Flagship Podcast

On this week’s show, we spoke with Noor Elhuda El Bawab, Director of programs @ Zú. 

Noor is community builder, problem solver and analytical. She is a passionate person who is constantly looking to be challenged by her work, her team and everything around her.

She is an eternal student, who’s always seeking new opportunities to learn something new to compliment and improve the task at hand. She is not afraid to make mistakes, if that will lead me to understand better what’s the best way to tackle each and every project.

She strives the most in organizations that have an impact on the world, which is why she joined District 3. She is a strong believer that technology and entrepreneurship is the best way to empower people to continue developing the world around us. 

On the show, we spoke about:

• How she developed a passion for startups
• Zú and their mission 
• The future of entertainment
• Why she’s excited about fan engagement and the space in general

Noor is a friend and someone I deeply respect. She’s a leader in the startup space in Montreal and I always learn something new when I speak with her. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Vicky Boudreau, CEO & Founding Partner of bicom. 

Vicky Boudreau is the head of bicom, the company she co-founded 14 years ago with her partner Marie-Noelle Hamelin, and which today has more than 40 employees in its Montreal and Toronto offices. A communications enthusiast, Vicky observes the sectors of activity of the agency's clients, the latest emerging trends and is continually developing her network of contacts for the benefit of collaboration opportunities. Combining her experience in the field with her passion for the business world, she grasps clients' issues to offer effective solutions to propel them towards their goals.

Her expertise recently led Vicky to accept the position of President of the Board of Directors of the Alliance des Cabinets de Relations Publiques du Québec and since last spring, she has been actively involved on the executive committee of the Regroupement des Firmes de Services Indépendantes (RFSPI).

At the same time, she is committed to stimulating the next generation by offering conferences on entrepreneurship in schools and associations.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Learning entrepreneurship from her dad 
• Launching her agency
• The concept of high altitude vs. low altitude in running a business 
• The psychology of happiness
• Taking risks in her business  model by guaranteeing results 
• International expansion 
• Innovation in the influencers space 

Vicky was a pleasure to speak with. She’s an amazing communicator and has a clear vision for her company. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Geneviève Tanguay, CEO @ Anges Québec. Geneviève Tanguay has more than 20 years of experience in Investment and has participated in the completion of numerous transactions in several innovative sectors, particularly in Life Sciences. She was Director of Investments at the Fonds de Solidarité from 2008 to 2017, the largest Quebec network for development and venture capital investment in Quebec. In August 2018, Geneviève was appointed head of corporate development at Biron Groupe Santé and in October 2020, Geneviève became the first woman to hold the position of CEO of Anges Québec.

Her various functions have enabled him to sit on several boards of directors of private companies and to invest in the strategy and development of these companies. Very involved in her community, Geneviève has sat on several boards of directors of non-profit organizations, including that of the prestigious Institute of Directors of Companies I.A.S. Finally, she has been a Member of the Board of Directors of VIA Rail since August 2017 and, among others, a Member of the Audit Committee and of the Stakeholder Relations Committee. Geneviève holds a bachelor's degree in finance from HEC Montréal.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Getting started in the world of finance and investing
• The challenge of raising another fund 
• How she’s repositioning Anges Québec
• Kickstarting more entrepreneurship in the province
• Her interest in deep tech and life sciences 
• Impact investing and ESG 

It was a pleasure speaking with Geneviève. She has big ambitions and drive in her work. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Christian Zabbal, Managing Partner @  Spring Lane Capital.

Christian Zabbal is a Managing Partner with Spring Lane Capital. Prior to this, he was Managing Partner of Black Coral Capital, a family office specializing in cleantech and renewables. He also serves as board member and co-founder on the CREO Syndicate, a group of large family offices that share a common interest and mission in investing capital in food, water, and energy companies and technologies. He is part of the investment committee of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a Canadian Crown corporation focused on investing federal funds to promote the spread of new technologies and businesses in the sustainability space.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Article he wrote on flying during the pandemic
• Working in consulting and cancer research 
• Investing in large scale projects
• The meaning of sustainable investing

Christian is mentor to our business and one of the sharpest minds in investing. He has an impressive track record and shared a ton of great insights. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!  

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Francois Lanthier Nadeau,  CEO @ Snipcart

Recently, Francois has been slowly been stepping into the shoes of CEO. He’s been in charge of marketing for 6 years, during which they steadily grew their user base and revenue using content marketing and SEO. Now profitable, they have the luxury to experiment with other acquisition channels such as FB ads & video, and focus on CRO throughout thei whole acquisition funnel.
He’s been featured on Indie Hackers, Infopresse, The Startup, freeCodeCamp, Baremetrics, Wishpond, Inbound.org, and more publications. Keen-eyed peers might spot his ghostwriting on other sites too.
Since joining Snipcart, he’s had the chance to pitch and present their business in 13+ events all over the world (Canada, USA, France, Ireland). He’s worked remotely from half a dozen different countries in the last 4 years.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Bootstrapping startups
• Importance of writing
• Mental health
• The no code movement
• Growing and leading snipcart
• Snipcart vs. headless video
• Some articles his written (boostrapping, headless ecommerce, cognitive distortions)

I had a blast chatting with François. We had a great conversation and he shared some great insights about ecommerce and startups.

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Thibaud Marechal, Vice-President @ Knox Custody. Currently VP Growth at KNØX, a Bitcoin custodian designed for institutions backed by investors such as Fidelity and Initialized Capital. Booked $250,000 of revenue in the first 3 months as Head of Client Development.

Previously, he was Head of Platform at Real Ventures, a $330M early-stage VC in Canada (investor in Blockstream, 1confirmation, Bitaccess, Breather, Element AI, Mindbridge and League). Ran FounderFuel, Canada's most active venture accelerator (80+ deals including Bus.com, Transit and Sonder), investing $100k per company.

In 2015, he co-founded & led the McGill X-1 Accelerator to bring medical, engineering and computer lab research to market with a shoe-string budget.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Anti-fragility of the network
• The proxy for the price of Bitcoin
• How mining works and the benefit of decentralization
• Fiat currency’s infinite supply
• Potential future of the currency

This second interview with Thibaud was even better than the first. I learn so much by speaking with Thibaud on the subject of Bitcoin. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Guillaume Parent, CEO & Co-Founder @ Gallea

Guillaume Parent is the CEO and Cofounder of Gallea, the largest online art gallery in Canada. Born in a family of artists and engineers, he always knew he wanted to build his own venture right here, in Montréal. He graduated from a degree in Automated Manufacturing Engineering at ÉTS where he started what would become Gallea today. He decided to make it his life mission to democratize the access to art while helping visual artists all over the world to finally get the proper recognition and fair share from their work. He is currently on a journey to build the largest art distribution network in the world while disrupting an industry in need of innovation.

On the show, we spoke about:

• The idea behind Gallea
• Improving the art experience through technology
• Focusing on artists
• The marketplace business model
• Their plans for growth and funding

Art is a huge industry that hasn’t evolved a lot. Gallea is helping transform it and it’s cool to see what Guillaume and his team are building. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Marina Cortes, Venture Partner @ Hike Ventures

Marina is a multilingual professional equipped with a background in health research and a unique skill-set acquired through her experience in Consulting and Venture Capital. She started her career in healthcare investment, had the opportunity to work with BDC Capital and later joined an advisory team, wherein she notably advised private companies on IPO dual listing (HKEX, NYSE) and due diligence M&A buyer side. Meanwhile maintaining key investors relations throughout her career, she gained a keen interest for VC fundraising and LP relations and advised several LPs and GPs on VC/PE fundraising in North America and Asia. Marina has a strong passion for VC fund operations, investors relations, and enjoys helping startups and organizations expanding to international markets.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Her multidisciplinary background
• Early vs. later stage investing
• Getting into VC
• Diversity and inclusion in investing
• Hike VC portfolio companies
• Cool new technology companies

I had a blast talking to Marina and learning from her. Our discussion re-invigorated my interest for early stage technology companies. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Jacob Lanyadoo, Owner @ TechBonjour. Jacob is an experienced entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of scaling technology companies. He has spent over a decade working with startups of varying sizes and industries to help build teams, scale, and take their businesses to the next level.

On the show, we spoke about:

• Biggest challenge facing startups
• Mentoring startups
• Hiring best practices
• Building a distributed team

Jacob is thoughtful and pulls no punches with his thoughts. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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On this week’s show, we spoke with Thomas Martinuzzo, Senior Investment Advisor – Innovation @ Fonds de solidarité FTQ.

Thomas Martinuzzo joined the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ in September 2016 as Senior Investment Advisor – Innovation. Thomas has worked in the field of innovation since 2006. He held several positions at Gestion Univalor, s.e.c, where he notably led the team of professionals who commercialize physical sciences and engineering inventions from Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal and affiliated hospital research centres. Mr. Martinuzzo also founded eValorix.com, a web platform that commercializes digital tools arising out of public research. He also served on the board of directors of several start-up companies (Bâton Simulations inc. and Ortho Regenerative Technologies inc.) and is currently a director of Castor Optics Inc.

On the show, we spoke about:

• What innovation really means
• Some great examples of innovation in Quebec
• Why certain companies don’t innovate
• Some companies in their portfolio
  • LeddarTech
  • Omnirobotic
  • PremierTech
• Survey on innovation

Thomas is incredible bright yet humble. He’s one of the smartest people I know on the topic of innovation. I hope that you enjoy the conversation!

Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]

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