The Founder Mindset – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Nuha Siddiqui, the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Erthos, a climate technology company redefining the building blocks of plastics. Nuha delves into her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, the pivotal role of Enactus in shaping her path, and the relentless drive to solve the global plastic crisis. With candid insights, she shares the highs and lows of raising millions in funding, the challenges of being a young woman in STEM, and the importance of resilience and purpose in her mission.

Nuha discusses Erthos' groundbreaking work in creating bio-based alternatives to plastics, collaborating with global brands, and the significance of scalability in combating the plastic crisis. She emphasizes the value of being receptive to diverse ideas and not always being the smartest person in the room. This episode also explores Nuha’s thoughts on the impact of women in STEM and entrepreneurship, as well as her vision for a sustainable future where Erthos leads the way in systemic change.

About Nuha Siddiqui

Nuha Siddiqui is a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Erthos, a pioneering company revolutionizing the plastic industry with sustainable material solutions. With a strong background in entrepreneurship and an unwavering passion for sustainability, Nuha has led her team to create a significant impact by collaborating with diverse experts and partners. Her innovative leadership style, which emphasizes humility, creativity, and team growth, has positioned Erthos at the forefront of systemic change in sustainability. Nuha’s dedication to solving global challenges and her ability to inspire and support her team makes her a trailblazer in the field, driving the future of sustainable innovation.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Enactus UofT
• Sandstone Asset Management
• Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund

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Contact Thin Air Labs: 

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

Contact Nuha Siddiqui: 

• LinkedIn: Nuha Siddiqui
• Website: planeterthos.com
• Instagram: @planeterthos
• TikTok: @planterthos
• Linkedin: Erthos
• ZYA AI

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Welcome to Season Two of The Founder Mindset! Veteran broadcaster Leah Sarich hosts all-new intimate conversations with groundbreaking founders about the truths of entrepreneurship. Founders get asked about traditional business stuff like product market fit and revenue all the time, but Leah digs into what we really want to know: what is it actually like to be a founder? Why do it? What sacrifices does it require? Is it worth the challenge? This season Leah talks with Nuha Siddiqui of Erthos, Dr. William Cherniak of Rocket Doctor, Megan Leslie of NanoTess, Nic Beique of Helcim and more to find out why they do what they do. Tune in to The Founder Mindset as brilliant founders share their personal wins, losses, and dreams with Leah Sarich.

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

• Website: ThinAirLabs.ca
• LinkedIn: Thin Air Labs
• X: Thin Air Labs
• YouTube: Thin Air Labs

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Well that's a wrap on this miniseries and WOW what a response. You know what this means? We're going to do more episodes!  Stay subscribed to this podcast because in the fall we'll re-release these episodes with reaction from our Managing Partner James Lochrie... find out why he invested in some of the founders we spoke to, and what he's inspired by and relates to in the others.  And we’re starting work on the next series. If you’re a founder or you know of one who should be featured in an upcoming episode let us know! 

Thank you so much for listening to The Founder Mindset and for your curiosity about these founders in the Alberta innovation ecosystem building globally competitive companies.  We look forward to sharing with you more episodes celebrating founders as they #BuildWhatsNext. 

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Erik Westblom, Co-founder and CEO of Provision, chats with Leah about:

• Why he wants people to really understand the stress of being a founder 
• How he thinks about shame as motivation 
• Why he’ll always be obsessed with the bank balance

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Dr. Breanne Everett, Founder and CEO of Orpyx, chats with Leah about:

• Why she went from surgeon to entrepreneur 
• How she navigated the premature birth of her first child and fundraising at the same time
• Why the opportunity for impact keeps her going through the inevitable challenges

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Darcy Tuer, Co-founder and CEO of ZayZoon, chats with Leah about:

• Why he’s continually drawn to being a founder
• How he thinks about rejection 
• What he’s learned from facing several ‘go or no go’ points in his startup journey

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Nicole Janssen, Co-founder and Co-CEO of AltaML chats with Leah about:

• How she was a terrible employee and what she loves about being an entrepreneur
• What it feels like to learn a major investor is pulling out while you’re on your first vacation in years, and what she learned from that experience  
• How a life-changing diagnosis has made her a better entrepreneur

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alice Reimer, CEO of Fillip chats with Leah about:

• why she thinks founders should get some business experience before starting their startup 
• how carrying the weight of a startup can get pretty heavy 
• what keeps her coming back to being a founder, time and again 

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In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alex Todorovic, Co-founder and CEO of Arbor chats with Leah about:

• how the fun part of being a founder is the scrappy startup stage 
• what he does to calm himself when he wakes panicked in the night
• why he wants to hold the reins of his company for as long as possible

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Season one of this podcast will explore "why would you do this?!" How does one become an entrepreneur, why do they take the risk, how do they cope with negativity, how do they remain resilient, what motivates them and what kind of impact do they want to create in the world? Hear from founders like Alice Reimer of Fillip, Darcy Tuer of ZayZoon and Alex Todorovic of Arbor and more.  The Founder Mindset is hosted by Leah Sarich, a former broadcaster now trying to understand technology and innovation.    New episodes are released every 2 weeks.

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