The Entrepreneur Podcast

This summer season of The Entrepreneur Podcast kicks off with international DJ duo, Loud Luxury, talking about their origins, partnership, and the intersection of art and business. We speak to Michael Schmalz, former President of Digital Extremes, on how a Canadian gaming studio, based in London Ontario impacted the global gaming industry. Then, we explore the future of entrepreneurship and investing in Canada with legendary founder and investor, Kevin Sullivan. The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum, Connie Clerici and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group. To ensure you never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player or visit entrepreneurship.uwo.ca/podcast.

Google, Microsoft, Twitter and The Weather Network, Rory Capern has really done it all. But while he has built a career with some of the most exciting brands around, the art of the possible keeps drawing him back to the world of entrepreneurship.An alum from Ivey’s HBA and MBA programs, Capern currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer at Redbrick, a B-Corp Certified firm that has built and acquired an impressive portfolio of companies to inspire innovation, encourage sustainable business, and support digital entrepreneurs.In this fascinating discussion, Capern walks us through his career between start-ups and the world’s largest tech corporations, the importance of mentorship, and how his people-centric view of business has shaped his career.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

Welcome to a new season of The Entrepreneur Podcast featuring the likes of Arkadi Kuhlmann of ING Direct Canada and US, Silicon Valley veteran Mona Sabet, and tech entrepreneur Rory Capern, whose career has included stints at some of the biggest brands in the world.

Entrepreneurs are always at the forefront of change and innovation, and Ray Sharma certainly fits that billing.Graduating from Ivey in 1996 Sharma went into the world of investment banking and became the top-ranked technology analyst in his first year after securing the title for five of his eight eligible years, Sharma joined the startup world and set up extreme Venture Partners. Over the years, Sharma firm has led, funded or founded more than 100 startups with exits to a who's who of brands like Apple, Google, Google Electronic Arts, McKesson and Salesforce, with a career spanning the early days of the Internet and the rise of social media.Sharma joins Ivey lecturer Eric Janssen to discuss his entrepreneurial origins and shift away from the corporate world, how AI will Change what types of skills are important, and other major trends that students and entrepreneurs should note in this season of disruption.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

Building a high-growth business is like launching a rocket! The founder is the engine builders and venture capital is the rocket fuel. It is a two-sided relationship where priorities are different, but the goals are the same. But what does it take to get lift off and break through the atmosphere? How can entrepreneurs and investors work together to discover the full potential of their ventures?In this special episode recorded at the Western Angels’ Demo Day, we hear from two Western Alumni on both sides of the table. Entrepreneur Navin Kaminoulu, and Investor Scott Kaplanis have worked together for the past five years, building ventures, raising capital, and exiting. Kaminoulu was the co-founder & COO of INDUS.AI, a computer vision & machine learning company that interprets construction documents and images to provide valuable insights for builders. The company raised $11M in venture capital and was acquired in 2021 by Procore Technologies, the world’s largest construction SaaS company. Kaplanis played a major role in that story as the managing partner of Groundbreak Ventures, a seed and series A property technology fund that focuses on finding the next generation of founders in the industry.Together, they discuss what to look for in a company and investment firm, the do’s and don’ts of raising capital, what keeps them up at night, and the process, pros and cons of the exit.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

While there has been rising awareness of the gender wage gap over the past few years, another important gender issue - the wealth gap between men and women – often goes unacknowledged.In 2020, for every 1 dollar men had in Net Wealth, women had only 32 cents.Financial plans are an option, but they are expensive and out of reach for many women. More importantly, most plans are created without taking the life trajectory of women into account. That is where Untangle Money comes in! Led by Kristine Beese, Untangle Money creates financial plans for women and helps them figure out how to optimize their finances in line with their life goals and personal plans. Untangle Money is a tool that Beese hopes to get into the hands of a million Canadian women in the next four years.In this conversation, Beese talks about how the magnitude of the gender wealth gap became real for her, the company's unique women-centric approach, and the struggles and joys of building a venture that isn’t all about the money.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

CEO of Hotspex, Shane Skillen, HBA '00, talks about the importance of partnering up well in business and in life.To view Brene Brown's list of values from "Dare to Lead," visit:https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/Catch the full episode with Shane Skillen here:https://entrepreneurship.uwo.ca/services/ondemand-learning/podcasts/2024/05/improving-your-luck-with-brand-guru-shane-skillen/The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

The Entrepreneur Podcast is launching a new series, handing the microphone to women entrepreneurs doing exciting things in a wide array of industries.In this series, we hand them the microphone to share their stories, experiences, trials, tribulations and successes.And we kick it off with Bryn Davis Williams and Jessica Bosman, two Ivey HBAs, who’ve joined forces to disrupt the women’s undergarment industry. Their venture, DOUBL is driven by the conviction that women’s shouldn’t have to settle for “good enough.”With the help of technology, and recycled material, DOUBL offers women custom bras that are made to fit just right! Williams and Bosman talk about balancing their careers, reframing their brand to male investors, and the importance of a supportive community.Find out more about DOUBL's Kickstarter Campaign starting on April 30th at https://www.mydoubl.com/The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.