Float or Founder: Toronto Startup Business Stories

Social media marketing is a necessary component of every company. Zoe saw this a few years back when she started her agency Schmooz at a time when many didn't see social media as a serious pursuit. Zoe offers her insights on how important social media is to provide value and connect with the human side of brands, especially during COVID and Black Lives Matter. She also discusses the recent charitable children's book she has released alongside Gabriella Rackoff: ABC Stay Home With Me.

As per Zoe, "You create a legacy in every action you take [on social media]." You need to align your social goals with your company values. Provide value and don't be entirely self-serving."

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Charles Bennett has been running his full-service technology management company, Triella, for 17 years as founder and CEO! Running a company for that long has given Charles insight into the industry. He shares his top security tips for any company during COVID and with remote work becoming the norm. He openly shares the challenges of hiring and mentoring new team members when switching to full remote. Charles also talks about the other business he almost chose to run at a fork in the road 17 years ago - guess what it is!

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Paula Teixeira Leite is the founder of Caju Winds, a cashew spread that is a delicious, vegan alternative to cream cheese and other dairy spreads. She started the business when her daughter started experiencing allergies and reactions to food. Paula shares insights into starting a food business - everything from the regulations, to working closely with (and relying on!) the food inspector, to choosing local versus big box stores, and so much more. She openly discusses the challenges of delivery as a niche product and small business struggles during COVID. If you're launching a packaged food business, Paula has all the insights for you!

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Back to school looks a little different in 2020 for most people. Jason Field is the Founder and CEO of Brainstation, an education centre for digital skills. He discusses how they switched to online education during COVID-19 and how they could reach additional markets due to the online switch. They offer 400 instructors - not a small team by any means. Jason explains how they handle company culture, hiring, and management with such a huge team.

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Trigger Warning: Discussions of racism, George Floyd, police brutality, racism in the workplace.

Dr. Leeno Karumanchery is the co-founder and Head of Behavioural Sciences at MESH Diversity. MESH fully integrated anti-racism tool. He is a doctor of sociology and discusses the first class and professor that inspired him to pursue anti-racist work as his profession. He goes into how him and his friend built MESH using science and data as the basis for what they drive forward (and how they hire with their own metrics!). He highlights how to value people in the workplace and why the term "diversity of thought" is a cop-out for companies.

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When you face a personal pain point, what's the first thing you think to do? Alyssa Atkins of Lilia decided to turn her personal pain point into a business. Lilia is a personal online concierge that gives you clarity and confidence in options about egg security and storage - and celebration! She talks about her time in Y Combinator as it switched to virtual amidst COVID and what Y Com helped her achieve. She also shares Lilia's typical persona and how she talks to each one of her users, which is very important in early stage companies.

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Jay Rosenzweig of Rosenzweig & Company talks to us about recruiting - in a pandemic and out. He also provides insights on how you can offer your skills to achieve what you want in your career and try new paths. Fun fact: he does songwriting on the side!

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David Lloyd recorded this episode with Joel Lessem in mid-2019 but never had the opportunity to publish it... until now! David Lloyd takes over the Float or Founder podcast to discuss the "grind" it takes to run a tech startup and turn it into a solid company. David comes from an extensive background in the tech industry in Toronto and is currently the CEO of PostBeyond.

Joel Lessem is the co-founder and CEO of Firmex. Firmex is rapidly becoming a standard for sharing large volumes of highly confidential and sensitive documents for corporate transactions, litigation, and compliance. Joel discusses growing Firmex but also the importance of disconnecting and some of his favourite ways to step back and take a break.

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Timing is everything - or so we're told. Neel Lukka delves into why timing is so important for the success of a company. He talks about the different businesses he's built, his experience in Y Com, and what he's up to now!

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Martha Switzer is the co-founder and CEO of Sprout. Sprout enables businesses to reward their employees for healthy behaviour. She talks about wellness, how COVID-19 impacted wellness initiatives, and why she built a company around wellness and health in the workplace.

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