Between Meetings

In Between Meetings, Musap (Moose) Abdelhag shares his perspective on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and the power of mentorship. As the founder of Struggle Is Your Success (SIYS) and Mini Techies, Moose has dedicated his career to helping at-risk and underserved youth unlock their potential through entrepreneurship, technology, and education. We discuss the story behind Struggle Is Your Success, why ...

In Between Meetings, Madison Savilow from Carbon Upcycling shares her perspective on scaling climate-tech companies, industrial innovation, and the future of low-carbon construction materials. Joining Carbon Upcycling as employee #5 while still at the University of Calgary, Madison has been part of the company's journey from an early-stage startup to an internationally recognized climate-tech company working with some of the world'...

In Between Meetings, Pedro Porto Alegre, VP of Strategy at CULT Collective, shares his perspective on founder-led marketing, authentic content, city branding, and the growing role of AI in strategy. Drawing from his experience in consumer brands, entrepreneurship, and agency leadership, Pedro explains why marketing is more than a business function—it is a way of thinking. We discuss the opportunities and risks of building a c...

In Between Meetings, Phil Robertson, co-founder of Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, shares how an engineering mindset shaped the way he builds coffee systems from green coffee preservation to roasting precision to café execution. We dig into why “radical consistency” is the real product, why the hardest part is protecting the raw ingredient across global supply chains, and how freezing green coffee became the key t...

In Between Meetings, Max Schramm, President & CEO of Lufthansa Technik Canada, shares how growing up in Eastern Germany shaped his resilience and leadership, and what brought him to Canada. We dig into why Lufthansa Technik expanded in Calgary (not the obvious choice in a Montreal-dominant aerospace country), what it takes to build a world-class engine maintenance operation, and how the SAIT partnership aims to solve a skills a...

In this Between Meetings episode, Lisa Davis shares how STEM Innovation Academy went from idea to Alberta’s first new charter school in 25 years, the policies and facilities that made it possible, and how a clear instructional model keeps culture consistent across campuses. She details the UCalgary MOU, the MIT partnership that enables advanced STEM content for teachers and students, and how industry-aligned projects build co...

In Between Meetings, Adam Cragg, Partner at Osney Capital, shares lessons from building entrepreneurship programs at MIT, NYU, and the University of Calgary, his time at Innovate Calgary helping researchers move from lab to market, and why Osney is focused exclusively on cybersecurity. We get into portfolio construction, what he looks for in founders, how he builds relationships months before a round, and why the UK and Canada are ...

In Between Meetings, Andrew Browne, co-founder of Thin Air Labs, explains how founders can use non-dilutive capital to extend runway and keep ownership. Andrew reflects on Calgary’s maturing startup ecosystem, unpacks why venture capital is a specific tool for a specific job, and shows how to build a capital stack that fits your goals. He defines non-dilutive funding, shares common founder mistakes, and explains how to balanc...

In Between Meetings, Chris Edwards, Managing Partner at Tall Grass Ventures, shares how his background in large-scale capital projects shaped a hands-on approach to early-stage investing in ag and food tech. We talk about TGV’s values-in-action model, its pre-Series A focus, how Chris evaluates founders beyond the deck, and why longer diligence builds stronger partnerships. He also explains how a diverse LP base shapes strate...

In Between Meetings, Victoria Bennett shared how a Calgary Boy Choir campaign sparked her path into crowdfunding after nearly two decades in marketing with Pampers, Tide, ENMAX, TD, and the University of Calgary. She explains what crowdfunding really is, the five main models, and where it fits alongside bootstrapping, angels, grants, and VC. Victoria busts myths about messy cap tables, shows how crowdfunding validates businesses, a...

In Between Meetings, Neeraj Gupta shared his global journey and why he believes Calgary can become the startup capital of North America. He spoke about Alberta as a validation hub, the rise of aerospace and defense, deep-tech investing, and the importance of aligning IP with business goals. Neeraj also discussed the CDL focus model, founder red flags, and why time, money, and equity are the three resources every entrepreneur must g...

In Between Meetings, Matt Wilson shared his path from founder to investor and the lessons that shape how he leads Allied Venture Partners today. He explained the importance of balancing empathy with objectivity, building a strong investment thesis, and why early traction matters. Matt also reflected on Calgary’s angel ecosystem, his early investments in Lyft and Pinterest, the dangers of predatory angel terms, and why “...

In Between Meetings, Craig D’Cruze shared his path from professional chef to venture capital, beginning with his teenage stock trading. He discussed the firm’s investment thesis targeting legacy industries, how he evaluates founders, and the strengths of Calgary’s collaborative startup ecosystem. Craig also emphasized the importance of celebrating realistic $20M–$50M exits to attract more local investors and...

In between meetings, Nima Najand, reflected on Calgary’s fast-changing innovation landscape. From starting as a volunteer intern after a PhD in medical genetics to launching the Life Sciences and Aerospace Innovation Hubs, Nima’s journey mirrors the ecosystem’s growth. He highlighted stronger early-stage support, a persistent gap in scaling capital and mentorship, and the qualities academic entrepreneurs need to s...

In Between Meetings, Clark Lai, CEO of Motiv, shared how his journey from self-taught programmer to entrepreneur led to founding a venture builder tackling slow corporate innovation. Motive helps companies identify opportunities, build products, and drive results through diverse teams, tailored strategies, and a focus on quick wins.

Takeaways:

• Tech + finance skills make a strong foundation for venture building.
• Solving slow innova...

In a recent Between Meetings episode, Kimberly Rothenberg, president of Lagree YYC, shared her transition from financial services to personal training after the birth of her first daughter. She opened Lagree YYC after discovering the Lagree workout in New York, seeing it as a perfect fit for Calgary. Kimberly discussed balancing business growth with family life, staying hands-on in the studios, and ensuring high standards. She also...

In a recent episode of Between Meetings, I interviewed Stephanie Horner from RBCx in Calgary about her work supporting startups within the growing tech community. She explains RBCx's unique approach to assisting high-growth tech companies, the key factors that determine whether startups thrive or struggle, and the advantages of the Canadian startup landscape for early-stage founders.

Takeaways:

• Startup success is a multifaceted o...

On Between Meetings, I interviewed Ed Kang, CSO of Startups.com, about his startup journey, Startups.com's unique non-dilutive model, and his passion for helping founders (especially with pitch decks via his YouTube channel). He also shared insights on AI in startups/consulting, emphasizing investor understanding and the current AI saturation.

Takeaways:

• Startups.com: Non-dilutive accelerator supporting underserved founders &...

In a recent episode of Between Meetings, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Cree. Our conversation delved into his experiences leading the mission-driven venture Common Good, the challenges he faced along the way, the growth of Calgary's startup ecosystem, and his aspirations to bring innovation to city governance as a city council candidate.

Takeaways:

• When we started COMMONGOOD, we thought we understood the problem.
• When s...