PODCAST · business
The Hard Part with Evan McCann
by Evan McCann
The Hard Part, hosted by Evan McCann, uncovers the stories, strategies, and playbooks of Canada’s most influential founders, investors, and leaders. While Canadian innovators often fly under the radar compared to their American peers, The Hard Part shines a spotlight on their impact, redefining Canada’s role in global entrepreneurship.
Episodes
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Alison Kaizer and Andrew D'Souza
This episode explores how AI is transforming hiring practices, emphasizing real-time testing, new roles, and the importance of human intuition in recruitment. Guests Ali and Andrew share insights on leveraging AI for better matchmaking, feedback loops, and building effective, nimble teams. Alison...
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Max Cunningham from Sesh
Max Cunningham is the Founder and CEO of Sesh Products. Sesh Products provides modern nicotine alternatives that aim to support in reducing and controlling cravings. Chapters 00:00 The Journey Begins: From Vaping to Sesh 02:46 Cultural Insights: The Swedish Influence on Nicotine Products 05:42...
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Ian MacKinnon from Stingray Security
Ian MacKinnon is the Co-Founder of Stingray Security. Real-time protection from online scams, phishing, and fake websites. Ian previously Co-Founded Later.com Chapters 00:00 The Evolution of AI-Driven Phishing 03:57 Consumer and Corporate Perspectives on Phishing 08:17 The Role of Technology in...
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Robert Farlow from Plato
Robert Farlow is the Co-Founder and CEO of Plato. Training Environments for Browser Agents Chapters 00:00 The Genesis of Browser Agents 02:38 Building Universal Agents 05:25 Training Models and Learning Mechanisms 08:02 The Future of Browsers and Agents 10:39 Trust and Error Management in...
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Brent Lane from BigGeo
Brent Lane is the CEO of BigGeo. BigGeo is transforming how the world works with geospatial data. With innovative technology and industry-leading speed, they empower organizations to visualize, interact with, and unlock the full potential of location-based insights—at any scale. Chapters 00:00...
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Ignacio Tartavull from Pinkbot
Ignacio Tartavull is the CEO of Pinkbot. Pinkbot builds robots that make last-mile delivery faster, cheaper and greener. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:45 From Education to Neuroscience: The Journey Begins 02:33 The Shift to Autonomous Driving: A New Challenge 05:34 Navigating City Regulations: The…
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Ben Vinegar from Modem
Ben Vinegar is the Co-Founder of Modem. Modem is your auto-triage Product Manager. Modem turns scattered feedback – from users, teammates, and software – into actionable, living issues. Save time, reduce bottlenecks, and ship faster. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:45 The Future of Developer Tools 05:35…
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Justin Sky from Rose Rocket
Justin Sky is the CEO and Co-Founder of Rose Rocket. Rose Rocket is a SaaS-based Transportation Management System (TMS) specializing in workflow automation for Enterprise and SMB transport companies. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 Acquisitions and Strategic Fit 02:18 Leveraging AI and LLMs in Business...
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Elan Lee from Exploding Kittens
Elan Lee is the CEO of Exploding Kittens. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 Designing Engaging Games 02:49 The Importance of Player Feedback 05:28 Accessibility and Player Experience 08:22 The Golden Age of Tabletop Games 11:25 Kickstarter Success Strategies 13:54 Building and Sustaining Community 16:53...
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Ahmed Nimale from KYD Labs
Ahmed Nimale is the Co-Founder and CEO of KYD Labs. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 The Journey into Live Entertainment 02:56 Understanding the Ticketing Landscape 05:35 The Role of Venues and Ticketing Platforms 08:20 Marketing Challenges in Live Events 11:28 Financial Dynamics of Live Entertainment...
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Doug Roseborough
Doug Roseborough spent his career at multiple leading technology companies including 30 plus years at Oracle. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 Early Days at Oracle 02:56 Oracle's Secret Sauce 05:16 Transition to the Bay Area 08:15 Rolling Out Pricing Models 10:31 Cultural Insights at Oracle 13:05...
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Tamer Shahin and Jerry Chen from Hiro
Tamer Shahin and Jerry Chen are the Co-Founders of Hiro. Hiro improves child health by turning physiotherapy into fun, interactive, movement-based games designed for kids of all abilities. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 Inspiration Behind Hero 02:55 Understanding Therapy for Children with Disabilities...
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Cameron Conn from Champlain
Cameron Conn is the CEO of Champlain. Cameron previously Co-Founded OneComply (acquired by GeoComply). Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 Cameron's Journey Through Industries 07:51 Transitioning to Retail and Learning the Ropes 12:14 Positioning and Pricing Strategies in Apparel 19:11 Navigating Wholesale...
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Robert Saunders from Ownright
Robert Saunders is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ownright. Ownright simplifies real estate transactions with the perfect combination of expert legal guidance, a client-first approach, and efficient technology. Chapters 00:00 Intro 1:40 The Genesis of Ownright 07:14 Navigating Regulatory Challenges...
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Brennan Spellacy from Patch
Brennan Spellacy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Patch. Patch combines technology and carbon markets expertise to help companies build and execute their carbon credit strategies from end to end, channelling capital into critical climate solutions. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:40 The Evolution of Sonder…
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Francois Lafortune from Diagram Ventures
Francois Lafortune is the Co-Founder and CEO of Diagram Ventures. Francois is also a Managing Partner at Sagard and Chairman of the Board at Nesto. Diagram is a venture launchpad building the next generation of global companies based in Canada. They develop and incubate our own ideas, and find...
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Rishard Rameez from Zown
Rishard Rameez is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zown. Zown is a buyer-first real estate platform operating in both Canada and the U.S., built to reward and empower people to reach their homeownership dreams faster. Through their model, buyers receive up to $25,000 toward their home purchase — funded...
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Michael Serbinis from League
Michael Serbinis is the Founder and CEO of League. Founded in 2014, League is the leading healthcare consumer experience platform, reaching more than 40 million people around the world and delivering the highest level of personalization in the industry. Payers, providers, and consumer health...
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Nicholas Chepesiuk from Qualifacts
Nicholas Chepesiuk is the VP of Innovation at Qualifacts. Nicholas was the Founder & CEO of OnCall Health, which was acquired by Qualifacts in 2022. Chapters 00:00 Podcast Introduction 2:00 Foundational Experiences in Early Roles 07:21 Telehealth Surge: Impact of the Pandemic 12:53…
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Derrick Emsley from tentree and veritree
Derrick Emsley is the Co-Founder of tentree and veritree. Chapters 00:00 Podcast Introduction 2:00 The Genesis of Tentree 05:04 Lessons Learned in Entrepreneurship 07:36 Transitioning to Veritree 09:07 Navigating the Climate Tech Landscape 12:07 Project Selection and Impact 14:52 Building...
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Chloe Liang from Cocasa
Chloe Liang is the Co-Founder of Cocasa. Cocasa is revolutionizing travel and property ownership by allowing members to buy equity in luxurious holiday homes from €39,000/10% share. Chapters 00:00 Podcast Introduction 2:00 From Banking to Founding: Chloe's Journey 10:31 Identifying the Problem:...
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Kyle Norton from Owner
Kyle Norton is the Chief Revenue Officer at Owner. Chapters 0:00 Podcast Intro 2:00 Evaluating Companies: The Key Factors 07:38 Building a Revenue Team: Initial Steps and Strategies 11:39 Quality Over Quantity: The Importance of Revenue Quality 15:49 AI in Sales: Internal and External Impacts…
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Benjamin Bergen from Council of Canadian Innovators
Benjamin Bergen is the President at Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI). CCI is a member-based organization reshaping how governments across Canada think about innovation policy and supporting homegrown scale-ups to drive prosperity. Chapters 00:00 Podcast Introduction 2:45 Reflecting on a…
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Nicole LeBlanc from Woven Capital
Nicole LeBlanc is a Partner at Woven Capital. Woven Capital is the $800M investment arm of Toyota Motor Corporation. Their aim is to broaden the group’s global reach and accelerate innovation by investing in exceptional growth-stage ventures. Chapters 00:00 Podcast Introduction 2:45 Introduction…
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Anthony Azrak and Jai Mansukhani from OpenSesame
Anthony Azrak and Jai Mansukhani are the Co-Founders of OpenSesame. OpenSesame is building Cell, an embedded AI agent layer that lets users explore, understand, and take action inside any SaaS product using natural language. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:45 Introduction to Speedrun and…
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Derek Bullen from S.i. Systems
Derek Bullen is the Founder and Board Director of S.i. Systems. S.i. Systems is one of the largest Canadian IT staffing and consulting firms that connects organizations with skilled technology professionals. They specialize in providing contract, permanent, and project-based talent across areas...
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Emily Luk from Wealthsimple
Emily Luk is a member of the Product team at Wealthsimple. She previously Co-Founded Plenty, which was acquired by Wealthsimple. Chapters 00:00 Emily's Journey: From Venture, Stripe and Even. 05:44 Cultural Insights from Stripe and Even 08:27 The Birth of Plenty: Identifying Gaps in FinTech 11:17...
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Matthew Lombardi from The Icebreaker
Matthew Lombardi co-founded The Icebreaker with Jeff Waite and Michael Edwards. The Icebreaker is Canada's defence innovation network, trusted by founders and funders, operators and professionals at DND and the CAF, defence primes, IDEaS, NATO DIANA, and everywhere decisions are made to defend…
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Carter Li from SWTCH
Carter Li is the CEO of SWTCH. SWTCH - https://swtchenergy.com/ Chapters 00:00 Genesis of SWTCH: A Personal Journey 05:35 Challenges of EV Charging in Existing Infrastructure 08:06 Designing Charging Solutions Based on Dwell Time 11:05 Technological Advances in EV Charging 13:49 The Value of EV...
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Simon Hørup Eskildsen from turbopuffer
Simon Hørup Eskildsen is the Co-Founder and CEO of turbopuffer. turbopuffer is a fast search engine that combines vector and full-text search using object storage, making all your data easily searchable. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to turbopuffer 06:46 Revolutionizing Search with TurboPuffer…
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Stewart Lyons from Bird
Stewart Lyons is the CEO of Bird. Bird is on a mission to provide eco-friendly transportation for everyone. Chapters 00:00 Stewart Lyons: A Journey Through Entrepreneurship 05:29 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Canada 08:04 Turning Around Bird Global: Strategies and Insights 11:07 Operating a...
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Christian Weedbrook from Xanadu
Christian Weedbrook is the Founder and CEO of Xanadu. Xanadu is a Canadian quantum technology company and one of the world's leading photonic quantum hardware providers. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Quantum Computing 05:51 Infrastructure and Capital Needs for Quantum 08:40 Raising Capital in...
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Dennis Pilarinos from Unblocked
Dennis Pilarinos is the Founder and CEO of Unblocked. Unblocked brings all the context about your codebase together, so your team gets expert-level answers, no matter where they’re working. Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Dennis 09:48 Building Developer Tools: Challenges and Insights 16:59 The...
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Mark Doble from Alexi
Mark Doble is the CEO of Alexi. Alexi is the flexible AI platform trusted by leading law firms to develop proprietary insights, orchestrate high-quality work, and deliver stronger results — in a fully private, firm-controlled environment. Chapters 00:00 Exploring the Gaps in Legal Tech 05:26 The...
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Stu Szabo from Beacon
Stu Szabo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beacon. Beacon is a new solution built to facilitate smooth transitions for immigrants relocating to Canada. Their Super App simplifies the financial and informational hurdles that newcomers face, offering everything from banking solutions to essential...
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Andrew Ostro from PolicyMe
Andrew Ostro is the Co-Founder and CEO of PolicyMe. PolicyMe's mission is to reinvent insurance for Canadians by merging smart technology with unwavering humanity–driving down costs, simplifying protection, and prioritizing your needs at every step. Chapters 00:00 The Birth of PolicyMe 05:25...
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Kylan Gibbs from Inworld
Kylan Gibbs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Inworld. Inworld develops AI products for builders of consumer applications, enabling scaled applications that grow into user needs and organically evolve through experience. Chapters 00:00 Founding Story of Inworld 05:29 Consumer vs. Enterprise AI...
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Mike Peasgood from ENVGO
Mike Peasgood is the Co-Founder and CEO of ENVGO. ENVGO is a technology company bringing cleantech solutions to the boating industry. At ENVGO, they are making high performance boating clean, efficient, and low maintenance. They are building a future where hydrofoiling electric watercraft are...
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Daniel Wigdor from AXL
Daniel Wigdor is the Co-Founder and CEO of AXL. AXL is a Canadian venture studio transforming world-class research into high-growth companies that shape the future of applied AI. Led by seasoned tech entrepreneurs and applied AI experts, AXL’s mission is to ensure Canada’s top breakthroughs are...
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Zane Hengsperger from Nox Metals
Zane Hengsperger is the Founder and CEO of Nox Metals. Nox Metals is the modern factory for fast, low-cost metals. Chapters 00:00 Inspiration Behind Metal Fabrication 05:42 Current Landscape of Metal Processing 08:20 Sourcing and Quoting in Metal Fabrication 11:08 Geographical Considerations in...
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Andrew McLeod from Certn
Andrew McLeod is the Co-Founder and CEO of Certn. Certn isn’t a background check provider with a tech department; it’s a tech-first leader innovating every part of the background screening process. Certn is changing background screening globally by offering the easiest-to-use platform, checks in...
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Daniel Eberhard from KOHO (Vol. 2)
Daniel Eberhard is the Founder and CEO of KOHO. KOHO is one seamless platform for your money and life. Founded in 2014, they are a forward-thinking fintech company dedicated to financially empowering a generation of Canadians. With a Mastercard and innovative tools, they provide their users with...
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Boris Wertz from Version One Ventures (Vol. 2)
Boris Wertz is the Founder and General Partner of Version One Ventures. This is the second time Boris has been on the podcast; this time, we were able to do it in person. Version One Ventures backs mission-driven founders who are early in new areas such as Ada, Coinbase, Ether.fi, Jobber, Patch,...
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Peter Hass from Stelumar
Peter Hass is the GM at Stelumar. Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing Inc. (SAMI) is a technology-driven company dedicated to revolutionizing homebuilding in Canada through advanced modular building solutions. Founded by Peter Gilgan, one of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs and the founder of Mattamy...
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Kevin Jia from Quoted Tech Computers
Kevin Jia is the Co-Founder of Quoted Tech Computers. Founded in 2023, Quoted Tech was founded by two tech enthusiasts with a clear vision to change the world of hardware. Quoted Tech has served over 10,000 customers across the country and is on track to hit $10M in revenue, completely...
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Philippe-Antoine Lehoux from Missive
Philippe-Antoine Lehoux is the CEO of Missive. Missive is a shared inbox & team chat solution used by thousands of businesses worldwide. Phil discusses his journey in bootstrapping businesses, emphasizing the importance of a customer-first approach, team dynamics, and the impact of AI on...
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Chris Samra from Waves
My conversation with Chris Samra! Chris is building Waves, camera glasses for Creators, which are launching this week! We discussed the evolving landscape of content creation, the future of wearable technology, and the importance of user experience in hardware design. Timestamps 02:40 - The…
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Jack Newton from Clio
Jack Newton is the Founder and CEO of Clio. Clio is the world's leading provider of cloud-based legal technology, providing lawyers with low-barrier, affordable solutions to manage and grow their firms more effectively, more profitably, and with better client experiences. Their products redefine...
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Tuner Novak from Banana Capital
Tuner Novak from Banana Capital. Banana Capital is a Pre-Seed/Seed fund, and Turner also hosts The Peel Pod. Supporters Float Bloom SR&ED VanHack Timestamps 02:40 - Canadian Roots and Identity 07:36 - The Future of Media and Content Creation 10:10 - The Importance of Distribution in Venture…
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James Clift from Durable
James Clift is the Founder and CEO of Durable. Durable makes owning a business easier than having a job. We’re building the world’s fastest AI website builder and all-in-one business platform, so anyone can launch online in seconds and grow with powerful AI tools. Over 10 million websites...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Hard Part, hosted by Evan McCann, uncovers the stories, strategies, and playbooks of Canada’s most influential founders, investors, and leaders. While Canadian innovators often fly under the radar compared to their American peers, The Hard Part shines a spotlight on their impact, redefining Canada’s role in global entrepreneurship.
HOSTED BY
Evan McCann
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Hard Part with Evan McCann have?
The Hard Part with Evan McCann currently has 367 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Hard Part with Evan McCann about?
The Hard Part, hosted by Evan McCann, uncovers the stories, strategies, and playbooks of Canada’s most influential founders, investors, and leaders. While Canadian innovators often fly under the radar compared to their American peers, The Hard Part shines a spotlight on their impact, redefining...
How often does The Hard Part with Evan McCann release new episodes?
The Hard Part with Evan McCann publishes regularly with 367 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Hard Part with Evan McCann?
You can listen to The Hard Part with Evan McCann 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 The Hard Part with Evan McCann?
The Hard Part with Evan McCann is created and hosted by Evan McCann.
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