Real with Ritesh

Is college still worth it in the age of AI, and how do you choose an education that prepares you for the work of tomorrow? Marija Pavkovic-Tovissi is President and CEO of MaKami College in Alberta. In this episode she makes the case that education remains relevant, but that learners should choose careers that work alongside technology rather than assume a qualification alone will create security.

We get into why traditional degrees still matter, how shorter courses and micro-credentials could play a growing role, how AI can be used to learn without letting it do the thinking, and what education can unlock for an entire immigrant family. Marija also shares the human story behind MaKami College: a difficult chapter when the business almost closed, the challenge of disagreeing with family, and why she trusts her instincts when the stakes are high.

Key things we cover:

• Whether the traditional education-to-career pathway still works today• What to consider when choosing what to study in Canada• AI, automation, and choosing career pathways that complement technology• The growing role of micro-credentials, shorter programs, and retraining• Leadership lessons from a business that almost closed its doors

Guest links:

MaKami College: https://makamicollege.com/

Contact and enquiries: https://makamicollege.com/contact-us/

Disclaimer: This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not an admissions guide and does not constitute immigration, legal, financial, or individualized career advice. Confirm current admission requirements, program availability, costs, and eligibility directly with the institution and relevant authorities.

Why do countries compete to attract companies, and why should it matter to you, even if you don’t own a business? Behind the investment headlines are decisions about jobs, innovation, talent, and where businesses build their future. Matthäus Schweisgut, Director Americas at ABA, INVEST in AUSTRIA, joins me to explore how countries attract businesses, what companies look for when choosing a market, and why predictability matters when making long-term investments.

Using Austria as a practical case study, we discuss AI infrastructure, business ecosystems, international expansion, and the support available to companies exploring new opportunities. At the heart of the conversation is a useful distinction: an attractive incentive is not the same as a sound business decision.

Key things we cover:

* Why countries compete for companies and investment

* How international business investment connects to employment and R&D

* How geopolitical uncertainty influences business-location decisions

* Austria’s AI ecosystem and opportunities in technology, quantum and life sciences

* What Canadian companies should consider when exploring Europe

* Market fit, team capacity and readiness for international expansion

* Why government funding should not drive the decision alone

Guest: Matthäus Schweisgut, Director Americas, ABA, INVEST in AUSTRIA

Connect with Matthäus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matth%c3%a4us-schweisgut

ABA, INVEST in AUSTRIA: https://investinaustria.at/en/

This is an unpaid editorial conversation, not a sponsored placement. Matthäus represents ABA, INVEST in AUSTRIA, and his institutional perspective is part of the discussion. This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, financial, tax or immigration advice. Statements, figures and programme details reflect the information discussed at the time of recording and may change. Verify current information with the relevant authorities and qualified advisers before making decisions. Guest views are their own.

Is Alberta Voting to Leave Canada on October 19, or Is the Separation Question Asking Something Different?

Alexa Briggs, Executive Vice President of the Nonprofit Chamber, joins me to break down all 10 Alberta referendum questions in plain English: what the wording means, what your vote could set in motion, and what remains uncertain. Drawing on the Nonprofit Chamber’s non-partisan, non-persuasive Before You Vote research, she helps separate proposed changes from existing policies, public support from legal authority, and a referendum result from what would still require legislation, negotiations, or constitutional change.

We get into the immigration and public service questions, judicial appointments, abolishing the Senate, opting out of federal programs, proof of citizenship at the polls, and the final question on staying in Canada or starting the legal process toward a future separation referendum.

Key Things We Cover:

* What the separation question is actually asking, and what it is not

* How the immigration and public services questions could affect people already living in Alberta

* Why constitutional questions on judges, the Senate, and federal programs cannot happen automatically

* The difference between a referendum result and what still requires legislation or negotiation

* How to prepare to vote using non-partisan resources

This is not a campaign interview or a recommendation on how to vote.

Guest: Alexa Briggs, Executive Vice President, The Nonprofit Chamber

Connect with Alexa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-briggs-8b8b2716

The Nonprofit Chamber:

https://www.thenonprofitchamber.org

Elections Alberta (official ballot wording and voting details):

https://www.elections.ab.ca

This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or immigration advice. It is not a recommendation on how to vote. Consult Elections Alberta for official ballot wording and current referendum information.

Getting noticed is one thing. Being trusted enough to earn funding, partnerships, and opportunity is another. Alex Gregory brings more than 15 years of experience across journalism, public relations, grants, partnerships, and community engagement, including raising more than $3.6 million in grants and, more recently, supporting fundraising and investment at Triton AI Group. In this episode he makes the case that your reputation travels before you enter the room, but reputation alone is no replacement for showing up, meeting people, and building relationships.

We get into how to stand out when people give your profile only a few seconds, how human stories and media coverage build credibility with funders, why starting with smaller grants helps prove you can deliver, why meaningful partnerships take years to develop, and where AI can support your work without replacing human connection.

Key things we cover:

• How to stand out when people give your content or profile only a few seconds• How human stories and media coverage build credibility with funders• Why starting with smaller grants helps you build a track record before pursuing larger funding• Why meaningful partnerships can take years to develop and last for decades• Why social media cannot replace genuine, in-person relationships• Where AI can support your work, and why it remains a tool, not a substitute for human connection

Guest: Alex GregoryConnect with Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexngregory

This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or grant-application advice. Funding examples reflect experiences discussed in the episode, not guaranteed outcomes.

Nitin Khanna is President and Founder of N3 Business Advisors. In this episode he makes the case that most construction businesses do not stop growing because there is no work, they stop growing because the owner becomes the bottleneck. When every client relationship, estimate, site issue, hiring decision, and approval runs through one person, revenue may rise but stress, cash requirements, and risk often rise faster than profit.

We get into what is changing in Canada’s construction sector, why data centres and AI infrastructure are increasing demand for skilled electricians, why profit matters more than vanity revenue, and what owners need to delegate, document, and automate to build a business that can run, and eventually sell, without them.

Key things we cover:• Why construction businesses can stay resilient during economic uncertainty• The difference between building a business and creating a glorified job• Why owner dependency limits scale, profitability, business value, and personal freedom• The $3M versus $10M revenue example and why profit beats vanity metrics• How cash flow, working capital, margins, and systems make growth sustainable• What buyers look for and how to plan your exit early

Guest: Nitin Khanna, President and Founder, N3 Business AdvisorsConnect with Nitin: https://n3businessadvisors.com

Ron Cunningham is founder and CEO of CACD (Citizens for the Advancement of Community Development), an organization supporting newcomer, Black, and racialized youth across Canada. He has spent more than two decades working with young people and families, and in this episode he makes the case that talent and hard work alone rarely create opportunity, real access comes from information, mentors, practical skills, and people willing to open doors.

We get into the layered barriers many youth face around discrimination, belonging, and access, how CACD builds holistic support around education, employment readiness, digital literacy, STEM, mental health, leadership, and financial literacy, how mentorship and exposure can change a young person’s direction, and the funding and space challenges grassroots organizations face while trying to keep programs free.

Key things we cover:

• Why talent and ability alone are not enough to create real opportunity

• The barriers newcomer, Black, and racialized youth face around discrimination, belonging, and access

• How mentorship and meaningful exposure change a young person’s trajectory

• Why digital literacy, STEM, and financial literacy matter for the future

• The funding and space challenges grassroots youth organizations face

Jennifer Lussier is CEO of Platform Calgary, the organization at the center of Calgary’s startup ecosystem.

In this episode, Jennifer explains how Calgary went from around 320 active entrepreneurs in 2019 to nearly 1,800 in 2025 — and why the city’s oil and gas history turned out to be a tech advantage rather than a liability.

We get into how AI has collapsed the time it takes to launch an MVP, why early-stage risk capital remains the ecosystem’s biggest bottleneck, the mistakes founders make when raising money before they have customer proof, and what Calgary needs to do by 2030 to keep companies scaling locally instead of leaving for Silicon Valley.

Key things we cover

• Why Calgary’s oil and gas talent base gives its startups real domain expertise• How AI has lowered the barrier to building and validating a startup• The early-stage capital gap — and why raising too early can backfire• “Engineered collisions”: why curated connections can be more valuable than volume networking• What Calgary needs to do to build a startup ecosystem that produces and retains globally competitive companies

Dave Murray spent 28 years as an engineer before moving into digital economy advisory work, helping students, career changers, and employers navigate a job market reshaped by AI, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations.

In this episode, Dave breaks down why youth unemployment in Canada has climbed past 14% (and 17% for summer students), what “labor scarring” costs people over a lifetime, how to use AI as a tool without letting it dull your thinking, and why networking and a clear personal brand now matter more than mass-applying to jobs.

Key things we cover:• Why employers should hire for potential and transferable skills instead of a clean resume• How experiential learning programs like ICTC’s WIL Digital lower the risk of hiring young talent• Treating AI like a “digital junior analyst” you have to brief clearly and check carefully• What career reinvention actually takes: unlearning, relearning, and staying flexible

Nic Nguyen went from a corporate marketer and educator to a full-time creator, working with over 100 brands in less than a year, starting from simple passion projects like cooking and running videos.

In this episode, Nic breaks down why perfectionism is the biggest thing holding new creators back, why consistency beats chasing virality, and what brands are actually looking for now that follower count alone no longer cuts it.

Key things we cover:• Why posting imperfect content consistently beats waiting for the “perfect” video• How brands now prioritize engaged micro-influencer communities over big follower counts• How to price your work with confidence as a new creator• Where AI fits into content creation, and where it still can’t replace a real human voice

Dr. Misbah Akram is a family physician practicing in Calgary with experience across four countries. In this episode, she breaks down what immigrants consistently misunderstand about Canadian healthcare, from what’s actually free to how wait times really work.

We get into the lifestyle and cultural factors driving high rates of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and stress-related illness among immigrant communities, why building a relationship with a family doctor matters more than people realize, and how to use AI responsibly for health questions without replacing real medical advice.

Key things we cover:

• What’s actually free in Canadian healthcare, and what isn’t• Why establishing care with a family doctor early changes health outcomes• How shift work and cultural diet patterns quietly drive chronic disease• The practical steps every newcomer should take in their first weeks in Canada