Disruptors

The past 30 years have been among the most disruptive in music. Starting with peer-to-peer file sharing services such as Napster and Limewire, musicians saw a sudden drop in the money received from each recording—as more and more listeners found ways to get music for free. Eventually, Big Tech would get involved and launch subscription streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. But still, artists receive just a fraction of a penny for every song streamed.

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do explore the latest technological disruption to shake the music business—blockchain—and ask: Are we ready to pay once again for music—and fully support creators? Their guest is Raine Maida, lead singer of the Juno-award winning band Our Lady Peace and Chief Product Officer for online music marketplace S!NG.

Whether it’s NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or disintermediated streaming services, Maida and others believe that the future of music lies in the blockchain—with new ways for enterprising artists to capitalize on their creative output, cut out the middleman, and establish a profitable relationship with their biggest fans. 

SHOW NOTES:

To learn more about the S!NG—and how it creates NFTs for musical artists and stores them in a blockchain wallet—follow this link.

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In the episode, Raine Maida referred to his involvement in a new startup called Drrops—a mobile platform that delivers exclusive experiences, photos and merchandise to fans at live events. Find out more here. 

Our Lady Peace is touring throughout Canada this summer, starting in Victoria in June. To see their full schedule, click here.

Finally, Sasha Braganza from RBCxMusic mentioned a new initiative to support emerging artists, partnering with Sounds Unite to deliver a global mobile music education ecosystem. You can find out more by following RBCxMusic on Instagram.

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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, host John Stackhouse and co-host Trinh Theresa Do examine why demand for cash in Canada is at its highest level in 60 years. They’re joined by Josh Nye, Senior Economist at RBC Economics, who shares insights on what this means for Canada’s future with digital currencies.

EPISODE NOTES:

To read Josh’s new report, “Proof Point: Canadians can't kick cash,” visit RBC Thought Leadership.

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The race to reduce our carbon emissions is on—and many Canadian clean-tech companies and energy producers are working hard to get us there. While seemingly at odds with each other, energy security and climate security are now both possible.

But we can't talk about the importance of achieving our climate and energy goals without first acknowledging the failings of our collective past when it comes to Canada's First Nations. And we can’t plan our clean-energy transition without including Canada’s Indigenous people—and embracing their leadership and ownership of energy projects.

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, host John Stackhouse speaks with two Indigenous business leaders on how to build a just and equitable energy transition: Mark Podlasly, director of economic policy at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition and an adjunct professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business; and Crystal Smith, chief councilor of the Haisla Nation and chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance.

SHOW NOTES:

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.

The First Nations LNG Alliance is a collective of First Nations participating in, and supportive of, LNG development in B.C. You can read more here.

Finally, click here to read a new RBC Economics and Thought Leadership report called The New Climate Bargain: How Canada Can Manage Energy & Environmental Security. It explores how Canada can play a role in calming nervous oil markets while developing a framework for a competitive—and decarbonized—oil-and-gas sector.

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As Canada and the world search for solutions on how to bring down global emissions, many are looking with hope to the technology sector. And in the world of technology, the Greater Vancouver Area—home to 25 percent of Canada’s clean-tech companies—represents a beacon of hope.  

In this second episode of a special three-part “Climate Conversations” series on Disruptors, an RBC podcast, host John Stackhouse travels through the heart of B.C.’s Clean Tech Valley and meets several innovators working to decarbonize Canada’s economy.

The first stop on the road trip takes John to carbon capture innovator Svante Inc., where we meet the Burnaby company’s CFO Matt Stevenson. Next up is Loop Energy, also in Burnaby, where John gets a tour of the fuel-cell manufacturer from Loop’s Director of Operations, Rob Stevenson, and CEO Ben Nyland. And the final stop takes John to Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood, where we meet Jay Giraud, the CEO and co-founder of electric motorcycle pioneer Damon Motors Inc.

SHOW NOTES:

To read more about Svante’s carbon capture technologies, and where it’s being applied in the industrial sector, follow this link.

Loop Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell technology is being used in both the transportation sector as well as for stationary power generation. To learn more, click here.

Damon Motors is building a new 110,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Surrey, B.C., capable of producing 40,000 electric motorbikes a year. To read more about that, click here. For more on Damon’s EV technology, follow this link.

Finally, click here to read, “The New Climate Bargain” a new RBC Economics and Thought Leadership report on how Canada can play a role in calming nervous oil markets while developing a framework for a competitive—and decarbonized—oil-and-gas sector.

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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Canada and the world have experienced a dramatic series of events in recent years. Unprecedented heatwaves. Once-in-a-generation floods and forest fires. And in 2022, geopolitical upheaval in Europe that’s driving energy prices to record heights. It’s a confluence of crises: At the same time as the world is grappling with how to bring down global emissions, we’re struggling with a shortage of affordable energy—and fighting over the path to a Net Zero future. 

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, host John Stackhouse launches a special three-part series, looking at Canada’s various paths to energy and climate security—and some of the key implications of whatever path we choose. 

To launch the series, John visits the GLOBE sustainable energy conference in Vancouver, and speaks with some of the key players in the sector. Among his guests: Peter Tertzakian of the ARC Energy Research Institute; Susannah Pierce of Shell Canada; Linda Coady of the Pembina Institute; and Clean Energy Canada’s Merran Smith. 

Along the way, John and his guests try to answer a few critical questions, including: (1) Is it possible to create a greener oil patch?; (2) Should we be moving more aggressively into renewable energy?; and (3) Who should have a seat at the decision-making table? It’s a thought-provoking series that you won’t want to miss. 

SHOW NOTES:

Calgary’s ARC Energy Research Institute regularly produces blogs, videos and podcasts tackling the biggest energy issues of the day. Check it out by following this link.

Shell Canada has committed to becoming a net-zero emissions producer by 2050. To read more about Shell’s commitment, click here.

Calgary-based Pembina Institute released a report in March 2022 on the challenges of reducing carbon emissions in Canada’s oilsands. To read it, follow this link.

Clean Energy Canada is regularly undertaking research to better understand the energy landscape. To read more on those efforts, check out its website. To hear a previous Disruptors episode featuring executive director Merran Smith, click here.

Finally, keep your eye out for a new RBC Economics and Thought Leadership report on how Canada can play a role in calming nervous oil markets while developing a framework for a competitive—and decarbonized—oil-and-gas sector. To read it, follow this link.

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, host John Stackhouse and co-host Trinh Theresa Do discuss the rising cost of food, and how agtech innovation could hold the key to sustainable, and cost-effective food chains. They’re joined by guest Dave Dinesen, CEO of BC-based CubicFarm Systems, and learn why the company’s vertical farming technologies offer a promising solution.

EPISODE NOTES:

For more information on CubicFarms’ indoor farming technologies, please visit their website.

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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During the past two years, consumers have signed up for health apps and wearable technology, like FitBits or Apple Watches, in record numbers. Everybody is looking for something—anything—to help calm their minds, sleep better, or boost productivity. Meanwhile, a new generation of entrepreneurs is taking wearable health technology a step further to solve some of society’s biggest neurological challenges—including depression and traumatic brain injury—as well as find ways to enhance our quality of life.

In this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, co-host Trinh Theresa Do tackles the recent explosion of neurotechnology in Canada with her guest Derek Luke, CEO of InteraXon. InteraXon is the maker of Muse, a popular EEG-powered headband that senses brain activity through meditation exercises and provides real-time feedback to users’ phones or tablets. The idea is a simple but powerful one: by leveraging neurotechnology, consumers can find meaningful ways to live a healthier, happier life.

But this technology is not without its limitations, as Derek and Theresa discuss. There are important privacy considerations in handling sensitive data—and ethical considerations with more intrusive forms of neurotech. Still, there’s little doubt that as brain-computer interfaces and headsets like Muse’s grow in popularity, the era of superhuman cognition may be just around the corner.

EPISODE NOTES:

To learn more about Muse and its brain-sensing headband, follow this link. 

In the episode, Derek talks about some of the ways in which Muse and its EEG technology is being used in research. To read about those projects, click here.

Also mentioned was the University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab, and its new Neuro Stream for entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers and investors. To learn more, click here.

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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, host John Stackhouse and co-host Trinh Theresa Do explore the crisis happening in today’s global nickel market with guest Sam Crittenden, mining analyst at RBC Capital Markets. What impact will shortages have on tech innovators such as EV manufacturers who rely on this base metal?

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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 was 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.

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
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In this edition of Disruptors: The 10-Minute Take, co-host Trinh Theresa Do tackles the hot topic of cybersecurity with Matt Hedberg, Software Analyst at RBC Capital Markets. With cyber attacks increasing in both frequency and severity, how should businesses and individuals protect themselves? 

For more information on RBC Capital Markets, visit www.rbccm.com.

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
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