Invested in our New Reality

For Aurora Solar, “make hay while the sun shines” is a tried-and-true business plan. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, Ottawa radio stalwart Sam Laprade interviews Thusha Agampodi, who is the Director of Engineering at Aurora Solar, a global company with an office in Ottawa. They market a cloud-based platform that uses data, automation, and AI to augment solar energy design and optimization and support solar businesses around the world. To date, over 10 million solar projects have been designed with the platform. In this interview, they discuss the future of solar and the many business, tech, and lifestyle advantages Ottawa offers, including mentorship and support for women in STEM.

Helping others is always a good idea, and for one Ottawa entrepreneur, it makes good business sense, too! On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, Heather Desjardins sits down with Sam Laprade to discuss her growing company, Open Door Educational Services. A teacher by trade, Heather built her now-thriving business after identifying a need for additional support for students who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Listen to this inspiring interview and learn how this local CEO found her voice as an entrepreneur in Ottawa, the business-friendly city she is proud to call home.

Why Ottawa? Let us count the ways! For the team behind Ekidna Sensing, they are: talent, funding, mentorship, R&D support, and lab access – and that is just the beginning. On Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, our host Sam Laprade is speaking with the brightest minds in business and tech to uncover why so many leaders choose to set up shop in Ottawa. In this episode, she interviews Nic Boileau, CEO of Ekidna Sensing, a local start-up whose rapid, accurate, and decentralized cannabis testing technology helps licensed producers eliminate production bottlenecks, reduce operational costs, and bring their products to market faster.

Howling winds and icy roads? Perfection! For one company, Ottawa’s famously distinct four-season weather is driving their success. In Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, Ottawa radio legend Sam Laprade is uncovering why so many companies choose the National Capital Region as their home base. In this episode, she speaks with Dana Borschewski, VP Aviation Products and Operations for Aurrigo, a leading international provider of transport technology solutions. As a global company with offices in five countries, Ottawa, with its Area X.O, is the right place to develop cutting-edge autonomous vehicles built to face any weather or road conditions. Aurrigo is able to test its products throughout our sunny summers and bitterly cold winters, ensuring its team and technology are ready for anything.

A well-known tech hub since the dial-up era, Ottawa is the first choice for companies looking to put down roots. On Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, we’re diving into the many advantages of building a business here, including a big pool of potential employees, R&D support, and all-around work-life balance. On this episode, host Sam Laprade interviews Harpreet Geekee, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Shabodi Telecommunications. This award-winning company helps organizations build and develop apps that take advantage of the advancements that come from the latest 5G wireless networks, and they do it from right here in the National Capital Region.

Reinventing the grocery store? Now, that’s an idea! Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, the hit podcast from Invest Ottawa, is back with an incredible new episode. Guest host Sam Laprade sits down with local business leader, Geoffrey MacKay, the CCO and co-founder of The Aggressive Good, a rapidly growing enterprise betting big on creating green-tech supply chain solutions for the grocery marketplace. From consumer packaging woes to food waste frustrations, this wide-ranging conversation is lively, informative, and chock full of business insights.

Welcome to Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, The Ottawa Advantage. This season, we turn our focus to Ottawa as a thriving business hub, delving into the reasons companies and business leaders intentionally choose the Capital Region to call home.

From stories of loyal entrepreneurs who have flourished, to the strategic advantages that Ottawa offers, we'll uncover the unique elements that contribute to the city's impact on the success and growth of businesses.

Join us as we explore the dynamic landscape of Ottawa, a globally recognized, innovative, and future-ready city that stands out as the optimal destination for learning, working, living, and playing. In this vibrant metropolis, a diverse pool of tech talent converges with world-class research and development, flourishing innovation ecosystems, access to larger markets, and an exceptional quality of life.

Want to know what the future has in store? A crystal ball may help, but car companies like to call Studio 63. President Miles Hammond sits down with host Petrina Gentile on the Season 12 finale of Invested in Our New Reality to share how this local industrial design firm is working with cutting-edge companies around the world to create the automotive technologies of tomorrow. Experts in industrial design and champions of imagination, members of the Studio 63 team are known for designing, building, and integrating custom components, parts, and software to showcase the future of design. Lucky for us, they do their innovative work from offices right here in the National Capital Region.

The future is unknown, but tor Andrew Miller and his collogues at Hatch Global, the unknown is their whole job. He joins host Petrina Gentile on this episode of Invested in Our New Reality for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of mobility and transportation around the world. Listen as these two industry experts discuss the changes new technologies are bringing to transportation and the ways those advancements will change how society moves people and goods from Point A to Point B.

Episode Description: Plugging in an electric vehicle is as easy as it sounds, but what if there is no plug? On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Petrina Gentile interviews Jorge Pantoja, the Founder and CEO of JPlug.io, a future-forward company focused on bringing the convenience of charging electric vehicles to condominium and multi-family dwellings. This exciting new company is making a name for themselves for their cutting-edge technology, speedy installation and — best of all — efficient communication with the powers that be, also known as: the condo board.