For over two centuries, Atlantic Canada has been the launch point for Canada’s ventures into the unknown — from the Grand Banks to global trade routes. Today, that pioneering spirit is looking skyward.

In this episode, Stephen Matier of Maritime Launch Services and Rahul Goel of NordSpace join host John Stackhouse to explore how Canada is closing that gap. Together with Chris Hadfield, they unpack what sovereign access to space means for national security, climate resilience, and technological leadership — and how Nova Scotia and Newfoundland’s emerging space sectors are helping bring Canada into the new space age.

Because if Canada can’t launch its own ideas, it can’t lead its own future.

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Canada’s future security doesn’t just lie in the skies or across its borders — it lies beneath the waves. Newfoundland and Labrador, long defined by its connection to the North Atlantic, is emerging as the front line in Canada’s underwater defence and surveillance revolution.

In this episode, Kraken Robotics’ David Shea reveals how cutting-edge sonar and subsea intelligence are giving Canada new eyes and ears in the ocean depths — technology once reserved for superpowers, now developed and deployed from St. John’s. And General Rick Hillier, former Chief of Defence Staff, joins host John Stackhouse to explore why control of our underwater domain is critical to national sovereignty, Arctic readiness, and alliance security in an age of rising global tension.

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Canada stands at a crossroads. Become a leader or continue to ride shotgun. The choice is obvious. But global political and economic uncertainty demands we act decisively. We need to close the productivity gap with our peer nations and build bigger, better and bolder. Visionary leaders across the country are seizing this moment, harnessing technology to take on Canada's most-urgent challenges.

For this season of Disruptors, we're crisscrossing the country to showcase their groundbreaking work. From robotics that safeguard Arctic sovereignty and AI that rewrites how we grow food to critical minerals powering the clean transition and housing innovations reshaping our cities. In every sector we explore, technical ingenuity meets national purpose. These are not just stories of invention-they provide a blueprint for a stronger, more competitive Canada.

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AI is moving beyond passive outputs toward autonomous action. In this episode, John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik explore Agentic AI, a new class of AI systems that can reason, plan, and take initiative with limited human oversight. These systems represent a major evolution beyond traditional and generative AI, capable of real-time adaptation and complex decision-making.

They’re joined by Adel El Hallak, Senior Director of Product Management at NVIDIA AI Enterprise, and Jacomo Corbo, CEO and Co-Founder of PhysicsX. Adel shares insights from his work delivering secure, scalable AI platforms for enterprise, while Jacomo draws on deep experience deploying AI in high-performance engineering contexts, including Formula 1 and advanced manufacturing.

Together, they unpack how agentic AI is already being deployed, the economic opportunities at stake, and the roadmaps and ethical considerations businesses need to navigate as AI agents become a force in real-world operations.

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With a growing global population and climate challenges reshaping food production, Canada has a golden opportunity to lead the ag-tech revolution. But are we ready? In this episode of Disruptors x CDL, John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik take a deep dive into the future of farming with industry experts Evan Fraser (Director, Arrell Food Institute) and Alison Sunstrum (CEO, CNSRV-X Inc.), exploring the innovations that could transform agriculture as we know it.

They discuss how AI, robotics, and precision farming are reshaping the food system—from predictive agriculture to climate-resilient crops. With Canada slipping in global agri-food rankings, what must we do to stay competitive? And how can we bridge the gap between innovation and adoption?

From farm fields to lab-grown solutions, this episode uncovers the technologies and policies that will define the next era of food production. Whether you’re in tech, policy, or just interested in the future of your next meal, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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What does it take to power the intelligence economy of the future? In this episode of Disruptors x CDL: The Innovation Era, hosts John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik dive into the surging energy demands of AI and data centers, exploring how Canada can seize this pivotal moment to lead the way in sustainable innovation.

Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, shares how the province is positioning itself as a global hub for data infrastructure through initiatives like the Wonder Valley project, which aims to build the largest data center installation on the planet. Doug Beach, Chair of Eavor Technologies, discusses the role of advanced geothermal energy in creating a cleaner, more reliable energy grid. Together, they illuminate Canada’s unique potential to combine abundant natural resources, cutting-edge technologies, and bold innovation strategies to power the next generation of intelligence.

Discover how startups, policymakers, and industry leaders are coming together to transform Canada into a global leader in the data economy, while balancing energy demands with sustainability. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about the opportunities shaping our nation’s future.

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In this episode of Disruptors x CDL: The Innovation Era, hosts John Stackhouse, Senior VP of RBC, and Sonia Sennik, CEO of Creative Destruction Lab, dive into one of the most transformative technologies of our time: Artificial Intelligence. With the potential to revolutionize industries from healthcare to energy, AI is reshaping the global economy — and Canada is both a leader in research and a laggard in adoption.

This week, Geoffrey Hinton, Professor at the University of Toronto, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research in artificial intelligence that began in 1987.

Join John and Sonia as they discuss Canada’s AI ecosystem and the country's challenges in keeping pace with global AI adoption. They’re joined by three visionary guests: Sheldon Fernandez, CEO of Darwin AI, Kory Mathewson, Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, and Gillian Hadfield, a Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Senior Fellow. Together, they explore the opportunities and barriers in AI adoption, the creative applications of AI, and the role Canada must play in the future of AI.

This episode is packed with insights for business leaders, policymakers, and anyone curious about how AI is changing our world. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, this episode will challenge your thinking on the role of technology in shaping the future.

Tune in to learn how AI is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and how Canada can lead the charge in this new innovation era.

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Are we ready for the AI era or are we stuck in an imagination gap? In this special 200th episode, recorded live at Creative Destruction Lab’s Super Session, John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik sit down with Minister Evan Solomon, Canada’s first-ever Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. From national sovereignty and productivity to global competition and culture, Solomon outlines a bold vision for Canada’s AI future - what he calls a “Gutenberg moment” in human progress.

Drawing on findings from the new RBC Thought Leadership report The AI Imagination Gap, this episode explores why Canadian enterprises are hesitating on AI adoption and how the right mix of policy, ambition, and imagination can close the gap. Minister Solomon speaks candidly about the four key pillars of Canada’s AI strategy: scaling champions, adoption, trust, and sovereignty, and offers tangible insights into how SMEs, researchers, and public institutions can all benefit from AI’s abundance, if the right supports are in place.

This wide-ranging conversation dives into Canada's AI spine, the importance of protecting national culture through digital sovereignty, and how government, startups, and citizens alike must embrace this pivotal moment with urgency, collaboration, and creativity. 

Download AI Report:

Bridging the Imagination Gap: How Canadian Companies can become global leaders in AI adoption

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From Arctic sovereignty to wildfire response, Canada’s challenges are increasingly being solved by the low earth orbital satellites less than 1000km from the earth’s surface.  In this episode, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik dive into the pivotal role that satellite communications have in Canada’s future. Prompted by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for enhanced Canadian defense, the conversation explores how innovation in low earth orbit will shape global competitiveness and security.

Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, offers a compelling look at how Canada’s satellite and robotics capabilities are fueling both surveillance and strategic infrastructure in space, including the next generation of the Canadarm. Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat, discusses their $6B Lightspeed constellation and how low Earth orbit networks will revolutionize broadband access across Canada and beyond. Finally, planetary scientist Dr. Margarita Marinova outlines a bold vision of an emerging space economy - from fire detection to lunar research, and what it means for Canadian innovation.

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What does it take to transform a startup into Canada’s second-largest company in just a decade? Sonia Sennik and John Stackhouse discuss his conversation with Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, live from C2 Montreal.

Harley discusses how Shopify embraced anti-fragility, continually reinvented itself beyond e-commerce, and leveraged AI to reshape retail and empower creators globally. He highlights the essential entrepreneurial mindset needed to foster innovation in Canada, urging ambitious entrepreneurs to think bigger, build stronger networks, and seize the opportunities emerging at the forefront of technology and commerce. Tune in to explore how crises become catalysts, why relentless ambition matters, and how Shopify’s success story could inspire Canada's next wave of global companies.

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