The Founder Mindset
Host Leah Sarich, a veteran broadcaster, talks to founders across Canada asking them, "Why would you do this?" Hear authentic conversations about the human experience of being an entrepreneur. Season 3 is brought to you by ATB with support from API, Artemis, and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.
Episodes
S03|18: The Founder Mindset Season Finale: The Partners Behind the Progress in Alberta's Innovation Ecosystem
In this live finale episode, Leah Sarich sits down with Brian Ford of ATB Financial, Ashley Gallant of Artemis Canada, and Brad Parry of Calgary Economic Development and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund for a wide-ranging conversation about the support systems that help Founders build lasting companies. Together, they unpack how banking, executive hiring, ecosystem design, and strategic inv
S03|17: Reverberating Impact: David de Graaf on Biotech, Cancer, and the Founder Mindset
David de Graaf never intended to become a biotech Founder, but a confluence of circumstances led him from academia into the startup world. A geneticist by training, David shares how financial needs and a desire for more agility in scientific application prompted his shift into industry. He likens big pharma to freight trains (efficient but hard to steer) and highlights the appeal of startups as ni
S03|16: Turning Gaps into Innovations with Natasha Kostenuk
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Natasha Kostenuk, Co-Founder and CEO of Ayrton Energy, a climate tech company revolutionizing hydrogen storage and transportation. Natasha discusses her transition from mechanical engineering to entrepreneurship, her early career in oil and gas, and how identifying a gap in hydrogen storage sparked the founding of Ayrton. Together
S03|15: How Healthcare Founder Sameer Dhar is Reimagining Preventative Care
Founder and CEO of Nia Health, Sameer Dhar, is on a mission to radically change how Canadians manage their health. In this episode, Sameer talks about starting a successful charity in high school, building his first startup Sensassure in eldercare tech, and how the lessons from that venture shaped his newest company, Nia Health. Leah and Sameer explore how proactive diagnostics, affordable subscri
S03|14: Transforming Chronic Care with Loreen Wales
Dietitian-turned-Founder Loreen Wales never planned to become an entrepreneur. But after years of watching patients struggle with preventable chronic diseases, she knew something had to change. That conviction led her to build My Viva, a clinical-grade lifestyle platform designed to transform the way people manage their health. In this episode, Loreen shares how she turned frustration into innovat
S03|13: Bold Bets, Big Lessons: Building Ambyint the Right Way with Benjamin Kemp
Benjamin Kemp’s journey to Ambyint reflects his drive to be a change agent. From global tech firms like Oracle and Xerox to entrepreneurial companies, he’s now leading Ambyint in building the future of sustainable oil and gas. Inside Ambyint, he explains their claim to fame: autonomous control of 10,500+ wells with no human in the loop, combining physics models and machine learning to optimize pro
S03|12: How Nimble Science Is Revolutionizing GI Health with Sabina Bruehlmann
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, we talk with Sabina Bruehlmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Nimble Science. Sabina takes us through her entrepreneurial journey—from an unexpected hallway collision during her PhD to launching companies in spine research, sleep technology, and now precision medicine. With candor and humor, she shares how stubbornness (or tenacity, as her supervisor put it) has bee
S03|11: Building Bold Visions in Renewable Energy with Dan Balaban
In this episode, we talk to Dan Balaban, Co-Founder and CEO of Greengate, about how bold vision and perseverance shaped one of Canada’s most impactful renewable energy companies. Dan shares how he and his team developed the largest wind and solar projects in Canadian history, often in the heart of oil country, and why going big from the start was the key to success. He reflects on pivotal moments,
S03|10: Building Robots and Resilience with Jana Tian of Upside Robotics
In this episode, Jana Tian opens up about what it takes to build a robotics startup from the ground up. As the Co-Founder of Upside Robotics, Jana is on a mission to make farming more sustainable and efficient using small, in-field robots that apply fertilizer with surgical precision. Think Roombas for cornfields. Her company is helping solve major agricultural challenges, from climate change to l
S03|09: From Brain Surgery to MedTech Innovation with Dr. John Wong
What does it take to move from treating brain aneurysms in the operating room to founding a medtech company that could transform how these conditions are treated worldwide? In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Dr. John Wong, neurosurgeon and CEO of Fluid Biomed, to explore this remarkable journey.John shares how his partnership with Co-Founder Dr. Alim Mitha led to th
S03|08: How Nanostics is Revolutionizing Prostate Cancer Detection with Catalina Vasquez
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, host Leah Sarich speaks with Catalina Vasquez, Co-Founder and COO of Nanostics. Catalina opens up about her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, from working in labs in Colombia to moving to Canada and building a biotech company that is reshaping prostate cancer diagnosis.She discusses the origin and evolution of Nanostics’ flagship product, ClarityDX P
S03|07: The Relentless Drive to Build with Impact with James Rockwood
In this candid and inspiring conversation, James Rockwood, the Founder and CEO of CapIntel, takes us on a journey from childhood career dreams to leading a fintech company that empowers over 20,000 financial advisors across North America. CapIntel helps wealth management professionals explain complex investment products with clarity and confidence, a mission rooted in James’ belief that trust and
S03|06: From Science Fair to Clean Tech: Nivatha Balendra on Building Dispersa
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, host Leah Sarich sits down with Nivatha Balendra, Founder and CEO of Dispersa. What started as a high school science fair project exploring ways to clean oil spills grew into a clean tech company transforming food waste into sustainable biosurfactants. Today, Dispersa is pioneering alternatives to petroleum and palm-derived ingredients found in everyday prod
S03|05: Remi Schmaltz on Founding, Failing, and Figuring It Out
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah speaks with Remi Schmaltz, serial Founder and CEO of Brilliant Harvest, an AI-powered help desk for farm equipment dealers. From a childhood of deal-brokering snowmobile trades at 13, to selling his last company to TELUS, Remi’s journey is a study in entrepreneurial instinct, deep industry knowledge, and building lasting relationships. He shares how his
S03|04: Making Estate Planning Accessible and Affordable with Erin Bury
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, host Leah Sarich speaks with Erin Bury, Co-founder and CEO of Willful, an online estate planning platform. Erin shares her journey from journalism school to entrepreneurship, explaining how her husband Kevin's family tragedy became the spark for launching Willful. Erin opens up about the mindset shift that helped her believe she could found a company, even w
S03|03: Building Symend, Overcoming Challenges, and Creating Impact with Hanif Joshaghani
In this conversation, Leah Sarich welcomes Hanif Joshaghani, Co-Founder and CEO of Symend, a Calgary-based FinTech using behavioral science and AI to improve customer engagement. Hanif shares how his entrepreneurial roots trace back to hustling in high school, his time in investment banking, and the vision that led him to launch Symend.Hanif discusses the challenges of scaling, including mistakes
S03|02: Reimagining Healthcare Access: Joella Almeida’s Vision for Pharmacy-Led Clinics
In this episode, Joella Almeida of MedEssist reveals how a simple realization that patient questions are a sign of trust, sparked her journey to radically shift the role of pharmacies. What began with late nights coding Shopify sites evolved into a tech platform that now supports over 650 pharmacies across North America. MedEssist is not just digitizing healthcare, it’s changing how and where peop
S03|01: 15 Hours to 15 Seconds: Transforming Tax Research with Benjamin Alarie
In this episode, we talk with Benjamin Alarie, Co-Founder and CEO of Blue J, about his unusual journey from academia into entrepreneurship. Ben shares how a curriculum reform project at the University of Toronto Law School sparked his vision for a tool that could massively accelerate tax research. That idea became Blue J, an AI platform now used by thousands of firms across North America and the U
S03 Trailer: The Founder Mindset
These are honest, revealing conversations about what it truly takes to create something meaningful. If you want to understand the Founder experience from the inside out, listen now.The Founder Mindset is Sponsored By:ATBAPIArtemisOCIF—Contact Thin Air Labs: Website: ThinAirLabs.caLinkedIn: Thin Air LabsX: Thin Air LabsYouTube: Thin Air Labs Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz
S02|14: Breaking Barriers in Fertility Insurance with Dr. Christy Lane
In this bonus episode, Leah sits down with Dr. Christy Lane, Co-Founder of Flora, an InsurTech company revolutionizing fertility insurance and women’s health discussions. Dr. Lane shares her entrepreneurial journey, from her early research in wearable technology at the University of Michigan to founding Vivametrica, a health data analytics company later acquired by TELUS. Inspired by her own exper
S02|13: AI, Dentistry, and Passionate Entrepreneurial Resilience with Amreesh Khanna
In this bonus episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah sits down with Dr. Amreesh Khanna, Founder of OraQ, a groundbreaking dental AI company. Dr. Khanna shares his journey and past struggles as an entrepreneur building not one but two thriving dental clinics despite having to persevere and rebuild the first after a devastating Calgary flood. His experience creating these businesses, solving problems,
S02|12: Ecosystem Live with Terry Rock, Shelley Kuipers, Amreesh Khanna, and Martin Toner
In this season two finale, recorded for a live audience, host Leah Sarich dives into the critical role of ecosystem support in driving the success of tech startups, featuring insights from a panel of dynamic leaders. Terry Rock, CEO of Platform Calgary, starts the discussion by highlighting their efforts in connecting innovators with capital and resources, supporting over 600 tech companies throug
S02|11: Innovating Access: Transforming Healthcare for Underserved Communities with Amaan Banwait of PurposeMed
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Amaan Banwait, Co-Founder and Chief Commercialization Officer at PurposeMed, takes us through his journey from a management consultant to a healthcare-focused leader with the Clinton Foundation to Co-Founder of PurposeMed. He explains how each of PurposeMed’s brands serve different underserved communities, including Freddie—which supports HIV prevention, Fri
S02|10: From Wrestling Rings to Financial Waves: Jeff Adamson on Building Canada’s Digital Banking Future with Neo Financial
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Jeff Adamson discusses his passion for putting Canada’s prairies on the map by building Neo Financial. From humble beginnings in Saskatoon to scaling SkipTheDishes, Jeff dives into his motivation to establish Neo as a transformative digital bank by building an ambitious team of mission-driven talent. He offers advice on navigating entrepreneurial challenges,
S02|09: Embracing Authenticity: The Journey of Chantelle Little, Founder and CEO of Tiller
Imagine the challenge of discovering your authentic self while launching a business at just 19. Chantelle Little, Founder and CEO of Tiller, takes us through her journey of discovering her passion for marketing at a young age and the early days of building her company from her parents' loft. Chantelle discusses the struggles she faced as a young entrepreneur, including the pressure to overcompensa
S02|08: Rebuilding from the Brink: Turning Crisis into Opportunity with David Lod
Taking the reins of a struggling tech company might seem daunting, but for David Lod, it was an opportunity to build something extraordinary from the ground up. As CEO of VEERUM, David inherited a company facing significant challenges—from financial instability to a fractured internal culture. Rather than backing down, he leaned into the adversity, focusing on refining the company’s core software
S02|07: Building Healthcare for Tomorrow with Dr. William Cherniak, Founder & CEO of Rocket Doctor
In this episode, Leah sits down with Dr. William Cherniak, the visionary Founder of Rocket Doctor, a digital healthcare platform that's changing the way patients access healthcare. Dr. Cherniak shares how his work inspired his ideas, from his time working in global health in sub-Saharan Africa to his role as an ER physician. From these experiences, his primary goal became finding a way to use tech
S02|06: Releasing Entrepreneurial Potential with Jenn Hunter
Leah Sarich interviews Jenn Hunter, Co-Founder of PayShepherd, a contractor management platform for heavy industry. They discuss Jenn's journey into entrepreneurship, the challenges of digitizing workflows in heavy industry, and how PayShepherd has transformed contractor-client interactions. They also touch on the experiences of working in a male-dominated field and the changing landscape for wome
S02|05: Celebrating Small Wins to Maintain Motivation with Megan Leslie
This episode of The Founder Mindset follows the fascinating journey of Co-Founder Megan Leslie’s journey to create NanoTess, a pioneering biotechnology company that is transforming wound care and skin health. Host Leah Sarich explores Megan’s passion for problem-solving, along with the drive and the nagging doubts that come with entrepreneurship. Megan discusses her perfect synergy with her Co-Fou
S02|04: Creating & Protecting Balance Between Family and Business with Kyle Friedman
Join host Leah Sarich as we hear about Kyle Friedman’s entrepreneurial journey to success with his payment platform Quickly. Kyle makes it clear that there’s no linear path to success in business, but when you have a strong belief in yourself and the possible, great things can happen. Listeners will be inspired by Kyle’s resourcefulness and sheer audacity when it comes to following intuition. He’s
S02|03: Building Resilient Care Networks with Chenny Xia
Chenny Xia is a serial entrepreneur and advocate for health and gender equity.As the CEO of Gotcare, she is transforming how healthcare in the home is delivered regardless of your postal code, including service to over 100 remote communities. Having scaled rapidly across the country, Gotcare has been recently named one of Canada's fastest-growing companies in 2023 by The Globe and Mail.Chenny also
S02|02: Surviving the Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster with Nic Beique
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, we sit down with Nic Beique, Founder and CEO of Helcim, a payments company making waves in Canada and the U.S. Nic takes us on his entrepreneurial journey, from his early days of building websites at just 15 years old to overcoming obstacles like losing a key business partner. Nic guides us through the trials and tribulations entrepreneurs battle and why he
S02|01: Unlocking Sustainable Solutions: A Journey with Nuha Siddiqui
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah Sarich sits down with Nuha Siddiqui, the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Erthos, a climate technology company redefining the building blocks of plastics. Nuha delves into her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, the pivotal role of Enactus in shaping her path, and the relentless drive to solve the global plastic crisis. With candid insights, she sh
S02 Trailer: The Founder Mindset
Welcome to Season Two of The Founder Mindset! Veteran broadcaster Leah Sarich hosts all-new intimate conversations with groundbreaking founders about the truths of entrepreneurship. Founders get asked about traditional business stuff like product market fit and revenue all the time, but Leah digs into what we really want to know: what is it actually like to be a founder? Why do it? What sacrifices
Erik Westblom - Provision (Bonus Content)
“Through and through, one of the most competitive entrepreneurs that we’ve invested in, and that’s saying a lot because the bar is pretty high for the competitive average for our entrepreneurs, yea this guy, he will not quit.” —James Lochrie on Provision CEO Erik Westblom In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Erik Westblom, Co-founder and CEO of Provision, chats with Leah about:Why he wants peop
Breanne Everett - Orpyx (Bonus Content)
“It’s been 13 years… and the way she talks about the future, the way that she talks about how the opportunity has never been greater, she’s never been more excited… It’s easy to understand why we’d make an investment in a person like this.” —James Lochrie on Orpyx CEO Breanne Everett In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Dr. Breanne Everett, Founder and CEO of Orpyx, chats with Leah about:Why
Darcy Tuer - ZayZoon (Bonus Content)
“This is a guy, an accidental entrepreneur, with a low risk tolerance - a guy who stumbled into entrepreneurship because someone opened a door for him, and now he talks about it like a north star. He’s got it.” —James Lochrie on ZayZoon CEO Darcy Tuer In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Darcy Tuer, Co-founder and CEO of ZayZoon, chats with Leah about:Why he’s continually drawn to being a found
Nicole Janssen - AltaML (Bonus Content)
“She believes in a future we can’t see. She believes in challenging herself and creating autonomy for herself. She wants fulfillment that only she can deliver as an entrepreneur to herself” — James Lochrie on AltaML Co-CEO Nicole Janssen In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Nicole Janssen, Co-founder and Co-CEO of AltaML chats with Leah about:How she was a terrible employee and what she loves a
Alex Todorovic - Arbor (Bonus Content)
“If you want to hear about an entrepreneur act like an entrepreneur, be honest about what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, this is the one I’d pick out. He’s just laid it bare as a young inexperienced entrepreneur who’s struggled and had some success and continues to fight the fight, it’s a really special episode.” — James Lochrie on Arbor CEO Alex TodorovicIn this episode of The Founder Mindset,
Alice Reimer - Fillip (Bonus Content)
“You could hear it in her voice: I’ve been trained for this, I’m battle ready, I’ve got the scars, I’ve got my team beside me and I’ve already got my plan. Let’s go do it, it’s just waiting for us, let’s go take the hill.” — James Lochrie on Fillip CEO Alice Reimer In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alice Reimer, CEO of Fillip chats with Leah about:why she thinks founders should get some busi
James Lochrie 101
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, James Lochrie, Managing Partner at Thin Air Labs chats with Leah about:what motivated him to become an entrepreneur then investor the complicated emotions he had around the acquisition of his companywhy he continues to support founders, rather than sit on a beach and more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o
Season 1 Re-Release - Trailer
Welcome to the re-release of The Founder Mindset Season One! If you’re ready to nerd out on startups and founders, you’ll want to listen to each conversation host, Leah Sarich, has with the featured founder. Then, stick around for reaction to the episode from James Lochrie. James is an investor, tech entrepreneur and mentor. You can learn about him in his own episode of The Founder Mindset, Ja
Season 1 Wrap-Up
Well that's a wrap on this miniseries and WOW what a response. You know what this means? We're going to do more episodes! Stay subscribed to this podcast because in the fall we'll re-release these episodes with reaction from our Managing Partner James Lochrie... find out why he invested in some of the founders we spoke to, and what he's inspired by and relates to in the others. And we’re startin
Erik Westblom - Provision
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Erik Westblom, Co-founder and CEO of Provision, chats with Leah about:Why he wants people to really understand the stress of being a founder How he thinks about shame as motivation Why he’ll always be obsessed with the bank balance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for
Breanne Everett - Orpyx
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Dr. Breanne Everett, Founder and CEO of Orpyx, chats with Leah about:Why she went from surgeon to entrepreneur How she navigated the premature birth of her first child and fundraising at the same timeWhy the opportunity for impact keeps her going through the inevitable challenges Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information
Darcy Tuer - ZayZoon
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Darcy Tuer, Co-founder and CEO of ZayZoon, chats with Leah about:Why he’s continually drawn to being a founderHow he thinks about rejection What he’s learned from facing several ‘go or no go’ points in his startup journey Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisi
Nicole Janssen - AltaML
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Nicole Janssen, Co-founder and Co-CEO of AltaML chats with Leah about:How she was a terrible employee and what she loves about being an entrepreneurWhat it feels like to learn a major investor is pulling out while you’re on your first vacation in years, and what she learned from that experience How a life-changing diagnosis has made her a better entrepreneu
Alice Reimer - Fillip
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alice Reimer, CEO of Fillip chats with Leah about: why she thinks founders should get some business experience before starting their startup how carrying the weight of a startup can get pretty heavy what keeps her coming back to being a founder, time and again Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle
Alex Todorovic - Arbor
In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Alex Todorovic, Co-founder and CEO of Arbor chats with Leah about: how the fun part of being a founder is the scrappy startup stage what he does to calm himself when he wakes panicked in the night why he wants to hold the reins of his company for as long as possible Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c
The Founder Mindset - Trailer
Season one of this podcast will explore "why would you do this?!" How does one become an entrepreneur, why do they take the risk, how do they cope with negativity, how do they remain resilient, what motivates them and what kind of impact do they want to create in the world? Hear from founders like Alice Reimer of Fillip, Darcy Tuer of ZayZoon and Alex Todorovic of Arbor and more. The Fo
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