Start Canada Podcast

Meet Chris Schmidt, the original creator of Snapchat filters and today, the CEO and Co-Founder of Pluto Ventures - a venture-backed artificial intelligence company that is leveraging the hyper-personalized online world and using our body dimensions as a crucial component to customizing goods and services. The founder, Chris Schmidt, is a pretty unique young guy. He started his first business at the age of ten. And right after university, he founded the world's first Snapchat filter company, Geofilter Studio. In this episode, CEO and Founder Chris Schmidt speaks about his innate entrepreneurial nature, how to build a strong workplace culture, and what it’s like to be creating modern - some may say millennial and even Gen Z - tech solutions. Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Amy Tung, Founder of I Am Love - a social enterprise that is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to help our community thrive. In this episode, CEO and Founder Amy Tung speaks about her personal journey starting a social enterprise, pivoting due to Covid-19, and how her community minded focus led to genuine personal growth. If you are curious about what it’s like to start a social enterprise, or have simply been dying to get to know Amy Tung, don’t miss this episode of Start Canada Podcast with the founder of I Am Love! Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Felicita Ovadje - a practicing attorney and freelance makeup artist. With an eye for excellence, she identified a gap for products designed for people of color in the North American beauty industry and decided to be that change. Founded in 2014, Felicita launched Felicheeta Artistry - pivoting in 2020 to become both an ecommerce and a brick and mortar space for customers to find makeup brands owned by people of color, created for women of all skin tones. In this episode, Felicita Ovadje speaks about the evolution of beauty products for people of color, about balancing her passions, and provides great tips (both legal and otherwise!) of things to consider when starting a business. Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Ben Buckwold, CEO and Founder of ESL Library - a company empowering language teachers to teach their best class, with exceptional content and a custom platform used by language teachers in more than 10,000 schools around the world. In this episode of Start Canada Podcast, Ben speaks about being the first ESL learning app in the world, knowing when to pivot, and the importance of building great content. From the staff side, we get tips for building a great team, remote morale boosting, and the positive people effects of giving back to the community. If you are building an online resource based business, or you want to pivot to one, be sure to tune in to this episode of Start Canada Podcast with the founder of ESL Library! If you prefer video format, watch now on YouTube or take us with you as you go by Subscribing Now wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet David Dang, Social Media and Digital Marketing Expert whose Instagram business page EntrepreneurshipFacts has over 2.2M followers. In this episode, we cover how to use social media to kick start a business or test a new idea, how to build an audience on Instagram, and how to stay motivated and on track. If you are ready to take your social media to the next level, be sure to catch this episode of Start Canada Podcast with David Dang! Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Katie Hartle, Founder and CEO of FriendMatch - a unique company that is exactly as it sounds - think online dating but strictly for platonic friendships instead. In a time where loneliness is at an all-time high, Katie has built a community over 100 countries to help tackle just this, answering the question "How to Make Friends" for more than 5 million people - and counting. In this episode, we cover the human side of business, how to build a lean start-up, tips for growing a community, and so much more. If you have an idea you believe in - be sure to catch this episode to be inspired to get started today! Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Cheryl Zealand, Founder and CEO of Cranked Energy Bars - a protein bar company carried by over 100 Manitoba retailers and set for national expansion. If you are starting a food based business from your home kitchen and want to learn to build your brand - tune in to this episode for tips from Cranked Energy Bars! Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube! Just search Start Canada Podcast.

Meet Glenda and Rory Hart, Co-Founders of the Canadian Birch Company. They create products from organic birch sap and craft the world’s finest pure birch syrup. In this episode, Host Margaux Miller taps into the ins and outs of the birch syrup industry, inquiring into dealing with food products and getting into retailers, and garners advice for working with programs like the Scotiabank Women Initiative. If you are starting a food based business and you want to skip some hurdles of learning the hard way - then be sure to catch this episode! If you prefer video format, watch now on YouTube or take us with you as you go by Subscribing Now wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet Anthony Halyckyj, the Founder of 204 Meal Prep - a subscription box meal kit company that delivers convenient meal options direct to your door. In our conversation, Anthony shares with us the hurdles of the subscription business model, the experience of purchasing his main competitor, and even some tips for eating healthy. If you’ve ever wanted to know the ins and outs of a subscription box meal prep company - then this episode is for you! Watch on YouTube or take us with you as you go by Subscribing Now wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet Michelle and Caroline, two business leaders from either side of the entrepreneurship coin. From the start-up side, Michelle Leona is the Owner and Head Brewer of Wolseley Kombucha - a women-owned and operated business kombucha brewery. From the support side, Caroline Ksiazek, the Regional Lead in the heart of Canada for Futurpreneur - Canada’s only national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18 to 39. Our guests provide great tips on how to leverage the power of your network and use mentorship to get ahead, as well as tips for securing grants and funding for your Canadian business. If you prefer video format, watch now on YouTube or take us with you as you go by Subscribing Now wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet Marshall Ring, Founder and CEO of the Manitoba Technology Accelerator - an organization that helps to commercialize disruptive technologies into businesses ready to scale nationally and internationally. Our host picks Marshall’s brain on what it’s like to grow a start-up ecosystem, some exciting success stories from the Canadian prairies, and some really important insight advice for anyone looking to participate in an accelerator. If you’re curious about what it takes to start your own start-up hub or if you are looking to join one - then don’t miss this episode! If you prefer video format, watch now on YouTube or take us with you as you go by Subscribing Now wherever you get your podcasts.

Featuring Darcy Ataman, the founder and CEO of Make Music Matter - an organization using a unique form of music therapy to help survivors of conflict and trauma. Darcy shares about his background as a music producer, what it’s like to start an international charity from the heart of Canada, and how his innovative program created and scaled in partnership with Nobel Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege now operates in 8 countries around the world. If you want to learn about starting an international charity, or the possibilities of using music for healing, then don’t miss this episode. For full show notes visit www.StartPodcast.ca and Subscribe Now wherever you get your podcasts. Note: this episode contains stories about conflict and post-conflict zones and topics may be sensitive for some listeners.

Kicking off season 3, we speak to Catherine Metrycki, Founder of Callia Flowers. We cover how she launched and grew her tech business which has reimagined the way we send flowers. We discuss her deal on Dragons Den with Manjit Minhas, which has since provided the support necessary for Callia to be able to open all across Eastern Canada (to be now in 55 cities). And Catherine shares with us some of her experiences in improving customer service and mental health as a leader. If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a business, or whether Dragons Den is worth it - than this episode is for you! For full show notes and resources directly from our guests, visit www.StartPodcast.ca and Subscribe Now to never miss an episode.

Watch Episode 26 of Start Podcast featuring Denis Devigne and Kyle Sierens, the founders of VidDay - a web app business that creates personalized video montages as gifts.

Episode 25 of Start Canada Podcast features Matt Schaubroeck and Amanda San Filippo, Co-Founders of ioAirFlow – a software company focused on ‘green’ commercial buildings. They discuss the experience of changing co-founders, finding personal balance in start-up life, and the entrepreneurial impacts of Covid-19. For full show notes and resources directly from our guests, visit www.StartPodcast.ca, and Subscribe Now wherever you’re listening to never miss an episode.

Episode 24 of Start Podcast features Kailey Lefko and Josianne Barnabé, Co-Founders of Educalme Inc. – creators of a series of tools to help teachers bring mindfulness and social-emotional learning into their classrooms through a bilingual online program called Educalme Classroom.

Episode 23 of Start Podcast features the founders of Flipside XR - a real-time animation and XR broadcast company almost purchased by one of the Big 5.

Episode 22 of Start Podcast features Mitchel Matthews, the founder of Adrenaline Offroad - a mods and accessories start-up for truck enthusiasts.

Episode 21 of Start Podcast features Duncan Jessiman and Polly Craik, the founders of Vexxit - an online marketplace for professional services.

Episode 20 of Start Podcast features Alicia Soulier, the founder of SalonScale - a bluetooth technology to allow hair salons to calculate hair color costs in real time.