Podcasts - TechConnex

The Business of your Business – TechConnex Podcast

The business of your business is a podcast that focuses on the great companies and people. We want to highlight exciting companies and the impact they’re making in their community. These raw and uncut sessions are designed to provide quick but high level discussions on education, key topics and challenges that people and companies are facing. We also want to have fun with our guests, so we hope that you will listen!!

The Importance of SEO to your Marketing Campaign

On the first episode, we talk with Kevin D’Arcy, CEO of ThinkFuel Marketing.
In this session, we will discuss the top 3 digital marketing tactics and how they have changed in how they need to be implemented.

LISTEN to our first episode

The Importance and Future of Smart Cities and the Technology Behind Them

In this session, we talk with Rakesh Tiku, Founder and CEO of inField Solutions Inc., a Markham based Tech Company.
Rakesh discusses the future of Smart Cities, technology and adoption!! We also discuss Brexit.

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Canadian Commercial Real Estate: What you Need to Know

In this session, we talk with Mark Petznick, SVP and Principal of Devencore, a Toronto based Commercial Real Estate Company. Mark discusses the current state of Canadian Commercial Real Estate, unknown risks potential tenants should know and some of the challenges facing the current market and landlords.

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Making the Case for GRC

In this session, we talk with Mike Gibbs, CEO of SureStep Risk & Analytics, a Durham based GRC Company.
We discuss the importance of GRC no matter the size of the company, but also the future and how technology will impact GRC.

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Managing Your People and Business in Our Changing Reality

In this session, our expert panel of Frank Bilotta, Maureen Campbell, Dan Condon and Marion Yoshida share their perspectives to help you manage through the challenges of this difficult and ever-changing situation; protect your business, customers and support your employees.

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This is a quick conversation with our great friend Rosanna Berardi of Berardi Immigration Lawyers.

To give an update on the state of the American / Canadian Border. Is the government allowing people to apply for work permits?
How are you advising companies that want to do business in the US? How is Buffalo, NY doing during this stressful times. Thank you Rosanna for your continued dialogue and we will check in with you in a few weeks.

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In this episode of the TechConnex Podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Terry Mocherinak Founder of Apex Capital Advisors.

Apex is a boutique investment bank and strategic advisory firm founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. They have built, operated, invested in and sold technology businesses and understand the pain points and objectives of business founders. https://apexcapitaladvisors.ca/

Terry and I talk about the current M&A market within Canada and the United States, What companies and advisory firms should look for in a client and Terry’s Top 3 Tips for a successful sell.

Please join us for this engaging conversation

Thank you.

LISTEN HERE

Available Now!!

This morning I had the privilege of speaking with Keith Chang, President of Senovva Canada. SenovvA | We are sensory innovation

Keith is a passionate, multifaceted creator with 30 years of experience—and extensive technical expertise—as a photographer, cinematographer, animator, director of photography, and film producer. He and his crew have filmed, edited and produced award-winning, broadcast-quality corporate videos for numerous major corporations. A true creative talent behind the camera, Keith’s unique style takes corporate storytelling to a new level, earning an authentic emotional response from audiences.

Keith and I discuss his craft of film making, what the last year has taught him, innovation in filming and muh much more!!

I hope that you enjoy this conversation.

Thank you

Ryan

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Welcome to our 2nd Season of the TechConnex Podcast..

In this episode we talk with Mark Morissette CEO & Co-Founder of Foxquilt.

We discuss the origins of Foxquilt, the future of insurance within Canada and Around The World, VC Funding and plenty more.

Foxquilt is a Canadian-based financial technology company using data and technology to empower small businesses and business networks to save on Small Business Insurance. Leveraging their Insurance-as-a-Service platform and creating unique products, Foxquilt makes it easy for customers to buy insurance online and access group purchasing power. Foxquilt customers achieve savings upfront on premiums, reduced deductibles and are rewarded with further savings at renewal. For more information, visit www.foxquilt.com

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“It’s not wanting to win that makes you a winner; it’s refusing to fail.” Peyton Manning.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Randy Bergeron and discuss his First Business Book; Rise and Shine: 50 Real World Lessons. It is an easy playbook for anyone who wants to drive their business to the next level.

Randy and I discuss the process of creating a book, the lessons learned and what it takes to drive business growth. This book is very inspiring and a go to for anybody starting out in business or seasoned veteran. There is always something to learn.

We hope that you enjoy our conversation and thank you for all of your support.

Ryan

Shameless Plug: Rise & Shine: 50 Real World Lessons: James, R. Norman: 9780228836292: Books – Amazon.ca and what people are saying about this great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for growing entrepreneurs

Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2021

Love the Real World Lessons, both the stories and the Lists! Written from real experience, small business owners should read this to understand what it will take to become bigger. There are no shortcuts, but foresight is hugely helpful.

LISTEN HERE

In this interview, I speak with Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders.

EWB Canada is a charitable organization that is focused on the investment and training for Tech Start-Up Companies in Africa.

Boris and I discuss the EWB, technology in Africa over the last, emerging markets, what the future holds and much more!!!

A brief history on EWB:

With humble beginnings and a bi-weekly meeting in George’s parents’ living room, the dream slowly grew into reality. By the end of the year 2000, the initiative was supported by over 1000 members and a handful of chapters around the country. In 2001, our first volunteer left for a four-month internship in India.

Today we develop leaders by investing in people. We spark innovative businesses and support entrepreneurs by investing in startup ventures. We create policy and institutional changes that influence corporate and government practices to improve global living conditions and access to basic needs by advocating for change. Get Involved – EWB Canada

LISTEN HERE

In this episode of the TechConnex Podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking to Sehrish Mahmood Founder of Dialogue Room.

We discuss perseverance, entrepreneurship, and how to overcome failure. Plus Sehrish worked at the UN, how cool is that!!

Dialogue Room:

We are driven by our desire to promote intellectual curiosity through captivating dialogue. We bring together learning communities from multiple disciplines and cultures. Dialogue Room is an open and healthy social space that offers opportunities for learners to build Core Life Competencies for both their personal and professional development. Our aim is to encourage collective social well being. Homepage – DialogueRoom

Thank you for listening!!

LISTEN HERE

NEW!!!

Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Zeze Peters, CEO of Beam City. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zezewo/

Beam.city DNA is the world’s 1st unified advertising automation platform helping businesses plan & optimize their ads on Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Bing & millions of sites, while delivering amazing results in days or weeks. https://www.beam.city/dna/

We discuss the inner workings of his company, the impact of COVID, the future of digital marketing and the importance balalnce and much, much more.

Please join us thsi great conversation.

Thank you

Music provided by@Quantum Jazz – Balcarabic Chicken

LISTEN HERE

NEW!!!

Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Yifei Zhao, Director of Operation Altex. https://www.linkedin.com/in/yifeizhao/

Founded by drone experts from filming, real estate and survey, AlteX Academy is a Transport Canada compliant Drone/RPAS training facility. We bring modern training into the tech industry by building professional, accessible and enjoyable training products. Our vision is to assist drone operators achieve Safe, Efficient and Effective flights. https://altexacademy.com/

We discuss the inner workings of her company, the future of drones and AI technologies, education and the importance balance and much, much more.

Please join us for this great conversation.

Thank you

Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

LISTEN HERE

NEW!!!

In this episode of the Techconnex Member Spotlight, Kelley and I speak with John Kitchen of Esri Canada.

We discuss his amazing career at Esri Canada, the great work that Esri is doing, the future of climate, data collection and much, much more. So join us for this great conversation with one of the best in the business.

To learn more about Esri Canada, please go to https://www.esri.ca/en-ca/about/overview

Thank you and we hope that will enjoy this session.

Music provided by@Quantum Jazz – Balcarabic Chicken

Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

LISTEN HERE

Listen Now!!

Good morning to you all,

In this week’s TechConnex Members Spotlight interview, I have the pleasure to speak with Menachem Feuer of Adaleg IT. https://www.linkedin.com/in/menachem-feuer-23957264/

Adaleg IT is a Community-Based IT training organization that helps individuals pursue a career in IT, providing them with the necessary skills, know-how, hands-on experience, and networking to leap (HB: “daleg”) into a career in High Tech. We pave a path into the corporate world by building solid relationships with companies in the Americas and Europe (Compugen, Questrade, Telephonica, etc) that give our students an opportunity to gain valuable real-world, hands-on experience and find placement. Adaleg IT helps individuals without any technical background pursue a career in full-stack web development, app development, networking, cloud architecture and design, virtualization, and other high demand technologies. https://adalegit.com/

We discuss the inner workings of Adaleg IT, the importance of technology education within the Jewish Community, kids coding and the importance balance and much, much more. Menachem is quite the comedian as well..

Please join us for this great conversation.

Thank you

Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

Listen Here

Good morning to you all,

In this week’s TechConnex Members Spotlight interview, Kelley and I have the pleasure to speak with Mishkin Berteig, CEO and Co-Founder of Berteig. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishkinberteig/

Mishkin discusses his very interesting journey into business, his love for Math, Lego, Cycling, family and his refreshing outlook on life!!

Berteig is a Canadian education development and delivery firm specializing in helping your company develop knowledge, motivation and skills leading to measurable improvements in quality, speed and happiness.

We call this outcome Real Agility™. https://berteig.com/about-us/

Listen Now!!

Fox With a Knife by @Gigakoops

Thank you for your support!!

TechConnex

NEW!!!

Kelley and I had the chance to speak with Christine Holmes and Greg Swift of LawyersInHouse.com

LawyersInHouse.com is a virtual law firm comprised of former in-house counsel. We are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal industry. Over 90% of our lawyers are women, over 25% of our people are BIPOC and over 25% were born outside of Canada. We are WBE Canada certified and as such qualify as a diverse supplier.

We discuss the inner workings of their company, why the company was formed, being disruptive, the importance of giving back, education and the importance balance and much, much more.

Please join us for this great conversation.

Thank you

TechConnex

LISTEN HERE

Music by @La Surf by Chiquita y Chatarra

This morning Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Karen Wong of Taku Labs & ACE POS Solutions.

Her companies currently work with more than 6,000 retailers in North America and have built a native commerce platform to allow merchants to truly leverage unified data from every channel to manage end-to-end supply chain, enhance the customer journey and dramatically grow their businesses.

We’re building the future hub of unified retail commerce for mid-market merchants. Having run distribution, retail and manufacturing businesses in my past life, my mission is to ensure that global retailers & wholesalers are ready for the future of retail. https://takulabs.io/

Karen discusses the importance of e-commerce, quick takeaways for incorporating e-commerce into your business, the future of retail and much much more!!!

Please join us for a great conversation.

Thank you.

Kelley & Ryan

LISTEN HERE

Fat Caps

Music by Jason Shaw

This afternoon Kelley and I have the pleasure of speaking with Peter McCabe of Prolink.

Our goal is to help our clients feel confident in the decisions they make, secure that we will be there for them whenever there is an urgent need, and know that they are an integral part of the PROLINK family. https://prolink.insure/our-story/

Pete discusses the importance of Cyber Security, the issues COVID has brought, the proactive approach Prolink took and much much more!! The Ottawa Senators also get discussed, which was a surprise to us.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.

Kelley & Ryan

LISTEN HERE

This morning Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Denis Gravelle of Devant Canada.

We work with thousands of international students and alumni who need help with career planning, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking, employer research and introductions. https://devant.ca/about-devant-2/

Denis discusses the importance of International Students, the struggles over the last year, resilience, and a bright future for those who are studying in Canada.

Please join us for a great conversation.

Thank you.

Kelley & Ryan

LISTEN HERE

This afternoon Kelley and I had the pleasure to speak with Pete Needham of Next Dimension

At Next Dimension we know that every business’s technology requirements are different and having the right IT managed service provider in place is mission-critical. Whether you have 5 employees or 500; we can craft an IT management strategy that’s right for your organization, and we’ll find the most cost-effective way to provide the right level of support. https://www.nextdimensioninc.com/about-us/

Pete discusses the growth of Next Dimension and himself, the importance of culture, designing an environment for employees to thrive and much much more!!!

Please join us for a great conversation.

Thank you.

Music: We Ride by Encrypted Scrolls

LISTEN HERE

This afternoon I had the pleasure to speak with Graham Richardson, Co-Founder of RICE FX

Richardson International Currency Exchange is a business built on trust. We build that trust by turning foreign exchange transactions into personalized business relationships. As a regulated Canadian Money Service Business, Richardson International Currency Exchange utilizes the Bank of Montreal (BMO) international payment systems. Richardson International Currency Exchange compliance and risk minimization policies have been created and implemented with Grant Thornton to ensure the safest movement of funds.

We are Canada’s premier boutique foreign exchange company, delivering market-leading exchange rates and world-class service to a select group of corporate partners. https://ricefx.com/

Graham discusses the growth of his business and himself, the importance of family, moving to Canada and who will win the NBA Championship and much much more!!!

Please join us for a great conversation.

Thank you.

Check Your Math

Music by DJ Spooky

LISTEN HERE