The Innovation Day Podcast

On the day of launch, the card game Exploding Kittens raised millions on Kickstarter, and went on to be one of the most successful campaigns in the history of the platform. In this episode Exploding Kittens Co-Founder Elan Lee shares what led up to that experience, how it felt to see those numbers continue to grow, and how the world of tabletop games has changed in the decades since that initial campaign. Elan is as great a story teller as he is a game designer and business leader and I know this episode will make you smile and think in equal measure.

The Innovation Day Podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and produced by Chess Originals.

Little Canada is consistently rated as one of the best attractions in Ontario, and those who've been know why. This is the story of how Jean-Louis channeled his love of Canada and his love of modelling into an astounding 45,000 square foot world inhabited by over 40,000 little people.

The Innovation Day Podcast is hosted by Neil Follett and produced by Chess Originals. The song "Your Eyes" featured at the end of this episode if from Windsor, Ontario artist Ron Leary and appears on his 2017 album, Tobacco Fields.

Happy Canada Day, everyone! 

Kassia Meador has crafted an incredible career as a professional surfer, wellness advocate, and entrepreneur. From turning pro at 16 through to her very recent decision to set a new path for her business, Kassia has dropped in with focus and intentionality. In this episode Kassia brings her trademark candour, humour and warmth as she reflects on her journey, and shares her thoughts on what might come next.

The Innovation Day Podcast is produced by Chess Originals. 

When he was just 18, Ben Taylor started the Beachman Life account on Instagram, and at the time it was a brand in search of a product. Fast forward to 2025 and that product is now an eBike (and soon to be motorcycle) like you’ve never seen before. On this episode Ben shares the Beachman story, from those very first bikes to the immanent launch of their electric motorcycle.

Jayme and her co-founder Jessica set out to solve a complex and layered problem and wound up being voted one of Time Magazine's best new inventions. Jayme brings her infectious energy and passion to the show and shares with us how Everist is going about transforming the world of beauty care. 

For many, newspapers may not exactly be synonymous with “innovation”, but that opinion may change after listening to this episode. In 2017 musician and author Dave Bidini was inspired to start up a community paper in his west end Toronto neighbourhood. It was a labour of love and, with the help of his team and community, the West End Phoenix was born. The paper, and now the WEP’s office and event space, bring people, family and friends together through shared experiences and stories. Speaking of stories, Dave is a great storyteller and we are thrilled to have him on the show.

The path to entrepreneurial success is winding, steep and treacherous – just ask anyone who’s started a business. As with so many founders, Robert Kirstiuk had to make a ‘pandemic pivot’, and the result was Freshline. Robert’s story is one of starting local, with what you know, scaling up, scaling down and then rebuilding something new from the pieces. It’s a story about staying committed and being resilient, and one that we think you’ll really enjoy.

Britta Shillingsburg has been hands-on in her quest to create a product that is just right
for her customers and the best it can be for the planet. As you’ll hear in the episode. It's a high bar to meet, one that has set Britta on a multi-year journey from the hiking trails to her kitchen to her new online store. Britta’s story is one of commitment to the vision through the twists and turns of bringing both a product and a company to market.

Founders like Ali Sabti, who have built a product are inventors at heart. Every inventor has their “Eureka” moment, for Archimedes it was in his bathtub and for Ali it was on his front lawn. Dealing with wasps and watering was the problem and, eventually, OtO was the solution. In this episode Ali shares his journey to create the product that was named one of the “Best Innovations” at CES and one of the “Best Inventions of 2022” by Time magazine. Who knew lawn care could be so cool?

Founders find inspiration in all sorts of places, and for Craig Follett, Co-Founder of Peggy, it was at Art Bazel in Switzerland. Craig, along with his Co-Founder Adam, set out to take all the best elements of the Blue Chip art market and make it available to the rest of us. The result is Peggy, a platform that enables discovery, purchase and resale of art. If you love art, technology and creativity this episode is for you.