Shows
Sparkbrook Children's ZoneStartwell: Benefits of Fruit & VegetablesThis week we were able to sit down with Mel Cox from Startwell and discuss all things Fruits and Vegetables and how important they are for a child's diet!We discussed practical's around how to get your '5 a day' in, how to introduce fruits and vegetables to children, portion sizing, and much more!Welcome to Startwell Birmingham - Startwell_2020Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)SCZ Links:Website: www.sparkbrookchildrenszone.org.ukInstagram: www.instagram.com/sparkbrookchildrenszone/?next=%2FFacebook...
2025-09-1520 min
The StartWell PodcastUnderstanding Burnout: A Deep Dive with Duncan SoThis episode of the StartWell Podcast delves into the complexities of burnout, distinguishing it from acute stress and exploring the impact of chronic stress on mental health. Duncan So shares personal experiences and insights on recognizing the signs of burnout, the role of workplace culture, and the importance of community support in recovery. Innovative approaches to mental well-being and the intersection of technology and wellness are also discussed, emphasizing the need for a shift towards fulfilling work environments that prioritize emotional health.
2025-08-171h 31
The StartWell PodcastBuilding Float: Ruslan Nikolaev on Disrupting Canadian FintechIn this episode of the StartWell Podcast, Ruslan Nikolaev, co-founder of Float, shares the journey of building a fintech startup aimed at revolutionizing financial management for Canadian businesses. We discuss challenges he faced in the financial landscape, the importance of data in making financial decisions, and the need for localized solutions in Canada. The conversation also touches on the supportive startup ecosystem in Canada and the future of Float as it continues to innovate and expand its offerings!
2025-08-111h 09
The StartWell PodcastPeter Hwang's Entrepreneurial Journey: From College Football to BusinessFor this episode of the StartWell Podcast, Peter Hwang shares his entrepreneurial journey - starting from his first business right out of university to navigating various challenges in the startup landscape. We discuss the impact of economic downturns, particularly the 2008 financial crisis, and the lessons learned from such experiences. Peter emphasizes the importance of resilience, community support, and understanding market trends in building successful businesses. He also introduces his venture advisory studio, which aims to support startups in navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. The talk includes a discussion on rising costs of living in...
2025-08-111h 30
Success Leaves Clues with Robin Bailey and Al McDonaldSuccess Leaves Clues: Ep251 - Building Community Through Innovation - with Qasim Virjee, Founder of StartWellWhat happens when you blend entrepreneurship, storytelling, and a deep sense of community? This week's guest has built a space and a movement that’s changing how we work, connect, and innovate. Hosts Robin and Al sit down with Qasim Virjee, a serial entrepreneur, storyteller, and founder of StartWell, a Toronto-based innovation campus redefining how we work, connect, and create.From his early days in Kenya to his multi-faceted career in media, music, and tech, Qasim shares a deeply personal and thought-provoking journey. He opens up about the evolution of StartWell, how the pandemic be...
2025-06-051h 01
The StartWell PodcastJoshua Zerkel On Why 'Community' Is Essential For GTM SuccessThis episode of the StartWell Podcast explores the multifaceted nature of community building in business as we sit down virtually with Joshua Zerkel; a community-led growth and engagement leader who has done amazing work for technology companies operating at massive scale; including Asana and Evernote.Expect to hear Josh and StartWell founder/CEO Qasim Virjee share their personal journeys which led to work building communities, perspectives on the recent rise of online communities as marketing tools, differentiation between persona-based and company-based communities and a whole lot more.We highlight the necessity of creating value...
2025-04-291h 05
The StartWell PodcastScott Knox From The ICA On Why Brands Need More CanadaThis conversation is a deep dive into the Canadian creative industry's untapped potential and challenges. Scott Knox, President and CEO of the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), discusses their "Brands Need More Canada" initiative.Canadian agencies excel at delivering integrated campaigns with smaller budgets compared to larger markets like New York or London. This efficiency, combined with Canada's diverse workforce, makes it an ideal testing ground for global brands.We spend a little time introducing our "Canadians Create" video podcast series, which is a StartWell production being made in partnership with the ICA. T...
2025-04-0949 min
The StartWell PodcastPerspective on Toronto's Fintech Ecosystem with Nik MilanovićIn this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we sat down with Nik Milanović, founder of This Week in Fintech (the world's largest fintech community with 160,000 subscribers.)Nik discusses the company's first Toronto meetup event and shares insights about fintech ecosystems in Canada, highlighting how Canadian markets are often overlooked by US investors despite having significant potential and talent.For their first ever Toronto fintech meetup, This Week in Fintech received 450 attendee applications - and only had 150 spots available. Nik believes that Toronto is has a healthy fintech (and tech) ecosystem and this event proved it...
2025-04-0829 min
The StartWell PodcastSubversive Marketing's New Handbook, "Just Evil Enough" - Alistair CrollYou're in for a fascinating conversation about rethinking startup strategy with Alistair Croll. For this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we dive deep into his new book "Just Evil Enough," which took seven years to write and challenges everything you thought you knew about building successful startups.This isn't your typical business chat. Alistair brings an incredibly fresh perspective on why startups need to stop obsessing over product features and start focusing on what really matters - getting attention and converting it into profitable demand. He's got over 163 case studies backing this up, from clever marketing hacks...
2025-01-301h 09
Gathering10 Years in HR Before Becoming a CPG Founder - Sachi KitturIn this episode of StartWell's Gathering Podcast, you'll get an insider's look at Sachi Kittur's remarkable journey from HR professional to successful entrepreneur. Starting with her early career in tech recruitment during the Y2K boom, Sachi shares honest insights about her time at companies like Sigma Systems, where she experienced everything from scaling teams to managing mergers and acquisitions.What makes this discussion particularly valuable is Sachi's candid take on the evolution of corporate leadership. She points out how CEOs have shifted their focus from purely sales and profits to emphasizing people, culture, and engagement – a ch...
2025-01-241h 10
The StartWell PodcastJames McKay on Why RevOps is ESSENTIAL for Growing BusinessesFor this episode of the StartWell Podcast, James McKay shares his path from film studies to RevOps consulting in this straight-talking conversation about the Canadian startup ecosystem. If you work in tech or are curious about how Canadian business really operates, there's plenty here to dig into.The chat starts with a clear-eyed look at how Canadian and American entrepreneurship differ, especially when it comes to risk-taking and market dynamics. James draws from his experience at Clearco and other ventures, breaking down revenue operations in a way that actually makes sense.The discussion gets real...
2025-01-241h 22
The StartWell PodcastLessons from the Co-founder of A $1 Billion Canadian Adtech CompanyFor this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we discover how StackAdapt grew from a 3-person startup to a global force in programmatic advertising, now operating in 16 countries. CEO Vitaly Pecherskiy shares insights on bootstrap funding, sustainable growth, and building a customer-centric global tech company.---The interview offers fascinating insights into the early days of bootstrapping a tech company. You'll hear how they found their technical co-founder through a now-defunct website called techcofounder.com – talk about serendipity! Vitaly candidly discusses the challenges of starting with minimal seed funding and how they managed to turn that in...
2025-01-2455 min
GatheringFrom Office Coordinator to Co-CEO: A Tech Leadership Success StoryShawna Stewart's remarkable journey from psychology graduate to tech executive is related in this episode of the StartWell Podcast. She shared how she transformed from an entry-level position to co-running a successful MarTech company through acquisition. Watch/listen to learn invaluable insights about career advancement, startup leadership, and the power of identifying organizational gaps. This episode is perfect for ambitious professionals, startup enthusiasts, and anyone interested in tech leadership and company acquisitions.
2025-01-221h 29
GatheringThe founders of Projectory are Revolutionizing Corporate EventsProjectory, founded by Oren Berkovich, Jeff Rogers, and Patty Harrington, is revolutionizing corporate events through experiential design and meaningful interaction.Their approach transforms traditional corporate gatherings into engaging, participatory experiences and their methodology focuses on three key areas: in-room facilitated activities, interactive physical installations, and post-event data analysis. We sat down with the founding team for StartWell's Gathering Podcast and learned all about why they engage people through common experiences at events, as well as their methods.This episode will be especially inspiring for anyone in event planning - whether you're an EA t...
2025-01-221h 18
GatheringA Brand is a Promise of Performance: Insights from Mark Bowden on Building Authentic CultureBody language and human behaviour expert Mark Bowden joins us for StartWell's Gathering Podcast to discuss how workplace cultures can be evolved.In this conversation, we explore the concept of purpose and meaning in work, the need to transform traditional workplace cultures, and the importance of nonverbal cues, authenticity, and personal growth in effective leadership.Among many other things, Mark emphasizes the importance of aligning an organization's values with its brand promises and recommends employing humor and empathy to affect positive outcomes for performance.You'll love listing to this whether you lead or...
2025-01-221h 38
The StartWell PodcastFarah Mohamed Exposes the Unemployment Crisis Costing Us BillionsIn this episode, we explored the transformative work King's Trust Canada is pursuing to improve youth employment outcomes with the organization’s CEO Farah Mohammed.
Our conversation traced the Trust's remarkable ~50-year evolution - including the recent transitions as Prince Charles III became the King of England, highlighting their innovative approaches to tackling youth unemployment in Canada.
We delved into critical discussions about leadership transformation and organizational culture, especially in the post-COVID landscape where we all have to deal with fundamentally altered workplace dynamics and community connections.
A significant portion of our conversation cen...
2025-01-101h 02
The StartWell PodcastThe Fearless Approach to Scaling Revenue Operations | Kyle NortonCompanies need to focus on more understanding their customers - a great way to achieve this understanding is for sales and customer support to be integrated functions.
Kyle Norton joined us for this episode of the StartWell Podcast to explain his perspective on the best way to develop revenue operations with systems and a team that is truly committed to holistically helping customers through the product/service they are selling.
In his current role as CRO at Owner.com, Kyle leads sales, partnerships, onboarding, success, support, revenue operations and enablement - which has enabled him...
2024-08-011h 15
The StartWell PodcastDefeat Self-Doubt: The Power of Mentorship in Leadership Development | Mac Gebara70% of people in Canada don't feel like they have the skills to be successful at their job.
That number is massive - and is one of the motivating factors behind Mac Gebara's work with Emma-Jean Pride at Atrium; a boutique consultancy focused on developing leaders at fast-growing companies.
According to Atrium's market research, over $300B is spent annually on corporate training yet 75% of managers and leaders say they are dissatisfied with the training they receive from their company.
This episode of the StartWell podcast digs into how Atrium is solving the problem of lea...
2024-07-3039 min
The StartWell PodcastThe future of coding jobs and tech education | Jeremy Shaki from Lighthouse LabsThere are few people in Canada more knowledgeable about employment in Canada's tech sector than Lighthouse Labs' co-founder and CEO Jeremy Shaki.
Jeremy joined us for this episode of the StartWell podcast to recap changes in tech since the pandemic - how education has shifted online and how companies are actively pursuing up-skilling and re-skilling workers to future-proof their existing workforce.
This episode will be enlightening to anyone working in HR/People & Culture as well as startup founders and team leads.
Lighthouse Labs is one of the country's first tech educators - now off...
2024-07-301h 20
The StartWell PodcastOn Challenger Brands – with Rahul RajFor this episode of the StartWell Podcast, 5andVine founder Rahul Raj and Qasim Virjee (CEO, StartWell) engage in a thought-provoking conversation about challenging traditional views of capitalism, emphasizing the importance of caring deeply about how one wins and balancing profit with ethical considerations.
They discuss the impact of social media on consumer behavior and the need for a more holistic approach to business, prioritizing the needs of people and the planet alongside profits.
This engaging discussion provides insights to anyone in marketing or running their own companies in competitive markets!
*Watch the full episode as...
2024-07-0944 min
The StartWell PodcastIs Posting On LinkedIn Worth It? With Mark EvansMark Evans is a Fractional CMO and advisor to scale startups. He's previously been a news reporter and launched his career as a consultant since 2008. For any online marketer, this episode will definitely be insightful and fun!
*For the full video version of the interview, check out the StartWell Magazine
2024-07-091h 17
The StartWell PodcastAdvertising means aligning creativity with business goals – Jean GeorgeFor over 15 years Jean has worked on Strategy and Marketing - at agencies (incl BBDO, Cheil, Taxi, VML and most recently at The Hive) and for startups.
In this episode of the StartWell Podcast we hear Jean's career history (which began in fashion) and perspectives informed by her work driving strategic approaches in advertising - including anecdotes from client work; including a recent project to help the Canadian Olympic Committee connect their mission with young Canadians.
*View this episode as a video in the StartWell Magazine here.
2024-07-091h 06
GatheringHow working in HR can prepare you for entrepreneurship – with Larissa HolmesLarissa Holmes comes to entrepreneurship from a diverse range of career experiences. She’s got multiple degrees (one of which in Art), worked in hospitality, pharma and technology, and has spent years developing capacity at companies like Borrowell – where she grew their team to 200+ people and assisted acquisitions. In this episode, we cover a […]
2024-06-2455 min
The StartWell PodcastWhy the brands who stand out win – a conversation with Saul ColtIn the post-pandemic era, marketing faces challenges such as declining efficacy and escalating costs.
Brands must take calculated risks and create spectacles to capture attention. Differentiation and establishing an identity are crucial, as is prioritizing customer needs.
For this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we sat down with Saul Colt of the Idea Integration Company - and discussed the challenges of creating a distinct brand personality in the digital age, navigating tensions between identity and expression.
You'll hear shared insights on leading a creative agency, including the importance of hiring trustworthy employees and stri...
2024-05-2258 min
GatheringShawn Draisey – Recruitment ConsultantShawn Draisey is a recruitment consultant with a wealth of experience growing teams for all types of interesting industries. He’s worked with chicken processing automation companies, tire sellers, cannabis cultivators, point-of-sales systems and many other companies through his career – mainly focused on talent acquisition. For this session of StartWell’s Gathering podcast, host Qasim Virjee is […]
2024-01-231h 16
The StartWell PodcastDan Park – CEO of ClutchDan Park has had a colourful career so far - 20 years ago he was at McGill with Qasim, StartWell's founder/CEO, and since then has worked in investment banking and venture capital before taking the helm at Uber to define their UberEats business across Canada.
Through his experience at Uber, Dan learned a lot about transportation and when he was approached to further develop Canada's first online retailer for used cars, he jumped at the opportunity - and has since grown it into the largest operator in segment.
This is a fun and insightful conversation...
2024-01-1059 min
GatheringRoy Wainer – Founder of TownishRoy Wainer’s career history began with roles in financial operations – he always loved enabling growth for early stage companies and along the way that meant helping teams get larger. In this episode of the Gathering Podcast from StartWell, we explore how Roy helped a company called Platterz, which used to be in catering, scale to […]
2024-01-0153 min
The StartWell PodcastRoy Pereira – Technologist, Startup Founder & InvestorRoy Pereira's history in tech started in the 1990s - he saw the first boom-bust cycle and has since founded and exited a few startups.
For this, the 59th episode of the StartWell (https://startwell.co/) Podcast, Roy shares his experiences and perspectives as a startup founder, tech innovator, investor and Torontonian.
His current occupation is as a cofounder of https://unified.to/ - a simple way for companies to unify data between multiple SaaS applications.
*View a full film of this episode in the StartWell Magazine here.
2023-12-181h 04
The StartWell PodcastRoundtable on Cannabis in OntarioAt this roundtable we feature the perspectives of three guests who work within the Canadian cannabis industry - including a grower and two gentlemen who have previously owned a production/processing facility and now help new brands enter the market working with Wellcann - the only cannabis gum manufacturer in Ontario.
Startwell Podcast Episode 57 is hosted by Qasim Virjee as always - this time with guests Michael Lanzalone, Rahul Rajan & Darryl Rosalin
2023-09-2951 min
The StartWell PodcastCato Pastoll – Canadian fintech bank founderCato Pastoll is the co-founder and CEO of a Toronto based fintech startup called Loop.
Loop bills itself as Canada's #1 bank for entrepreneurs - with a cross border banking platform that includes corporate cards, payments, FX, capital and more in multiple currencies.
Founded about a decade ago as Lending Loop - the company launched as a platform for equity crowdfunding, before pivoting to focus on how their customers used money in addition to providing ways for them to source it.
In this episode, Cato:
- Tells us about the history of his company
- Relates the evolving need for financial...
2023-07-1847 min
The StartWell PodcastAndrew Ingham – Beer/wine buyer turned entrepreneurAndrew Ingham has had an interesting career - he started working in his youth in plumbing and then spent years building markets for beer companies before becoming an alcohol buyer for large grocery chains and hospitality companies around the world.
Recently, his conscience weighed on him and he decided to roll up his sleeves - reducing the wine industry's massive carbon footprint became his goal and a new type of wine company was born called Interpunkt.
Interpunkt Wines makes simple wines with an easy taste profile packaged in eco-sensitive, recyclable and biodegradable packaging in the shape of a conventional bottle...
2023-05-161h 18
The StartWell PodcastJasmine Daya – Personal injury lawyer and entrepreneurJasmine Daya developed a successful injury law practice in downtown Toronto leading up to the pandemic - in the down-time when courts were closed and business was slow, her entrepreneurial spirit saw opportunity in hospitality.
Today, Jasmine still practices the law but has reduced her hours on cases to focus on her nightlife establishments, and she's actively developing new projects in real estate.
This interesting conversation has a lot of insight for professionals considering leaving their professions to pursue entrepreneurialism and forms episode 54 of the StartWell Podcast.
2023-05-091h 18
The StartWell PodcastNick DenBoer aka Smearballs on his creative journeyNick DenBoer is a film and music video director based in Toronto who has worked with a wide array of high profile clients - including ad agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, media personalities like Conan O'Brien and artists like deadmau5, The Neptunes and even Tommy Lee.
His creative style remixes aesthetic elements to craft new narratives and on this episode of the StartWell podcast, filmed at our Event Studio, we dig into his experiences discovering whats possible with a career and review some of his work together.
2023-04-2558 min
GatheringBecca Lo – Ace Beverage GroupFor this, the 20th episode of StartWell’s Gathering series we sit down with Becca Lo, the Toronto based People & Culture Manager at Ace Beverage Group. Becca went to university for education – but a career in teaching seemed daunting to her as she approached graduation. A temporary role testing products for a startup called […]
2023-04-1747 min
The StartWell PodcastAlan Smithson – Co-Founder, MetaVRseAlan Smithson co-invented the world’s first touchscreen DJ system called 'Emulator' - an award winning piece of performance kit used by some of the top DJs on the global dance music circuit. In a twist of fate, the company was taken from him the night his pitch on Dragon's Den for it aired.
Since Emulator, Alan has built a company to make XR experiences more easily available to anyone, anywhere in the world. MetaVRse is a proprietary, code-optional web platform that makes it easy to create and share interactive 3D experiences instantly.
In this episode of the StartWell Podcast, you...
2023-03-2951 min
GatheringNicola Watson – TribalScale [Gathering ep.19]In this, the 19th episode of StartWell’s Gathering series, Nicola Watson joins us to share the story of how her career in HR has evolved. Previous experience in recruitment led her to larger roles in HR at Ryanair in her native Ireland before becoming the HR manager at a Toronto based remote-first software development consultancy […]
2023-03-1452 min
The StartWell PodcastLisa Mattam – Founder, SahajanFor the 51st episode of StartWell's Podcast, we sat down with Lisa Mattam - the Toronto based founder of Sahajan. This unique clean skincare company develops Ayurveda based products with the rigor of scientific testing to ensure best in class performance from plant based ingredients.
Inspired when her daughter covered herself in makeup one day, Lisa's entrepreneurial journey has seen the foundation of a category-leading brand that has taken immense commitment and effort to take to market.
In this conversation, you'll hear these amazing things, and much more:
- Some of the career background she had before embracing her path...
2023-02-141h 12
The StartWell PodcastStefany Nieto – COO & Co-founder, Gwella/MOJOAs with most pharmaceutical drugs, Adderall comes with side-effects which make it undesirable for a lot of people - including addictiveness, something which inspired the team behind Gwella, a Toronto based company to launch vegan non-prescription edibles that boost energy levels, focus, mental clarity and positivity.
Founded in the pandemic, Gwella is a remote-first company with 3 co-founders. We sat down in studio with Stefany Nieto, the company's COO and one of its founders for this, the 50th episode of our StartWell Podcast.
In this episode of the StartWell Podcast you'll a wealth of information which relates a unique foundation story...
2023-02-011h 25
The StartWell PodcastSamir Mourani & Matthew Chapman from Gent’s Talk [Ep.49]Originally a written series of interviews with male celebrities and athletes published online through a website called Gents Post, Gents Talk was launched in 2022 as a video podcast to better articulate the depth of experiences interviewees were expressing to Samir Mourani.
Now joined by podcast cohost Matthew Chapman, Gents Talk is shot at StartWell and published weekly - featuring well known men sharing intimate perspectives and experiences which aim to express their definition of masculinity in the modern age.
For this episode of StartWell's own podcast, we invited the Gents Talk hosts to share their experiences behind the mic and...
2023-01-2743 min
GatheringJordyn Benattar (Speakwell) [Gathering Podcast Ep.17]For the 17th episode of StartWell’s Gathering Podcast we sit down with Toronto-based public speaking and communications expert, Jordyn Benattar. Jordyn’s working history began at age 3 when she was cast in television commercials and then feature films as a child actor. Her ease with cast and crew working on camera prepared her for a career in public […]
2023-01-2632 min
GatheringMartin Hauck (The People People Group) [Gathering Podcast, Ep.16]Martin Hauck joins us in studio for StartWell’s Gathering Podcast to discuss the current state of hiring – and how his community of ‘people people‘ shares knowledge to survive this tumultuous time for HR professionals. Currently the Head of Talent at Caseware, Martin has had a decade-plus career in HR, which started when he was […]
2023-01-2659 min
GatheringLorena Perry [Gathering Podcast Ep.15]For this episode of StartWell’s Gathering Podcast we sit down with Lorena Perry – the Director for IT Staffing in Canada at Judge Group who place candidates in both contract and permanent roles. Sharing both personal experience and insights into her work; Lorena has recommendations for how recent immigrants to Canada looking for work may […]
2023-01-2650 min
GatheringStephen Shedletzky, aka ‘Shed’ [Gathering Podcast Ep.14]Stephen Shedletzky, aka ‘Shed’ is a speaker, writer, coach, facilitator and advisor who has worked with Simon Sinek for a decade and now helps leaders listen to and nurture the voices of others with the aim of developing cultures where people feel safe, encouraged, and rewarded to speak up. In this episode of the StartWell […]
2023-01-201h 15
The StartWell PodcastFood Philanthropist Chef Jagger Gordon [ep.48]Accomplished Toronto Chef Jagger Gordon joined us in studio to share the inspiration behind his philanthropic endeavours to battle food insecurity and reduce food waste.
In this engaging conversation you'll hear about a new app which lets people share extra food with people in need as well as how Jagger made his way to the Ukraine through Poland recently and fed citizen soldiers fighting Russian forces; with José Andrés World Central Kitchen and then his own exploration of the interior.
*About Chef Jagger Gordon's Charity, Feed it Forward
Feed It Forward is a Toronto based Canadian not for profit or...
2023-01-2053 min
GatheringEmma Hunt (Senior Talent Advisor, Bloom)[Gathering Podcast Ep.12]Emma Hunt is a senior talent advisor with Bloom – a workplace design consultancy based in Toronto but with a globally dispersed team. Bloom runs training for internal and external recruiters and hr professionals on topics like Diversity and Equity Inclusion and in this episode of StartWell’s Gathering series Emma shares her perspectives on all […]
2023-01-1240 min
GatheringJay Goldman (CEO & Co-founder, Sensei Labs)[Gathering Podcast Ep.11]For this, the 11th episode of StartWell’s Gathering podast, we sat down with Jay Goldman – the founder and CEO of Sensei Labs. Sensei Labs was spun out of Toronto’s life sciences brand development company Klick Health – initially they commercialized an internal intranet and then evolved it into its own enterprise SaaS offering called […]
2023-01-121h 00
GatheringDave Cairns (SVP, Office Leading, CBRE)[Gathering Podcast Ep.9]For this the 9th episode of StartWell’s Gathering Podcast, Dave Cairns joins us in our Toronto studio to discuss the state of the office leasing market and shares his perspective about how companies need to rethink why they provide space for their staff. Formerly a Toronto based broker, Dave moved to Prince Edward Island for […]
2022-12-061h 01
GatheringSylvia Smiley (Zulu Alpha Kilo)[Gathering Podcast ep.4]How does a creative agency manage to grow its talent pool and engage its people despite being distributed across a country? In this episode of StartWell’s Gathering podcast we hear from Sylvia Smiley whose job it is to attract talent to the full-service-agency of Zulu Alpha Kilo, and hear about their value for relationships, new […]
2022-11-1552 min
The StartWell PodcastElizabeth Taylor aka Pureness [ep.47]Entrepreneurs come from all backgrounds - so it was refreshing this time around to take a break from high tech startups and hear the story of this award winning Toronto based makeup and hair artist.
Elizabeth Taylor, works for personal and commercial clients under the company name 'Faces by Pureness.'
2022-11-1129 min
The StartWell PodcastSimon Davis – Purposeful Intent [ep.46]Purposeful Intent is a series of curated in-person Corporate Real Estate and Workplace events to have open discussions and thought leadership around the future of work.
For this episode of the StartWell Podcast we sat down with Simon Davis to learn about his impetus for founding the series, experiences hosting it through 2022 across North America and expectations for the year ahead.
2022-10-0746 min
The StartWell PodcastRobert Domagala – ReturnBear [ep.45]With people buying things increasingly online the back end logistics required for not only shipping product out to consumers but then receiving back returns can be a nightmare for SMBs - that's where ReturnBear comes in. This Canadian company helps sellers manage their product returns; with central product drop depots in shopping malls and much more - including product sorting and re-packacking to speed up the path to resale.
For this, the 45th episode of StartWell's podcast, Qasim Virjee sits down with Robert Domagala - the Head Of Business Development & Marketing at ReturnBear.
2022-08-241h 00
The StartWell PodcastCamille Moore – Third Eye Insights [Ep.44]Camille Moore joins us in studio on campus at StartWell to relate her founder story and share perspective on Third Eye Insights' approach to enabling professional services through branding.
The conversation is fun and far reaching - touching on some of StartWell founder Qasim Virjee's own experiences as one of the first people online in East Africa, digitising a methodology for Placemaking and experiencing corporate politics at IBM.
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:28
Welcome back to the Start world podcast. Once again, I am Qasim in studio on King Street West here in Toronto at start Will's campus. Today...
2022-06-091h 03
The StartWell PodcastSyzl co-founders Azrah Manji and Adrian Savin (Ep. 43)For this session of the StartWell Podcast we sat down with the co-founders of Syzl - Adrian Savin and Azrah Manji. This husband and wife team have brought their combined experiences working in digital marketing and shared spaces to help food professionals, entertainers and hobbyists find and use professional kitchens on demand.
2022-05-2038 min
The StartWell PodcastEric Bizzarri from the Future of Film ShowcaseIn this interview we sit down at StartWell's downtown Toronto broadcast studio to hear from the CEO and co-founder of the Future of Film Showcase - a unique not-for-profit arts organisation presenting short films from Canadian Filmmakers aged 40 and younger.
Eric tells us about how the Showcase got going as a grassroots solution to getting shorts on the big screen and how it has garnered support from not only audiences and presenting partners but filmmakers themselves - some of them as young as in their pre-teens.
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:29
Welcome back to another installment of the start...
2022-05-0945 min
The StartWell PodcastCarbon6 Introduce Their Solutions for Amazon Sellers [Ep.41]Carbon6's community empowers eCommerce sellers, removing the barriers to selling online. Focused on the global Amazon seller community, this innovative StartWell member company has just come out of stealth mode and is rapidly scaling their team and software solutions.
For this session of the StartWell podcast we sit down with 2 of the company's cofounders, Naseem Saloojee and Kazi Ahmed and hear their foundation story plus learn what their approach to providing Amazon sellers value is.
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:27
Welcome back to this the 41st episode of the start, well podcast this time I'm joined in studio...
2022-04-2739 min
The StartWell PodcastTechTO Introduces Their Insiders Subscription (Ep.40)For this, the 40th episode of the StartWell Podcast we sit down with Jason Goldlist (co-founder), Laura Backman (Insiders Manager) and Alexandra Reilly (Growth Marketing Manager) to talk about TechTO - the largest startup focused community organisation in Toronto.
The session was recorded during our first TechTO-StartWell coworking day, launching monthly drop-in coworking for the TechTO Insiders community of startup founders, mentors, investors and innovators.
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:27
It's such a pleasure to have team tech to here in the stairwell studio, broadcast studio today on King Street West, I thought we'd take a little bit of...
2022-04-2723 min
The StartWell PodcastMichaelangelo Masangkay – Founder, Top Drone (Ep.39)For this, the 39th episode of the StartWell Podcast we sat down with the founder of Top Drone - a Toronto based film production company that exclusively works with Drone technology on projects for entertainment and commercial purpose.
In the conversation, Michaelangelo tells us how he got started with drones and what sets his company apart from others getting started in this emerging type of cinematography.
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:29
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the start. Well, podcast. Once again, I am Qasim in studio here on King Street West in downtown Toronto. This...
2022-01-2552 min
The StartWell PodcastRyan Bolton – Photographer (Ep.38)Ryan Bolton is a Toronto based photographer who has won awards and travelled the world capturing stunning images of people and places. His client roster includes Apple, Red Bull, Spotify, Gucci, SickKids and many other category leading institutions and commercial brands.
Journalism originally led Ryan to photography as a career and in this session we discuss the backstory which developed his lens on the world plus tips and tricks for improving as a career creator.
Links
StartWell Podcast on iTunes
StartWell Podcast on Spotify
Ryan Bolton's Portfolio
[expand title="Podcast Transcript"]
Qasim Virjee 0:29
We are live. It's recording. We're all...
2021-12-081h 10
The StartWell PodcastAmin Jadavji – CEO/Founder, Elevate FarmsLeveraging technology originally developed at the University of Guelph for NASA to test the ability to grow life on Mars, Elevate Farms is building some of the worlds most cutting edge vertical farms. We invited the company's CEO and Founder Amin Jadavji to StartWell for this conversation that recounts the company's history and technology plus addresses food shortage problems brought to light by the pandemic and more.
Links:
StartWell's Digital Magazine
StartWell Podcast on iTunes
StartWell Podcast on Spotify
Elevate Farms
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Qasim Virjee 0:29
Welcome back to the start well podcast I'm Qasim as always in this...
2021-11-261h 06
The StartWell PodcastRan Goel – Founder, Fresh City Farms (Ep.36)In this session we hear from the founder of Fresh City Farms - a multi-brand grocer/baker/butcher operating 8 locations across Toronto which sprouted from humble beginnings about a decade ago as an urban farming experiment in Downsview Park.
Learn more about Ran's company: https://www.freshcityfarms.com/
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Qasim Virjee 0:28
All right, welcome back to another installment of the start will podcast. This time around I'm in studio with Ren goal. Cool Girl go well, yeah, the founder of fresh city farms, who is here to tell us about life on the rangeand other fun...
2021-11-0552 min
The StartWell PodcastJacqueline Vong – CoFounder of Playology Intl (Ep.35)In this session we hear from one of Canada's premier experts on global licensing/merchandising and brand/franchise marketing focused on Asia. Jacqueline has spent 2 decades in the children's entertainment space and shares some of her experiences taking the minions to China, bringing the Wiggles to Canada and much much more.
Learn more about Jacqueline's company, Playology International: https://www.playologyintl.com/
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Qasim Virjee 0:29
Welcome back to another episode of the start, well podcast this time around, I'm joined in studio with Jacqueline Vaughn, who I've known for many, many years. And we're reconnecting today...
2021-11-0548 min
The StartWell PodcastJay Rosenthal – CoFounder at Business of Cannabis (Ep.34)We sat down with the cofounder of Canada's leading publication focused on the emerging North American Cannabis industry. Jay from Business of Cannabis gives us a 101 on how the industry is structured whilst recounting fun anecdotes and an update about being acquired recently by Prohibition Partners from the UK.
Links:
StartWell Podcasts on the Web: https://magazine.startwell.co/magazine/podcasts/
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/startwell/id1391959054
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3mZuqf6L5g1fUJRTSttVQs
Business of Cannabis: https://businessofcannabis.com/
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Qasim Virjee 0:28
Welcome back to the StartWell podcast...
2021-10-2844 min
The StartWell PodcastAdam Weitner – Founder of Astrolab Studios (Ep33)In this episode we hear from the founder of Toronto's Astrolab Studios - one of the most popular boutique studios for commercial film and photography located on the Revival Film Studios lot in the city's downtown neighbourhood of Leslieville.
Adam found his way into studio ownership from a previous career in Press Relations and has since begun developing is talents behind the decks as a house music DJ and behind the lens as a still photographer becoming commercially sought after for his work with professional athletes.
Links:
StartWell Podcasts on the Web: https://magazine.startwell.co/magazine/podcasts/
On iTunes...
2021-10-2447 min
The StartWell PodcastLen Senater from the Depanneur (Ep32)Celebrating 10 years in business, Len joins us to recount the foundation story of The Depanneur.
His self-described 'interesting place where food things happen' has become one of Toronto's most applauded places to find unique experiences for those who love food, community and adventure. The Dep is where anyone who wants to cook for people can find a kitchen and audience - something which is uniquely honest and refreshing in a city experiencing crazy inflation and gentrification.
A must-listen for anyone interested in food, social enterprise, bootstrapping and everything which makes Toronto diverse and amazing.
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Qasim Virjee 0:29
...
2021-10-161h 00
The StartWell PodcastEric Joyal & John Sinopoli (Ep31)For this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the cofounders of Ascari - a Toronto based hospitality group that has evolved in the past decade+ from an experimental Izakaya into a portfolio of French/Italian restaurants, bar plus new retail concept.
Ascari cofounders Erik Joyal and John Sinopoli have been an innovative tour de force through the pandemic, managing not only to stay alive despite uncertainty but expanding their customer offering by focusing on what their team excels at.
*Recorded on October 8, 2021
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Qasim Virjee 0:28
Welcome back to the start. Well podcast. For this...
2021-10-0852 min
A New NormalNeil Martin (Co-Founder, Project Spaces)For this episode of StartWell’s A New Normal series we are joined in Studio A by Neil Martin, a co-founder of the Toronto coworking brand Project Spaces. Neil relates his company’s history, community profile and we discuss the importance of the places which coworking operators provide for developing communities in our urban contexts.
2020-12-161h 13
A New NormalAli Jiwani (CEO, Rally Video)Ali, one of 3 co-founders of Toronto based video startup Rally, joins StartWell’s CEO Qasim Virjee in our Hybrid Event Studio for a chat about how his company is trying to make online video more social.
2020-12-1125 min
A New NormalDavid Ciccarelli (CEO, Voices.com)Over the past 15 years David has grown what was originally a small recording studio into the world's premiere marketplace for voice-over talent - voices.com. In this session we hear about the company's foundation, their fundraising history and recent insights from working through lockdown.
2020-08-2454 min
A New NormalAliya Ramji (MT Ventures @ McCarthy Tétrault)Aliya Ramji is the co-founder of MT Ventures, a program at Canadian law firm McCarthy Tétrault which is focused on helping startups scale through leveraging client and partner relationships in tandem with the firm’s wealth of legal perspective.
2020-07-1031 min
A New NormalNikolas Badminton (Futurist Speaker & Advisor)As foresight becomes a more important tool for corporations to guide decision making through uncertain times we thought it useful to spend some time with Nikolas Badminton - a world-renowned keynote speaker, consultant, and media producer now based in Toronto Canada and resident at StartWell.
In this discussion with our CEO Qasim Virjee, Nik breaks down what it means to be a Futurist, relates personal experiences from working through the pandemic and much more.
The session was recorded live from our event venue on King Street West in downtown Toronto - the same space which played host to Nik's 2019 edition...
2020-06-0530 min
A New NormalKelly Peters (CEO & CoFounder, BEworks)BEworks is the world’s first commercial consulting team dedicated to the application of Behavioural Economics to real-world challenges. Recently the firm developed a Work From Home Diagnostic Tool – we caught up with Kelly Peters, BEwork’s CEO and CoFounder, to hear more about what inspired the Tool’s development and how they work with clients to apply its principles.
*To watch a recording of their recent Webinar ‘Identifying and Overcoming Barriers for Returning to Work using Behavioral Science’ you can get in touch with the BEworks team using this link.
2020-05-3031 min
A New NormalA New Normal - Episode 7 (Yenza3)In this episode of A New Normal, the three cofounders of Toronto-based firm Yenza3 join us by video-link for a conversation that touches on a few topics – including how the pandemic has accelerated the need for companies to develop remote working plans and promote a new corporate culture that understands how people come together to work online.
2020-05-3047 min
A New NormalShez Samji (Silicon Valley Bank Canada)In this conversation recorded for our A New Normal series, we caught up with Shez Samji, the Managing Director of Private Equity Services at Silicon Valley Bank Canada.
The discussion covers a range of topics - from how important team work in person is to giving people a sense of purpose to why this point in time may be advantageous to companies who can not only survive but prepare for the long-term.
2020-05-0844 min
A New Normal[A New Normal] Episode 5 - Nav SanghaFor the 5th episode of A New Normal we called up Nav Sangha – the Founder of Ambassador, a Toronto based startup helping brick and mortar retail businesses go digital with a turn-key integrated online ordering/eCommerce and customer support chatbot offering that can plug into any website infrastructure.
Nav’s rich entrepreneurial experience has seen him run Toronto’s most respected shop for DJ vinyl on Yonge St decades ago before founding live music venues at the forefront of new scenes emerging 10-15 years ago in the city’s edgy Parkdale neighbourhood. Since then he’s launched restaurant ventures (Otto’s Bierhalle, Mis...
2020-04-2845 min
A New Normal[A New Normal] Episode 4 - Ujwal ArkalgudMotivbase’s CEO Ujwal Arkalgud is an Author, Entrepreneur and Cultural Anthropologist who joins us to relate some consumer trends he’s seeing at the moment and offer his take on how companies might use this time as an opportunity to innovate.
2020-04-2228 min
A New Normal[A New Normal] Episode 3 - Tarun Nayar
Tarun Nayar is a Vancouver based music industry professional who has toured all over the world with his award winning band Delhi 2 Dublin, released music through his SnakesXLadders imprint and raised stage to all sorts of artistic performances through his 5XFest events.
We dialled up Tarun for his take on changes in the music industry and what entertainment trends he sees emerging from this pandemic period.
2020-04-2137 min
A New Normal[A New Normal] Episode 2 - Sameer MohamedWelcome to Toronto’s Old Town neighbourhood near the St Lawrence Market – an area with roots dating back to 1793 when this city of now 3 million people was founded.
With bike lanes, historic parks and plenty of boutiques, cafes and bars you’d normally find throngs of tourists and office workers strolling along sidewalks but its mid April and a month since the city started reacting to the Corona Virus Pandemic.
Here on Lombard street we caught up with Sameer Mohammed outside the first of his three Fahrenheit Coffee locations. Much loved by his many regulars who usually pop in on their way...
2020-04-1409 min
A New NormalEpisode 1 - Dr Sheila LakhooFor our inaugural episode we sat down with Dr Sheila Lakhoo - a family doctor who leads the Telemedicine Impact Plus clinic at St Michael's Hospital. Recently she has also been the Medical Director at Union Health (a new clinic owned by Telus Health utilizing their own telemedicine app called Akira) and practices lifestyle medicine at One80Health - an integrative clinic in Yorkville.
Her take on the current situation:
OHIP Billing codes now covering telemedicine through 3rd party apps (like Telus/Union Health's Akira app)
Physicians across Ontario are using a multitude of video conferencing software options (including Facetime...
2020-04-1026 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 30 – Aaron Wayne (First Aid Canada Inc.)With so many local small and medium sized businesses facing economic uncertainty in the face of the global pandemic, we thought it timely to get StartWell Member company First Aid Canada Inc on the microphone for this special episode of our podcast.
Aaron Wayne is a first aid instructor, lifeguard and VP of Sales at First Aid Canada - an eCommerce vendor that believes 'every person has the capacity to save a life.' Their online shop sells a variety of first aid/medical supplies, equipment and defibrillators (AEDs) sourced globally but shipped from here in Toronto.
In this episode...
2020-03-3139 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 29 – Nikola Danaylov (Dark Futures 5/5)This special episode is the fifth of 5 talks delivered on stage at StartWell's Event Space on King St W in downtown Toronto on November 28, 2019 for a globally roaming annual series called Dark Futures.
This talk was presented by Nikola Danaylov, founder of Singularity Media Inc, and is titled "NeoTechnocracy The Future is Worse than You Think."
*Dark Futures is presented by globally renowned Futurist, speaker, researcher, and author Nikolas Badminton. (https://nikolasbadminton.com/)
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Qasim Virjee 0:19
Welcome back to the 29th episode of The Star well podcast. My name is Qasim and I'm start will CEO and...
2020-03-2716 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 28 – Melissa Eshaghbeigi (Dark Futures 4/5)This special episode is the fourth of 5 talks delivered on stage at StartWell's Event Space on King St W in downtown Toronto on November 28, 2019 for a globally roaming annual series called Dark Futures.
This talk was presented by Melissa Eshaghbeigi,(https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshaghbeigi), a strategist at the Toronto design and experience agency JAM3, and is titled "It's 2039, you're either stressed, depressed or cancelled."
*Dark Futures is presented by globally renowned Futurist, speaker, researcher, and author Nikolas Badminton. (https://nikolasbadminton.com/)
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Qasim Virjee 0:20
Welcome back to this the 28th episode of The Star well...
2020-03-2714 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 27 – Calla Lee (Dark Futures 3/5)This special episode is the third of 5 talks delivered on stage at StartWell's Event Space on King St W in downtown Toronto on November 28, 2019 for a globally roaming annual series called Dark Futures.
This talk was presented by Calla Lee (https://www.linkedin.com/in/callalee) and is titled "Tinder"
*Dark Futures is presented by globally renowned Futurist, speaker, researcher, and author Nikolas Badminton. (https://nikolasbadminton.com/)
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Qasim Virjee 0:27
Welcome back to this the 27th episode of the start well podcast. As always, I'm your host start Will's founder and CEO Qasim Virjee. And for this...
2020-03-2714 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 26 – Oksana Andreiuk (Dark Futures 2/5)This special episode is the second of 5 talks delivered on stage at StartWell's Event Space on King St W in downtown Toronto on November 28, 2019 for a globally roaming annual series called Dark Futures.
This talk was presented by Oksana Andreiuk (https://canadianbiohacker.com/) and is titled "You're already a cyborg and it's about to get weirder."
*Dark Futures is presented by globally renowned Futurist, speaker, researcher, and author Nikolas Badminton. (https://nikolasbadminton.com/)
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Qasim Virjee 0:18
Welcome back to this the 26th episode of the stairwell podcast. As always, I'm your host, Qasim Virjee, the CEO and...
2020-03-2722 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 25 – Geoff Snack (Dark Futures, 1/5)This special episode is the first of 5 talks delivered on stage at StartWell's Event Space on King St W in downtown Toronto on November 28, 2019 for a globally roaming annual series called Dark Futures.
This talk was presented by Geoff Snack, a strategist at the Toronto design and experience agency JAM3, and is titled "New materiality Things that don't exist"
*Dark Futures is presented by globally renowned Futurist, speaker, researcher, and author Nikolas Badminton. (https://nikolasbadminton.com/)
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Qasim Virjee 0:11
Welcome back to this the 25th episode of the start well podcast. As always, I am your host...
2020-03-2712 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 24 – Matt Cohen (Ripple Ventures)In this studio session we sit down with Matt Cohen, the Managing Partner of Ripple Ventures which is a Toronto based early stage venture fund focused on B2B software.
Ripple takes a hands-on approach to enabling the success of the companies which they invest in and Matt explains not only why its important to him but also how Ripple has created a platform that helps their portfolio through providing space, access to health benefits, unique networking and educational experiences and more.
Matt also introduces the Ripple Fellowship - a program they've developed to educate the next generation of venture...
2020-01-2751 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 23 – Retailing Cannabis in Ontario (Superette & BoC)A frank discussion between Business of Cannabis' Jay Rosenthal and Tricia Lackey, Superette's Director of Brand Experience, relating issues being faced by retailers of Cannabis in Ontario.
*Recorded at the second edition of our speaker series focused on the emerging economy of Cannabis in Canada.
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Qasim Virjee 0:07
Welcome back to this the 23rd episode of the start well podcast recorded live on November 21 2019. In our events based in downtown Toronto, this live conversation focused on retailing cannabis in Ontario. This is the the second installment of start well speaker series that is focused on the emerging ca...
2019-11-3042 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 22 – David Adler (CEO & Founder, BizBash)This brief 20 minute talk touches on the magic that happens when people come together. David introduces the role of 'collaboration artist' and more...
About David's company
BizBash is North America’s #1 source of ideas, news, and resources for event and meeting professionals. Each month nearly 225,000 unique users look to BizBash for venue discovery, event style, technology, and tools for their next event. Thousands of event professionals attend our in-person events in major cities in the United States and Canada and listen to our podcast GatherGeeks monthly.
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Qasim Virjee 0:24
Welcome back to this the 22nd episode of the...
2019-11-2520 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 21 – The Media Landscape & CannabisThis time around we're publishing a live-recorded panel discussion moderated by local cannabis accelerator program Leaf Forward as part of our new monthly Cannabinoid Futures speaker series. This inaugural edition of our series brought Vanmala Subramaniam (National Post), Matt Lamers (Marijuana Business Daily) and Jay Rosenthal (Business of Cannabis) together on the mic.
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Qasim Virjee 0:00
Going from station to station shaking from Genesis to Revelations Welcome back to this the 21st episode of the start well podcast. As always, I'm your host Qasim Virjee. Start well CEO and founder. And for this session, we're going to tak...
2019-11-0837 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 20 – AppLabbTheAppLabb, founded in Toronto in 2007, is a striking example of how digital services agencies need to stay on top of constantly accelerating technological innovation to not only remain relevant but grow. In this session we sit down with its founder, Kundan Joshi.
*Learn more about Kundan's company here: https://theapplabb.com/
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Qasim Virjee 0:15
All right back once again, for this time 20th edition of The Star Wars Podcast. I'm Qasim Virjee. The CEO and founder of start well here on King Street in our lovely, infamous or famous depends on who you know, studio. And this ti...
2019-06-1421 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 19 – Emergence LabsThis time around we're in the studio with StartWell member company Emergence Labs - a business technology consulting form and Salesforce implementation partner focused on helping small to medium sized businesses adopt new technologies that can help them database and better use their information.
*Learn more about Emergence Labs on their website at https://emergencelabs.io/
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Qasim Virjee 0:31
All right back once again for this the 19th episode of the stairwell Podcast. I'm Qasim, the founder and CEO of start well here in the studio once again, on King Street in downtown Toronto. This time, I'm jo...
2019-05-1340 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 18 – MotivBaseMotivBase has created the world's only Artificial Intelligence powered Anthropologist that can predict trends that will shape consumer behaviour. In this episode we sit down with cofounder Ujwal Arkalgud and learn about the early foundation stages of this successful yet boot-strapped venture as well as how context informs trends in unique ways online.
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Qasim Virjee 0:23
All right, welcome back to another episode of the start, well podcast, I am your host with the most or something, the only host on this podcast. So I do have the most it's Qasim Virjee. Back again the CEO and...
2019-05-0241 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 17 – Yenza3This time around we sit down with this unique consulting firm that helps organizations align user experience, content and technology across the core processes of knowledge management.
Join Yenza3's Anuj Rastogi, Shveta Malhan and Martin Byrne join StartWell's founder Qasim Virjee in this fun conversation that explores some of their own career history that lead to forming this consultancy, why people need to feel empowered within organizations and how important culture is to companies.
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Qasim Virjee 0:11
Zach once again for this 17th episode of the struggle podcast. I am circles founder and CEO Qasim Virjee. Sit...
2019-04-081h 19
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 16 – Panel on Augmented Reality in RetailThis live recording was made during the March instalment of AWENiteTO - a monthly event presented at main campus in downtown Toronto.
The panel was moderated by Electric Runway's Amanda Cosco and featured - Charles Bern (CEO Patio Interactive), Fareena Contractor (Head of Walmart's Innovation Community) & Matt McPherson (COO, Quantum Capture)
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Qasim Virjee 0:17
Welcome back to this the 16th episode of the start well podcast, I'm start was founder and CEO Qasim Virjee. And once again, I'll be bringing some interesting voices to the mic. The recording which you're about to listen to was captured last nig...
2019-03-2243 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 15 – Scott Nihill (Embreate)In this conversation we sit down with Scott Nihill, the co-founder of Embreate - an interdisciplinary agency focused on creating and producing original, interactive, story-based experiences that is resident at StartWell.
*More info: https://embreate.com/
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Qasim Virjee 0:20
All right back once again for this time, the 15th episode of the struggle Podcast. I'm Qasim Virjee, the CEO, and founder of start well, and this time around, I'm in the studio on King Street West in Toronto with Scott from Embrey. Eight. There was another, another person in the studio a second ago. But unfortunately, Alison, yo...
2019-03-1552 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 14 – teaBotOur whole community at Main Campus has been in love with their personalized tea since we first partnered with teaBot to bring their machines to our cafe and bar. Based at StartWell, teaBot is a startup that has been through acceleration programs including Y Combinator and Creative Destruction Lab and weathered their first 5 years in existence to now have over 100 machines placed globally.
In this conversation we sit down with Noor (Operations Manager) and Rehman (Co-founder, CEO) to discuss how a couple of engineers from Waterloo set out to solve an efficiency problem for a family business and ended up fo...
2019-03-0541 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 13 – Addo (Source)In this episode we sit down with Addo, one of the co-founders of Source - a new venture based at StartWell who are using Blockchain technologies for their interoperable data platform that lets developers create innovative ways to distribute access to information.
One of the example use cases for their platform we discuss here briefly - being able to sync data between disparate MS Word files using what Source calls 'Cards' that act like a central repository of information which can exist as a living chunk of data in multiple documents.
We recommend staying in touch with these guys by subs...
2019-02-1444 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 12: Marianne Bulger (Golden Ventures)In this episode, our CEO sits down with Marianne Bulger (People and Platform at Golden Ventures - a tech focused, industry-agnostic seed stage venture capital fund based in Toronto that invests across North America.) The conversation touches on our local VC landscape, the rapid growth we are experiencing in Toronto's tech sector, diversity and wait for it.... Burning Man!
Links:
Golden Ventures - https://golden.ventures
Prospect.FYI - https://www.prospect.fyi/
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Qasim Virjee 0:49
All right, welcome back to another installment of the start well Podcast. I'm Qasim Virjee, the founder and CEO of start...
2018-11-201h 02
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 11: Karim Harji (Oxford University + Evalysis + Possibilian Ventures)This is episode StartWell's CEO and Founder Qasim Virjee sits down in our studio with Karim Harji - a leading researcher, educator and investor on the topic of Impact Measurement and Investing.
Karim Harji brings over a decade of international experience in impact measurement and impact investing. He is a Senior Fellow with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation; Programme Director of the Oxford Impact Measurement Programme at the Said Business School, University of Oxford; and Managing Director at Evalysis, an impact measurement and management consultancy. He is an Associate Fellow at the Said Business School at the University of...
2018-10-1128 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 10: Corey Caplan (Gusto Worldwide Media)This time around, our Founder Qasim is joined in studio by Corey Caplan the Senior Director for International Sales at StartWell Member company Gusto Worldwide Media.
Headquartered in Ottawa, Gusto is the world’s leading producer of native 4k food and cooking content, available for television and digital platforms. Seen in more than 170 countries, its award winning series include One World Kitchen, Fish the Dish, The Latin Kitchen, The Urban Vegetarian, A Is For Apple, Crate to Plate, The Edible Roadshow, Licence to Grill and Cook Like a Chef.
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Qasim Virjee 0:03
Don't try don't try try. Alrig...
2018-10-0559 min
The StartWell PodcastEpisode 9: Yuriy Blokhin (Bitfury – Lightning Network)In this episode Yuriy Blokhin breaks down how the Lightning Network represents the values for distributed networks that core blockchain hacker communities support around the world. Though an employee of Bitfury, one of the largest companies in the world focused on developing solutions for the Bitcoin Blockchain, Yuriy develops partnerships that benefit the adoption of Lightening as an open-access secondary protocol on the blockchain that makes it more relevant for transactional data.
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Yuriy Blokhin 0:45
We're back in the studio once again for the start well podcast. This is Qasim, the co founder, whatever you want to...
2018-09-1353 min