Disruptors

From the invasion of Russia to soaring inflation, the rising cost of energy has forced many countries to delay or scale back their climate ambitions. Suddenly, many are also looking to Canada — and its abundance of energy — for desperately needed supply.

But in the wake of yet another summer of record heat and forest fires, the need to balance climate and energy security has never been more apparent. That sort of balance — a more holistic approach to energy development — is something that Canada’s Indigenous leaders have been stressing for decades. 

In this special “Best Of” episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, Trinh Theresa Do revisits three conversations she and her co-host, John Stackhouse, have had over the past season with some of Canada’s most thought-provoking Indigenous leaders. First up, we hear from JP Gladu, a Suncor Energy board member and executive director of the Indigenous Resource Network. 

And in the second half, it’s Mark Podlasly, director of economic policy at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, and Crystal Smith, chief councilor of the Haisla Nation and chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance — each bringing their experience and wisdom to bear in this vital discussion about Canada’s energy future.

SHOW NOTES:

JP Gladu has taken his extensive experience in corporate Canada to build his own consultancy, Mokwateh. To learn more about what Mokwateh does, check out his website.

The First Nations Major Projects Coalition is a collective of First Nations united to promote shared interests and gain ownership in the major developments in their territories. You can find out more here. 

To learn more about the Haisla Nation and their history, follow this link. During the episode, Crystal mentions the vital oolichan fishery; to understand more, click here.

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Carbon offsets could counterbalance some of the environmental damage of human activities, including that of short and long-haul flights. But do they actually deliver on this promise? In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-host Trinh Theresa Do casts a critical eye on the voluntary carbon market, specifically, carbon offsets. She’s joined by Suha Jethalal, President of Bullfrog Power, who explains how these credits work, and what consumers should think about when buying them.

To learn more about Bullfrog Power or their subsidiary less.ca, visit their website.  

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Are you looking to buy a new or used vehicle this year? You may be in for a long wait. In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-host Trinh Theresa Do dives into how global chip shortages, rising fuel costs and the summer travel season have upended the market. She’s joined by Cody Green, founder & CEO at Canadadrives.ca, who describes the challenges today’s consumers face when buying or selling vehicles and how tech is helping address them.

To learn more about Canadadrives.ca, visit their website.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
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• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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Are you planning to take a trip this summer? After two long years of COVID-related complications, Canadians are finally traveling freely again. The cruise sector is back in business, outdoor festivals and other big public events have returned, and of course, air travel is booming, leading to long lines at Canadian airports, thanks to all the pent-up demand from people forced to spend most of the pandemic on the ground. Thankfully, there are technological solutions to some of the headaches associated with booking a trip.

On this encore episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do explore the “new normal” for travel and tourism with Hussein Fazal. Fazal is the CEO of SnapCommerce, whose flagship product, SnapTravel, is an AI-powered half-bot half-human service that helps customers book hotel rooms, flights, and car rentals, either through their website, or  through SMS, Messenger and WhatsApp. 

But despite the fact services like SnapTravel have been logging record traffic, there may be a dark lining to those silver clouds. Inflation is at a 40-year high, gas prices are soaring, and Europe remains engulfed in geopolitical turmoil. It’s fair to say that for those in the travel industry — or folks hoping to travel — there may still be some turbulent skies ahead.

SHOW NOTES:

To learn more about SnapCommerce and its flagship product, SnapTravel, check out its website here. 

In the episode, Theresa mentions new travel statistics and trends from the RBC Consumer Spending Tracker. To read more, follow this link.

Also mentioned is a new RBC report that looks at the importance of boosting women’s pay and participation in the labour force—and presents some possible solutions. The report, called, “Equal Measures: Advancing Canada's working women in a post-pandemic economy,” can be found here.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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How have job cuts changed the fierce war for talent in tech?  In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-host Trinh Theresa Do explores the wave of uncertainty that’s hit the sector, how firms should be rethinking their strategies and what it all means for tech workers. She’s joined by Anthony Mouchantaf, Director of Venture Capital at RBCx to offer advice for navigating the months ahead.

To learn more about RBCx and its offerings, visit www.rbcx.com

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Many Indigenous communities in Canada face unique limitations that inhibit the use of traditional financing – and access to financing – that has long been a stumbling block to economic development. But it takes more than money to achieve economic reconciliation while on the path to Net Zero. “Indigenous capital” is a holistic concept that considers the full wealth of resources held by Indigenous nations, whose leadership and partnership is especially needed in light of Canada’s climate goals.

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, host Trinh Theresa Do discusses the vital importance of Canada’s Indigenous communities as we work to find an economically and environmentally sustainable path to Net-Zero. Her main guest is Sharleen Gale, chief councilor of the Fort Nelson First Nations and chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition. Chief Gale is working to bring disparate voices together, from across the country, to build a new model for economic development. 

We also hear from RBC assistant chief economist Cynthia Leach, lead author of a new RBC report on Indigenous capital; Dawn Madahbee Leach, chair of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board and one of the leaders behind Canada’s new National Indigenous Economic Strategy, and Mark Podlasly, director of economic policy at the First Nations Major Project Coalition.

SHOW NOTES:

To learn more about the work of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, follow this link.

Chief Sharleen Gale spoke in the episode about how the Fort Nelson First Nation was working to produce geothermal energy from the depleted Clarke Lake gas fields in B.C.; to read more about that initiative, click here. 

To read more about the National Indigenous Economic Strategy—a blueprint for inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian economy—click here.

Finally, RBC Economics and Thought Leadership recently launched a new report called “92 to Zero: How economic reconciliation can power Canada’s climate goals.” To read it, and other thought leadership pieces, visit RBC.com/thoughtleadership.

Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do explore how uncertain weather conditions and economic challenges are affecting the 2022 growing season, and what solutions are available to support Canadian farmers. How can agriculture technology, or agtech help increase yields? They’re joined by Wade Barnes, founder and former CEO of Farmers Edge (and a farmer himself), to offer some insights.

EPISODE NOTES:

Read the latest Provincial Report from RBC Economics, Western provincial economies shining more brightly in 2022, at RBC Economics.

Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do explore the travel industry’s powerful post-crisis rebound. Can the industry keep up with pent-up demand given current labour shortages and record inflation? They’re joined by Claire Fan, Economist at RBC Economics, who breaks down what Canadians’ spending habits reveal.

EPISODE NOTES:

Read Claire’s new, RBC Proof Point, Canadians are scratching the travel itch again, but can the industry meet demand?, at RBC Thought Leadership.

Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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Innovation is key to lasting prosperity and meaningful improvements to our quality of life. But what does innovation really mean? Is it enough to just “invent things”—or should we be aiming higher, and seeking out ways to improve all corners of the economy? And how do we actually achieve innovation—in a world where people are working remotely, and global forces are challenging the notion of specialization and collaboration? 

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do tackle innovation—and explore how Canada can play a leading role in the innovation economy. Their guests include innovation guru Dan Breznitz, Munk Chair of Innovation Studies at the University of Toronto and author of the 2021 book, Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World; and Karen Nutarak and Tessa Lochhead, co-founders of Pirurvik—a groundbreaking preschool in the remote arctic community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut. 

Whether it’s product or service innovation, process innovation or a wholesale business model innovation, bold risks are what’s needed for Canada to prosper in “an unforgiving world”—and to build a more sustainable future for all. 

SHOW NOTES:

To learn more about Dan Breznitz, click here. His latest book, Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World, is available through Oxford University Press or from your favourite book retailer.

Pirurvik Preschool combines traditional Inuit knowledge and ways and traditional Inuit child-rearing with Montessori methods; to learn more about it, follow this link. Pirurvik was one of six winning teams at the 2022 Governor General’s Innovation Awards; to read about all the winners, click here.

Finally, RBC Economics and Thought Leadership recently launched a new series of reports, with timely economic insights, called Proof Point. To read recent Proof Point reports on how demand for cash is at its highest level in 60 years, or why Atlantic Canada has become a magnet for new residents, visit RBC.com/thoughtleadership.

Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

CONNECT & SUBSCRIBE:

• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-host Trinh Theresa Do explores why Canada’s housing market has suddenly cooled after a heated two-year pandemic-driven rise. She’s joined by Robert Hogue, Assistant Chief Economist at RBC Economics, who shares insights and predictions on what's to come, for both buyers and sellers.

EPISODE NOTES:

To read Robert’s latest housing report, “Canada’s housing market taps on the brakes as interest rates rise,” visit RBC Economics.

Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

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• Follow RBC Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
• Follow John Stackhouse on LinkedIn
• For more insights visit RBC Thought Leadership

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