PODCAST · technology
Tech About Town by Communitech
by Communitech
Tech About Town gives you an inside look at what's happening in Waterloo Region tech. Each episode brings you a unique view from a founder, ecosystem partner, Communitecher and maybe a local celebrity. Communitech was founded in 1997 by a group of entrepreneurs committed to making Waterloo Region a global innovation leader. At the time it was just a wild idea, but somehow this community managed to pull it off. Today, Communitech is a public-private innovation hub that supports a community of more than 1,600 companies — from startups to scale-ups to large global players.
Episodes
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Beyond the Play Button: Scaling Content with Josh & Norm Clare
Today, we’re cracking the code on modern media. If you’ve ever wondered how a YouTube channel hits millions of subscribers or how a business can actually turn a 'Like' into a 'Lead,' this is the episode for you. In the studio, we have Josh, former content director at Hacksmith entertainment and…
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Six Degrees of Waterloo: Boxing, Innovation, and Supporting Community with Jennifer Appleby Vines and Troy Murrary
They say it’s a small world, but in Waterloo Region, it’s even smaller. In this episode of Tech about Town, Alex Kinsella and Alison Piel prove that you’re never more than a few steps away from a tech founder, an Olympian, or a world-class fundraiser. We’re joined by Jennifer Appleby Vines (CEO…
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The Power of Education: Lessons for Bulding Inclusion with Stefanie Bruinsma and Ren Navarro
In this episode, we are joined by two founders who are taking a sledgehammer to the 'status quo.' Ren Navarro, founder of B Diversity Group, has spent years changing the face of the craft beer and beverage industry by making space for everyone at the table. Stefanie Bruinsma, founder of AutoCate,...
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The Human Engine: Scaling Leadership with Artemis Canada's Kristina McDougall
We often talk about 'product-market fit,' but we rarely talk about 'people-founder fit' at the executive level. Today, we’re diving into the human engine behind high-growth tech. Joining us on the podcast is Kristina McDougall, the founder of Artemis Canada. Kristina has spent her career in the...
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LIVE with Midtown Radio's Deren Atkins
What does it take to create a hyperlocal internet radio station? We found out when Deren Atkins joined us LIVE in the Communitech Hub to talk about Midtown Radio. The station is a community-building initiative run a small, dedicated group of volunteers. The goal? To develop and grow a...
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Building Ontario's MedTech Future: Inside Medical Innovation Xchange with Elliot Fung
How do you move a medical breakthrough from a lab bench to a hospital bedside? In this episode of Tech About Town, Jill Mills and Alex Kinsella sit down with Elliot Fung, Executive Director of the Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX). Founded to bridge the gap between startup graduation and…
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AI with a Purpose: How municiPal AI's Kristy Guthrie and Kerry Fraser are building the "Easy Button" for Municipal Governments
Ever tried to find the specific bylaws for a backyard fence or the rules for keeping chickens on a city website? If you’ve felt the frustration of digging through endless PDFs and broken search bars, you aren’t alone. Even the experts find it daunting. In this episode of Tech About Town, hosts…
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How the Clicks Communicator Won CES Without a Booth: A Conversation With Jeff Gadway & Joseph Hofer
The physical keyboard is back, and it is arguably cooler than ever. In this episode of Tech About Town, hosts Alex Kinsella and Alison Piel are joined by the minds behind the breakout hits of CES 2026: the Clicks Communicator and the new Power Keyboard. Jeff Gadway (CMO at Clicks) and Joseph…
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Beating Blue Monday with Battle of the Bands with Ruth Casselman and Rick Andrade
Kick off 2026 by turning the "saddest day of the year" into the loudest! In this episode, host Alex Kinsella sits down with Ruth Casselman (CEO of the Accelerator Center) and Rick Andrade (Senior Communications Manager at Magnet Forensics) to discuss the second annual Battle of the Bands: Tech...
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Building Digital Kitchener 2.0 with Nicole Amaral
How does a city of nearly 300,000 people stay ahead of the technological curve? In this episode of Tech About Town, we sit down with Nicole Amaral, Director of the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab, to discuss the evolution of Kitchener's digital strategy. Since its inception in 2017, the Digital...
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Making Cycling Accessible Through Technology: Mark Connolly from the Cycling Guide Foundation
Commuting by bike helps the environment and is great for your health, but getting from point A to point B isn’t always easy. That was part of the motivation for Mark Connolly and team behind Cycling Guide, a mobile app that shows cyclists the least stressful paths to get where they need to go.…
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Authenticity Over Algorithms: Rebuilding Community with Samantha Campbell
One of the things we talk about constantly on this show is that 'tech' isn't just about code or hardware—it's about the people who build it and the community that supports them. And if you’ve been part of the Waterloo Region ecosystem for any length of time, you know that building a truly…
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Dinah Davis on sharing stories of women in tech with Code Like A Girl
Ask Dinah Davis about the state of women in tech, and she’ll tell you we’re moving forward, but not nearly far enough. It’s a perspective shaped by her own path, from computer science student at the University of Lethbridge to founder of Code Like A Girl (Medium and Substack), a community built…
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Mike Kirkup is turning startup mistakes into caregiver insights with Elderella
You can learn a lot from your successes, but you can learn even more from your failures. Mike Kirkup joins us for his record-breaking third appearance on the podcast to talk about lessons learned from his experience launching and folding his last startup, Arlo. Over the last few weeks, Mike has...
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Inside KidsAbility’s Rocket Discovery Centre with Brendan Wylie-Toal
When most people think about innovation, they think startups or software. But at KidsAbility, innovation is happening inside a non-profit — reshaping how therapy and rehabilitation services are delivered for kids and families across Waterloo Region. We’re joined by Brendan Wylie-Toal, the…
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Why Waterloo Region is a great place to build a startup (and a great place to visit!) with Ashley Lansink from Explore Waterloo Region
Tourism might not be the first thing you associate with tech—but it should be. In this episode, we talk with Ashley Lansink from Explore Waterloo Region about the unexpected connection between tourism and tech and why both are critical for economic development in our community. Ashley walks us...
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What startups can learn from community foundations with Eric Avner
Every founder needs trust and connection. So does every community. In this episode, we sit down with Eric Avner, President and CEO of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation, to explore what it means to build a thriving community—socially, financially, and systemically. Eric explains how WRCF is...
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Why community comes first: Communitech CEO Sheldon McCormick on what’s next
What does it mean to be community-first in a tech ecosystem? In this episode, we check in with Communitech CEO Sheldon McCormick to reflect on his first five (LinkedIn says six!) months on the job and look ahead to what’s next. From AI adoption to KW Oktoberfest lederhosen, we talk about building...
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How Elderella is changing caregiving – a talk with Jacqui Murphy and Mike Kirkup
There are over 71 million people acting as caregivers for their parents in North America, spending an average of 26 hours a week with everything from grocery shopping to health and wellness care. It’s a burden that we all should take on with grace, but a little help wouldn’t hurt. In this…
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Marketing on a Startup Budget: Tips from fractional CMO Roshni Wijayasinha
When you’re building a startup, resources are scarce. Time. Money. People. Unfortunately that means founders make trade offs that might hurt them in the long run. One of the first things to be put on the “...we’ll get to it list” is branding and marketing. But building a great product isn’t…
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AI, Total Rewards and HR's Evolving Role – A Preview of SocialHRCamp KW with Selina Miah and Larissa Currah
Whether you're navigating return-to-office policies, figuring out how to adopt AI safely, or rethinking your total rewards strategy, HR leaders are facing more complexity than ever. That’s where SocialHRCamp KW comes in. It’s a one-night event bringing together HR and People & Culture…
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RE-RELEASE: What’s next for Communitech with CEO Sheldon McCormick
Originally released on May 28, 2025 He's six weeks into the job, and Communitech's new CEO, Sheldon McCormick, has some thoughts. On this episode of Tech About Town, we've got Sheldon in the studio with hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo to talk about what startups need, what the community...
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How to make a great tech event with Victoria Harrison and the Accelerator Centre's Shriaa Sheth
Waterloo Region's tech community is built on events. From founder meetup to hardtech hikes to panel discussion (yeah, even panel discussions), getting together IRL is back and better than ever. On this episode of Tech About Town, our own events specialist Victoria Harrison joins us in the studio...
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Improving patient outcomes for stroke survivors with Sensible Vascular's Kevin Macwan and Purvish Soni
Whether it was a PSA on TV or inside a bus, we’ve all learned the FAST method for detecting a stroke. Each year, 12 million people suffer a stroke—and unfortunately, six million of those end in death. Kevin Macwan and Purvish Soni quit their day jobs to launch Sensible Vascular. They are…
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Turning mushrooms into sustainable textiles with Stephanie Lipp, co‑founder of MycoFutures
We’re trading silicon for shiitake with Stephanie Lipp, co‑founder of MycoFutures. The biomaterials startup is turning mushroom mycelium into a fully biodegradable alternative to leather. Think handbags that sprout from a lab, not a feedlot. Stephanie and her partner Leo Gillis grow mycelium…
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How Cognitive Systems’ Taj Manku is reimagining home care through Wi-Fi
What if your Wi-Fi could do more than just connect your devices? For Taj Manku, co-founder and CEO of Cognitive Systems, a personal caregiving challenge sparked a professional breakthrough. When his aging parents experienced medical emergencies, Manku found himself navigating the emotional and...
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Building trust in the creator economy, one plush at a time: Landon Brett, CEO of Makeship
What do plush toys and tech startups have in common? If you ask Landon Brett, the answer is everything. Landon is the CEO of Makeship, one of Canada’s fastest-growing creator economy companies. Makeship launched in 2018 with just $8,000 and a bold idea: help online creators bring their characters...
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Detecting the undetectable: Shalini Gupta on building Asima Health
When a personal health scare revealed the limits of existing diagnostic tools, scientist and entrepreneur Shalini Gupta saw an opportunity to build something better. On this episode of Tech About Town, Shalini shares how that moment led to the creation of Asima Health, a startup focused on...
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Growing Pains: How to scale without losing control with Dave Litwiller
What got you here won’t get you there. In this episode of Tech About Town, we sit down with Communitech Growth Coach Dave Litwiller to talk about scaling your team, leadership and markets. From the art of delegation without abdication to navigating global expansion in unpredictable times, Dave...
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Rebooting the Mission: What’s next for Communitech with CEO Sheldon McCormick
He's six weeks into the job, and Communitech's new CEO, Sheldon McCormick, has some thoughts. On this episode of Tech About Town, we've got Sheldon in the studio with hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo to talk about what startups need, what the community needs, and what the 27-year-old...
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Charging Ahead: How Clockwork is fixing EV infrastructure one station at a time
What if two of the four gas pumps at a gas station were out of order, but no one told you until you pulled in? That’s the reality for many electric vehicle (EV) drivers today, and Jennifer Buchanan and Andrea Curry are on a mission to change it. In this episode of Tech About Town, the Clockwork...
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SEO isn’t dead: Tim Peckover shares why you shouldn't write for robots
Is SEO really dead—or just evolving (again)? In this episode, Alex and guest host Alison Piel sit down with freelance content strategist Tim Peckover to talk AI, LLMs, and why the rumours of SEO’s demise are (still) greatly exaggerated. From early days at Clearpath to leading content at Smile.io,...
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From caregiver to CEO: Seun Adetunji is breaking down barriers in healthcare communication
When a loved one faces a health crisis, language barriers and medical jargon can make an already stressful situation even harder. Seun Adetunji, founder and CEO of MedInclude, knows this firsthand — and she’s building the solution. In this episode, Seun shares her journey from caregiver to...
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Axe the Fax: How Sifio Health is using AI to reduce surgery delays
On this episode of Tech About Town, we welcome JP Eskander, CEO and founder of Sifio Health, and Stacy Sobering from Communitech to discuss how AI-driven scheduling and workflow optimization can reduce surgery wait times and improve hospital efficiency. They explore the barriers to innovation in...
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Heavy Lifting: How DOZR is using Communitech Outpost to scale across North America
Ever wondered how startups scale globally without getting tangled up in red tape? In this episode of Tech About Town, we dive into the dynamic world of international hiring with Karen Klink, Director of Outpost Partnerships at Communitech, and Stacie Curtiss, VP of People and Culture at DOZR....
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From McMaster to the World: The Evolution of QReserve with Graeme Brown
On this episode of Tech About Town, we're joined by Graeme Brown, co-founder and CEO of QReserve. Graeme takes us through the journey of QReserve, a resource management platform that started at McMaster University and has since expanded globally, helping organizations—from universities to…
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How Startup Bootcamp helped Cirtus founders Adanna Amechi and Dimitri Njila win big
In this episode ofTech About Town, host Alex Kinsella and guest co-host Angela Bruce talk about theCommunitech Startup Bootcamp, a six-week program designed to equip early-stage entrepreneurs with essential business fundamentals like customer discovery, MVP development, sales, and pitching....
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Unlocking the power of intellectual property for startups with Jim Hinton
When it comes to IP, we follow the motto “protect it, don’t neglect it.” In this episode ofTech About Town, hosts Alex Kinsella and Rosie Del Campo sit down with Jim Hinton, founder and CEO ofOWN Innovation, to explore the critical role of intellectual property (IP) for tech startups. As a…
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From Fast Track to Full Scale: How ConeLabs is helping to prevent infrastructure failures
In this episode of Tech About Talent, we catch up with Communitech’s Carleigh Johnston and ConeLabs co-founder and CEO Albert Mansour to talk about Communitech Fast Track Cities. The program connects municipal partners with innovative tech solutions to solve their challenges. ConeLabs won the…
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Founders First: A Conversation with Ruth Casselman and Jennifer Gruber
In this episode of Tech About Town, we sit down with two powerhouse leaders in Waterloo Region's tech ecosystem: Ruth Casselman, CEO of the Accelerator Center, and Jennifer Gruber, Interim CEO of Communitech. Together, they explore the challenges and opportunities of supporting founders…
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Mentoring, Magic, and Meat Processing: A Chat with Dan Silivestru and Heather Galt
In this episode of Tech About Town, we welcome Dan Silivestru, CEO of Chocolate Soup, and Heather Galt, Chief Customer Officer of P&P Optica for a conversation on everything from tacos to tech, with plenty of surprises along the way. Dan shares the origins of Chocolate Soup, a startup that helps...
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Why your pitch deck should be a movie trailer with Rob Darling and Michael Ho
On today’s episode, we’ve got two people with fundraising experience and opinions. Rob Darling is the founder and CEO of runQL, a tool designed to help data teams save time and find value in the mega gigabytes of data they have. Rob sold his last startup, BriefedIn, to Communitech in 2022 and was...
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Giving pathologists AI-superpowers with Tenomix's co-founder Saumik Biswas
Is the AI hype cycle bringing you down? Don’t worry—we’re here with an episode of the podcast that will inspire new hope for AI being used for more than just removing people from holiday snaps. On this very special episode of Tech About Town, Saumik Biswas joined us in the studio to share how his...
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Innovating Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest with Allan Cayenne and Allie Steffler
Forget PSL season. It’s schnitzel and stein season here in Waterloo Region as the 56th annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest kicks off. In this episode of Tech About Town, KW Oktoberfest President Allan Cayenne and Ambassador Allie Steffler join us in the studio to discuss the festival's…
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Helping all athletes access mental health support with Trainwave's Rosie MacLennan
How are athletes and founders similar? How do you overcome mental challenges in a high-performance sport? What's the Olympic Village really like? Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rosie MacLennan joins us in the studio to answer these questions and more! MacLennan won gold in trampoline at the 2012...
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What founders need to know about fundraising with Vartika Manasvi and Mike Kirkup
Are you down with O.P.M. (other people's money)? One of Communitech founder members' top questions is how to get in front of VCs. But the answer is often a question—are you sure you’re ready to raise money? This week on the Tech About Town podcast, Vartika Manasvi and Mike Kirkup are in the…
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Public Relations 101 for Startups with Rosie Del Campo
Class is in session with Rosie Del Campo, Communitech's Senior Corporate Communications Manager. Rosie leads our external and internal communications efforts and uses her experience to help founders navigate the ins and outs of public relations. Before joining Communitech, Rosie was a journalist…
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Revitalizing Downtown Kitchener with Cory Bluhm
Don’t count downtown out just yet. This week on Tech About Town, Cory Bluhm, Executive Director of Economic Development for the City of Kitchener, joins the podcast to discuss the exciting developments and ongoing transformations happening across Downtown Kitchener. From the challenges of the...
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Exploring Quantum Frontiers with Dr. Paul Terry and Jessica Hodgson
Going to a cocktail party and scared someone will ask you about quantum technologies? We've got you covered. On this episode of Tech About Town, Dr. Paul Terry and Jessica Hodgson from Photonic join us for a deep dive into quantum information and computing and the diverse careers available in…
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MedReddie's Kara Leblanc and Google's Iran Karimian on Accelerating Startup Growth
When it comes to applying to an accelerator like Google for Startups Accelerator, MedReddie’s Kara Leblanc says you just have to go for it. Kara should know. The startup recently completed the Google for Startups Accelerator and is an alum of the Communitech Fierce Founders program. On this…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Tech About Town gives you an inside look at what's happening in Waterloo Region tech. Each episode brings you a unique view from a founder, ecosystem partner, Communitecher and maybe a local celebrity. Communitech was founded in 1997 by a group of entrepreneurs committed to making Waterloo Region a global innovation leader. At the time it was just a wild idea, but somehow this community managed to pull it off. Today, Communitech is a public-private innovation hub that supports a community of more than 1,600 companies — from startups to scale-ups to large global players.
HOSTED BY
Communitech
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Tech About Town by Communitech have?
Tech About Town by Communitech currently has 53 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tech About Town by Communitech about?
Tech About Town gives you an inside look at what's happening in Waterloo Region tech. Each episode brings you a unique view from a founder, ecosystem partner, Communitecher and maybe a local celebrity. Communitech was founded in 1997 by a group of entrepreneurs committed to making Waterloo Region a...
How often does Tech About Town by Communitech release new episodes?
Tech About Town by Communitech has 53 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Tech About Town by Communitech?
You can listen to Tech About Town by Communitech on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Tech About Town by Communitech?
Tech About Town by Communitech is created and hosted by Communitech.
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