Episodes

In this episode, Iman Aghay, Founder & Director of Success Road Academy, shares his personal story of successes and failures and the lessons he learned. As an entrepreneur himself, he talks to our students about his hiring process and the importance of using their young age as an advantage. Join us to understand how Iman failed to fail.

Have you ever struggled to find places you can take your pet? This is what inspired Aliya Bhatia to start her shared-economy venture. PawSwap allows you to see all pet-friendly events and businesses in Vancouver, and users can earn points that can be redeemed for rewards. Aliya, co-founder and CEO, joins hosts Dave and Gelareh to discuss her journey, the search for a business partner and her personal experience behind the creation of this furry-friendly app.

In business, one of the many challenges that we are facing in 2020 is social. Paulina Cameron, author of Canada 150 Women: Conversations with Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries discusses with Gelareh and Dave the importance of women in entrepreneurship and having female leadership while Gelareh opens up about discrimination she faced in her professional life. Listen to more of what Paulina has to say and hear what makes her one of Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40.

Our guest, Paulina Cameron is back to discuss the ripple effect of gender-based expectations in the workplace, the impact of leadership on business culture and the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership. We believe both students and businesses will benefit from this conversation that hosts Gelareh and Dave had with Paulina.

Interested in collaborating with post-secondary students to solve challenges in real-time? Dana Stephenson, Co-founder and CEO of Riipen, shares with us the development of the technology platform and how it connects industry partners with educators to collaborate on short-term projects with students. Dana shares how Riipen helps students by providing opportunities to boost their skills, career and gives them the ability to network with potential employers. Join us to hear more of what Dana has t...

This week, Mat Rezaei, Founder and CEO of Caplet and UPGUYS, talks about a new way to get medication and prescriptions; and a better way for patients to access professional medical advice. Mat also discusses how his career led to a new startup, UPGUYS, a digital health resource for men. Join in to hear this week’s entrepreneur enlighten us on his digital pharmacy that delivers medications right to your door.

Amir Vohooshi is a serial entrepreneur from a young age and he is best known for understanding start up challenges. In this episode Amir, the Founding and Managing Partner at 7 Gate Venture shares his knowledge and experiences that led to his success and position. As an entrepreneur himself, he speaks about helping people create their own products to grow into a billion-user company. Join us to hear Amir highlights your potential growth through startup investment.

Amir is back to discuss the million-dollar question of what makes a venture successful. He talks about the importance of a leader and a team of good listeners and the need for a clear vision and strategy that motivates their team to work towards them. He also discusses the importance of featuring a USP (unique selling proposition) and the best time to launch a product. Join us to learn from Amir on how to navigate towards your success.

Bruno Gerves, a liquor industry expert and owner of Caudalys for 15 years, discussed his experience and skills in marketing, budgeting and managing his liquor consulting business. Bruno further discussed the process for obtaining and managing a liquor store, which includes the product, price, place, promotion, as well as the restrictions to selling liquors and regulations. Join us to hear Bruno reveal the competitive advantages and strategies on how to attain and retain customers in the market, ...

Bruno Gerves is back to discuss his business model. From the start of helping retailers creating a brand for their liquor store to receiving a better return on investment. Bruno further discussed his clients' liquor store successes through the implementation of staff training, product selection and liquor distribution. Join us as we talk to Bruno about the reason behind liquor pricing and his strategies in developing his clients' wine lists.

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Andry Tanusdjaja, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of MuseFind, shares his experience in connecting brands and businesses with influencers and how to work with an influencer to integrate a product offering for your brand. He further discusses the benefits of personalized strategies and insights that can help build your brand and business to drive effective results. Join us to hear Andry’s tips for rate negotiations and ideal strategies for a brand c...

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Jennifer Gervès-Keen, Master Corporate Executive Coach and author of "Show Up Like A Coach," shares her personal story of achievements within different industries and the lessons she learned starting from the ground up. Jennifer talks about the ongoing rewards of coaching as an entrepreneur and the importance of mastering the hardest skills. Join us to learn about Jennifer's success in coaching, which began with a coin toss.

On this episode of Innovation Fuel, Ingrid Polini, CEO of SafetyDocs, shares how her experiences and willingness to explore opportunities led her to create a business. Ingrid reveals her business secrets, her process for managing documents, and the security and accessibility of having cloud-based software. She also discusses her clientele and the competitive advantage of being a new business in Canada. Join us to hear Ingrid disclose the solutions to managing your documents for greater efficienc...

In this week’s episode of Innovation Fuel, Adele Farhadian, an Information Security Architect with more than 16 years of experience in planning and implementing security systems, tells us how she started her career in security before launching her own IT security consulting business, InfoSec Assured. Adele shares how she guides companies in performing security assessments and developing strategies for maintaining security posture. She also talks about how individuals can start a career in IT se...

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Muse Greenwood, CEO of Inspiration FX and author of Cyber Security Handbook, tells us about the start of her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 4 and how her love for business led her to the world of Cyber Security. Join us to hear the many ways Muse's passion helped her overcome obstacles and her inspirational story as a woman in the tech industry.

Innovation Fuel hosts are taking a moment to reflect on this special day and to wish everyone a happy International Women's Day.!

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Wayne Van Damme, Founder, CEO and President of BlocksEDU Learning Corp, shares his journey and the chances that he took building a company from scratch and against all odds. He further discusses the learning models, resources and free services relating to the goal and intent behind BlocksEDU, reminding us that every step of the journey matters along with the financial benefits of being a socially responsible corporation.

Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, knows all about working hard and building a brand. In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Anita talks about the challenges she faced as a woman from a multicultural background. She shares the reality of the unique challenges women face, and the factors of emotional intelligence and gender leadership. This is an episode you do not want to miss! Join us to hear Anita talk about entrepreneurial ecosystems and her role as a CEO, the pandemic and how it...

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Raghwa Gopal, President and CEO of Innovate BC, discusses his entrepreneurial journey and networking experiences before and after joining Innovate BC. Raghwa further discusses with us Innovate BC's entrepreneurial ecosystems and how they connect innovators with government funding.

In this week's episode of Innovation Fuel Maryam Mobini, co-founder and CEO of transformative technology company to:Resonate shares her focus on mental, emotional and social wellness. Join Dave, Gelareh and Maryam to discuss human purpose and performance to become our best selves and helping people live a happier and healthier life. Maryam further discusses how she helps individuals develop healthier habits. Hear from this vibrant entrepreneur about the techniques used to raise mental health and...

On this week’s episode of Innovation Fuel, Lili Molavi, a Registered Nutritional Counsellor and health food store owner, talks about how growing up on a diet of organic foods contributed to her passion for nature and food as medicine. Lili shares how her health journey led to dissatisfaction with the side effects of medications and her research on natural healing based on alternative medicine and healing methods. Lili further discusses how she helps clients pick the right products and plan their...

Concerned about your electric bill? Join us for this week's Innovation Fuel episode to find out about Solar Alliance, an innovative energy solution for homes and businesses. CEO Myke Clark talks about how he never gave up on his goal of being an innovative entrepreneur, the concept of relationship building and the market penetration of the Solar Alliance, and the impact of COVID-19.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, we meet Colin Weston, Co-Founder of Startup Vancouver, who says, "You need to create something and get it out there." Colin shares his entrepreneurial journey and connections with Startup Vancouver, highlights the importance of building relationships and helping people, and the failure factors that entrepreneurs should overcome.

In this week’s episode of Inovation Fuel, Dave, Gelareh and Ralph Kison, President of Kison Inc., discuss organizational development, team building, conflict resolution and achieving personal and professional goals. Ralph talks about the turning point in his life that led to launching his business and his passion for empowering individuals and organizations. Join us and hear Ralph's amazing journey through coaching, training and consulting.