Ali Khan Lalani is the CEO of General Assembly. If you asked us pre-pandemic, we’d have told you that it’s a popular pizza restaurant in Toronto. Now, it’s reinventing itself as a successful food-tech company and recently secured $13-million in

The untold origin story of Article, the rapidly-growing online furniture company

May 3rd, 2021 20m 51s

This is an online furniture brand that doesn’t let you sit on the couch before you buy it. A design company founded by four friends with no design skills… but it works. When 2020 forced us to spend more time inside our homes, Article’s e-commer

How Bobbie Racette is fixing the gig economy for marginalized workers with Virtual Gurus

Apr 26th, 2021 25m 47s

After losing her job, Bobbie Racette was reminded how tough it is to find work as an Indigenous LGBTQ woman, so she decided to start creating jobs that could be done remotely, flexibly, and for a fair wage. When she started Virtual Gurus, a Cal

Why Smash+Tess founder credits inclusivity and community as the key to their record romper growth

Apr 19th, 2021 31m 4s

Be honest: when was the last time you wore pants with a zipper during this pandemic? Even before COVID-19 shifted our fashion priorities, sustainable loungewear company Smash+Tess was reporting nearly 5,000% 3-year revenue growth. The body-posi

Fighting to grow: How Flashfood’s founder spun grocery food waste into a climate-friendly app

Apr 12th, 2021 29m 16s

Flashfood is an app that keeps good food out of the trash. Users can buy discounted food that grocers would have had to throw out as it approached the sell-by date. It’s good for the environment, combats food waste and helps people who need che

How Vivian Kaye built a million-dollar business without a single investor

Apr 5th, 2021 29m 24s

KinkyCurlyYaki is a company that sells high quality, kinky, curly and natural-looking hair extensions. As a Black woman, Vivian Kaye was building a business she saw a real need for. But venture capitalists didn’t share her vision. It’s a proble

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Coming soon: A new season of The Growth Effect

Mar 29th, 2021 2m 30s

Sarah Stockdale returns for another season to talk with incredible entrepreneurs about what it’s really like to launch and grow a business. Spoiler Alert: The Growth Effect isn’t a normal business podcast. We talk to successful founders about t

Episode 6: A different kind of lawyer

Dec 3rd, 2020 33m 27s

Leena Yousefi wins 90% of her cases. But for her, winning isn't everything. For a profession that isn't typically associated with innovation or known for rapid growth, her firm stands apart. She approaches everything in law with heart and soul.

Episode 5: When your five-year plan becomes your five-month plan

Nov 24th, 2020 29m 15s

Add 600 employees in 100 days during a global pandemic. That's what CEO Cherif Habib did with Dialogue, an app-based telehealth company providing remote doctors appointments. He thought it would take Canadians 3-5 years to adopt remote healthca

Episode 4: Hustle not #hustle

Nov 17th, 2020 31m 52s

Marc Lafleur, CEO of TruLocal, works really hard. He doesn't apologize for the sweat that's needed to be a first-time founder, but that doesn't mean he's a fan of the #hustleculture that's big in the startup community. In this episode, he share

Episode 3: Going from customer to CEO

Nov 10th, 2020 27m 53s

We’ve heard about some of the challenges of launching and scaling a business, but what about stepping into a leadership role at an already successful company? Taking over the reins, and the expectations that go along with that isn’t for everyon

Episode 2: When to ditch a successful business

Nov 3rd, 2020 27m 20s

Would you start a business with your best friend? While on maternity leave? And then pivot drastically at its peak success? That’s what Becca Perren and Jennifer Kelly of Pehr did. In this episode, they chat with Sarah about going against conve

Episode 1: Why don't CEOs talk about burnout?

Oct 27th, 2020 30m 37s

Burnout: Most CEO’s won’t talk about it, many CEOs experience it. Marie Chevrier takes a different approach. On this episode, the founder and CEO of Sampler gets candid about how her experiences with burnout have made her a better leader in a h

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Coming soon: The Growth Effect

Oct 15th, 2020 1m 52s

They make it look so easy, but we know better than that. Introducing The Growth Effect, a new podcast that speaks to the leaders of some of Canada’s top growing companies to learn what it’s really like to launch and scale a business.

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