The Business Leadership Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sits down with John MacRitchie, Assistant Vice President of Zone Learning and Strategic Initiatives at Toronto Metropolitan University, to reflect on five years of the Brampton Venture Zone and what it has unlocked for founders, researchers, and the broader community.

John was instrumental in bringing the Brampton Venture Zone to life and shares why Brampton was the right place to build a founder-first incubator — one grounded in community, persistence, and long-term investment.

We explore:

• Why Brampton emerged as a key innovation hub in Canada

• How BVZ differs from traditional incubators by focusing on place-based innovation

• The role of community in multiplying entrepreneurial impact

• What the Brampton Venture Expo reveals about ecosystem momentum

• How BVZ connects researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs as the School of Medicine launches

• What the City of Brampton’s renewed investment signals for the next five years

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how innovation ecosystems are intentionally designed — and sustained — over time.

This episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary.

🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/LDx9ASzzWmE

Guest:
John MacRitchie
Assistant Vice President, Zone Learning & Strategic Initiatives
Toronto Metropolitan University

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sat down with Sakeena Mihyar, Founder and CEO of SAVIN, as part of BVZ: Five Years Bold — a founder story series celebrating five years of the Brampton Venture Zone.

Sakeena is a refugee-led founder building a digital, neuroscience-based mental health platform delivering trauma care in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Inspired by her lived experience as a survivor of war, SAVIN uses evidence-based EMDR therapy principles to make trauma treatment accessible, culturally appropriate, and scalable across languages and regions.

We explore:

• How lived experience became the foundation for a global mental health platform

• Why neuroscience-based trauma care can outperform traditional talk therapies

• The challenges of building a HealthTech company as a refugee and Muslim woman founder

• How empathy and inclusion can be operationalized at scale

• How BVZ supported SAVIN in identifying blind spots, refining its pitch, and scaling impact globally

Today, SAVIN operates across Canada and internationally, including in post-conflict regions such as Syria, supporting communities affected by trauma with dignity and care.

This episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary.

🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Gxhz-q0NRWQ

Guest:
Sakeena Mihyar
Founder & CEO, SAVIN
BVZ Launch Program Alum

Recorded live at Web Summit Vancouver 2025, this episode of the Business Leadership Podcast hosted by Edwin Frondozo features Paul Newton, creative producer of the Future Narrator miniseries, interviewing Parag Parekh, the Chief Digital Officer at IKEA Retail. 

Parag discusses IKEA's ambitious and human-centered digital transformation journey. He outlines the company’s three-tier transformation process: shifting from physical to omni retailing, moving from large store formats to smaller, city-center locations, and expanding services to meet broader customer needs like second-hand furniture and financial services, while also preparing for future AI advancements. 

Parag shares insights from his extensive 20 years of global experience and emphasizes the importance of curiosity, responsibility, and adaptability in leadership. The conversation also touches on the impact of COVID-19, the significance of sustainability, and the critical role of corporate responsibility in the digital age.

00:00 Introduction to the Business Leadership Podcast
00:36 Meet Parag Parekh: IKEA's Chief Digital Officer
02:12 IKEA's Digital Transformation Journey
06:37 Personal Insights and Leadership Journey
14:11 Future of Retail and Digital Innovation
19:37 Final Thoughts and Advice for Business Leaders
20:43 Conclusion and Farewell

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