Anthony Azrak and Jai Mansukhani are the Co-Founders of OpenSesame.

OpenSesame is building Cell, an embedded AI agent layer that lets users explore, understand, and take action inside any SaaS product using natural language.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

2:45 Introduction to Speedrun and OpenSesame's Experience

05:30 Identifying the AI Gap and OpenSesame's Focus

08:20 Customer Use Cases and Product Iteration

11:08 Target Market and Software Company Dynamics

13:58 The Future of AI Interaction and User Experience

16:49 Navigating the AI Landscape and Customer Education

19:33 Feature Development and Revenue Opportunities

22:34 Customer Discovery and Feedback Mechanisms

25:05 The Future of Work with Natural Language Interfaces

28:30 Raising Capital and the SF Ecosystem

32:25 The Language User Interface Revolution

37:21 Team Dynamics and Hiring in the AI Era

40:37 The Advantages of Being in Silicon Valley

42:49 Navigating Challenges as a Founder

Derek Bullen is the Founder and Board Director of S.i. Systems.

S.i. Systems is one of the largest Canadian IT staffing and consulting firms that connects organizations with skilled technology professionals.

They specialize in providing contract, permanent, and project-based talent across areas like software development, business analysis, project management, and IT infrastructure.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

2:45 Founding Principles and Evolution of SI Systems

11:02 Shifts in the Contractor Landscape

13:29 The Art of Matching Talent with Opportunity

18:10 Scaling the Business: Lessons Learned

25:28 Building Relationships and Client Trust

29:02 Leadership Transition and Executive Roles

33:22 Personal Growth and Life After Leadership

39:54 Navigating Hard Times and Resilience

Emily Luk is a member of the Product team at Wealthsimple.

She previously Co-Founded Plenty, which was acquired by Wealthsimple.

Chapters

00:00 Emily's Journey: From Venture, Stripe and Even.

05:44 Cultural Insights from Stripe and Even

08:27 The Birth of Plenty: Identifying Gaps in FinTech

11:17 Navigating FinTech Challenges and Infrastructure

14:17 Unlocking Multi-User Experiences in FinTech

17:11 The Evolution of Consumer FinTech

19:56 Wealthsimple Acquisition: A Seamless Transition

23:01 Building a Comprehensive Product Suite at Wealthsimple

26:00 The Importance of Multi-User Financial Management

28:35 Growth Through Multi-User Engagement

31:41 Resilience in the Face of Challenges

Matthew Lombardi co-founded The Icebreaker with Jeff Waite and Michael Edwards.

The Icebreaker is Canada's defence innovation network, trusted by founders and funders, operators and professionals at DND and the CAF, defence primes, IDEaS, NATO DIANA, and everywhere decisions are made to defend the nation.

Their mission: to make Canada a net exporter of defence technology by 2030.

The Icebreak Links

• The Icebreaker Hackathon on September 20.
• Hundreds of Canadian companies making ‘dual use’ products useful for defence, survey finds - The Globe and Mail

Chapters

00:00 The Genesis of The Icebreaker and Canadian Defence Tech

05:35 Urgency for Change in Defence Strategy

08:09 Cultural Shifts in Defence Innovation

10:54 The Role of Technology in Defence and Civilian Life

13:32 Building a Community in Defence Tech

16:27 Spotlighting Canadian Innovators

19:09 Infrastructure Needs for Defence Innovation

21:52 Procurement and the Future of Defence

24:28 The Arctic: A New Frontier for National Security

27:25 National Pride and the Defence Tech Movement

30:12 Opportunities for New Talent in Defence Tech

Carter Li is the CEO of SWTCH.

SWTCH - https://swtchenergy.com/

Chapters

00:00 Genesis of SWTCH: A Personal Journey

05:35 Challenges of EV Charging in Existing Infrastructure

08:06 Designing Charging Solutions Based on Dwell Time

11:05 Technological Advances in EV Charging

13:49 The Value of EV Infrastructure in Real Estate

16:33 Shifts in the EV Charging Landscape

19:32 Vertical Integration in Charging Solutions

22:27 Innovative Solutions for Grid Overload

25:29 Monetization Strategies in Charging Infrastructure

27:15 The Future of Urban Living and EV Charging

29:55 Scaling Hardware in EV Charging

32:57 The Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on Charging

35:44 Finding Balance in the Entrepreneurial Journey

Simon Hørup Eskildsen is the Co-Founder and CEO of turbopuffer.

turbopuffer is a fast search engine that combines vector and full-text search using object storage, making all your data easily searchable.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to turbopuffer

06:46 Revolutionizing Search with TurboPuffer

11:45 Technical Innovations Behind TurboPuffer

15:55 Caching Mechanisms and Performance

19:27 Scaling Challenges and Solutions

23:09 Navigating Industry Shifts and Market Dynamics

30:08 Sales Strategies and Founder-Led Growth

35:43 Pricing Models and Customer Relationships

41:25 Staying in Canada vs. Moving to the US

44:59 Coping with Challenges in Entrepreneurship

Stewart Lyons is the CEO of Bird.

Bird is on a mission to provide eco-friendly transportation for everyone.

Chapters

00:00 Stewart Lyons: A Journey Through Entrepreneurship

05:29 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Canada

08:04 Turning Around Bird Global: Strategies and Insights

11:07 Operating a Global Business from Canada

13:15 Building Trust with Regulators and City Partners

15:52 Operational Complexity: Making Bird Profitable

18:37 Innovations in Scooter Technology

21:11 Seasonal Operations: Adapting to Market Conditions

24:17 Seasonal Workforce and Scalability

25:10 Exploring Diverse Transportation Modes

27:02 Franchising and Business Replication

29:53 Safety Measures in Micro-Mobility

33:46 User Experience and Software Integration

35:24 Subscription Model for Repeat Users

37:25 Micro-Mobility as Last Mile Solution

39:18 Insights on Acquisitions

40:54 Balancing Growth and Profitability

43:24 Motivation and Resilience in Business

Christian Weedbrook is the Founder and CEO of Xanadu.

Xanadu is a Canadian quantum technology company and one of the world's leading photonic quantum hardware providers.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Quantum Computing

05:51 Infrastructure and Capital Needs for Quantum

08:40 Raising Capital in Quantum Tech

11:58 Government Support and Quantum

14:16 Photonics vs. Other Quantum Approaches

15:55 Talent Acquisition in Quantum

17:45 Global Operations and Foundry Partnerships

19:27 Staying Canadian in a Global Market

21:02 Maintaining Passion and Energy

22:12 Commercialization of Technology

25:09 Interplay Between Quantum and AI

27:06 Future of Quantum Hardware

28:34 Software Development in Quantum

31:18 Building Partnerships and Use Cases

33:10 Quantum Computing for Battery Development

34:31 Applications Across Industries

36:11 Future Predictions for Quantum Computing

37:21 Misconceptions About Quantum

38:46 Coping with Challenges in Business

Dennis Pilarinos is the Founder and CEO of Unblocked.

Unblocked brings all the context about your codebase together, so your team gets expert-level answers, no matter where they’re working.

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Dennis

09:48 Building Developer Tools: Challenges and Insights

16:59 The Importance of User Experience in Development

24:45 AI's Role in Modern Development

29:58 Attracting Top Talent in Tech

34:19 The Evolution of Vancouver Tech Ecosystem

Mark Doble is the CEO of Alexi.

Alexi is the flexible AI platform trusted by leading law firms to develop proprietary insights, orchestrate high-quality work, and deliver stronger results — in a fully private, firm-controlled environment.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Gaps in Legal Tech

05:26 The Evolution of Legal Research Automation

08:00 Understanding AI Hallucinations in Legal Contexts

12:20 The Role of Human Lawyers in an AI-Driven World

15:38 Building a Platform for Law Firms

20:12 Navigating the Challenges of Long-Term Implementations

24:35 The Future of Law Firms in the Age of AI

30:19 Balancing Innovation and Customer Needs

35:11 The Impact of AI on Legal Product Development

39:01 Dealing with Hard Times in Entrepreneurship