“I see too many youth trying to fit the mold and they lose sight of what their true aspirations are.” A $50,000 deal with Next Gen Den Dragons has 17-year-old Alex Gillis thinking about more than grades, friends, and getting through the awkward teenage years. As the co-founder and CEO of Bitness, a location analytics tool revolutionizing how retail stores learn about their customers, and as the co-founder of Hoist Halifax, a monthly meetup for teens interested in entrepreneurship, design and programming, Gillis is empowering his peers to shed conformity for creativity. In this episode of Startup Canada Podcast, host Rivers Corbett chats with Gillis, winner of the 2015 Startup Canada Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, on balancing business and school, empowering classmates, and plans for the future.