Canada Is Losing Founders. Can It Turn Things Around?
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges Canadian entrepreneurs face and explores potential solutions to foster a thriving startup ecosystem in Canada.
Canada has no shortage of world-class entrepreneurs—but are we creating the right conditions for them to build the next generation of global companies here at home? In the second episode of our special summer series Can Canada Meet the Moment? , host Paige Ellis sits down with two successful Canadian founders who offer very different perspectives on one of the country's biggest economic challenges. Michele Romanow, "Dragon" on CBC's Dragons' Den and Co-Founder of Clearco, argues Canada is making it harder to build and scale startups. She explains why more founders are choosing the U.S., how Canadian policies can discourage innovation, why we protect incumbents instead of challengers, and what needs to change if Canada wants to keep its best entrepreneurs. Laura McGee, Co-founder of Arterra and Executive Chair of Diversio, offers a more nuanced view. Drawing on her experience building businesses in both Canada and the United States, she explains why founders look south for capital, the cultural differences between the two countries, what Canada gets right, and why she believes Canadian entrepreneurs can still build world-class companies from home. If Canada wants to become a…
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