Invested in our New Reality

Sometimes all you need are the right tools for the job. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Victor Wang, the Co-Founder and COO of Lutendi Systems, an Ottawa-based business that developed a rent reporting system designed to help housing providers and renters achieve their financial goals. Talk about a win-win! The company recently won the first-ever Invest Ottawa Immigrant Founder Launchpad Pitch Final, and the team is enjoying the buzz – and funding – from their big win. Wang joins the podcast to discuss the company and its expansion plans, and he touches on why he thinks downtown Ottawa needs more mixed-use developments to bring people, retail, and energy to the area.

New reality, new business plan! On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, Eric McRae joins the podcast to discuss how he steered his downtown co-working business through the COVID-19 pandemic. Eric, the Founder and CEO of MBO Co-working, describes launching his business in the Byward Market in 2015 and then, just five years later, facing a national work-from-home order and rapidly changing market demands. Listen as he and host Sam Laprade talk about how he prioritized community building to ensure his company stayed the course and how he has expanded to include business coaching to his portfolio with the goal of helping local start-ups... well, get started.

It’s time to “Ask Erin!” Erin, why is downtown Ottawa the right home for Advanced Symbolics Inc.? On Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality, we are interviewing Ottawa business leaders with companies based downtown and stakeholders driving revitalization efforts. On this episode, our guest is Erin Kelly, the CEO of Advanced Symbolics Inc., the creators of @askpolly, a predictive AI tool. The company has offices in the busy ByWard Market and Erin joins host Sam Laprade to discuss AI, their successful and growing company, and her thoughts on the good, the bad, and the untapped potential of the downtown district.

A boutique non-alcoholic bottle shop in the heart of downtown? Cheers to that! Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality is well underway and, now halfway through the season, listeners have heard from key stakeholders and business owners generously sharing their thoughts on the future of downtown. In this episode, host Sam Laprade interviews Benson Mutalemwa, Founder & CEO of Knyota Non-Alcoholic Drinks, located at 104 Bank Street. In this lively and passionate chat, they discuss what it means to be a small business owner with a storefront in Downtown Ottawa and the growing marketplace for well-crafted non-alcoholic drinks available from a knowledgeable local vendor.

Sueling Ching is a woman with a plan, and if anyone can pull it off, she can! Don’t miss this informative and interesting episode of Invested in Our New Reality with guest Sueling Ching, the President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade (OBT). She joins host Sam Laprade to discuss the Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda, developed by the OBT and the Canadian Urban Institute, along with several other key stakeholders, to reimagine and rejuvenate Downtown Ottawa. Listen as Sueling makes a strong case for the plan and its objectives and shares why creating a future-ready and dynamic urban core will benefit all residents of the National Capital Region.

Let’s talk business, and by that, we mean the business of being in business in Ottawa. On the latest episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Matthew Holland, the CEO of Field Effect, a world-class cybersecurity provider based out of Ottawa with clients around the world. Matthew is a business leader, family man, and foodie, and he enjoys living and working in the National Capital Region. Listen as he outlines his many reasons to love this city, including its downtown, discusses Field Effect, and shares the benefits of launching a business in Ottawa — plus a few restaurant recommendations thrown in for good measure.

We’re back with Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality! In this season — titled Downtown: Evolved — host Sam Laprade will explore the dynamic transformation of Ottawa's downtown core. To kick things off in style, she welcomed guest Stephen Beckta, the acclaimed chef and owner of three popular Ottawa restaurants: Beckta, Play Food & Wine, and Gezellig. Listen as these two friends dish on everything and anything: from why Stephen left New York City and Paris behind to launch his business here (hint: it’s a love story), to persisting through the pandemic, to today’s fine dining market and why he thinks restaurants are only one part of what makes downtown Ottawa a great destination.

Join host Sam Laprade for the 14th season of Invested in Our New Reality, Invest Ottawa’s podcast designed for business leaders and entrepreneurs. This season, titled “Downtown: Evolved,” explores the dynamic transformation of Ottawa's downtown core. As the city adapts to the changes of the past few years, Sam engages in conversations with the leaders who call downtown Ottawa their home base and with the stakeholders driving revitalization efforts. From innovation hubs to attractions, this series delves into the exciting developments shaping Ottawa as a vibrant destination for living, working, and playing.

Tune in for insightful discussions on how Ottawa is evolving into a city that continues to thrive and grow as a national capital. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the future of Ottawa’s downtown, this season offers a front-row seat to conversations that matter.

For bitHeads Inc, collaboration isn’t just a buzz word; it’s their business plan. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Martin Savard, Director of Sales & Business Development at bitHeads Inc., an Ottawa-based tech company known for building custom software solutions to support other businesses’ growth and innovation. A true Ottawa enthusiast, Savard shares his thoughts on what makes this city great, how to nurture talent, why cooperation and idea-sharing matters in tech and why balance–in life and work–is a company-wide priority.

Cleaner air by cleaning? Of course, Ottawa has a company for that! On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Vida Gabriel the Co-Founder of TerraFixing, an Ottawa-based business on a mission to reach net zero. To get there, they developed the cutting-edge technology necessary to capture, concentrate, and permanently store CO2 in cold climates. An accomplished engineer, Gabriel shares her insights on the cleantech space and climate change, engineering and women in STEM, Ottawa, and the joy of studying, working, and excelling in her field, in both official languages.