Episodes

<p>In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we explore the transformative power of AI in regulated industries with Nicholas Ning, co-founder and CEO of Fairpoint. Nicholas shares his unique journey from Fashion to Finance and ultimately to AI, detailing how Fairpoint is revolutionizing workflows through agentic coding. Discover the challenges and opportunities that arise when autonomous systems begin to operate alongside humans, and learn how organizations can strategically implement AI while address...

<p>In this episode, we welcome Matthias ,Kucharska-Hulsmann CEO of Tiebreaker AI, as we explore the intersection of AI and compliance in organizations. Matthias shares his journey from technical consulting to founding Tiebreaker AI, a SaaS solution designed to help organizations navigate complex compliance landscapes. Discover how Tiebreaker AI transforms data into actionable insights, enabling companies to become audit-ready faster. Join us for a deep dive into the challenges and innovations sh...

<p>What if finding work felt more personal and actually worked?</p><p><br></p><p>Stephanie Brown, CEO of GigsUp, explains how her platform is rethinking talent marketplaces in an AI-driven world. From personalized career matching to education planning, GigsUp is putting people back at the center of career development.</p>

<p>In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we sit down with Robert Boies, founder and CEO of Rented123, a cutting-edge fintech rental technology platform. Discover how Rented123 is revolutionizing the rental market by empowering renters to build credit through timely rent payments while providing landlords with innovative tools for tenant screening and property management. Robert shares insights on the importance of credit scores, the challenges faced by renters, and how Rented123 is bridging the ga...

In this episode, we explore the innovative world of sustainable water solutions with Claire Shao, Chief Operating Officer at Rainstick Shower. Discover how this groundbreaking technology is designed to save water without compromising on shower quality. Claire shares her journey from consulting in London to spearheading a clean tech startup in Vancouver, and discusses the mission behind Rainstick. Join us as we delve into the future of water conservation and the impact of technology on our daily ...

>> Gelareh: Got an idea that keeps you up at night or one that makes people say, hm, that will never work. >> Dave: Perfect. That's what we talk about here on Innovation Fuel. So let's get that conversation started. Welcome back to Innovation Fuel. Hey guys, we're here. We've got exciting journey ahead of us today. We've got some really interesting things. We're talking about AI and AI in healthcare. But AI and healthcare, Gelareh has been around for a long period of time and only recently...

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence in career readiness with Imran Muna, co-founder and director of strategic partnerships at Instage. Discover how AI-driven simulations are revolutionizing experiential learning, helping students build confidence and develop essential skills for job interviews and presentations. With insights from leading institutions and inspiring success stories, this episode sheds light on the future of education ...

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we are joined by Cindy Greenglass, a thought leader in data-driven decision-making and storytelling with data. With over 20 years of experience, Cindy shares her insights on transforming raw data into compelling narratives that drive business success. We discuss the importance of data context, the evolution of data accessibility, and how businesses can leverage storytelling to connect with their audiences. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that will ins...

In this episode, we explore the evolving landscape of workspaces in a post-COVID world with co-founders Erin Scarlet and Mike Agerbo of the Fountainhead Network. Join us as we discuss the importance of flexible work environments, community building, and innovative solutions for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Discover how co-working spaces can foster creativity and collaboration while providing a balance between work and life.

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome Gary Wilson, the CEO of Tiicma Enterprises, who is dedicated to creating sustainable, community-driven economies for Indigenous communities. Join us as we explore Gary's vision for Indigenous entrepreneurship, the challenges faced by remote communities, and the innovative solutions being implemented to foster economic growth and generational wealth. This enlightening conversation sheds light on the importance of cultural integrity and collaboration ...

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, hosts Dave and Gelareh sit down with Satvic Sinha, a global marketing leader and Head of Growth at Sora Satic. With over a decade of experience driving growth for global brands like Samsung, Honda, Coca-Cola, and Reckitt Benckiser, Satvic shares how modern marketers can move beyond one-off advertising campaigns to build scalable, sustainable marketing systems. He introduces his framework of “marketing as a system of levers,” explaining how brand awareness, c...

Career growth and job search strategies for newcomers, students, and professionals in Canada. In this episode, we sit down with Boris Poludo, a veteran IT leader with nearly three decades of experience across telecom, healthcare, and finance. Boris shares his inspiring journey from a newcomer in Canada to the founder of START Group Consulting Inc. and the Start Canada Initiative — platforms dedicated to helping job seekers, students, and newcomers build their employability skills and thrive in t...

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave and Gelareh welcome guest Jake McEwan, Managing Director at Gracorp and Co-Founder at LiveShare CoLiving, to discuss the challenges facing entrepreneurs in British Columbia when bringing innovation, ideas and creativity to the market! Whether it's over or under regulation, existing policies or just bureaucratic red tape, there needs to be a balance between culture, ideas and regulations.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we continue our conversation with Jack Smith, Indigenous Business Developer and Director on the Board of Economic Development Cooperation. Jack joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to discuss the services available (and unavailable) to Indigenous entrepreneurs that allow them to even the playing field with other entrepreneurs, no matter the type of business. What are the challenges faced and what solutions are available? These are some of the questions discusse...

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome guest Manuj Aggarwal, CEO of TetraNoodle Technologies! Manuj is also a leading AI expert, innovation evangelist, business strategist and coach. Joining hosts Dave and Gelareh, Manuj will unpack the question of why Vancouver is a good startup location, but not a good scale-up location. With factors like lack of talent, finance and technology playing a big part, we need to talk to the experts and address these issues to understand them better a...

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome Stephane Grenier, Founder and Lead Innovator of Mental Health Innovations Consulting, as he joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to discuss stopping life's hardships from affecting your mental health. Stephane digs a little deeper as he also discusses not letting your past affect how you live your life and being mindful of others' mental health in the workplace.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome none other than our very own Sheldon Levy, President of University Canada West! Sheldon joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to discuss challenges when trying to scale your business in Canada. Citing UCW's latest white paper, Fuelling B.C.’s Tech Talent Pipeline, Sheldon also digs deeper into his findings on why startups don't stay in Canada to continue to grow, plus much more!

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, hosts Dave and Gelareh welcome back guest Jake McEwan! Jake is the Managing Director of Gracorp and Co-Founder of LiveShare CoLiving. After discussing the challenges facing entrepreneurs in British Columbia when bringing innovation, ideas and creativity to the market during their last conversation, they'll now talk "Exit Strategy," from the planning stage to the building and execution stages.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we continue our conversation with Jack Smith, Indigenous Business Developer and Director on the Board of Economic Development Cooperation. Jack joins hosts Dave and Gelareh for Part 3 of their discussion on the challenges that Indigenous entrepreneurs face. In Part 3, we discuss how to connect Indigenous people with the right talent and skills. Jack explains that there is a lot of incentive for corporations to hire Indigenous people, but they struggle t...

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome Taylor Del Giudice, Co-Founder of Treno, to discuss how challenging finding the right coach or trainer is. Taylor discusses with hosts Dave and Gelareh how to access good trainers, support and resources and leverage the technology around you to make trainers more accessible. Taylor also discusses how he helped create Treno, which connects professional sports stars with young athletes with the hope that young kids who want to play sports profe...

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome Robert Arthurs, Serial Entrepreneur, Certified Biz Coach/Consultant, to discuss why networking skills are essential in growing your business. Robert discusses with hosts Dave and Gelareh how to network correctly. Also, how having a good network can impact your business and life. Did you know that Vancouver is like a Linkedin city, if you wonder why, listen to this episode now!

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome back Robert Arthurs, a Serial Entrepreneur, and Certified Biz Coach/Consultant. This time around, Robert discusses the importance of an internship with hosts Dave and Gelareh. They dive deep into how internships give students a snapshot of what it is like working for the business or in that field. As a business owner, it's essential to see your business through their eyes and learn from the interns. Robert also stresses that when you work wit...

How do we solve the talent gap here in Canada that he's been going on for over 20 years? We discuss this critical problem in this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, where we welcome back our very own Sheldon Levy, President of University Canada West. Sheldon joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to dig deeper into Canada's talent gap issue and find realistic solutions that education institutions can implement to help our society move past this obstacle. We need to fix the talent gap to grow our businesse...

In this week's Episode of Innovation Fuel, we welcome Drew Munro, Co-Founder & CEO at Up Meals, a healthy meal delivery service delivered to your door. They are revolutionizing the fast-food industry by having vending machines that house healthy chef-curated meals at an affordable price. Find out more about how Up Meals is changing how people get healthy food fast and conveniently.