Unicorn Leaders

In this episode, Fahd sits down with Stuart Lombard, founder of Ecobee, to unpack one of the most iconic David vs. Goliath stories in Canadian tech. What started as a personal mission to reduce his carbon footprint led Stuart to invent one of the world’s first smart thermostats—and take on giants like Honeywell and Google Nest in the process.

Stuart shares how Ecobee turned clunky hardware into a customer-obsessed experience, why innovation often starts with frustration, and how staying true to their mission helped them win customer trust while competitors chased channel partnerships and flashy ads.

From getting 172 VC rejections to building sensors that rewrote the rules, this is a story of what happens when a team chooses learning over ego—and how a thermostat became the first step in rethinking home energy systems.

In this episode, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Nora Beatty, VP of People Operations at Cohere, to unpack how small, high-trust teams scale in high-stakes environments. Nora shares her journey from Cohere’s 40-person startup stage to its 500-person rocketship rise—and what she’s learned about leadership, mentorship, and risk along the way. 

Together, they break down why the “self-made” leader is a myth, how founders can’t outsource culture, and what it really takes to compete for top talent in an AI-fueled market. Nora explains how Cohere built velocity into its DNA, the invisible costs of hypergrowth, and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is let their team take smart risks—and sometimes fail. 

Whether you’re building a team or leading one, this episode is packed with real, practical lessons on trust, growth, and showing up for your people. 

Find Nora here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-beatty-34b7349/

In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Miranda Pokoy, SVP of People Success at Partnerize, to explore how HR can be a powerful driver of business performance. Miranda shares her journey from administrative assistant to executive leadership, and the strategic mindset shift that took HR from policy enforcer to business partner.

They dive into what it really takes to lead through mergers and acquisitions, build culture across global teams, and develop managers into impactful leaders. Miranda breaks down how founders can leverage people strategy—even on lean teams—and why investing in trust, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration is the secret weapon of small, mighty teams.

Whether you’re a founder, HR leader, or people-obsessed operator, this episode is packed with practical insights on making the most of your people to scale impact—not just headcount.

Episode Mentions

Connect with Miranda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhynot/

In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Penny Farinha, former VP of People at Ecobee, to unpack what it really takes to scale a mission-driven startup through every phase of growth—without losing your soul (or your best people).

Penny shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Ecobee went from 75 employees to a billion-dollar acquisition, all while competing head-to-head with Google Nest. She reveals why values-based hiring (not just skill) helped them build a resilient culture, and how she approached team design at every inflection point—from scrappy startup to post-acquisition scale.

They dive into the messy reality of building people systems that evolve with the business, why staying nine years gave her the deepest leadership lessons, and how founders can avoid the trap of outgrowing their own culture.

Whether you’re navigating hypergrowth, rethinking your org design, or wondering how to lead a team that can outlearn the competition—this episode is packed with honest insights on people, purpose, and playing the long game.

Find Penny Farinha here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyfarinha/

In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Adam Gellert, founder of Linkus Group and Hypo, to talk all things hiring—from building high-performing teams to breaking outdated recruitment myths.

Adam shares what it really takes to find top-tier talent in startups, why the "hire slow, fire fast" mantra is broken, and how founders can avoid costly mis-hires by aligning on the real business problem behind every role. He opens up about the grit behind building two companies, what top candidates are actually looking for, and how to avoid culture-breaking overhiring.

Whether you're scaling a team, hiring your first exec, or wondering why your dream candidate said no—this one’s packed with practical insights for startup leaders who want to hire fast and hire well.

Episode Mentions

• Check out Adam Gellert: https://www.recruiteradam.com/

In this high-energy episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd sits down with serial entrepreneur and author Adrian Salamunovic for a raw, real, and wisdom-packed conversation on what it takes to build—and exit—category-defining companies. Adrian shares the behind-the-scenes journey from selling his first business at 21 to founding DNA11 and CanvasPop, exiting for 30x EBITDA, and now launching The Exit podcast and founder community. Together, they unpack what founders get wrong about scaling, the psychology behind great leadership, and why the smartest move isn’t always about being the smartest person in the room. From hiring to vision, from mental stamina to co-founder breakups, this episode is a tactical masterclass in how to build a business worth buying—without losing yourself along the way.

Episode Mentions

• The Play Bigger Book: https://www.playbigger.com/book
• Join Adrian’s community for exited founders: The Exit Group - https://www.theexit.group/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAack5M_B93ea5JJQkDPVRxjRi--i_RbpbaO00u2Eoq3QD5XL_JlAUQCtStee7Q_aem_OTsbTW-XT_JHFe1HQ40haQ
• Where to find Adrian: clarity.fm/adrian-salamunovic

In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, host Fahd Alhattab sits down with three-time Chief People Officer Ali Farrell, currently CPO at Apprentice, to unpack what it really takes to build high-performing teams in fast-growth startups. Ali brings a rare blend of corporate, VC-backed, PE-backed, and bootstrapped startup experience—and she’s not afraid to challenge outdated HR norms.

From navigating chaos to ditching performance improvement plans, Ali shares hard-won insights on what works (and what absolutely doesn’t) when leading through scale. You'll learn why clarity is more powerful than complexity, how to bring “just enough” structure to support growth, and why ownership and curiosity matter more than credentials.

Whether you're a founder, people leader, or scaling operator, this episode is packed with tactical advice, real talk, and fresh perspectives on how to grow teams that actually thrive in the messy middle.

In this season opener of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sets the stage for a new narrative—one centered around the underdogs. Drawing inspiration from the classic David vs. Goliath story, Fahd explores why small, scrappy teams often outperform their larger, better-resourced competitors. Using Google's historic win over Overture as a launch point, he teases a season packed with modern business stories—from tech startups to industry disruptors—showcasing how trust, speed, culture, and strategic clarity help small teams punch far above their weight.

With upcoming guest interviews and deep dives into companies like Slack, Pixar, Netflix, and Shopify, this season is designed to unpack what really makes high-performing teams succeed. Whether you're a founder, people leader, or just team-curious, this season promises to deliver the tools and insights to help your team win—no matter the odds.

In episode 20, Eva shares her use of a product led mindset for developing new strategies of learning and development at Fullscript with about 800 employees. She dives into how the traditional models of learning and development are not always agile or adaptive especially with the rise of AI, remote and hybrid work environments. 

Eva dives into a new strategy she used to build community among teams in her current role. She shares the tools, resources, and approach used in developing opportunities that helped individuals blossom in their own way. 

In episode 19, Andre dives into how he found his way into creating a socially impactful business while sharing valuable lessons and principles that he embraced on his journey to success as a leader. 

From letting go of micro details to building high performing teams and influencing decision making processes, discover some actionable insights that will transform your leadership approach and help you create a meaningful impact. 

Get ready to unleash the unicorn leader within! Tune in to hear about Andre’s experience and journey.