Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews innovation expert Wendy Cukier about AI and innovation. Dr. Wendy Cukier, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Founder of the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Academic Director of WEKH and the Future Skills Centre, brings her expertise as co-author of the bestseller Innovation Nation and as one of Canada’s foremost voices on disruptive technologies and innovation.

Wendy highlights the dual nature of AI—its power to drive progress and its risks if left unchecked. She calls for smart regulation that sets guardrails without stifling innovation and will share insights from her research on Canadian companies, noting the structural hurdles small and medium enterprises will face. Wendy argues that AI will help address economic disruptions and that immigrant talent will play a vital role in strengthening Canada’s competitiveness. She emphasizes AI’s transformative impact on jobs across healthcare, communications, and beyond, showing how organizations must adapt rapidly. With examples from chatbots to AI-generated content, she illustrates how some roles will vanish while new opportunities will emerge. Wendy spotlights Canada’s challenges with commercialization and adoption, stressing that innovation will depend not only on creating technologies but also on using them effectively. She calls for upskilling to meet the demands of a shifting workforce and champion immigration as a key driver of job creation, labor force renewal, and growth.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Stephen Adler of National Pubic Relations and a conservative about his article on: “Leadership review is a defining test for Ontario Liberals”. Stephen is the Senior Director of National Pubic Relations and discusses the upcoming Liberal Party convention in Ontario and the required leadership review vote that follows every convention or election. He wrote an article analyzing the situation from a conservative perspective, focusing on the lack of discussion about the numbers and strategies needed to win for the current leader. Stephen notes that Bonnie Crombie needs to secure a strong majority to remain leader. He compares Bonnie's situation to Joe Clark's 1983 leadership review, where Clark received 66.7% of the vote but stepped down. Stephen explains that Crombie's chances of retaining her position depend on her ability to convince delegates of her leadership, as there are rumors of potential candidates including Karina Gould, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, and Marco Mendicino. Stephen outlines strategies he would recommend both to the Leader who wants to keep her job as well as what he recommends potential candidates if there is a new leadership campaign do. 

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews David Peterson. David is a former Premier of Ontario, who 40 years ago ended a 42-year Tory dynasty. He reflects on his leadership journey, the qualities that define strong leaders, and his commitment to national unity during his tenure. David analyzes how politics has evolved, noting the impact of media changes and shifting public tolerance of leaders’ behavior. He stresses the value of compromise, accommodation, and balancing social liberalism with fiscal responsibility as key principles in Canadian politics. The conversation ends with Peterson reflecting on his marriage and Brian thanking him for his leadership example, timely as the Ontario Liberal Party approaches a convention.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Ukrainian Econimist Roman Sheremeta about Trump and Putin's Alaska Summit. Roman Sheremeta, Ph.D., is a chair of Ukrainian-American House, a founding rector of American University Kyiv, and a professor of economics at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University and is a recipient of many research and teaching awards, including the 2018 Smith Ascending Scholar Prize for a "budding genius" in social science.

Roman discusses the summit between Putin and Trump, expressing strong criticism. He argues that the meeting was a diplomatic failure as it resulted in no ceasefire, no sanctions, and no concrete agreements. Roman accuses Trump of being naive and easily flattered by Putin, who he said had strategically prepared for the meeting. He also points out that Trump's trade relations with Russia seemed illogical given the ongoing sanctions. 

Roman covers Russia's strategic escalation of aggression, starting with actions in Chechnya, Georgia, and Moldova, and how weak Western responses, including Obama's lackluster reaction to Crimea's annexation, emboldened Russia to invade Ukraine in 2022. They address the Russian narrative about NATO expansion as a pretext for the invasion, which Roman dismissed as false, noting that Finland's NATO membership has not led to conflict and that Ukrainians historically did not want to join NATO but shifted to 90% support after Russia's full-scale invasion. 

Roman spoke about the prospects for peace in Ukraine. He suggests that a reasonable solution would be to freeze the current front lines, with Ukraine not recognizing the captured territories as Russian but agreeing not to use military force to recapture them. Roman emphasized that Ukraine would never accept giving up territories like the Eastern Donbas or Zaporizhia to Russia, as it would abandon Ukrainian citizens to Russian control and create new vulnerabilities. He argues that any peace deal must include strong security guarantees for Ukraine, such as NATO membership or significant military support, to deter future Russian aggression. Roman compared the situation to the Munich Agreement, warning that without robust security guarantees, Ukraine could face a similar fate.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Terry Kirk about her novel: "Pitfall". 
Terry discusses her debut novel "Pitfall," which explores the financial catastrophe of 1929 through the story of Frank, a wheat futures trader who loses everything in a single day. She explained her decision to write about finance, noting its universal impact and the lack of fictional works centered on financial themes. Terry explains that people are drawn to these narratives because they resonate with universal financial insecurities and provide a way to explore what it would be like to face significant financial setbacks. 

Terry also shares her own experiences of early divorce and single motherhood, which informed her understanding of financial pressure and shame, themes reflected in her character Frank.
She discusses his career transition from trial lawyer to finance executive and author. Terry explains how she left law after 12 years due to the demanding nature of trial work and sought a less gritty path, eventually moving into technology through an executive position at Bell Canada. She notes that many lawyers struggle to make similar career changes, citing the 2-beer rule where lawyers initially enjoy their work but later express difficulties in leaving the profession due to financial security and market perceptions.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Adrian Rocca. In his interview with Adrian Rocca, President of Fitzrovia, they explore how purpose-built rentals can help solve Canada’s housing crisis. With nearly 9,000 homes in the pipeline and $10B in assets, Adrian focuses on larger, family-friendly units and hospitality-inspired service. He explains why condo-to-rental conversions are rare, requiring far more equity and debt, and why the condo playbook must change for rentals. Fitzrovia’s success stems from a long-term vision, market adaptation, and resilience despite rising interest rates.

Tonight, on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Chris Smedley about how AI is humanity’s future! Dr. Chris Smedley is a visionary technologist and futurist dedicated to harnessing AI superintelligence to unlock an era of hyperabundance for humanity. With a deep expertise in AI and exponential technologies, he develops innovative solutions to tackle global challenges, from sustainable energy to advanced transportation. Chris has collaborated with industry giants including Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Singularity University, and the XPRIZE Foundation. A decade ago, he founded Digital Habitats, an exponential technology firm that integrates AI across energy, transportation, humanoid robotics, and beyond—creating fully autonomous products and services to power the mobile communities of tomorrow on land, sea, air, and space.

Chris discusses the transformative impact of AI, comparing it to historical technological revolutions and predicting it could replace all human labor within five years, leading to both increased productivity and potential mass unemployment. He acknowledges concerns raised by figures like Jeff Hinton and Yuval Harari about AI regulation and societal bifurcation, while also presenting an optimistic view aligned with Elon Musk's predictions of abundance through AI. Chris also addresses the changing nature of warfare, noting the shift towards drone and robot-led conflicts without human casualties, which he linked to broader sociopolitical challenges and the need for emotional and technological evolution to address human conflicts.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews John Nagl and Sergio Marchi. Dr. John Nagl, Professor of Warfighting Studies at the U.S. Army War College and retired Armor officer, warns that the world may already be sliding into a new global conflict. Comparing today’s tensions to the lead-up to World War II, he urges Canada to boost defense spending and deepen alliances with the U.S. and other democracies to counter rising autocratic powers, particularly Russia and China. Nagl stresses that a strong, united front is essential to deter aggression and protect international law.

In the second hour, Sergio Marchi, former MP and Cabinet Minister, warns of mounting challenges in Canada’s trade dependency on the U.S., especially under Donald Trump’s hardline tariff approach. Citing missed trade deal deadlines and tough negotiations, he stresses the need for Canada to diversify its markets while preserving a constructive relationship with Washington. Marchi notes this shift will be gradual and complex but essential for long-term economic security.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Sarah Makhomet and Jennifer Beale.  Sarah and Jennifer share insights on the art of effective networking, building genuine connections, and getting referrals. Sarah, a Ukrainian-born serial entrepreneur and financial expert, built her success on courage, adaptability, and vision. Jennifer, an award-winning networker, helps leaders form strategic partnerships. Together, they host networking events in Toronto, including an August 13 summer gathering and intimate monthly dinners with business leaders. They warn of declining social skills, especially post-COVID, stressing that in-person interaction builds trust and depth that online exchanges can’t match.

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Peter Dickinson, an editor of the Atlantic Council’s Ukraine Alert service based in Kiev, Ukraine, on if Putin wants peace. Peter goes into detail about Russia's occupation strategy in Ukraine and Putin's intentions to dismantle Ukrainian identity and culture in occupied territories. Putin aims to transform Ukraine into Russia without Ukrainians by dismantling Ukrainian culture, language, and identity in the 20% of Ukraine currently occupied by Russia. He explains how Russian authorities are forcibly deporting Ukrainians who refuse Russian passports, banning Ukrainian education, and importing people from less developed parts of Russia to populate the occupied territories.

Peter argues that Putin does not want peace and is seeking to bring Ukraine back under Russian control as a vassal state. He suggests that the West should use strength and coercion to force Putin to end the war, rather than offering concessions. Peter attributes the West's limited support for Ukraine to fears of Russian escalation and the potential collapse of Russia as a state, which could lead to the emergence of new nuclear-armed countries.