In today’s episode of RBC Disruptors, we are joined by Alex Benay, Partner, Digital and Government Solutions at KPMG, former CIO of Canada and one of the world's 100 most influential people in digital government, and Hillary Hartley, Ontario's first Chief Digital and Data Officer, to discuss how governments have pivoted to push out billions of dollars in support to Canadians through the COVID-19 crisis almost entirely through digital channels – and what that could mean for a digital government of the future. In today’s episode we discuss:

• How the government rapidly shifted to a digital-first approach during the COVID-19 crisis;
• How governments can seize this opportunity to rethink Canada’s digital infrastructure in a post-COVID world;
• The need for government to re-think their models, and adopt a major shift in mindset toward speed and user centricity.

For today’s episode of RBC Disruptors, we’re kickstarting our new season with Michael Serbinis and Janet Bannister.  Mike is a serial entrepreneur, and founder of League, a Toronto startup focused on providing a digital alternative to traditional health insurance.  Janet is the managing partner of Real Ventures, a Montreal-based VC firm. She’s also the first woman to head a major VC outfit in Canada. In today’s episode we discuss:

1. Steps that every business needs to consider to overcome this pandemic
2. The future of work in Canada, and how we can use technology to transform a lot of processes
3. The impact this crisis will have on our ecosystem and how we can prepare for a very different future

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The data economy in Canada is worth more than $200 billion. Over the past two years, more data has been created than ever before. And, while Canadian companies invest $40 billion a year in data, many believe that Canada is falling behind its peers when it comes to collecting and leveraging data. So what’s holding us back?

On RBC Disruptors, meet former Google exec Sam Sebastian, CEO of Pelmorex, the Canadian data giant behind The Weather Network that connects with 60M users globally each month. Sebastian and John Stackhouse discuss:

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Today on RBC Disruptors, John Stackhouse sits down with two Torontonians who are working to ensure black entrepreneurs have access to more opportunities in the city’s thriving tech sector. They discuss the challenges unique to Canadian black entrepreneurs, the barriers they face getting their ideas off the ground, and why companies that invest in diversity and inclusion tend to be more successful.

Isaac Olowolafe Jr., who heads a Toronto-based asset management firm, is the founder of Dream Maker Ventures – a venture capital fund that invests in diverse founders from marginalized communities. He’s joined by Abdullah Snobar, the Executive Director of the DMZ – a tech incubator at Ryerson University. Dream Maker Ventures and the DMZ raised $1M to launch the Black Innovation Fellowship – a program addressing the lack of diversity in the startup ecosystem.

In light of Black History Month, Isaac and Abdullah called for Canadians to consider the importance of access and championing of black innovators. Increased opportunity and visibility will be key in advancing black entrepreneurship in the digital economy.

On New Year’s Eve, BlueDot—a Toronto technology company aiming to fight epidemics using AI—saw something concerning. By the next day, BlueDot had alerted its clients of the possible outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China—days before the World Health Organization.

On RBC Disruptors, meet Dr. Kamran Khan, a Canadian physician and entrepreneur using AI and Big Data to create an early-warning system for infectious diseases. Khan and John Stackhouse discuss:

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In the age of automation, we are undergoing a skills shift. By 2022, 54% of frontline workers will need significant reskilling. Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify joined us on RBC Disruptors to discuss how they are revolutionizing the way companies retrain their frontline workers

By 2035, Canada’s senior citizens will make up 23% of the country and a shortage of 199,000 long-term care beds will exist if action is not taken. Canada’s health care system has a big problem to solve: how to fundamentally changing the way we care for seniors.  Mike Wessinger of PointClickCare and Michelle E. DiEmanuele of Trillium Health Partners joined RC Disruptors to explore how to address the silver tsunami with technology.

Peoples’ viewing habits are shifting dramatically, with the rise of streaming services and mobile viewing – yet, digital isn’t stopping live entertainment from drawing crowds. Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente – the co-heads of the Toronto International Film Festival joined the 50th episode of RBC Disruptors to speak to the power of audience in an age of digital experience.

Technology is transforming the vote. Shuman Ghosemajunder, CTO of Shape Security and former click fraud czar at Google joined us on RBC Disruptors to discuss what technology is doing to democracy, and how technology can fix it.