DMZ Movers & Shakers

“The people part of this business [entrepreneurship] is one of the most important things at the end of the day.” In this episode, Bruce Croxon, Managing Partner at Round13 Capital, discusses his entrepreneurial journey and explains how Telepersonals evolved into Lava Life to adapt to the digital age. Bruce also shares what founders tend to overlook when fundraising and the top 3 factors he evaluates before making any investment.

“Many Indigenous founders do not align with the definition of Silicon Valley entrepreneurship, meaning that it’s not growth or revenue at all cost.” In this episode, Althea Wishloff, Head of Growth at Koble, describes the different barriers that Indigenous founders face within the tech industry and shares various programs supporting Indigenous founders. Also in discussion, Althea reflects on her time at Panache Ventures, where she made 30 investments in companies across multiple industries.

“What startups are realizing is that they can build organically or can acquire to help them scale”. In this episode, Konata Lake, Partner at Torys LLP describes which startups are the best fit for a merger or acquisition and how they should develop effective strategies. Konata also shares why an advisory board is an essential piece for every startup's journey.

“If you take your eyes off of the potential exit, it may not be there when you think it’s there.” In this episode, Mike McKenna, CFO of LifeSpeak shares what a successful exit looks like and what companies tend to overlook when going through an acquisition. Mike also discusses his career journey and what led him to become the CFO at Likspeak - a premier mental health and wellbeing platform that provides expert advice and education.

“I think one of the big misconceptions is that the CTO at a tech company is just someone who writes the code”. In this episode, Abhijeet Sarkar, CEO of TypeSift discusses what motivated him to create TypeSift, a fully integrated data management and analytics platform that automates and simplifies business insights. Abhijeet also sheds light on the type of mindset that CTOs should have within both tech and non-tech startups.

“If you believe in the Pareto principle that 80% of the revenue comes from 20% of the audience, you should ask yourself where is that 20% and how can you find look-alikes”. In this episode, Doug Sutherland, Chief Technology Officer at Soundpays Inc discusses new technology that is connecting consumers and how Soundpays is innovating within the market. Doug also reveals his product launch framework and the common issues that companies encounter when launching a product.

EPISODE 16: Kevin Crigger, President of TRREB on How startups should navigate the Real Estate Sector

“Any innovation that is going to see substantial adoption ultimately needs to be solving a problem or responding to a need”. In this episode, Kevin Crigger, President of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) discusses what PropTech startups need to do to see better adoption and scalability. Kevin also reveals common misconceptions about the real estate industry and tips to improve client management skills.

“Make sure the market you are targeting is big enough for your idea to turn into a big successful business”. In this episode, Roya Kachooeii, Co-founder & CEO at Walletifai, discusses her entrepreneurial journey and how that led to the creation of Walltifai - a personal finance tool that foresees future spending. Also in discussion, Roya reveals tips to craft better business pitches, and the key factors to consider when turning a passion project into a business.

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is for you!

“Fundamentally when you are a startup, you are not buying. You are selling”. In this episode, Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva, discusses the benefits of evangelism marketing, what sets it apart from traditional marketing methods and why it is essential to scale your business. Guy also touches upon his time with Apple in the 90s as its Chief Evangelist and details what it was like to work under the famous Steve Jobs.

If you’re looking to better understand evangelism marketing, this episode is for you!

“You have to really believe in your business idea at a fanatic level, because no matter what happens it's going to be difficult down the line”. In this episode, Tariq Fancy, Founder and CEO of The Rumie Initiative, discusses how he pivoted his career away from the corporate world to create Rumie, a non-profit that provides free learning tools that are being used in over 140 countries. Tariq sheds light on the barriers that Rumie faced in the educational sector and how his team overcame them. Also in discussion, Tariq reveals tips for scaling your business and establishing strong global partners.

If you’re looking to take your business globally, this episode is for you!