paper processes—Cumbersome, Ridiculous, Archaic, Painful, and Inefficient.

By offering digital solutions instead of physical paperwork, EnviroApps delivers the visibility and control that teams need when documentation access is literally a matter of life and death. Because when emergency responders arrive at a hazmat incident, they need to know what they're dealing with, and they shouldn't have to risk their lives going into a dangerous truck to find paper documents.

From Police Officer to Civic Tech Pioneer: How CocoFlow is Transforming How Communities Connect

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast we sat down with Bernie Florido, founder and CEO of Cocoflo Innovations, a Vancouver-based company creating technology that simplifies how governments and communities connect. CocoFlow integrates business licensing, parks and recreation, and payment processing modules into software solutions that empower municipalities to serve their citizens better because—as Bernie and his team believe—smarter cities create better lives.

What makes Bernie's story particularly compelling is his background: He spent more than 13 years as a police officer before going all in on his tech-enabled mission. That experience shaped his resilience, leadership, and deep commitment to public service in ways that continue to inform how Cocoflo Innovations approaches civic technology today.

Bringing Sustainable Manufacturing Home: How CTK Bio is Reshoring Production and Scaling Plant-Based Materials

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:00:00 -0500

Innovation in Sustainable Materials: A Conversation with Daniel Shum of CTK Bio

Welcome to What The Tech #podcast by Boast, where ⁨@pauldavenport3⁩ talks with Daniel Shum, CTO of CTK Bio, about their groundbreaking work in sustainable materials made from upcycled plant waste. They discuss CTK Bio's efforts to shift manufacturing to North America to reduce carbon footprint and costs, the innovative R&D projects including compounding with hemp and agave, and their aim to synthesize materials from plant waste. Learn how CTK Bio navigates #sustainability challenges, builds strategic partnerships, and effectively uses #innovation #taxcredits with Boast. Join us as we delve into the milestones and future projects that promise to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable products.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:02 CTK Bio's Recent Milestones
05:39 Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem
09:01 Innovations and Technical Challenges
18:48 Funding and Collaboration with Boast
23:05 Future Plans for CTK Bio
24:18 Conclusion and Farewell

From Finance Leader to Founder: How Profitual is Democratizing Financial Intelligence for Startups

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Raymond Fitzpatrick, CEO and founder of Profitual, a New Brunswick-based company on a mission to democratize financial intelligence for SMEs. Ray is an experienced finance leader and former VC who saw a critical gap in the market: Startup founders determined to disrupt their industries often lack the financial expertise needed to navigate growth and make confident decisions as they scale.

Profitual was born from a simple but powerful observation—the playing field isn't level for founders without financial backgrounds. Ray and his team are executing on a vision to provide innovative AI-powered financial tools that transform complex data into clear, actionable insights, allowing founders to make the kind of informed decisions that can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving.

Navigating AI Innovations and Investment Strategies with Tony Kim

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Tony Kim, a corporate investor focused on AI infrastructure, deep tech, and enterprise SaaS. Tony works at a Fortune 100 company's corporate development and venture arm, where he's engaged in everything from M&A to venture capital and LP investing.

What makes this conversation particularly timely is the perspective Tony brings: He's operating at the intersection of traditional corporate strategy and the breakneck pace of AI innovation. As someone who started his career as an investment banker covering infrastructure and telecom in New York City, he's watched the foundational layers of technology evolve. Now, he's helping shape how a major corporation responds to the AI revolution.

His insights on corporate venture capital (CVC), AI investment strategy, and what separates genuine innovation from hype are exactly what founders need to hear as they navigate 2025's rapidly changing landscape.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:10 Tony's Background and Career Journey
02:47 Understanding the CVC and VC Landscape
06:52 AI Investment Strategies and Trends
14:41 Evaluating AI Innovations
25:21 Future of AI and Infrastructure
32:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The views expressed in this interview by Tony S. Kim are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

Transforming a Legacy Industry with Modular Solutions

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0500

On this episode of What The Tech we welcome Aaron Konyer, Chief Technology Officer at Modular Solutions. Founded in 2015, Modular Solutions (formerly Nude Solutions) is a SaaS company on a mission to remove pain and friction from the insurance industry through software that allows Insurance Carriers, Managing General Agencies, Mutuals and Brokers to transform and modernize their business

In his role as CTO, Aaron leads the design and evolution of the Modular Solutions platform, bringing experience in system architecture, distributed services and backend engineering to build maintainable and adaptive systems that scale alongside business needs.

It’s an incredible, Alberta-born business that’s also a Boast partner, and I couldn’t be more excited to pick Aaron’s brain on Modular’s unique place in their industry, the cool tech he’s been steering, and what it takes to succeed in today’s market.

"Exploring the Future of Tech" with Steven Vi of VizworX Inc.

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Boast's What the Tech podcast we chat with Steven Vi, Lead Solutions Engineer at VizworX Inc., a custom software development company based in Calgary.

Steven shares his journey from academic research at the University of Calgary to leading complex tech projects at VizworX. They discuss the company's innovative approaches using AR, VR, AI, IoT, geospatial data mapping, and much more to solve diverse business challenges.

Steven delves into exciting projects like virtual operations environments and distributed command centers, highlighting the collaborative and forward-thinking ethos at VizworX. The conversation also touches on funding innovation through various grants and the R&D tax credits and the importance of combining core research with practical application to drive real-world impact.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:45 Steven's Background and Role at VIS Works
03:49 The Intersection of Technology and Business
08:59 Applied Research and Development at VIS Works
15:09 Funding and Innovation Strategies
21:55 Future Projects and Closing Remarks

"Your Technical Partner Is the Most Important Thing" with Tyler Kelloway of CoLab

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400

For fast-growing tech companies, navigating SR&ED tax credits can mean the difference between extending runway by quarters or getting bogged down in painful audits that consume dozens of hours. The key differentiator? Finding a technical partner who can translate engineering innovation into tax language without requiring extensive hand-holding.

Tyler Kelloway, Director of Finance at CoLab Software, joins the latest What The Tech podcast to share his journey from Big Four accounting to wearing every hat at a Y Combinator startup, and why switching to a specialized SR&ED provider saved significant development time while growing their claims year over year.

"Let's Build Some Cool Stuff" with Ahmed Hadjeres of ProductShop

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Some of the best entrepreneurial journeys begin with simple problems that need solving. For Ahmed Hadjeres, founder and principal electrical engineer at ProductShop, that problem was remarkably straightforward: He loved music shows but couldn't score tickets.

That quest for free concerts led him to build access control technology that would eventually be used at Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and the Olympics before being acquired by Eventbrite. On the latest What The Tech podcast, Hadjeres shares his unconventional journey from first-year engineering student to venture studio founder, and why Montreal's innovation ecosystem needs more support despite having world-class talent.

"The Right Message at the Right Time" with Aly Khan Musani of Symend

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

From working behind the counter in his family's retail business to overseeing finance, operations, product, and engineering at one of Canada's most innovative fintech companies, Aly Khan Musani's career path demonstrates how foundational business principles remain constant even as industries evolve.

As CFO and COO of Symend, Musani brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to bear on a deceptively complex problem: Helping major companies like Telus communicate effectively with customers who've missed payments. On the latest What The Tech podcast, he shares insights on building behavioral science-driven solutions, navigating government funding programs, and why understanding cash flow gives you control over your destiny.

Making FP&A Easier with John Hunt of General Ledger Partners

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0400

Hello and welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting tech initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “Technological Uncertainty” and eventually change the world.

For small businesses navigating the complex world of R&D tax credits, finding the right partners can make all the difference between leaving money on the table and maximizing government incentives. That's where strategic partnerships between accounting firms and specialized tax credit providers create real value for entrepreneurs.

This week welcome to the show John Hunt, CPA and Sr. Manager at General Ledger Partners (aka GLP). In his role, John and team provide detailed, efficient and accurate bookkeeping and financial consulting services to small businesses. Based in Austin, Texas, John and his team actually partner with Boast to help their clients maximize their access to Innovation Tax Credits to enhance their runway and build stronger products.

For subscribers to the show, you may remember we last connected with John’s colleague Jason Terry last year to chat through what it’s like supporting innovative SMBs in 2024. Needless to say, a lot has changed between then and now, and I can’t wait to pick John’s brain on how doing business at any scale in the U.S. has evolved in 2025, how his team partners with Boast, and what’s on deck for the future.

Driving "Infrastructure Independent" Innovation with Leigh Christie of MistyWest

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400

What The Tech is back for a new season of innovation insights with leaders across Canada's tech ecosystem.

On our return episode, we welcome to the show Leigh Christie, Cofounder of MistyWest. Launched in 2003, MistyWest is an engineering design consultancy that helps create futuristic technologies that enable a healthier planet while bringing prosperity to all humankind. While their primary focus is on projects that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Misty West provides product consulting services to a wide range of industries, from IoT to computer vision systems to battery packs and device packaging.

Leigh and his team at MistyWest are also Boast partners who share our vision for helping connect innovators with the resources they need to bring world-changing products to market. I’m thrilled to pick his brain on how he got into the innovation space, what he’s seen in the two decades since founding MistyWest and what’s on the roadmap.

Unlock Real-Time SaaS Insights with David Brennan of Arkeo

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0500

On this episode of What The Tech from Boast AI, we’re thrilled to welcome onto the show entrepreneur-extraordinaire David Brennan!

David is the CEO and Co-Founder of Arkeo AI, which is a SaaS Copilot that enables sales teams to achieve faster win rates and ultimately close more deals. More than just a sales tool, Arkeo AI is designed specifically for SaaS founders and their teams to make informed decisions and drive growth. As customers integrate their systems, Arkeo offers AI Agents tailored to specific departments that continuously analyze data and deliver actionable insights while also alerting to opportunities and threats.

As powerful as the Arkeo AI solution is, this is hardly David’s first go-round in the entrepreneurship space. He holds an Executive MBA with a specialization in Innovative Leadership, co-founded Safety Evolution in 2016, and helped execute the strategic acquisition of SafetyTrek in 2022 before embarking on the Arkeo Ai journey.

It’s an impressive career to date, and David shares some of his expertise for building a successful AI business in 2024, and what’s on deck for the future.

Creating Personalized Connections with Rustam Sengupta of Tuktu Care

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

On this latest episode of What The Tech, we welcome the Founder & CEO of Tuktu Care, Rustam Sengupta!

Rustam is a passionate serial entrepreneur with a focus on senior care technology, climate change, and renewable energy. As the founder and CEO of Tuktu Care, an on-demand marketplace that connects aging adults with local providers and companions, he leads the creation of innovative solutions for better aging in place.

Before Tuktu Care, Rustam worked with SDTC, one of Canada's leading sustainable energy funding organizations, and taught at the University of British Columbia. He also managed research projects for the Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy (ISEP) at Johns Hopkins University.

If that wasn’t enough, Rustam also serves on the boards of several impactful organizations and nonprofits, while also serving as Executive in Residence at the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator in Vancouver—a group that we’re big fans of here at Boast!

It’s an impressive CV and I cannot wait to pick Rustam’s brain on what it takes to achieve success and drive such positive change as an entrepreneur.

Build For Your Market with Sydney Wong

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting tech initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “technological uncertainty” and, eventually, change the world.

Today we welcome VentureX Principal Sydney Wong onto the show! Sydney is an exited tech founder turned early-stage investor with 10+ years of experience in venture capital, startups, and management consulting. She currently leads investments at VentureX Capital and built their venture studio from the ground up as a first hire. Her expertise spans deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio support, with a track record in PreSeed to Series A.

On top of all that, Sydney is passionate about building high-impact startups and fostering a strong VC community as Chapter Lead for Women in VC. It’s an incredible mission, and we pick her brain on her experiences to date in the startup space, what’s on deck for the rest of 2024, and her take on the tech and startup ecosystem heading into 2025.

Maximizing the Value of Content with Ve Sharma of Adauris

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0500

On the latest What The Tech podcast we welcome CTO and Co-Founder of Adauris Ve Sharma. Adauris is a B2B SaaS narration tool for publishers that enables written content to be instantly transformed into rich audio experiences. As an audiophile himself, Ve is passionate about Ad Auris’s mission to help publishers & content creators create greater value from each piece of their writing, increasing accessibility and driving content engagement throughout the day through audio.

Their platform combines synthetic narration with a suite of features designed to drive engagement, deliver the best audio experience, and provide rich insights into listeners’ behavior.

It’s some very cool tech with a great mission behind it, and I’m excited to pick Ve’s brain on Ad Auris’s success to date, working with partners throughout the North American tech and startup ecosystem, and what’s on deck for the future.

Leveling Up with Dennis Chow of Lodestone

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0500

On this latest episode of What The Tech, we welcome seasoned product executive and award-winning founder of Lodestone, Dennis Chow!

At Lodestone, Dennis and his team have built a product management software platform that helps busy product teams move faster and get more of their product work done. Ultimately, Lodestone helps teams drive towards comprehensive discovery and successful delivery of the right thing, for the right customers, at the right time.

Recently, Lodestone’s bona fides were on display when they took home the Judge’s Choice award at the 2024 CodeLaunch Accelerator event in Toronto, where our team was absolutely pumped to cheer on Dennis from the front row!

But this is hardly Dennis’s first go-round as an entrepreneur or lending support to the Canadian tech ecosystem. He’s currently on his fifth year as a Volunteer Advisor for the MaRS Discovery District out of Toronto, and has played a part in numerous successful startups over the course of his career to date.

I can’t wait to pick Dennis’s brain on his path into entrepreneurship, his philosophy as a product developer and creator, and what’s in store for 2025.

Navigating Growth in Life Sciences with Kumar Erramilli of Acto

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Driving innovation that truly revolutionizes sectors is a team effort. That’s exactly what Acto Co-Founder and CTO Kumar Erramilli is looking to do in the realm of biopharma, and he’s working with the team here at Boast to maximize his innovation potential and build one of the fastest-growing startups in all of Canada in the process.

ACTO is an AI-powered Intelligent Field Excellence (IFE) platform built for Life Sciences that helps Sales, Marketing, and Medical teams improve customer engagement and brand performance by turning field professionals into “Masters of the Message” who engage HCPs and their support teams with authority and impact.

With ACTO, biopharma companies can ensure field professionals are always competent, confident, and credible, delivering the right message to HCPs in face-to-face interactions, while providing senior leaders and frontline managers with the insight they need to drive continuous field force effectiveness.

While all of this is impressive on its own, Kumar has a wealth of experience across the North American tech ecosystem, having played a role in numerous startups and tech-centric organizations in his career to date. He’s a passionate inventor of AI and software technologies that are looking to change the way Life Sciences industry consumes technology, and I can’t wait to pick his brain on what’s in store for Acto and his take on the state of startups in 2024.

Embrace Continuous Feedback with Santosh Nair of Styx Intelligence

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Today’s guest on What The Tech is Styx Intelligence Co-Founder Santosh Nair! Styx Intelligence is a next-generation platform helping organizations manage Digital Risk. In his role at Styx Intelligence , Santosh leads the overall product vision and long-term strategy and development of its StyxView platform.

Their Mission is to protect organizations’ digital assets and data with a platform that provides visibility while actually supporting remediation against threats. Their platform is also key to helping businesses manage risk associated with digital transformations across various areas including cyber, privacy, regulatory compliance, third party, and brand.

Along with founding Styx Intelligence, however, Santosh has a lengthy background in the Cyber Risk space, as well as a founder building new solutions in Canada and beyond. We at Boast first met Santosh through our friends at GetFresh Ventures, and I can’t wait to hear from Santosh the role that community connections can play in building great products and achieving growth.

Dramatic Leap to Meet Climate Goals with Winston Morton of Climative

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Building a purpose-driven business isn’t easy. But when you start developing new technology that tackles a specific, pressing problem with a focus on the customers who most acutely need your solution, a wealth of support systems will open up to help your product take flight.

To share their journey through Canada’s innovation ecosystem, we welcome onto the podcast Climative CEO Winston Morton.

Climative is a clean tech company using AI-assisted digital energy assessments and blockchain to accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment. They create low-carbon plans for every building, which can be securely shared and updated by homeowners and those who support them to make better, faster decisions to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Winston started as Climative’s CTO before taking on the CEO mantle almost 2 years back, but his experience and expertise in the tech space is extensive. He’s an active member of the Futurpreneur and Volta communities, for instance, serving as a mentor for founders out of Halifax and beyond, while helping steer the tech trajectory of many innovative businesses over the past two decades.

It’s an impressive track record, and we pick Winston’s brain on what it takes to build a successful cleantech business in 2024 and what’s on deck as Climative grows!

It Takes More Than Money to Achieve Success with Faisal Khan of FMRK Diagnostics

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0400

At FMRK, Faisal and his team are developing a Rapid Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotic Susceptibility Test for the elderly and people with spinal cord injuries. Their technology is rooted in decentralized diagnostic testing solutions, making medical diagnostics easy to use, quick, and reliable.

Their first-of-a-kind, near-patient Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing Device was designed exclusively for community healthcare settings—deriving results in 6 hours or less—making the entire process easy, simple and faster than the traditional methods.

Along with driving this incredible diagnostic innovation, Faisal is also a member of the GetFresh Ventures community and has been making his mark in the BC tech and startup ecosystem. I’m excited to pick his brains on what’s next for FMRK, hear about his path as an entrepreneur, and learn about what’s in store for the rest of 2024.

Putting Ego Aside with Hudhaifah Zahid of econommi

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:00:00 -0400

On the latest episode of What The Tech we welcome Hudhaifah Zahid, Co-Founder and CEO of econommi.

At econommi, Hudhaifah and his team are building a new generation of interest-free models that revolutionize private markets by digitizing real-world assets. Their unique technology can tokenize almost any asset — that includes cars today, and maybe rockets tomorrow.

With over a decade of experience in economics, finance, and blockchain technology, Hudhaifah has a proven track record of developing cutting-edge risk scoring algorithms and creating efficient, debt-free financial systems, with expertise in enhancing liquidity, transparency, and returns for investors.

He is passionate about transitioning to an asset-based economy, addressing wealth inequality, and leveraging technology to create sustainable financial solutions.

It’s quite the mission, and I’m excited to pick his brain on what it takes to build a successful business in 2024! Without further ado, welcome to the show!

Bonus: SR&ED Unlocked with VanHack

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:00:00 -0400

On this bonus episode we welcome a return guest onto the What The Tech podcast: Our pal Ilya Brotzky, CEO of VanHack. Ilya’s team just celebrated 9 years of success helping to create a borderless world for tech talent, with more than more than 450,000 members having joined the VanHack community from over 100 countries since VanHack’s inception.

Ilya and his team are taking their on-demand staffing solution to the next level with the launch of VanHack’s SR&ED Unlocked program. In partnership with Boast, this new program is a boon for CCPCs—specifically, dev shops—throughout Canada by giving them an opportunity to unlock higher annual SR&ED claims while supporting some of the world’s top software engineering, design, and digital marketing talent in relocation.

It’s an exciting program and opportunity, and we pick Ilya’s brain on how teams can take advantage and play a role in driving global innovation.

Unlock Hidden R&D Insights with Shahed Khalili

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0400

On this special episode, we welcome a member of the Boast team onto the show, Mr. Shahed Khalili! Shahed is Boast’s Chief Product and Technical Officer, where he’s leading the team that’s building our award-winning, data-driven R&D intelligence platform, using the latest in AI and ML to help our clients accelerate their innovation and extend their product runways.

At his core, Shahed is a dreamer, builder, and a seasoned operator who has made strides in the B2B SaaS space before joining Boast. Most recently, he helped grow Galvanize to unicorn status on its April 2021 sale to Diligent for $1B USD. He’s also been a two-time co-founder, an engineer, and a product manager throughout his career, and has gained a lot of insights about building powerful solutions that I can’t wait for him to share.

In this conversation, we dive in and understand where Boast has been and what’s in store as we continue to grow and help even more innovative businesses maximize their investments into critical R&D.

Laser Focus to Move the Dial with Beth Nevins of Developa

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome onto the show Developa Founder Beth Nevins. Developa is a people and talent consultancy with deep expertise and experience operating in and supporting start-ups backed by Tiger Global, Sequoia, Target Global, Balderton, and Atomico. As experts in People & Talent, Beth and her team work as advisors, coaches, and consultants to help startups accelerate and realize their vision.

Outside of Developa, Beth has extensive experience at tech-driven startups helping steer people ops and strategy at business from seed stage to commercial growth, international expansion, and following investment rounds.

In this interview, we pick Beth’s brain on what skills and strategies founders can leverage as they navigate the various stages of startup life (and eventually march toward the CEO mantle), how teams should build their C-Suite in the first place, and common challenges facing startups when it comes to People and Talent in 2024.

Unlock Limitless Creativitiy with Mathew Mozaffari of Speer

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 15:00:00 -0400

We welcome to the show product development mastermind and tech guru Mathew Mozaffari of Speer. At Speer, Matthew and his team help startups and institutions build tools with proprietary tech, while assisting with end-to-end product development.

At the same time, they’re also building apps and tools aimed to help improve our day-to-day lives, working beyond the technological nitty-gritty with a team of artists, designers, engineers and developers who strive to impact the world with their work.

Along with establishing a standardized practice for software development for accreditation standards in North America and Europe, Mathew has led the expansion of Speer's technical practice and business markets to bring in over $5 million in revenue.

But beyond his business credentials, Mathew has been a major voice in Canada’s tech ecosystem, having traveled to 6 different countries for various competitions while being selected as a Top 30 Developer Under 30 in Canada already in his career.

We're thrilled to learn more about the work Mathew is doing in the space, his strategies for success to date, and what’s in store for 2024.

Being a tech entrepreneur in the AI age with John Lyotier of TravelAI

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome TravelAI Co-Founder and CEO John Lyotier onto the show. TravelAI is an applied AI company that connects high-intent travelers to the largest travel websites in the world and over 10 million properties through a network of interconnected brands. The company was an early spin-out of Canadian-based Left Technologies (which John also co-founded) and built upon years of experience in online marketplaces and e-commerce.

By partnering with the world’s largest travel retailers, TravelAI matches millions of travelers with their dream destinations each year, facilitating more than $1.5B in gross booking value and 6M nights booked since 2016

But as we alluded to earlier, this is hardly John’s first go-round as a Founder and entrepreneur. Today and in his past roles, John strives to lead by example, making even the most difficult business decisions based upon what is ‘right’ for all stakeholders, while advocating for responsible growth and championing Sustainable Commerce.

It’s a fantastic mission, and we pick John’s brain on his journey into the startup space, experience as a leading entrepreneur, and what’s on deck for the rest of 2024.

Marching To 100 Million Steps with Trexo Robotics

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400

We welcome Manmeet Maggu, Founder and CEO at Trexo Robotics. His team are re-imagining pediatric rehabilitation, while also redefining mobility solutions for all people.

Manmeet started the company when he found out that his nephew had Cerebral Palsy and was unable to walk. Instead of waiting for the future to happen, Manmeet and his team decided to build the future he wanted to see and made the first-ever exoskeleton that helps children walk at home every day, in many cases for the first time in their lives.

Trexos are now being used by top hospitals and customers all over North America.

At Trexo, they’re out to create devices that are designed with the user in mind, building wearable robotic devices that can be used at home to help children with disabilities experience walking. It’s a mission that’s steeped in really cool R&D and innovation—and they’re just getting started!

I’m thrilled to pick Manmeet’s brain on the incredible innovation his team is driving, his team's goals for the future, and what it takes to drive innovation in 2024.

Supercharging Mobility Innovation with Francis Beauchamp-Verdon of AWL-E

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0400

We welcome Francis Beauchamp-Verdon, Co-Founder, VP and Business Development Director at AWL-E, to discuss his mission in the mobility space and the amazing vision his team share.

At AWL-E, Francis and his team have developed a revolutionary method to move electricity wirelessly that not only breaks all boundaries of innovation, but also has immense potential for exploitation. Their mission is to provide industries seeking innovation a way to optimize their processes and make wireless electricity commonplace, while meeting the growing consumer demand for novelty and spatial freedom.

It’s a big mission, and one that takes a lot of passion and entrepreneurial spirit to launch, which Francis has in spades. He’s an alumnae of the Creative Destruction Lab, has been part of the Centech MTL incubator, and is part of the MaRS Discovery District Community, to name just a few of the networks Francis has leveraged to drive his world-changing ideas.

We’re thrilled to pick his brain on how he built AWL-E, his journey as an entrepreneur, and what the rest of 2024 and beyond has in store!

"More focus on fundamentals" with Shan Gu of Foci Solutions

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome Shan Gu, Founder & CEO of Foci Solutions. At Foci Solutions, Shan’s team helps organizations build strong software engineering teams and self-sustaining talent engines, with the belief that the best engineering teams are ones that invest in each individual's development and learning.

Foci’s development pods work with their clients' software teams to provide coaching and mentorship on solid engineering principles and practices, while helping customers accelerate their product delivery velocity. Part-in-parcel, Foci also helps clients develop internal training and learning frameworks to rapidly ramp up new staff, ensuring a more resilient and self-sustaining workforce.

We can’t emphasize enough how valuable this approach can be for innovative founders, especially those driving unique R&D to develop truly innovative products and services. We pick Shan’s brain to understand how he got into this space, the successes he’s seen since launching Foci Solutions, and what’s on deck for the rest of 2024.

Insights Beyond Tax Credits with Matt Funk of Boast

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0400

We welcome a member of the Boast team onto the show, Mr. Matt Funk! Matt is Boast’s VP of Customer Delivery, and has been a critical member of the Boast team pretty much since the beginning! He joined Boast back in 2013 as a Technology Advisor and has been helping steer the ship ever since, today leading our Customer Delivery arm and ensuring that the hundreds of businesses who work with Boast enjoy maximized claims with minimal effort or stress.

Along with picking his brain on what it’s been like seeing Boast grow and evolve over the past decade, I’m excited to hear his take on how the funding and innovation landscape has changed throughout his tenure at Boast. From mastering the SR&ED claim process, to expanding into the United States, to understanding what our customers have been up against before, today, and in the future—Matt’s seen a lot!

We dive in and understand where we’ve been and what’s in store as Boast continues to grow and help even more innovative businesses maximize their investments into critical R&D.

"Throw the kitchen sink at startups" with Ian McCarter of MaRS Discovery District

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400

This episode we welcome Ian McCarter, the Director of Corporate Innovation at MaRS Discovery District. MaRS Discovery District helps Canadian startups succeed so they can solve our toughest problems in areas like climate, health and the economy. As North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity, MaRS provides direct support for more than 1,200 ventures, builds communities of innovators within its 1.5 million square feet of lab and office space and beyond, and spurs the adoption of new solutions — in Canada and around the world.

In Ian’s role, he’s focused on creating meaningful, economic relationships between Canadian ventures and globally significant early adopters of innovation. In particular, Ian has been helping energy, mobility, real estate, mining, construction, and heavy industry partners inject Canadian innovation into their net-zero journey.

Currently, this mandate includes the Mobility Unlimited Hub, which helps early-stage personal mobility companies bring their products and services to the people who need them most. Through a cohort-based program, startups are connected to the resources, talent and know-how needed to commercialize their innovations so that they can help more people put their goals and dreams in motion.

I’m excited to pick Ian’s brain on what it takes to drive innovation in the current market, dig into what urban innovation looks like, and in particular how important community—in it’s many definitions—is to building a successful, innovative business.

"The greatest startup show on Earth" with Jason Taylor of CodeLaunch Accelerator

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Today’s guest is Jason Taylor, President and Founder of CodeLaunch, the FREE seed accelerator event that pairs tech startups with world class dev teams to help them raise.

They do this by helping early stage tech startup founders get their digital products off the ground, increasing their likelihood to launch, raise funding, and succeed as a disruptive startup venture. Jason is an advocate for Conscious Capitalism and manages the Improving-CodeLaunch FUEL Fund which deploys investment capital into the growing community of CodeLaunch alumni.

So needless to say, Jason knows his way around the startup and tech ecosystem, and is expanding his reach this year by bringing the CodeLaunch party up to Toronto for an event that shines a light on Canadian Innovation. It’ll all culminate in a North America-wide competition down in Texas this fall.

We dive into the details of that gathering, pick Jason’s brain on how he got into the startup space in the first place, and share some of the exciting innovation he’s played a hand in driving throughout his incredible career to date.

"Democratizing Startup Funding" with Peter-Paul Van Hoeken

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

On this episode of What The Tech we welcome FrontFundr Founder & CEO Peter-Paul Van Hoeken!

At FrontFundr, Peter-Paul and his team have built the leading equity crowdfunding platform in Canada, empowering everyday Canadians to invest in companies they believe in, providing entrepreneurs with the essential funding to drive growth. To date, more than 40,000 users have joined the FrontFundr community to help businesses raise more than $200 million.

But FrontFundr is just one of the many organizations that Peter-Paul has been a part of that are helping drive innovation across the Canadian and global tech landscape. I’m excited to pick his brain on the state of funding, building a business in Canada, and the nuances of crowdfunding versus other financing channels in our chat.

"Platform for Serendipity" with Kristjan Sigurdson of Endeavor Canada

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400

We welcome to the show Kristjan Sigurdson, Managing Director at Endeavor Canada. Founded in 1997, Endeavor is a global organization with a mission to unlock the transformational power of entrepreneurship by selecting, supporting, and investing in the world’s top founders. Today, Endeavor’s network spans 40+ locations and supports 2,300+ entrepreneurs, whose companies generate combined revenues of over $28 billion, have created more than 3.9 million jobs, and, in 2020, raised over $4 billion in capital.

As Managing Director of Endeavor Canada, Kristjen connects growth-stage entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and networks to scale their businesses and transform their communities.

But he’s been working hard to drive Canadian innovation in numerous roles for more than a decade, including helping scale the Creative Destruction Lab into one of the world's largest startup support organizations, while also completing a PhD in Strategic Management from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

He’s got an amazing background and has been a stellar resource to founders across Canada and beyond, and I can’t wait to pick his brain on what it takes to drive innovation, achieve growth and scale in 2024.

“The Product IS Community” with Neil Weitzman of PORCH

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome to the show Neil Weitzman, CEO and Co-Founder of PORCH and Founder amd Fractional CRO of revenue•x. Neil is a go-to-market operator who understands that “revenue is everything.” He builds and scales teams within SaaS, DaaS and tech businesses, while helping CEO’s, founders and executive teams build and execute robust GTM strategies focused on revenue acceleration.

But Neil is also an Entrepreneur who focuses on making an impact through the power of community.

At PORCH, their mission is to help 1,000,000 immigrant entrepreneurs succeed in Canada through community, helping level the playing field for immigrants by providing a curated, engaging and safe place to build relationships, learn, and help each other grow.

It’s an amazing mission, and I’m thrilled to learn about his successes to date and what’s in store for the future. Without further ado, welcome to the show, Neil!

"The insights are where the magic lives" with Quin Sandler of Plantiga

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

On this episode of What The Tech, we welcome Quin Sandler, Plantiga’s Co-founder and CEO. Quin's team is on a mission to optimize human performance, resilience and recovery through the monitoring and analysis of biomechanics—that is, a person’s unique movement patterns.

The Plantiga platform combines an advanced sensor insole that measures how a person moves so they can maximize their health, recovery and performance. Combining predictive analytics and applied sport science, Plantiga supports hundreds of teams, trainers and athletes - in sport and life.

As impressive as that mission is at Plantiga, Quin’s experience in the Canadian startup ecosystem is extensive and mighty as well. As the latest serial entrepreneur to join our show, Quin has founded companies in online learning, coaching and digital branding. He’s most recently spent more than a decade in the wearable space, where he brings a wealth of experience in product design, development and branding that truly sets Plantiga apart.

Quin has also been an amazing Boast customer and partner, and an incredible resource across the Vancouver tech ecosystem and beyond. We pick his brain on the work he’s done to date, his path to success, and what’s next for Plantiga.

"Earned and Learned" with Diraj Perkash Goel of Get Fresh Ventures

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome onto the show founder-extraordinaire Diraj Perkash Goel, Managing Partner and Founder of Get Fresh Ventures. At Get Fresh, Diraj and his team have played a pivotal role in launching over 200 startups onto paths of significant growth and profitability.

His tenure at technology giants such as Hootsuite and Vision Critical has given him invaluable insights into operational excellence and customer engagement strategies, making him a cornerstone in the realm of business growth acceleration.

Before establishing GetFresh Ventures, Diraj's visionary leadership was instrumental in the revitalization of BC Tech's HyperGrowth Programme. His overhaul of the program structure led to a marked increase in the success rates of participating startups, many of which have since surpassed $100 million in revenue.

Of course, these are just a few of the bona fides that have made Diraj such a distinguished figure in the tech industry both in Canada and globally. I can’t wait to pick his brain on his startup journey, some of the great companies he’s working with today, and what’s on deck at Get Fresh Ventures for the rest of 2024.

"Just start doing it" with Simon Knauber of Glass Canvas

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0400

We welcome Simon Knauber, Director of Finance and HR at Glass Canvas, which is a faith-tech and consulting company behind ministry products for the Church, including Tilma Parish and Tilma Diocese. Their software is more than just technology, but a way to create more ministry impact by helping dioceses and parishes serve their people better and create more meaningful encounters with their faith.

This includes delivering Ministry, marketing and tech expertise for Dioceses, churches and ministries, while equipping teams with unified infrastructure, formation resources, and ongoing mission support.

It’s a lofty mission that’s rooted in a lot of cool and innovative tech—to say nothing of the unique value proposition that Glass Canvas delivers to the faith community.

I’m excited to learn more about Simon, Glass Canvas, and the incredible tech behind empowering the Church to form resilient disciples in our modern age.

"Failure can be good!" with Chris Hobbs of TTT Studios

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Today I am stoked to welcome to the show Chris Hobbs, President of TTT Studios. Through Chris’ leadership, TTT Studios has grown to become a powerhouse in the Vancouver tech community, creating digital experiences for customers that innovate and leave a lasting, positive impact on every user’s journey.

What sets TTT Studios and Chris apart is their unwavering commitment to deeply understanding every client’s' unique challenges and business needs. From concept to code, TTT assembles an expert team around each project to build user-centric solutions that upgrade their clients’ business.

As exciting as the work being done at TT Studios is, this is hardly Chris’s first go-round driving innovation in the tech space, as he’s been a Founder and Developer on some incredible projects over the past two decades. I’m thrilled to learn more about hwo got into the entrepreneurial space in the first place, his experiences building amazing solutions at TTT, and his sage wisdom for founders in Canada and beyond.

"Look outside The Valley" with Tim Sprinkle of Venture Capital Marketing

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome to the show Tim Sprinkle, Managing Director of Venture Capital Marketing, where Tim and his team have worked with almost 50 VC firms to help drive an average 20-30% increase in Assets Under Management (AUM) year-over-year.

While this is impressive on its own, Tim has an expansive career in the tech and startup space, including more than 25 years as a writer and journalist, which has given him a unique and valuable perspective on what it takes to succeed in the world of tech and finance.

He’s shared many of these learnings in his 2015 book Screw the Valley: A Coast to Coast Tour of America's New Tech Startup Landscape where he outlined just how decentralized the footprint for innovation has become in the United States (and frankly, across the globe!).

I’m excited to pick his brain on how things are looking for startups and VCs in 2024, sage wisdom for navigating the current market challenges, and what’s in store for Tim and his team as the year rolls on!

“GPS for your career” with Hamoon Ekhtiari of FutureFit AI

Wed, 22 May 2024 15:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome to the show Hamoon Ekhtiari, Founder and CEO at FutureFit AI. At FutureFit AI, Hamoons’s team uses over 350 Million global talent profiles, live labor market data and projections, and proprietary algorithms to help workers navigate career transitions.

Their team works with Fortune 500 companies, governments, and workforce development organizations to provide an AI-powered tool that acts as a GPS to guide workers on their next step, from reskilling to job placement. Ultimately, they’re using AI to support reskilling efforts and reimagine layoffs through outskilling–an awesome mission and one steeped in very cool tech.

But FutureFit AI is just the latest chapter in Hamoon’s personal mission to help others unlock opportunity through innovation.

His career journey has taken him from Founding Director of a leadership academy at one of the world's largest urban innovation hubs, to Director of Strategy and Innovation for a $30B telecom and technology company.

He’s an active member of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference, an AdR Fellow at The University of Cambridge, a recipient of University of Waterloo's Alumni Achievement Medal, and a Canada Millennium Scholar, to just name a few of the accolades.

We pick his brains on his path through the startup and scale up world and driving innovation, and share his insights on how to succeed as a founder in today’s tech ecosystem.

"No more black boxes" with Dmytro Grechko of Deskree

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400

We welcome to the show Deskree Founder and CEO Dmytro Grechko. At Deskree, their mission is to make software development accessible to everyone by breaking down traditional barriers and empowering people to turn their ideas into reality.

This can be a gamechanger for any entrepreneurs who may have the vision to build an amazing product, but lack that backend expertise. Deskree’s proven 5-step process for building an effective and scalable cloud infrastructure offers visionaries a seamless route for bringing their ideas to life in minutes—not weeks, months or even years.

The TL;DR? Their solution enables founders to focus on creating amazing products, letting Deskree do the heavy lifting when it comes to technical nitty gritty. It’s an ethos that we mirror in our mission here at Boast as we strive to help founders drive innovation without burdening them or expanding their already heavy workload.

I’m thrilled to pick Dmytro’s brain on some of the exciting projects he’s executing at Deskree today, the unique R&D that goes into creating no-code solutions, and what’s in store as Deskree grows.

"Level the playing field" with Ilya Brotzky of VanHack

Wed, 08 May 2024 17:00:00 -0400

We're thrilled to welcome VanHack CEO Ilya Brotzky on the show. At VanHack, Ilya and his team are on a mission to create a borderless world for tech talent by connecting the world’s top software engineering, design, and digital marketing talent with some of the leading innovating businesses in North America. With more than 450,000 members from over 100 countries, VanHack is the largest workforce that is ready to relocate in the world, truly walking the walk when it comes to “connecting cultures through code.”

Along with helping companies grow through on-demand staffing, Ilya is also a force in both the Vancouver, BC and broader Canadian innovation ecosystem. I know I caught up with Ilya at my first Collision Conference in Toronto this past summer, but he’s been working with our team at Boast for years to help VanHack bring their game-changing solutions to reality.

He’s on an incredible mission, and has the network behind him to make it work. I couldn’t be more excited to pick his brains about his journey through the startup space, what it takes to succeed in today’s market, and tips for any founders launching tech in 2024.

"A true circular economy" with Amanda Horn of Loless Blue Beauty

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0400

We welcome welcome Serial Ideator, Brand Builder, Founder and Ocean Advocate Amanda Horn onto the show. Amanda is the founder of Loless Beauty, a sustainable shave and body care company that’s reimagining beauty products and personal care routines to use less water, less plastic and less waste, creating the next wave of eco-conscious consumers.

And while Amanda strives to protect both human and the planet’s water resources with Loless, she also plays a big role in the larger Blue Economy, which is booming in Eastern Canada.

She’s a Mentor focused on Ocean Science Communication & Brand Storytelling for the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, a Blue Standard Consultant for Oceanic Global, Advisory Board Member for The Canada Node for the UN Ocean Decade Global Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme, and a consultant for the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition.

And all of this in just the past couple of years!

Needless to say, Amanda knows the Blue Economy well, and I can’t wait to pick her brain on what it takes to build a business that supports and benefits from the Oceans in 2024.

“Collaborative Commerce” with Daryl Hatton of ConnectionPoint

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Today we welcome ConnectionPoint Founder and CEO Daryl Hatton onto the show! At ConnectionPoint, Daryl and his team have built the next-generation technology powering a suite of digital fundraising platforms that help organizations, businesses, and individuals create a positive impact in the world. Their solutions ease the process of collaborative funding to be more engaging and socially integrated, offering a rare balance of powerful crowdfunding paired with affordability and effortless usability.

With all that said, it should go without saying that these are amazing and timely solutions that can be a silver bullet for non-profits, creators, animal and pet care professionals, and even healthcare providers.

But building this innovative solution has called on Daryl’s impressive experience within the crowdfunding, tech and startup communities. He continues to be an active advisor and partner for an array of innovative social funding and commerce initiatives, and I can’t wait to pick his brain on what it takes to succeed in today’s tech economy.

"Every job is a climate job" with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Today I am thrilled to welcome onto the show Sophia Wennstedt, Co-Founder & CEO of Blip Energy. At Blip, Sophia and her team are on a mission to redefine home batteries to increase energy resilience for both individuals and communities.

By designing a product to work without typical installation constraints, Blip Energy is able to add millions of otherwise-inaccessible homes to the smart grid network. Sophia’s team is set on finding new ways to manage energy demand, while ensuring that energy stability is an option for all of us, not just folks who can afford a luxury system.

It’s a lofty mission, but Sophia and her team have the background to make it happen, drawing on experience working as a Mechanical Engineer and later as Program Manager at iRobot, before pivoting into the energy space with work at Exelon and Tesla.

All of this is rooted in Sophia’s passion for climate justice and energy equity, which she’s demonstrated through active involvement driving STEM education outreach. It’s a field that’s rife with innovation and opportunity, and I can’t wait to pick Sophia’s brain on what’s in store for her team and the industry in the new year.

"Enabling meaningful work" with Peter Monteza of MyARC

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0400

On this episode we welcome CEO and Co-Founder of MyARC, Peter Monteza. At MyARC, their mission is to power fitness creators to get their fans fit and make a purposeful living while doing so. They’ve done this by creating a platform that enables fitness content creators to train their fans interactively at scale, from anywhere in the world. MyARC takes care of the boring stuff—progressions, daily stats and tracking—so that trainers can focus on the important part—content, advice and motivation—for their fans and community.

It’s an exciting mission and a powerful platform that’s rooted in Peter’s own experience training as a national-level athlete. But Peter’s drive and determination go beyond physical health, as he’s proven to be an adept entrepreneur, having taken part in accelerator and incubator programs—including being part of Techstars 2022 cohort—on his journey as a founder.

We learn about what his experiences in the startup world have been like to date and what’s in store for MyARC in 2024.

"Don't wait for the right time" with Mila Banerjee of Pronti AI

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Mila Banerjee, CEO and Tech Lead at Pronti AI. At Pronti, Mila and her team are looking to help Apparel and Accessory retailers access their share of the nearly $1 trillion dollar personalization *opportunity* that’s out there. They do this by giving retailers access to unique consumer purchase intent data that’s historically been just out of reach. We

The Pronti app leverages six machine learning algorithms in the background to allow consumers to experience easy closet uploads and outfit inspiration, while being the only place where users can shop with their existing closet items.

Along with being an awesome tool for consumers and businesses alike, Pronti is impacting UN Sustainability Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through individual closet utilization, and providing data for retailers to optimize production.

It’s an amazing solution that touches on a wealth of opportunities, but that’s only part of Mila’s journey, as she’s been leading the tech charge across industries and the entire globe over the course of her career to date. I’m so excited to hear about her latest venture, what’s in store for Pronti going forward, and her take on the current state of startups for fellow entrepreneurs in 2024.

"Hustle and Get Traction" with Roy Pereira of Unified API

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to welcome to the show self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur and Techstar Roy Pereira.

Roy is currently the CEO of Unified, the integrations-as-a-Service platform for B2B SaaS companies. With their Unified APIs, developers can integrate just once to add multiple software systems to their products from categories like HR, ATS, CRM and Authentication. Their solution has transformed what used to take several months into an afternoon project, helping SaaS companies swiftly and securely scale their integrations.

It should go without saying, but those time savings and value adds can be a gamechanger for emergent SaaS products as they look to make their mark, achieve new market potential and drive more revenue.

But along with steering the innovation over at Unified, Roy has been a positive presence in the Toronto and broader Canadian tech scene for a while now, with more than a decade of pushing the envelope in the Advertising, Security, Networking, and of course Software industries.

I’m thrilled to hear what’s in store for Unified, how Roy got into the startup scene in the first place, and his take on the current state of the tech ecosystem.

"Innovation Can't Be Random" with Steven Forth of Ibbaka

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0400

Today I am thrilled to welcome to the show Steven Forth, Co-Founder and CEO of Ibbaka.

At Ibbaka, their focus is on helping SaaS companies set pricing models that align with the true value they deliver, helping drive increased revenue, profitability and customer retention in the process. Through both the Ibbaka Valio Platform and through consulting that is informed by research and data, Steven and his team are helping SaaS companies “achieve greatness” in the subscription economy.

And few people are more qualified than Steven to help steer this effort. His journey as an entrepreneur has seen him lead innovative businesses in both the US and Canada, while he’s consulted on go-to-market strategies, value management and pricing for a wide breadth of exciting products and services. He’s even been identified as one of the leading experts in B2B pricing by Openview, combining design and decision making frameworks with value management and pricing strategy to help SaaS businesses grow.

It’s an impressive and exciting mission, and I couldn’t be happier to have Steven join us to discuss his takes on the innovation economy, what it takes to succeed in today’s market, and what’s in store for Ibbaka in 2024.

"Metrics That Matter" with Lauren Thibodeau of saascan

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome to the show Lauren Thibodeau, who, along with being the Founder at saascan, is an adviser and all-around rock star within the Canadian startup ecosystem.

At saascan, Lauren and her team provide mentoring, enablement and advisory services to Canadian SaaS startups at almost all stages of their growth journey. What sets saascan apart is that they help SaaS leaders be metrics-savvy and customer-centric, leveraging the latest research to inform all decisions. This ultimately helps businesses achieve higher Annual Recurring Revenue, Net Dollar Retention, and SaaS company valuation.

On the topic of research, Lauren and her team recently published The SaaS Metrics That Matter Most for Startups in 2024 report, which highlighted the key success factors that burgeoning SaaS businesses need to prioritize to navigate all that 2024 has in store. From the expected impacts of generative AI to the rise of “hashtag growficiency,” I’m excited to get Lauren’s take on how these metrics are starting to bear as 2024 rolls out.

But as I mentioned before, Lauren’s reach goes beyond saascan, as she’s an advisor to incubators and accelerators across Canada—including our friends at Volta and Invest Ottawa—as well as directly providing customer success strategy for a roster of startups in her network.

She’s got her finger on the pulse of the Canadian startup ecosystem, and I can’t wait to pick her brain on the current state of startups and what it takes to succeed in today’s market.

"Scrappy Founders" with Kris McCarthy of FanSaves

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome to the show Kris McCarthy, Co-Founder and COO of FanSaves. Now, FanSaves is a sports tech startup and digital platform that offers fans discounts and deals from sponsors of their favorite sports teams and organizations. They provide partners with unlimited digital sponsorship inventory that is trackable through the FanSaves backend dashboard.

Their product is unique in that it offers partners a true turn-key perk that can be added to their membership benefits, while being fully integratable into team websites and mobile apps. This allows FanSaves partners to drive fan traffic back to their own digital assets, helping drive engagement all year round.

As unique as the innovation that Kris is driving at FanSaves is, his journey into the startup space is just as interesting. Before entering the startup game, Kris spent seven years playing minor professional hockey while winning two championships before transitioning into the front office, serving as the Director of Sales for two minor professional hockey teams back in 2017.

Needless to say, he’s had a view into the world of professional sports from almost all angles, and I can’t wait to pick his brain about what’s in store for Kris, FanSaves and his take on the larger startup ecosystem as we dive headlong into 2024.

"Natural path to partnership" with Jason Terry

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Jason Terry from General Ledger Partners onto the show. As a Certified Public Accountant, Jason has more than 15 years in the finance and accounting space, having successfully worked for public, private, and not-for-profit entities with annual revenues ranging from $6M to over $600M.

At General Ledger Partners, Jason and his team offer bookkeeping, general ledger cleanup, and financial consulting services to small businesses and startups, managing the accounting function to maximize their company's potential. It’s a mission our team at Boast knows well and shares, as we have worked with Jason to help innovative clients capture R&D tax credits to recoup a portion of their R&D spend and help extend their product runway.

I’m thrilled to have Jason on to discuss his work in the startup space, the genesis of General Ledger Partners, and the challenges their customers face, as well as what his experience has been wrangling R&D tax credits, working with Boast and supporting customers with a successful capital strategy.

"Can't Force Loyalty" with Alina Guidu and Saleha Jaweid

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by two guests as part of our Founders & Friends series! For these shows, we encourage a member of our network to extend the invitation to a new friend to hop on the mic to talk about their founder stories and get their take on building a successful startup in today’s market!

Joining us first is our friend Alina Guidu, CEO of Muze, a platform that enables Independent artists to release music and connect directly with their fans, bypassing the traditional gatekeepers in the music industry and ensuring artists get access to up to 90% of their work’s revenue. She’s an experienced entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of driving success in the media and Web3 industries, and I’m excited to learn how she’s putting these skills to use disrupting the way music is shared in the twenty-first century.

Joining Alina and me is Saleha Jaweid, who is a Toronto-based IT Operations Rockstar with a wealth of experience driving innovation across Canada, where she’s focused on creating highly productive technology teams. She currently leads IT Ops at Topl, the world’s first blockchain built for tracking, tokenizing, and monetizing positive impact. She has worked with many different companies and startups as both a tactical team member and funder, helping them become operationally savvy and inculcate a Lean-Agile mindset.

For both Alina and Saleha, there is a lot of R&D and innovative tech involved in their current missions, and I can’t wait to learn about what they’re working on today, how they got into the startup space in the first place, and their goals for the future!

"Symbiotic Partnerships" with Arctech Accelerate

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome onto the show Tarig Abdellatief, Managing Director of Arctech Accelerate. Based out of Ottawa, Tarig’s team sets a national standard for grant and proposal writing, business development and lobbying sector services, representing businesses across software, manufacturing, healthcare, Space Tech, Military, Not-for-Profit and virtually any other sector driving innovation in Canada today.

Tarig utilizes a deep understanding of government programs, policies and protocols to help the founders and entrepreneurs he works with maximize their access to the resources they need to succeed.

He’s put this knowledge to work partnering with Boast and other leaders in the startup ecosystem for a series of recent webinars hosted by Startup Stack, and has been an invaluable resource personally in helping me understand what it takes to build a successful startup in Canada.

I’m truly so excited to pick Tarig’s brain about his journey in the startup space, the role his team has played in helping businesses achieve growth at Arctech Accelerate, and what he sees for the future of his organization and startups across Canada.

"Going Beyond Sustainability" with Daniel Shum

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome Daniel Shum onto the show. Daniel is the Chief Operating Officer at CTK Bio, a Canadian cleantech startup that’s researching, developing and manufacturing solutions that combat climate change and environmental pollution. Their technology is a game changer, converting wasted by-products into truly biodegradable and compostable goods that are designed to break down in managed and unmanaged environments.

Daniel’s team is very clear in their mission, to ensure that in all processes where ideas meet technology, CTK Bio not only promises success, but strives to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable products.

It’s a lofty mission, and Boast has been proud to partner with Daniel and the CTK Bio team. In this episode, I look forward to learning more about how Daniel got into the space, the great work the team at CTK Bio is doing, what it’s been like partnering with Boast to tap into R&D tax credits, and plans for the future!

"Build up your resistance" with Kenneth Berger

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Kenneth Berger onto the show. With 20+ years in the tech industry, Kenneth helps startup leaders get unstuck and make their dreams happen. As an executive coach to dozens of top founders, Kenneth shares the tools he’s developed throughout his career to help leaders articulate what they truly want and take a courageous stand for those desires.

Kenneth's Services: https://kberger.com/

He’s a former founder in his own right, having helped create businesses backed by Andressen Horowitz and Accel, and was one of the earliest key hires over at Slack, acting as their first Product Manager as Slack grew from 100k to 1M+ daily users.

Needless to say, he’s been on the front lines of technological innovation and behind the scenes of some of the most impactful brands of the 2000s, and I’m excited to pick his brains and share his insights with our podcast community.

"Getting Back to Fundamentals" with Sean Languedoc Outforce

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome onto the show Sean Languedoc, Founder and CEO of Outforce.AI. Formerly known as Global Talent Accelerator, Outforce transforms outsourcing from a daunting task to a strategic asset to accelerate delivery for venture-backed companies. Outforce filters out all the noise and quickly matches clients with the best suited engineering agencies - filtering down to agencies that can not just deliver but also seamlessly blend with existing company culture.

Sean’s team at Outforce have a database with over 77,000 software agencies from next door to off shore. They quickly get to the top ten and do deeper due diligence from there so clients don't waste any time talking to any companies that aren’t a fit. Their unique approach has a remarkable 98% hit rate, enabling tech companies to ramp up their engineering capacity swiftly and confidently without a dent in quality, cost, or time.

But this is just one pillar of Sean’s story, as he’s spent more than 25 years immersed in the tech space and built 4 companies from ideas into thriving enterprises. He continues to immerse himself in the startup ecosystem as a mentor, guiding budding entrepreneurs through the complex landscape, and providing them with the resources and network to thrive.

"Avoid the safe path" with Daniel Rizzi of We Watch

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to welcome to the show Daniel Rizzi, Co-Founder and GC at We-Watch. Daniel’s mission is to help make the world a safer place without compromising people's data privacy or freedoms. To do so, he’s embarked on a unique social enterprise with We-Watch that essentially harnesses the power of community for social and criminal justice.

With the We-Watch app, users can find people who were nearby and witnessed when a specific incident—take, for instance, a vehicle collision—occurs, enabling the user to contact the witnesses to see if they can share observations or media related to the event. From there, the user can consolidate relevant information and media in the We-Watch app, helping them obtain recourse in conjunction with concerned parties and authorities.

It’s a truly innovative and very timely solution that can be a silver bullet for numerous scenarios. But while Daniel is a co-founder in his own right, he’s also an advisor to founders across Canada, helping them raise the capital they need to scale while navigating around any potential legal roadblocks to their success.

I can’t wait to get his take on the startup scene today, the work he’s doing at We-Watch and what’s on the horizon.

“Achieving Embodied AI” with Silicolabs

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to welcome to the show from Silicolabs, Benjamin Alsbury-Nealy, Co-founder and CEO, and Kyla Alsbury-Nealy, Co-Founder Chief Operating Officer.

Benjamin and Kyla are driving some serious innovation over at Silicolabs, leveraging emerging technology to bridge the gap between Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. They do this by creating tools that enable anyone to leverage tech like virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI within a framework designed for creativity and collaboration.

The results? Silicolabs customers can easily create virtual experiences that simulate real-world scenarios to train and assess humans & AI behavior, saving precious time and resources.

It’s a hot market for sure, and one steeped in research and development, and we’re excited to ask Benjamin and Kyla how they got into the space in the first place, the many applications and use cases of their cutting-edge tech, and their opinion on what it takes to succeed in the current startup ecosystem.

"Healing the System" with Caroline Arzoo of OmniSync

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to be joined by Caroline Arzoo, Director of Partnerships at Omnisync, a VC and government-backed software and services company that’s helping drive the development of world-transforming and game-changing innovations.

This team truly leans on innovation, using modern AL/NLP-powered context-matching algorithms to create non-obvious connections between public and private innovators, scouts, and funders. Once a connection is made, Omnisync’s workflow tools help the parties execute on exciting new opportunities and collaborate on projects, unlocking critical resources such as early-stage funding, key partnerships, deep market intelligence, and predictive insights, for the go-getters in the innovation ecosystem..

In Caroline’s role, she works with teams like Boast that have a shared mission of driving innovation by giving passionate founders access to the resources they need to achieve growth. She’s the perfect person for the job, as she also contributes as a Mentor to the Founder Institute in their San Diego and Silicon Valley chapters, adding further proof to just how passionate Caroline is about empowering innovators to make an impact.

She certainly has worked with some great minds in her career to date and I can’t wait to pick her brain about the awesome innovators she’s working with today and Omnisync’s plans for the future!

Without further ado, welcome to the show Caroline!

“Just Do The Thing” with Tarra Stubbins

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Hello and welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting [tech] initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “technological uncertainty” and, eventually, change the world.

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Tarra Stubbins to the show, founder of Take It Easy Group. Take It Easy is aiming to help seed and series A companies scale for success by helping them “Quit The Cult of Busy.” Her team of talented Executive Business Partners can help new founders and CEOs develop methods and efficiencies that will propel them to rocketship success—and Tarra has the track record to prove it!

Having been a personal assistant for more than 20 years for some of the biggest names in business and entertainment, Tarra has taken the skills she learned out on the road and puts them to use helping her clients eliminate their To-Do lists on a daily basis.

Needless to say, she knows first hand what it takes to help founders navigate the choppy waters of the startup world without losing their cool, and I’m very excited to pick her brain on how she found Take It Easy Group, her strategies for new startups and her take on the ecosystem in 2023.

"The Best Job in the World" with Luba Lesiva

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Today we are thrilled to welcome to the show Luba Lesiva, an all-star in the world of startups and fundraising. She is the Founder and CEO of L4C, where her focus is on helping early stage tech companies “get out of the weeds” of fundraising and investor management, offering a hand to help founders survive the circus of fundraising and cap table management.

Luba is also a Founding Partner at Palumni VC, a network of more than 900 operators, founders, and angels investing in startups founded and led by Palantir alums. They work with founders at the earliest stage of company creation, pairing them with the right support and advice for every step of the long founder’s journey, with a portfolio that includes includes Adyton, AngelList, Kairos, Kolena, Kurtosis, Little Otter, Metaview, and Mural.

Needless to say, Luba has the skills, network and experience it takes to navigate business challenges at all levels, and is a huge asset to founders across the globe. Her substack alone is a one-stop-shop for digestible advice for founders, and I can’t wait to her her story and take on what it takes to build a business in 2023.

"The only barriers are systemic" with Natalie Duncan of Bug Mars

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Natalie Duncan, Co-Founder and CEO of Bug Mars. a smart, scalable and automated insect farming startup that uses computer vision and machine learning to increase yield and profitability of insect farms for food, feed, and organic waste reduction.

Bug Mars is unique not just because they’re building AI software for alternative protein (that is, bugs), but because their mission is to find ways to feed humans and livestock better, and more sustainably.

It’s an incredible mission that encompasses a lot of really big stuff, impacting future generations, food security, and of course our climate.

I’m thrilled to chat with Natalie about the unique innovation she’s driving at Bug Mars, her experience in the startup world, and her plans for the future!

"Erasing the stigma" with Ewa Antczak of Felixa Games

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Ewa Antczak onto the show. Along with being a registered psychologist in the province of Ontario as well as an author and co-author of several research papers on social advertisement, she is also Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Felixa Games.

At Felixa, Ewa and her team are developing an AI engine that can be implemented into existing video games to monitor, track and analyze behavioral markers for players. The AI engine will evaluate biological factors including eye movement, facial expressions and tone of voice while gathering information from wearables to paint a picture of a player’s well being.

It’s a nascent but important tech that holds a lot of promise, with the potential to give game manufacturers insights they need to support the mental health of customers, while giving players in the gaming community a safe and secure environment to learn about and deal with their mental health struggles.

It’s a lofty mission that crosses multiple disciplines, and I can't wait to hear from Ewa what her plans are for Felixa on the short term, her long-term goals and her take on navigating the startup world in 2023.

Success Through Validation with Lloyd Bureau and Mina Mekhail

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to be chatting with Lloyd Bureau, who is a Venture Associate and Validation Program Lead at District 3 Innovation. There, Lloyd helps nurture and develop multidisciplinary teams that harness emerging technologies to create businesses with a global impact.

As of today, Lloyd has run 4 cohorts of the D3’s Validation program, an early-stage startup program designed to help founders validate their business models through hands-on market research. He has also worked with a portfolio of 35 growth-stage High Tech startups and their coaches to prioritize activities through OKRs, all while providing coaching on sales processes, value-selling, customer success, and improving pitch decks.

Lloyd is also a founder in his own right, joining D3’s program in 2016 to build TRYNYTY, a Montreal-based freestyle scooter brand leveraging 3D-printing for product development, with a mission to support the growth of the freestyle scooter community.

Needless to say, Lloyd knows the startup and innovation community better than most, and his insights into what it takes to succeed and achieve growth are invaluable.

But that’s not all!

Joining Lloyd and I for today’s conversation is Mina Mekhail, the award-winning CEO and Founder of Freshr Technologies. Mina participated in D3’s Validation and Launch & Grow programs at Concordia University’s District 3 Innovation Center when he was starting his company back in 2018.

Based out of Nova Scotia, Freshr Technologies is a biomaterials innovation Startup that’s focused on developing sustainable active packaging to prolong the shelf life of fresh proteins, with a focus on fresh fish. Mina and his team at Freshr are developing solutions that increase the return on investment for the entire value chain, while reducing food waste and reliance on traditional plastics.

I can’t wait to pick Lloyd and Mina’s brains on past projects, exciting initiatives they're both currently involved in, and what’s on each of their roadmap for the next year-plus.

"Harness those cross-functional skills" with Weston Baker of Morphic

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Today I am thrilled to welcome to the show Weston Baker, Founder & CEO of Morphic and an overall force in the startup ecosystem. At Morphic, Weston has created a no-code SaaS platform that empowers businesses to create their own high-quality websites. The solution uses an advanced design logic with integrated best practices and instant brand application to create pages that can be easily edited and managed using the integrated CMS, Site Editor and Asset Library.

Along with being a founder in his own right, however, Weston has extensive experience partnering and mentoring startups, tech giants, VCs, PE firms, real estate companies, fashion houses and brands throughout his career.

His startup studio, 15 Finches, has worked with dozens of successful founders in various industries and with different business models to help find product market fit, consult and design product, rebrand and propel growth at various stages.

He’s got a wealth of experience in the field, and I’m excited to pick his brain on what’s next for Morphic, his journey within the startup space to date, and his take on what the future has in store for the startup community.

Without further ado, welcome to the show, Weston!

"It's that personality alignment" with Brett Colvin from Goodlawyer

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Hello and welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting [tech] initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “technological uncertainty” and, eventually, change the world.

Today I’m thrilled to welcome to the show Brett Colvin, CEO and Co-founder of Goodlawyer. His is a platform designed to give high-growth scaleups and mid-market companies an alternative to the traditional corporate law firm with a smarter, faster and more cost-effective way to address their operational legal needs.

Goodlawyer’s Fractional General Counsel is the only outsourced general counsel service that gives executive teams a dedicated legal partner to proactively manage legal tasks and risks before issues arise, while also providing on-demand, limited-scope and project-specific legal services.

Goodlawyer is also a fantastic Boast partner, as we leverage the expertise of their team, while sharing a passion for the startup and scaleup communities across Calgary—where Brett is based—and the entire Canadian ecosystem.

I can’t wait to hear how Brett got into the startup space, the genesis of Goodlawyer, and what’s on his roadmap for the rest of 2023!

"Mutual Wins" with MD Connected & Broderick Capital

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by two guests as part of our Founders & Friends series! For these shows, we encourage a member of our network to extend the invitation to a new friend to hop on the mic and chat about their founder stories and get their take on building a successful startup!

Joining us is our friend Andrew Gaudry, a Business Development Associate at Broderick Capital, where he helps Canadian entrepreneurs scale their rapidly growing businesses by connecting them with the strategic capital and advisory services they need to really take off. Along with having built a cross-industry network that spans the country, Broderick Capital has also established a strong relationship with Green Acre Capital, Canada’s first cannabis venture capital fund, which is working with Andrew’s team at Broderick to to expedite the growth of fast-moving startups in this field.

Joining Andrew and I is Venky Weylagro, Founder & CEO of MD Connected, where he’s seeking to revolutionize the healthcare industry by offering telehealthcare services to citizens across Canada. MD Connected’s telemedicine clinics reduce wait times from days to minutes. All of this is done without ever sacrificing quality of care, while actually working to improve health quality across the country.

The work Venky is doing and Andrew is helping support are not just noble efforts, but they’re often steeped in the latest technology and are rife with R&D. I’m excited to pick both their brains about the state of startups and healthcare, their approach to building a new business in 2023, and their plans for the future!

"Passion to weather the storm" with Elizabeth Miner of Boston Beauty Coalition

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to welcome my new friend and fellow Boston resident Elizabeth Miner onto the show. Elizabeth is an Executive Coach, Speaker, Author and Community Builder, working with both groups and individuals around the world to create pathways and develop actionable plans to make anything her clients dream a reality.

With a background in the legal space working in specialties from Supreme Court litigation to multinational corporations, Elizabeth changed course roughly 15 years ago to work with entrepreneurs and businesses across the globe. Among the projects she’s helping spearhead today is the Boston Beauty Coalition, a community of fashion entrepreneurs based here in the Hub that helps beauty startups access the resources and community they need to scale their growth.

I’m thrilled to finally have a local friend on the show, and can’t wait to hear Elizabeth’s take on both the local and global startup ecosystem, the unique challenges of working in fashion, the innovation she sees every day, and her plans for the future!

"One Stop Shop" with Athiya Rastogi of SnapWrite

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to chat with Athiya Rastogi, Co-Founder of Snapwrite, an image-to-text platform for retailers that automates product digitization and SEO to help optimize product discoverability, increase revenue streams and ultimately create greater resale potential. It’s a silver bullet for original brands and resellers alike who are navigating a crowded omnichannel market, and the technology is steeped in R&D that I’m excited for Athiya to unpack.

I’ll leave it to Athiya to get into the nitty gritty and to tell us about her experience as a data scientist and how Snapwrite came to be.

"You Gotta Have Grit" with Erik Simins of Workwolf

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Erik Simins to the show, who is the CEO and CO-Founder of Workwolf and is a force in the Toronto startup scene.

At Workwolf, Erik’s team has developed a hiring software that finds, screens, and validates quality candidates better than humans can. Using proprietary technology to screen and verify backgrounds, the platform automates the recruitment process, bringing unmatched efficiencies to the employment market.

But Erik has been driving innovation in Canada for more than a decade, having founded his first 8-figure company in 2011 with the healthcare staffing firm MAGNUS, which has since partnered with the Canadian government and hundreds of customers across North America.

It’s safe to say that Erik not only understands the tech and talent ecosystem in Canada, but has played a hand in steering it over the course of his career.

I’ll leave it to Erik to share the details and give his take on the state of startups, what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur and the incredible work that has gone into building his businesses.

"Stealthy Innovation" with TinyRex Games

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Ella Harris and Kenny Huang, Co-Founders of TinyRex, which is an extremely talented indie game studio that’s bringing a unique perspective to narrative-driven idle games. This tiny team packs a huge punch, as they bring years of commercial success in the video game and social casino industry to their mission, which is to create mobile gaming content with partners around the world, and, as Kenny puts it, “crafting small, cozy games that our players will love.”

While the games may feel small and cozy, there is some serious innovation happening here, as the team created their own idle-merge framework by blending the static nature of idles games with the dynamic experience of merge games, which led to the launch of their debut game, Wizard of Oz: Idle Merge, which achieved a combined 4.8 star rating on the app store!

It’s quite a story, so joining me again this week to discuss how this innovation was translated into meaningful capital is Boast AI’s own Technical Solutions Manager, Aliya Amershi! Before we kick off with our guests, Aliya, welcome back to the show, how is it going and could you provide a quick intro for listeners who haven’t caught your previous episode with Natureblocks?

"Building Shared History" with Mike Roberts from Roll

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Mike Roberts, CEO of Roll, which is a chat app that puts the magic of game night in your pocket by providing a virtual tabletop where players can enjoy their favorite board games.

Users can share their identity across other networks to connect with new people, allowing them to be their authentic selves, all while Roll keeps them safe by only sharing what users want to share, at the right time.

It’s a game-changer for gaming, and a platform that combines serious innovation while also being a place for creators, offering a low-code environment for building games as well as playing.

I’ll leave it to Mike to dig into all the capabilities that Roll aims to deliver, the R&D behind their innovation, and what’s on the roadmap for this exciting new venture!

"Fix the main, key issue" with Taylor from Quack

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m pumped to be joined by our buddy Taylor Del Giudice from Quack. Quack is a prospecting platform that makes cold calling easy for sales teams at tech companies. Their platform enables users to call multiple prospects simultaneously, empowering reps to speak to 2-3x more prospects per call block, while syncing seamlessly with leading sales engagement tools.

It’s a great model that I know the team at Boast is testing out ourselves. But there’s also fantastic people at the center of the business, as Taylor has caught up with our team at Collision, FounderFuel Demo Day and Startupfest over the past two months, and we’ve had a blast each time.

I’ll leave it to Taylor to give us his take on what a busy summer it’s been for the Quack team, his experience working in the startup ecosystem, and what’s on the roadmap for Quack.

"Make Data Accessible" with Josh from Artemis

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Josh Gray, Co-Founder & CEO of Artemis. Artemis helps businesses operationalize data in marketing, sales, finance, engineering, revenue, and operations. It’s a tall order, but his team and technology ultimately empowers data analysts to work with data faster, by providing a low-code editor where they can visually explore, build and automate data cleanup using pre-built logic they can drag and drop onto a canvas.

Along with creating a powerful business intelligence solution, Josh and his team are also amazing networkers, and met up with us briefly during Startupfest and FounderFuel Demo Day back in July.

We’ll chat about our experience at the show (including, if I recall, an impressive funding round from Josh and team) as well as Josh’s founder journey and what it’s been like building Artemis.

"Solve Big, Hairy Problems" with Dallas from Forum Ventures

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Dallas Price, a true standout in the North American tech and startup ecosystem.

Dallas has spent his entire professional career working with and building over 100 startups from ideation to growth phase, including taking on the co-founder role at Leo Prestte where his team develops brand strategy, content, & identity systems for startups globally.

Currently, he’s on the Growth Team at Forum Ventures in their new Venture Studio, where his team is working to launch 8 seed-stage startups annually.

If that all wasn’t enough, Dallas is also currently leading the digital nomad life, serving entrepreneurs on the road and getting a taste for the different startup communities across the US and Canada.

We’ll discuss all of it and let Dallas get into the nitty gritty about his path as an entrepreneur, his strategies for building successful startups, and his take on the current state of venture funding and building a scaleup in 2023.

"All About Community" with Lloyed Lobo

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today’s podcast is a very, very special episode of What The Tech, as I’m positively stoked to feature Boast’s very own Co-Founder and community builder extraordinaire Lloyed Lobo onto the show!

Along with being one of the original brains behind Boast, Lloyed is also the founder of Traction, a community empowering over 100k innovators through connections, content, and capital. The community-led business model Lloyed spearheaded both here and at Traction was key to bootstrapping Boast in our early days, eventually building a business with eight figure revenue while securing over $100million in funding.

Lloyed tells this story as well as other community-first founder strategies in his new book ‘From Grassroots To Greatness: 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth,’ which features tactical advice from businesses both big and small, including Apple, Harley Davidson, Nike, Crossfit, HubSpot, and many more.

It’s a must read, and of course, any podcast featuring Lloyed is a must listen. I can’t wait to hear from him directly about what it was like building Boast in tandem with the massive Traction community, his process for writing, and his advice for founders navigating the startup scene in 2023.

Bonus: CDAE (en francais) for Quebec

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI, where we’re handing over the mic to our French-speaking colleagues for an episode dedicated to founders in Quebec!

This week, we’re featuring a conversation between Hedi Berrais-Sanchez and Joshua Martin, where they answer the most commonly asked questions about Credit for the Development of E-Business, or CDAE, a unique funding program available to Quebec-based startups with a digital focus. Starting with the eligibility criteria, the conversation covers all aspects of the CDAE, and was originally featured as part of our Innovators Live LinkedIn Series.

Enjoy the show and tune in live on LinkedIn each Friday at 12pm ET for the latest tips and tricks from members of our team.

"Keep Being Motivated" with myconverso

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today, I’m thrilled to chat with our friend and partner Ekin Ober, co-founder and CEO of myconverso.

Ekin and her team have created an AI-powered assistant for enhancing workplace productivity. With their solution, professionals can enhance their communication skills through lifelike simulations, personalized training, and actionable insights, leveraging myconverso’s cutting-edge generative AI technology to provide an immersive and transformative learning experience.

Along with developing an incredibly powerful solution, Ekin and her team are also amazing partners in the Toronto and Canadian tech ecosystem, who we got to say hi to in person recently during our visit to Collision Conference at Boast’s “Get SREDed” Barry’s Bootcamp event.

I’ll leave it to Ekin to comment about how we all fared during our workout, and to dive deeper into the innovation driving the team over at myConverso.

"No Barrier to Entry" with Maria Konikov of YEDI

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to speak with Maria Konikov, Director of Operations for the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute—also known as YEDI—which is a mission-oriented charitable organization providing top-tier business education and mentorship to innovative entrepreneurs from any sector or industry.

Serving Toronto, York Region and internationally based ventures, YEDI offers an array of programs to for-profit and not-for-profit innovators from a diversity of sectors, both across Canada and internationally. At its core, however, YEDI is committed to ensuring that ideas with high impact are not lost due to lack of knowledge during the start-up process.

It’s a tall order for sure, and as Director of Business Operations, Maria brings a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs. I’ll leave it to her to get into the nitty gritty of what her and her team at YEDI does every day and how they’re supporting the local and global tech ecosystem.

Bonus: Boast's Ehanced AI Classifier

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

Today, Boast AI’s own Blake Nelson and Asad Ali take the mic for an enlightening #InnovatorsLive session where they dive deep into Boast’s new Enhanced AI Classifier and how it is disrupting the R&D claim experience ensuring faster, accurate, and defensible claims.

Say goodbye to tedious processes and hello to seamless project categorization, supercharging SMEs with swift claim processing and audit-ready records. 🚀

This conversation was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

"Get comfortable being uncomfortable" with Janelle from York IE

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Janelle Gorman of York IE, which is a strategic growth and investment firm reshaping the way tech companies are built, scaled and monetized. Janelle is the CFO at York IE, where she is tasked with financial reporting and analysis, compliance and financial operations to support and drive growth.

While based in New Hampshire (with roots in the Boston area, where I’ve similarly cut my teeth), York IE has expanded their services to help the startup community in Canada. The company supports ambitious entrepreneurs, operators and investors on their quest to build startups, innovate at scale and disrupt markets—an ethos we share deeply here at Boast.

I’ll leave it to Janelle to discuss what these activities look like in action, differences between growing a startup in the US vs. Canada, and what she’s excited about for the future of innovation on both sides of the border.

Bonus: Track R&D, Not Tax Credits

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

Today, Boast AI’s own Dana Lee and Asad Ali take the mic for an enlightening #InnovatorsLive session on streamlining your R&D strategy and effortlessly maximizing tax credit claims. 🚀

The big takeaway? If you measure and track your R&D it will unlock a bunch of downstream benefits—and tax credits is just one of them. You will have a better handle on tying R&D to business outcomes, and your board conversations around R&D spend will be a lot calmer.

Needless to say, this is a can’t miss episode for founders and entrepreneurs of all stripes.

This conversation was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

"Level up that value" with Matt Cooper of Volta

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today, I’m thrilled to speak with another Boast partner and an exciting innovator in Atlantic Canada, Matt Cooper of Volta, a Halifax, Nova Scotia-based startup community.

At Volta, Matt leads an amazing team of professionals dedicated to helping founders and their teams drastically improve the odds of building a high growth startup in Atlantic Canada. One important thing to note about Volta is that they describe themselves as a place of mentorship and community; but not an accelerator. That’s because their focus is on quality and quantity, and not necessarily speed.

I’ll leave it to Matt to get into the nitty gritty, and go deeper into what separates Volta from accelerators in this space, and the great work his team is doing today to boost Atlantic Canada’s tech ecosystem.

Bonus: Top R&D Tax Credit Qs

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

Today, Boast AI’s own Curtis Griffith and Joshua Martin address the most commonly asked questions about R&D tax credits.

From determining eligibility to mastering documentation techniques, they'll guide you through all the crucial aspects that matter to your business.

This conversation was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

"Learn By Doing" with Trevor Johnston from Jane

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Today we have Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Jane Software Trevor Johnston on the show to discuss his role in creating the Jane App, an incredibly easy-to-use and secure online clinic management software that lets users book, chart, schedule, and invoice from anywhere, anytime. On top of all that, it requires no training, and works in all clinics.

I’ll leave it to Trevor to get into the technical nitty gritty and discuss what went into developing this game-changing software. But first, let’s get introductions in order!

Bonus: How AI will transform R&D

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

Today, Boast Ai’s own VP of Product John Can Karayel and VP of Engineering Suresh Joshi discuss How AI will Transform R&D, exploring how AI transcends the boundaries of solving individual business problems and will become a catalyst for making ROI-driven R&D decisions.

This conversation features our Senior Product Marketing Manager Asad Ali, and was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn.

Throughout, John and Suresh discuss how through AI-driven analytics, organizations will be able to gain the ability to unlock the vast potential hidden within high-quality and extensive data sets. This invaluable resource will equip businesses with the foresight and precision necessary to navigate the intricate landscape of R&D.

The conversation also aligns closely with our recently-published eBook, How to Use AI for R&D. You can find the link to download on the podcast website, Boast.ai and pinned on our LinkedIn page.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

eBook: How to Use AI for R&D: https://boast.ai/guides/ebook-how-to-use-ai-for-rd/

"Bookkeeping for Offsets" with Natureblocks

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Today, we’ve got a full house on the show, as I’m joined by Boast AI’s own Technical Solutions Manager, Aliya Amershi, who is going to co-host for an interview with one of Boast’s most exciting clients, Natureblocks!

Founder and CEO James Davidson as well as CFO Harrison White join us to talk about developing the first blockchain-based carbon offset development platform, and how they’re helping everyone from farmers to auditors understand their carbon footprint.

Bonus: Collision Conference 2023 Recap

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

The Boast AI team was on the floor for this year’s Collision Conference in Toronto from June 26-29, where we caught up with existing partners, future collaborators, and familiar faces from across the tech ecosystem.

It was a jam packed event filled with highlights. To recap their favorite moments from the event, Carlos Coelho and Dan Dumond from the Boast team joined Asad Ali for an #InnovatorsLive session this past Friday to recap the event.

This conversation was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn, where experts from across our team share their thoughts and experiences to help founders and entrepreneurs along their innovation journey.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

Bonus: Key Lessons from Recent US Tax Court Rulings on R&D Documentation

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of What The Tech from Boast AI!

Today, we’re unpacking some of the findings from a pair of recent court rulings in the United States that emphasize just how much time and money can be wasted when businesses don’t exercise savvy (and scrutiny) when applying for R&D tax credits.

This conversation features Boast AI’s own Director of Customer Delivery Ashley Crawford along with our Senior Product Marketing Manager Asad Ali, and was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn.

In both cases discussed today, titled Little Sandy Coal v. Commissioner and Scott Moore, et al. v. Commissioner, the courts found that taxpayers failed to substantiate certain activities and their associated qualified research expenditures (QREs) due in large part to a lack of proper documentation.

Along with being a lesson on the importance of good record keeping, the cases shine a light on several missed opportunities where the taxpayers may have been able to leverage the tax code to their advantage.

I hope you enjoy the show and stay tuned for next week’s regularly scheduled episode of What The Tech featuring innovators from across North America’s tech ecosystem!

"Creative Collisions" with FounderFuel

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to have a pair of guests on the show to talk about the larger Canadian startup ecosystem and, specifically, FounderFuel.

FounderFuel is a four month accelerator program that partners founders with insightful mentors, intensive networking and expert coaching, culminating in Canada’s biggest Demo Day, taking place this year on July 11th.

At the heart of FounderFuel is the expertise offered by Real Ventures, Canada’s leading early-stage VC firm dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and nurturing the communities where we thrive.

Here to discuss both are Real Ventures Partner and FounderFuel General Manager Katy Yam as well as Real Ventures’ Director of Marketing and People and FounderFuel’s Program Manager Lisa Séguin!

Check out this blog to learn more about the 2023 FounderFuel cohort.

Bonus: 2023 R&D Trends & Insights Report, Explained

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:00:00 -0400

Today, we’re unpacking some of the findings from Boast AI’s 2023 R&D Trends & Insights Report, which surveyed more than 250 business leaders from across North America to gauge how they’re fueling their product roadmap, the most prevalent tools being used to track R&D and the biggest obstacles for innovation leaders.

This conversation was originally featured as part of Boast AI’s weekly InnovatorsLive series on LinkedIn, where experts from across our team share their thoughts and experiences to help founders and entrepreneurs along their innovation journey.

2023 R&D Trends & Insights Report: https://boast.ai/guides/ebook-rd-trends-insights-report/

"Focus on Innovation" with Patrick Proulx of Knak

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Patrick Proulx, Co-Founder and CTO of Knak. Knak is a solution built by Marketers, for Marketers; it’s the first no-code campaign creation platform built for enterprise marketing teams that speeds time-to-market while empowering marketers to be creative.

I’ll leave it to Patrick to get into the nitty gritty of what makes Knak such a disruptor in the space, and how they were able to work with Boast to optimize their SR&ED filing and drive even more innovation.

"Big Fat Checks" with Mehrsa Raeiszadeh of Mintlist

Tue, 30 May 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Hello and welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting SR&ED initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “technological uncertainty” and, eventually, change the world.

I’m thrilled this week to be chatting with Mehrsa Raeiszadeh, Co-founder and COO of Mintlist, which is an online marketplace connecting 1000s of car dealers so that customers receive 100s of offers on their car in just 30 minutes.

I’ll let Mehrsa give us the rundown on how Mintlist is changing the game when it comes to buying and selling cars, and how her team was able to work with Boast AI to help maximize their tax benefits and fund their innovation.