The Founder Mindset

In this live finale episode, Leah Sarich sits down with Brian Ford of ATB Financial, Ashley Gallant of Artemis Canada, and Brad Parry of Calgary Economic Development and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund for a wide-ranging conversation about the support systems that help Founders build lasting companies. Together, they unpack how banking, executive hiring, ecosystem design, and strategic investment all shape a Founder’s ability to move from early traction to real scale.

Brian shares how ATB has intentionally supported emerging sectors like crypto and fintech, and why Founders should expect more from a banking partner than just an account or a loan. Ashley explains how Artemis works alongside Founders at key inflection points to make critical leadership hires, build trust, and strengthen teams before growth stalls. Brad offers an inside look at how Calgary Economic Development and OCIF think about long-term economic diversification, innovation nodes, and creating an environment where local companies can flourish without leaving Alberta.

This conversation is packed with insight on startup ecosystems, tech talent, economic development, global market expansion, customer access, and why collaboration is one of Alberta’s greatest competitive advantages. It is a fitting finale for a season dedicated to the human experience of building, reminding listeners that while the Founder journey can feel lonely, no company scales alone.

About the Guests

Brian Ford is with ATB Financial, where he leads business areas focused on banking solutions for companies, including support for technology, fintech, and crypto businesses. He brings deep experience in commercial and corporate banking and is passionate about helping companies access the financial tools, advice, and partnerships they need to scale.

Ashley Gallant is an executive recruitment consultant at Artemis Canada, where she partners with Founders and high-growth companies to make strategic leadership hires. Her work focuses on helping companies navigate inflection points, build high-performing teams, and connect great businesses with the talent they need to grow.

Brad Parry is President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development and CEO of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. He works across investment, attraction, retention, and expansion strategies to help diversify Calgary’s economy and strengthen the innovation ecosystem for future growth.

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

Contact the Guests:

Brian Ford / ATB Financial

Ashley Gallant / Artemis Canada

Brad Parry / Calgary Economic Development / OCIF

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David de Graaf never intended to become a biotech Founder, but a confluence of circumstances led him from academia into the startup world. A geneticist by training, David shares how financial needs and a desire for more agility in scientific application prompted his shift into industry. He likens big pharma to freight trains (efficient but hard to steer) and highlights the appeal of startups as nimble, innovation-driven environments.

At Reverb Therapeutics, David and his Co-Founder Surjit Dixit are combining bi-specific antibodies with immune system signals to improve cancer treatment outcomes. Their lead program, AMPA-1, aims to amplify natural immune signals locally, using the immune system's own cytokines to better target tumors. With early data showing promise, Reverb is preparing for a major fundraising round to push the treatment into clinical trials.

David also discusses the emotional resilience needed to be a Founder. He emphasizes the importance of therapy, mentorship, and learning from failure. For David, the ultimate reward isn't financial but the potential to dramatically improve patient lives, a mission that continues to fuel his entrepreneurial journey.

About David de Graaf

David de Graaf is the Co-Founder and CEO of Reverb Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on enhancing immune system signals to improve cancer treatments. A geneticist by training, David previously held roles in academia and at large pharmaceutical companies before founding multiple biotech ventures. His work has contributed to several drugs that are now either marketed or in late-stage trials, reflecting a rare success rate in drug development.

Resources discussed in this episode:

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

Contact David de Graaf: 

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Natasha Kostenuk, Co-Founder and CEO of Ayrton Energy, a climate tech company revolutionizing hydrogen storage and transportation. Natasha discusses her transition from mechanical engineering to entrepreneurship, her early career in oil and gas, and how identifying a gap in hydrogen storage sparked the founding of Ayrton. Together with her Co-Founder, a PhD chemist, Natasha is working to make hydrogen more accessible and cost-effective by chemically binding it to a carrier oil, enabling the use of existing fuel infrastructure.

Natasha dives deep into the startup journey, from filing patents and securing major funding rounds to the emotional highs and lows of building a team and a business. She also shares insights into how her company’s values of honesty and “getting it right” drive decision-making and innovation.

About Natasha Kostenuk

Natasha Kostenuk is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ayrton Energy, a climate tech company solving the hydrogen storage problem with a novel liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) system. With a background in mechanical engineering and a career that spans oil and gas, sales, and business development, Natasha brings a practical, tech-forward mindset to clean energy. She’s also the Founder of Calgary Apraxia, a nonprofit dedicated to children with speech challenges.

Resources discussed in this episode:

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

Contact Natasha Kostenuk:

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Founder and CEO of Nia Health, Sameer Dhar, is on a mission to radically change how Canadians manage their health. In this episode, Sameer talks about starting a successful charity in high school, building his first startup Sensassure in eldercare tech, and how the lessons from that venture shaped his newest company, Nia Health. Leah and Sameer explore how proactive diagnostics, affordable subscriptions, and data integration are enabling Canadians to take control of their health journeys.

About Sameer Dhar

Sameer Dhar is the Founder and CEO of Nia Health, Canada’s first end-to-end proactive health platform. A serial Founder, Sameer previously co-founded the healthtech startup Sensassure, which was acquired in 2016, and a charitable organization in high school that raised millions for poverty relief. He’s a graduate of the Next 36 entrepreneurship program and a passionate advocate for using technology to drive meaningful social change. Sameer has raised over $8 million in funding for Nia Health and is focused on scaling access to preventative healthcare across Canada. With a background in finance and a personal mission to improve health outcomes, he combines visionary leadership with deep empathy for users.

Resources discussed in this episode:

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

Contact Thin Air Labs: 

Contact Sameer Dhar: 

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Dietitian-turned-Founder Loreen Wales never planned to become an entrepreneur. But after years of watching patients struggle with preventable chronic diseases, she knew something had to change. That conviction led her to build My Viva, a clinical-grade lifestyle platform designed to transform the way people manage their health. In this episode, Loreen shares how she turned frustration into innovation, how she learned to raise capital with confidence, and why her belief in better patient care has never wavered.

She also opens up about the personal cost and the courage it takes to build something that truly matters. From sleepless nights and family sacrifices to the lessons she’s learned about leadership, resilience, and self trust, Loreen’s story is a powerful reminder that transformation starts with conviction, and that the hardest journeys often lead to the most meaningful impact.

About Loreen Wales

Loreen Wales is the Founder and CEO of My Viva, a clinical grade lifestyle platform helping people manage and prevent chronic disease through personalized, evidence based care. A registered dietician and lifelong advocate for better patient outcomes, Loreen spent years in the healthcare system watching preventable illnesses take too many lives. Determined to make a change, she turned her frustration into action and built a platform designed to transform how people take charge of their health.

Known for her humble confidence, tenacity, and deep empathy, Loreen leads with conviction and care. She’s as passionate about empowering patients as she is about supporting her team, her family, and the growing community of innovators reimagining what healthcare can be.

Resources discussed in this episode:

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

Contact Loreen Wales:

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Benjamin Kemp’s journey to Ambyint reflects his drive to be a change agent. From global tech firms like Oracle and Xerox to entrepreneurial companies, he’s now leading Ambyint in building the future of sustainable oil and gas. Inside Ambyint, he explains their claim to fame: autonomous control of 10,500+ wells with no human in the loop, combining physics models and machine learning to optimize production at scale.

Benjamin walks through a pivotal 2023 bet: bringing Ambyint back to Canada, unlocking SR&ED credits and access to non-dilutive programs. That move, alongside BDC’s backing and a $4.1M ERA grant, fueled rapid hiring and resilience. He shares his “think / know / prove” decision tree, lessons from brute-force turnarounds, the role of mentorship via VMSA and Platform Calgary, and why creating optionality (acquisition, scale, merger, or even IPO) matters for the company, the ecosystem, and his family.

About Benjamin Kemp

Benjamin Kemp is the CEO of Ambyint, an AI-powered production optimization platform for oil and gas operators. A self-described change agent, he’s led turnarounds and growth across enterprise tech and energy, focusing on frameworks, people, and culture to drive durable results.

Before Ambyint, Benjamin held leadership roles at global technology companies and Canadian SMBs, building high-performance teams and translating complex tech into customer outcomes. He mentors founders through VMSA and is active in Calgary’s innovation community.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Ambyint
• Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA)
• BDC Capital
• SR&ED (Scientific Research & Experimental Development)
• Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta (VMSA)

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

• ATB
• API
• Artemis
• OCIF

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact Benjamin Kemp: 

• LinkedIn: Benjamin Kemp
• Company Website: Ambyint

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, we talk with Sabina Bruehlmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Nimble Science. Sabina takes us through her entrepreneurial journey—from an unexpected hallway collision during her PhD to launching companies in spine research, sleep technology, and now precision medicine. With candor and humor, she shares how stubbornness (or tenacity, as her supervisor put it) has been essential to navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

We also dive into Nimble’s groundbreaking SIMBA capsule, a medical device that provides unprecedented access to the small intestine and is now integrated into global clinical studies across diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and chronic fatigue. Sabina reflects on the importance of impact-driven entrepreneurship, the realities of coping with stress while building a company, and why creating dynamic, adaptable teams is key to startup success.

Listeners will come away with a deeper appreciation for the mindset required to ride the entrepreneurial waves while keeping a steady keel, as well as insights into how data and precision medicine are transforming the future of healthcare.

About Sabina Bruehlmann

Sabina Bruehlmann is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nimble Science, a precision medicine company pioneering access to the gastrointestinal tract with its SIMBA capsule. A biomechanical engineer by training and a serial entrepreneur, she has founded and led multiple ventures, including Zephyr Sleep Technologies. Known for her resilience, creativity, and ability to bring multidisciplinary teams together, Sabina is passionate about advancing human health through innovative technology and data-driven solutions.

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

• ATB
• API
• Artemis
• OCIF

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact Sabina Bruehlmann:

• Website: Nimble Science
• LinkedIn: Sabina Bruehlmann

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In this episode, we talk to Dan Balaban, Co-Founder and CEO of Greengate, about how bold vision and perseverance shaped one of Canada’s most impactful renewable energy companies. Dan shares how he and his team developed the largest wind and solar projects in Canadian history, often in the heart of oil country, and why going big from the start was the key to success. He reflects on pivotal moments, including the 2008 financial crisis, when he mortgaged his home to keep the company alive.

We also explore Dan’s transition from building Greengate to investing in early-stage energy and AI companies through Augur VC, and leading innovation growth in Calgary as Chair of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. Dan opens up about the personal cost of entrepreneurship, his post-exit wellness transformation, including running his first half marathon, and his advice for Founders: take care of yourself first, so you can take care of everything else.

About Dan Balaban

Dan Balaban is the Co-Founder and CEO of Greengate, a renewable energy company behind Canada’s largest wind and solar energy projects. With a background in computer science and a passion for innovation, Dan transitioned from tech consulting to entrepreneurship in the late 1990s, selling his first company, Roughneck, by age 30. 

Over nearly two decades, he has helped shape Alberta’s renewable energy landscape, attracting over $2 billion in investment. Today, Dan invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies at the intersection of energy and AI through Augur VC and serves as Chair of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, supporting Calgary’s innovation ecosystem.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Greengate
• Augur VC

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

• ATB
• API
• Artemis
• OCIF

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact Dan Balaban: 

• Linkedin: Dan Balaban

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In this episode, Jana Tian opens up about what it takes to build a robotics startup from the ground up. As the Co-Founder of Upside Robotics, Jana is on a mission to make farming more sustainable and efficient using small, in-field robots that apply fertilizer with surgical precision. Think Roombas for cornfields. Her company is helping solve major agricultural challenges, from climate change to labour shortages, with tech that allows farmers to monitor and manage their fields remotely.

Jana dives into her entrepreneurial journey, influenced by her immigrant parents’ businesses, her years in corporate R&D at Unilever helping develop brands like Ben & Jerry’s, and her eventual leap into startup life. She recounts pivotal moments (like losing their only prototype in a fire just days before launch) and how she and her Co-Founder rallied to rebuild from scratch. She also shares why sleeping in an RV on farms helped her gain farmer trust and build a product that truly meets their needs.

From startup scrappiness to global vision, this episode is packed with insights on early-stage resilience, deep customer empathy, and how bold missions can shape meaningful impact. Topics include founder burnout, investor alignment, autonomous systems, food system challenges, and scaling hardware startups.

About Jana Tian

Jana Tian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Upside Robotics, a Canadian ag-tech startup revolutionizing in-field nutrient application with autonomous robots. With a background in global product development at Unilever and lifelong inspiration gained from her entrepreneurial parents, Jana brings a rare mix of technical know-how and relationship-driven purpose to everything she builds.

Deeply passionate about transforming food systems and reducing agricultural waste, Jana is driven by a mission to empower farmers, combat climate change, and create scalable, tech-powered solutions that deliver value where it matters most: on the ground, with people.

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

1. ATB
2. API
3. Artemis
4. OCIF

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact Jana Tian: 

• Website: Upside Robotics
• LinkedIn: Jana Tian
• LinkedIn: Upside Robotics
• Instagram: Upside Robotics

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What does it take to move from treating brain aneurysms in the operating room to founding a medtech company that could transform how these conditions are treated worldwide? In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Dr. John Wong, neurosurgeon and CEO of Fluid Biomed, to explore this remarkable journey.

John shares how his partnership with Co-Founder Dr. Alim Mitha led to the development of a next-generation stent, one that diverts blood flow, heals aneurysms, and then dissolves safely over time. He opens up about the challenges of fundraising, navigating the infamous “valley of death,” and the eventual triumph of closing a $27M Series A with global investors. As John likes to say, “running a company is the hardest thing I've ever done. And I'm a brain surgeon."

About John Wong

Dr. John Wong is a practicing neurosurgeon and the Co-Founder & CEO of Fluid Biomed, a Calgary-based medical device company developing bioabsorbable stents to treat brain aneurysms without invasive surgery. Trained at the University of Alberta, Dr. Wong specialized in aneurysm treatment and learned innovative methods for treating the brain through blood vessels rather than traditional open-skull surgery.

Alongside his clinical career, he has grown Fluid Biomed from a research idea into a venture-backed startup with 25 employees, international clinical trials, and $27M USD in Series A funding. John also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, giving him a unique perspective at the intersection of medicine, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Resources discussed in this episode: 

• Creative Destruction Labs - Calgary
• Creative Destruction Labs - Rockies
• Life Sciences Innovation Hub (University of Calgary)
• Hotchkiss Brain Institute
• Libin Cardiovascular Institute
• Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania)

The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:

• ATB
• API
• Artemis
• OCIF

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact John Wong: 

• Website: Fluid Biomed
• LinkedIn: Fluid Biomed
• Linkedin: John Wong

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