Invested in our New Reality

Sometimes all you need are the right tools for the job. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Victor Wang, the Co-Founder and COO of Lutendi Systems, an Ottawa-based business that developed a rent reporting system designed to help housing providers and renters achieve their financial goals. Talk about a win-win! The company recently won the first-ever Invest Ottawa Immigrant Founder Launchpad Pitch Final, and the team is enjoying the buzz – and funding – from their big win. Wang joins the podcast to discuss the company and its expansion plans, and he touches on why he thinks downtown Ottawa needs more mixed-use developments to bring people, retail, and energy to the area.

It’s time to “Ask Erin!” Erin, why is downtown Ottawa the right home for Advanced Symbolics Inc.? On Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality, we are interviewing Ottawa business leaders with companies based downtown and stakeholders driving revitalization efforts. On this episode, our guest is Erin Kelly, the CEO of Advanced Symbolics Inc., the creators of @askpolly, a predictive AI tool. The company has offices in the busy ByWard Market and Erin joins host Sam Laprade to discuss AI, their successful and growing company, and her thoughts on the good, the bad, and the untapped potential of the downtown district.

Sueling Ching is a woman with a plan, and if anyone can pull it off, she can! Don’t miss this informative and interesting episode of Invested in Our New Reality with guest Sueling Ching, the President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade (OBT). She joins host Sam Laprade to discuss the Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda, developed by the OBT and the Canadian Urban Institute, along with several other key stakeholders, to reimagine and rejuvenate Downtown Ottawa. Listen as Sueling makes a strong case for the plan and its objectives and shares why creating a future-ready and dynamic urban core will benefit all residents of the National Capital Region.

We’re back with Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality! In this season — titled Downtown: Evolved — host Sam Laprade will explore the dynamic transformation of Ottawa's downtown core. To kick things off in style, she welcomed guest Stephen Beckta, the acclaimed chef and owner of three popular Ottawa restaurants: Beckta, Play Food & Wine, and Gezellig. Listen as these two friends dish on everything and anything: from why Stephen left New York City and Paris behind to launch his business here (hint: it’s a love story), to persisting through the pandemic, to today’s fine dining market and why he thinks restaurants are only one part of what makes downtown Ottawa a great destination.

For bitHeads Inc, collaboration isn’t just a buzz word; it’s their business plan. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, host Sam Laprade interviews Martin Savard, Director of Sales & Business Development at bitHeads Inc., an Ottawa-based tech company known for building custom software solutions to support other businesses’ growth and innovation. A true Ottawa enthusiast, Savard shares his thoughts on what makes this city great, how to nurture talent, why cooperation and idea-sharing matters in tech and why balance–in life and work–is a company-wide priority.

For Aurora Solar, “make hay while the sun shines” is a tried-and-true business plan. On this episode of Invested in Our New Reality, Ottawa radio stalwart Sam Laprade interviews Thusha Agampodi, who is the Director of Engineering at Aurora Solar, a global company with an office in Ottawa. They market a cloud-based platform that uses data, automation, and AI to augment solar energy design and optimization and support solar businesses around the world. To date, over 10 million solar projects have been designed with the platform. In this interview, they discuss the future of solar and the many business, tech, and lifestyle advantages Ottawa offers, including mentorship and support for women in STEM.

Why Ottawa? Let us count the ways! For the team behind Ekidna Sensing, they are: talent, funding, mentorship, R&D support, and lab access – and that is just the beginning. On Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, our host Sam Laprade is speaking with the brightest minds in business and tech to uncover why so many leaders choose to set up shop in Ottawa. In this episode, she interviews Nic Boileau, CEO of Ekidna Sensing, a local start-up whose rapid, accurate, and decentralized cannabis testing technology helps licensed producers eliminate production bottlenecks, reduce operational costs, and bring their products to market faster.

A well-known tech hub since the dial-up era, Ottawa is the first choice for companies looking to put down roots. On Season 13 of Invested in Our New Reality, we’re diving into the many advantages of building a business here, including a big pool of potential employees, R&D support, and all-around work-life balance. On this episode, host Sam Laprade interviews Harpreet Geekee, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Shabodi Telecommunications. This award-winning company helps organizations build and develop apps that take advantage of the advancements that come from the latest 5G wireless networks, and they do it from right here in the National Capital Region.