Ryan Shupak is the co-founder of Jiffy, a service that allows you to get on-demand contractors to your home. Building a marketplace always comes with its own set of challenges. The supply side, the contractors, are already doing the work so bui

S2E25: Shawna Stewart of PostBeyond on people and policies

Nov 23rd, 2020 18m 54s

Shawna Stewart is the VP of People and Operations at PostBeyond, a tech startup in Toronto. Being in charge of the operations and people part of any company is a tall order. Shawna's favourite task is to create inclusive and positive policies.

Bonus

S2 Special! David Lloyd Hosts Neil Wainright of UpHabit

Nov 19th, 2020 29m 54s

David Lloyd recorded this episode with Neil Wainright in mid-2019 but never had the opportunity to publish it... until now! David Lloyd takes over the Float or Founder podcast to discuss "the grind" it takes to run a tech startup and turn it in

S2E28: Kayla Isabelle of Startup Canada on Canadian entrepreneurship

Nov 16th, 2020 18m 37s

What does it take to launch a business in Canada? Kayla Isabelle has had the pleasure of seeing companies from launch through success many times as Executive Director of Startup Canada. She takes us through the joy of coaching and mentoring sta

S2E23: Diana Goodwin of Marketbox & Aquamobile on scalable flexibility

Nov 9th, 2020 21m 30s

Diana Goodwin launched Aquamobile eight years ago - a business enabling swim instructors to do at-home lessons on-the-go. Their internal management tool of these instructors and customers/lessons led her to launching Marketbox to other companie

S2E22: Sarah Stockdale of Growclass on data-driven startup marketing

Nov 2nd, 2020 17m 46s

Many people think marketing is fluffy but (especially in the tech industry) it's anything but. Marketing is creative, experimental, and data-driven. How do you write copy that connects? How do you create ads that converts? You need to test a hy

Bonus

S2 Special! David Lloyd Hosts James Novak of Fiix

Oct 29th, 2020 21m 27s

David Lloyd recorded this episode with James Novak in mid-2019 but never had the opportunity to publish it... until now! David Lloyd takes over the Float or Founder podcast to discuss "the grind" it takes to run a tech startup and turn it into

S2E21: Kathy Cheng of WS & Co. + Redwood Classics on vertical integration

Oct 26th, 2020 16m 50s

Running a textile factory is challenging but Kathy Cheng of WS & Co. and Redwood Classics Apparel takes us into the world of vertical integration. She shares how her family moved to Canada and started this company to promote made-in-Canada good

S2E20: Derek Manuge of Corl on picking investments and advisors

Oct 12th, 2020 21m 24s

Derek Manuge is the co-founder, Director, and CEO of Corl.io - a revenue sharing and investment company. He shows us the different types of funding opportunities for businesses and how he came up with the idea of using data to make equitable an

S2E19: Faye Almeshaan of Acceleprise on accelerators

Oct 5th, 2020 18m 22s

Faye Almeshaan is the Program Manager and Venture Associate of Acceleprise. Acceleprise is a B2B software accelerator program and investment firm based in San Francisco and Toronto. She talks about how companies pivoted and grew out of COVID an

S2E18: Zoe Share of Schmooz Media on not being self-serving on social

Sep 28th, 2020 19m 16s

Social media marketing is a necessary component of every company. Zoe saw this a few years back when she started her agency Schmooz at a time when many didn't see social media as a serious pursuit. Zoe offers her insights on how important socia

S2E17: Charles Bennett of Triella on digital security

Sep 21st, 2020 15m 45s

Charles Bennett has been running his full-service technology management company, Triella, for 17 years as founder and CEO! Running a company for that long has given Charles insight into the industry. He shares his top security tips for any comp

S2E16: Paula Teixeira Leite of Caju Winds on the packaged food business

Sep 14th, 2020 20m 10s

Paula Teixeira Leite is the founder of Caju Winds, a cashew spread that is a delicious, vegan alternative to cream cheese and other dairy spreads. She started the business when her daughter started experiencing allergies and reactions to food.

S2E15: Jason Field of Brainstation on lifelong learning

Sep 7th, 2020 19m 45s

Back to school looks a little different in 2020 for most people. Jason Field is the Founder and CEO of Brainstation, an education centre for digital skills. He discusses how they switched to online education during COVID-19 and how they could r

S2E14: Dr. Leeno Karumanchery of MESH Diversity on the science of diversity

Aug 31st, 2020 17m 51s

Trigger Warning: Discussions of racism, George Floyd, police brutality, racism in the workplace.Dr. Leeno Karumanchery is the co-founder and Head of Behavioural Sciences at MESH Diversity. MESH fully integrated anti-racism tool. He is a doctor

S2E13: Alyssa Atkins of Lilia on personal pain point

Aug 24th, 2020 22m 32s

When you face a personal pain point, what's the first thing you think to do? Alyssa Atkins of Lilia decided to turn her personal pain point into a business. Lilia is a personal online concierge that gives you clarity and confidence in options a

S2E12: Jay Rosenzweig of Rosenzweig & Company on recruiting

Aug 17th, 2020 18m 36s

Jay Rosenzweig of Rosenzweig & Company talks to us about recruiting - in a pandemic and out. He also provides insights on how you can offer your skills to achieve what you want in your career and try new paths. Fun fact: he does songwriting on

Bonus

S2 Special! David Lloyd Hosts Joel Lessem of Firmex

Aug 13th, 2020 27m 56s

David Lloyd recorded this episode with Joel Lessem in mid-2019 but never had the opportunity to publish it... until now! David Lloyd takes over the Float or Founder podcast to discuss the "grind" it takes to run a tech startup and turn it into

S2E11: Neel Lukka on timing

Aug 10th, 2020 20m 33s

Timing is everything - or so we're told. Neel Lukka delves into why timing is so important for the success of a company. He talks about the different businesses he's built, his experience in Y Com, and what he's up to now!Support the show (http

S2E10: Martha Switzer of Sprout at Work on wellness

Aug 3rd, 2020 18m 34s

Martha Switzer is the co-founder and CEO of Sprout. Sprout enables businesses to reward their employees for healthy behaviour. She talks about wellness, how COVID-19 impacted wellness initiatives, and why she built a company around wellness and

S2E9: Mark Ang of Second Closet on grinding

Jul 27th, 2020 19m 54s

Mark Ang, co-founder and CEO, of Second Closet joins us this week. He discusses the unscalable early days of creating their storage company and how they grinded through those challenges. If you're curious on what goes on behind-the-scenes of ea

S2E8: Nunzio Presta of BizOn on selling and buying businesses

Jul 20th, 2020 18m 51s

Nunzio Presta runs a business of helping you sell your business with the company he is the CEO of, BizOn. He takes us through the selling process, the best way to approach selling your business, how to buy a business, why people sell, and so mu

S2E7: Marsha Druker of F*ckupNights on community

Jul 13th, 2020 22m 18s

Marsha Druker of F*ckupNights talks to us about building a community and what it takes to really form a meaningful one. In light of COVID, she talks about taking a community that typically met in-person to a virtual one.Support the show (https:

S2E6: Dr. Bryan Gelman of St. Clair Vet on location, location, location

Jul 6th, 2020 21m 44s

Starting a new business anywhere is a challenge - but especially if you need a physical space to operate in. Dr. Bryan Gelman runs Yonge & St. Clair Veterinary Hospital. He delved into the tricky world of Toronto commercial real estate, navigat

Bonus

S2 Special! Techstars Global Startup Weekend COVID-19 Online Canada

Jul 1st, 2020 41m 8s

Back in April 2020, Techstars Global Startup Weekend COVID-19 Online CANADA took place. People from across the country joined this hackathon-style weekend virtually to help accomplish goals surrounding COVID-19. Float or Founder offered a podca