The Founder Mindset

Chenny Xia is a serial entrepreneur and advocate for health and gender equity.

As the CEO of Gotcare, she is transforming how healthcare in the home is delivered regardless of your postal code, including service to over 100 remote communities. Having scaled rapidly across the country, Gotcare has been recently named one of Canada's fastest-growing companies in 2023 by The Globe and Mail.

Chenny also plays several advisory roles - she was previously a member of Ontario's Task Force on Women and The Economy, and currently is standardizing care economy impact metrics through 2X Global, and advancing women and non-binary-led entrepreneurship through Coralus (formerly SheEO).

Previously, she co-founded The Prosper Lab, Toronto’s first skills accelerator for people living in poverty.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Sandstone Asset Management
• Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
• Coralus 

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

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

Contact Chenny Xia: 

• Website: gotcare.ca
• Facebook: Gotcare
• Linkedin: Chenny Xia

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, we sit down with Nic Beique, Founder and CEO of Helcim, a payments company making waves in Canada and the U.S. Nic takes us on his entrepreneurial journey, from his early days of building websites at just 15 years old to overcoming obstacles like losing a key business partner. Nic guides us through the trials and tribulations entrepreneurs battle and why he wouldn't have it any other way. 

Nic also shares his perspective on balancing work and family life, how he manages personal well-being amid the demands of running a company, and why he believes small businesses deserve better treatment from financial institutions. His approach to leadership, growth, and navigating the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship will inspire anyone looking to start or scale their business.

About Nic Beique

Nic Beique is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Helcim, a payments company that makes getting paid faster, easier, and more affordable for businesses. Nic was the lead developer on the company's first software launch, Helcim Commerce. His recognitions for his contributions to the payment industry and tech economy in Calgary include winning the technology category as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year - Prairie region in 2018 and as a member of the Avenue Calgary Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• TechCrunch
• The Verge
• BetaKit
• Shopify
• The Four Burners Theory

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

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

Contact Nic Beique: 

• Website: www.helcim.com
• Instagram: @Helciminc
• Twitter: @Helcim
• Facebook: Helcim
• YouTube: @Helcim
• LinkedIn: Helcim
• LinkedIn: Nic Beique

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Nuha Siddiqui, the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Erthos, a climate technology company redefining the building blocks of plastics. Nuha delves into her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, the pivotal role of Enactus in shaping her path, and the relentless drive to solve the global plastic crisis. With candid insights, she shares the highs and lows of raising millions in funding, the challenges of being a young woman in STEM, and the importance of resilience and purpose in her mission.

Nuha discusses Erthos' groundbreaking work in creating bio-based alternatives to plastics, collaborating with global brands, and the significance of scalability in combating the plastic crisis. She emphasizes the value of being receptive to diverse ideas and not always being the smartest person in the room. This episode also explores Nuha’s thoughts on the impact of women in STEM and entrepreneurship, as well as her vision for a sustainable future where Erthos leads the way in systemic change.

About Nuha Siddiqui

Nuha Siddiqui is a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Erthos, a pioneering company revolutionizing the plastic industry with sustainable material solutions. With a strong background in entrepreneurship and an unwavering passion for sustainability, Nuha has led her team to create a significant impact by collaborating with diverse experts and partners. Her innovative leadership style, which emphasizes humility, creativity, and team growth, has positioned Erthos at the forefront of systemic change in sustainability. Nuha’s dedication to solving global challenges and her ability to inspire and support her team makes her a trailblazer in the field, driving the future of sustainable innovation.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Enactus UofT
• Sandstone Asset Management
• Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

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

Contact Nuha Siddiqui: 

• LinkedIn: Nuha Siddiqui
• Website: planeterthos.com
• Instagram: @planeterthos
• TikTok: @planterthos
• Linkedin: Erthos
• ZYA AI

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Welcome to Season Two of The Founder Mindset! Veteran broadcaster Leah Sarich hosts all-new intimate conversations with groundbreaking founders about the truths of entrepreneurship. Founders get asked about traditional business stuff like product market fit and revenue all the time, but Leah digs into what we really want to know: what is it actually like to be a founder? Why do it? What sacrifices does it require? Is it worth the challenge? This season Leah talks with Nuha Siddiqui of Erthos, Dr. William Cherniak of Rocket Doctor, Megan Leslie of NanoTess, Nic Beique of Helcim and more to find out why they do what they do. Tune in to The Founder Mindset as brilliant founders share their personal wins, losses, and dreams with Leah Sarich.

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

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

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“Through and through, one of the most competitive entrepreneurs that we’ve invested in, and that’s saying a lot because the bar is pretty high for the competitive average for our entrepreneurs, yea this guy, he will not quit.” —James Lochrie on Provision CEO Erik Westblom 

• In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Erik Westblom, Co-founder and CEO of Provision, chats with Leah about:
• Why he wants people to really understand the stress of being a founder
• How he thinks about shame as motivation
• Why he’ll always be obsessed with the bank balance

BONUS CONTENT

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Erik from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs  which invested in Provision.

Hear how James relates to Erik’s candid truths about the impact entrepreneurship can have on families. Find out what James has learned about processing the stress of being a founder, and how that’s helped him become a better investor and mentor to founders like Erik. And hear what led James to offer a rare investment on the spot into Provision.

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“It’s been 13 years… and the way she talks about the future, the way that she talks about how the opportunity has never been greater, she’s never been more excited… It’s easy to understand why we’d make an investment in a person like this.” —James Lochrie on Orpyx CEO Breanne Everett  

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Dr. Breanne Everett, Founder and CEO of Orpyx, chats with Leah about:

• Why she went from surgeon to entrepreneur 
• How she navigated the premature birth of her first child and fundraising at the same time
• Why the opportunity for impact keeps her going through the inevitable challenges

BONUS CONTENT 

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Breanne from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs which invested in Orpyx. 

Learn more about how James deeply admires Breanne’s growth as a leader, her emotional resilience and her drive to create meaningful human impact with her company. 

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“This is a guy, an accidental entrepreneur, with a low risk tolerance - a guy who stumbled into entrepreneurship because someone opened a door for him, and now he talks about it like a north star. He’s got it.” —James Lochrie on ZayZoon CEO Darcy Tuer 

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Darcy Tuer, Co-founder and CEO of ZayZoon, chats with Leah about:

• Why he’s continually drawn to being a founder
• How he thinks about rejection 
• What he’s learned from facing several ‘go or no go’ points in his startup journey

BONUS CONTENT 

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Darcy from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs.

Hear how James deeply respects Darcy’s desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, how he shares Darcy’s low risk tolerance and love of problem-solving as risk mitigation. And learn more about James and Darcy’s love of the Calgary innovation ecosystem.

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“She believes in a future we can’t see. She believes in challenging herself and creating autonomy for herself. She wants fulfillment that only she can deliver as an entrepreneur to herself” — James Lochrie on AltaML Co-CEO Nicole Janssen 

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Nicole Janssen, Co-founder and Co-CEO of AltaML chats with Leah about:

• How she was a terrible employee and what she loves about being an entrepreneur
• What it feels like to learn a major investor is pulling out while you’re on your first vacation in years, and what she learned from that experience  
• How a life-changing diagnosis has made her a better entrepreneur

BONUS CONTENT 

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Nicole from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs.

Find out why James thinks Nicole is the ultimate professional, how he deeply admires her ability to create trust with her candor and why he thinks more entrepreneurs should take on a leadership role like Nicole has to educate and inspire stakeholders in their sectors. 

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 “If you want to hear about an entrepreneur act like an entrepreneur, be honest about what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, this is the one I’d pick out. He’s just laid it bare as a young inexperienced entrepreneur who’s struggled and had some success and continues to fight the fight, it’s a really special episode.” — James Lochrie on Arbor CEO Alex Todorovic

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alex Todorovic, Co-founder and CEO of Arbor chats with Leah about:

• how the fun part of being a founder is the scrappy startup stage 
• what he does to calm himself when he wakes panicked in the night
• why he wants to hold the reins of his company for as long as possible

BONUS CONTENT 

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Alex from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs which invested in Arbor. 

Find out what James relates to in Alex as a young man focused on a better future. Learn more about Alex’s humility and ability to iterate which resonated with James, and why James has so much confidence in the team Alex has built.  

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“You could hear it in her voice: I’ve been trained for this, I’m battle ready, I’ve got the scars, I’ve got my team beside me and I’ve already got my plan. Let’s go do it, it’s just waiting for us, let’s go take the hill.” — James Lochrie on Fillip CEO Alice Reimer 

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alice Reimer, CEO of Fillip chats with Leah about:

• why she thinks founders should get some business experience before starting their startup 
• how carrying the weight of a startup can get pretty heavy 
• what keeps her coming back to being a founder, time and again 

BONUS CONTENT

At the end of the episode, Leah gets reaction to her conversation with Alice from James Lochrie, Managing Partner of Thin Air Labs which invested in Fillip. 

Find out what James respects about Alice as a founder, why he thinks her description of herself as a “hustler” is apt and learn more about why he decided to invest in her company.

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