A New Wave of Entrepreneurship – Details, episodes & analysis

In this conversation, Scott Stirrett sits down with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program, to unpack what it really means to be a policy entrepreneur. Bednar, who's on a mission to redefine the term from its academic stereotypes, reveals how policy work can be as innovative and impactful as any tech startup. She takes us through her unconventional career path—what she calls her "professional scavenger hunt"—where she's gathered insights from think tanks, political offices, and even live radio shows.

Along the way, Bednar shares hard-won lessons for aspiring changemakers: why showing up to events matters more than you think, how to build a "kitchen cabinet" of trusted friends and advisors, and the surprising power of intellectual curiosity in driving policy change.

In this insightful episode, Scott Stirrett speaks with Annelies Tjebbes, CEO of Roots & Rivers, and Hayley Rutherford, Senior Consultant and Operations Director, about a rarely discussed topic: how entrepreneurs can successfully take extended leaves of absence. Annelies shares her experience taking an eight-month parental leave where she completely disconnected from her business, including the practical "hacks" she implemented to maintain boundaries. Hayley offers the complementary perspective of stepping into an interim leadership role, highlighting the challenges of relationship transitions and the unexpected growth opportunities that emerged.

Together, they reveal how a founder's absence can actually strengthen an organization by forcing the decentralization of knowledge, evolving processes, and shifting from a founder-centric identity to a more mature team-based structure.

Whether you're an entrepreneur contemplating a leave for parental responsibilities, health reasons, or simply a sabbatical, this episode provides practical guidance on preparation, knowledge transfer, and relationship management.

Join host Gina Patterson as she sits down with Nadia Ladak, Co-Founder and CEO of Marlow, a trailblazing femtech startup that introduced the world's first lubricated tampon. In this insightful episode, Nadia shares her unique challenges of pitching a female-centric product to a predominantly male investor audience. She recounts her exhilarating experience on CBC's Dragon's Den, where she secured a deal that skyrocketed brand awareness.

Nadia also touches on the broader implications of gender disparity in medical research and funding. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a woman navigating similar challenges, or anyone interested in the intersection of innovation and women's health, this episode offers a blend of personal journey, business strategy, and advocacy against widespread health stigmas.

In Episode 01 of Season 3, Scott Stirrett sits down with Daniel Debow, VP, Product of Shopify, and a tremendous supporter of Venture for Canada.

Daniel guides us through how he acquired and learned the skill of understanding both sides of an argument, and how this is a crucial mindset for entrepreneurs. The importance of making decisions that are best for you when starting a business, and not relying on money to make your choices. Lastly, is that there’s always room to learn and that there are many resources out there that can help you figure things out, that the university doesn’t have to do.

If you’re in need of a little confidence-boosting today, let Daniel preach to you on how you can become a successful entrepreneur.

You bring the idea, he invests in it. Charlie Feng, co-founder of Clearco, a fintech firm that has invested over $1B across 3,000 companies. When Charlie isn't busy playing video games, he's helping companies, scale teams, from 0 to 250 people, and has considerable experience in product, operations, and finance.

In Episode 11, Season 02, Charlie talks about finding the right Founder fit, and what to look for in the early stages of angel investing. His whirlwind journey with Clearco, from trying to invest in Uber to pivoting and finding new ways to help underserved entrepreneurial markets. 

If you're interested in learning how to invest, solve problems, and find the perfect founder market fit, all while learning from your mistakes. Let Charlie guide you. 

In Episode 10, Season 2, we sit down with Brittanny Danishevsky (2017 Fellow), Backend Software Engineer at Synctera, and a lover of all things self-awareness and learning.

Brittany gets real with us about her personal journey in finding her ideal degree. From dealing with bias in the tech world to using her love for the mind, Brittany offers her advice on investing in an environment that influences you. She also breaks down the misconception of mental health, and how important it is to understand ourselves and others, especially as entrepreneurs striving for change.

If you’re interested in moving away from a perfectionist mentality and understand more about balance, let Brittany teach you a little something.

You bring the idea, he executes. Sam Daviau, 2019 Fellow, worked his way up over 5 years, recently leaving his role of VP of Operations after growing the Operations and People Team. He’s Chair of Alumni Council, Board Member and advisor of Lay-Up Basketball, and advisor and investor to small startups.

In Episode 09, Season 02, Sam talks about bringing passion to the execution and organizational operations processes and ensuring that communities and people’s ideas are met to maximize outcomes. The time spent between work and giving back is filled with reading the synopsis of books (just send him the Blink Notes), camping across Canada’s parks, and taking care of Cole, his four-legged companion.

If you're interested in learning how to execute, get the insider view of building a business from scratch. Let Sam guide you on how to be a community leader.

In Episode 08 of Season 02, we sit down with Shivani Chotalia, 2015 Fellow Alumni, and an energy storage professional focused on the intersection of clean technologies and social impact.

Shivani spends her time focusing on accelerating the development and construction of industry-leading energy storage technologies as the Director of Development & Partnerships at NRStor Inc. She spills the beans on the supply and demand for energy storage efficiency, systems leadership, and the resistance to change in the electric industry, and the importance of working closely with Indigenous communities to create local benefits.

If you're interested in learning what you can do to save the environment, let Shivani teach you.

In Episode 07 of Season 02, we sit down with Nico DiPlacido, and we get the ins-and-outs of what it’s like to be a Senior Product Manager at PartnerStack and we get down to the nitty-gritty.

Nico takes us on his personal journey of unlearning what it’s like to be a product manager, and how to be a better problem solver. In order to lead by example, Nico suggests that managers need to show up as an influence, rather than their job title. Leading by example, managers can navigate their teams through kinship, respect, and direct goals.

If you’re eager to understand how to manage products and become a better leader, then let Nico guide you.

Passionate about justice and inclusion, 2017 VFC Fellow, Founder & CEO of Emerge, impact-as-a-service solutions, Lucia Gallardo juggles her time between squeezing in her daily nap, knowing all things Bitcoin, NFTs, SDGs, and blockchain whilst fostering inclusion through technology.

In Episode 06, Season 02, Lucia walks through her experience in working at the National Angel Investor Network and falling in love with the power of technology to address complex social problems. Her company was born based on our innate desire to help and create social change. She applied for her International Development Degree from McGill serving as a board member for Rainforest Partnerships, Women’s Entrepreneur Global, and is a strategy consultant.

If you're interested in mastering multitasking, driving meaningful social change, and setting up your workday to work for you, let Lucia apply her mind mapping.