2022 Community Report Update

We speak with Shelley Kuipers in the final episode of season 2. Shelley is an activist in business, entrepreneurship and investment and is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The51. The51 is a financial feminist platform that brings together women-led capital for women-led businesses to build mutual wealth and community impact. This includes the Financial Feminism Investing Lab at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Shelley shares how her team to trying to further bolster the financial feminist economy. 

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In episode 19 we speak with Keri Damen, Executive Director of the Hunter Hub at UCalgary. In this role, Keri leads mentorship in entrepreneurial thinking at UCalgary. She is dedicated to connecting and growing the university's entrepreneurial thinking and innovation community to ensure students from all disciplines have the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the next economy. Through this, UCalgary is creating the ventures of the future. The Hunter Hub is also set to host the first Entrepreneurial Thinking Week at UCalgary, taking place from March 28 to April 1, 2022. For more information on events visit the Hunter Hub.

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In episode 18, we revisit many of the incredible conversations we have had on [now innovating]. We launched this podcast from the Office of the Vice President (Research) in the fall of 2021 with the intention of engaging incredible changemakers in our community. We believe conversations with those who have both failed and succeeded in innovation and entrepreneurship can help the next generation of changemakers move into this space with confidence. The idea this week is that we return to some of the best advice we’ve heard from our guests to date. Call it a greatest-hits episode but this is advice worth revisiting!

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In episode 17, we speak with Dr. Adam Pidlisecky, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Geoscience at UCalgary and the Associate Department Head of Strategy and Innovation. Adam is leading the Academic Entrepreneur in Residence (AEIR) program as a pilot opportunity for those researchers in the early stages of innovation and entrepreneurship. The AEIR program is aimed at making it easier for researchers to develop innovation concepts while helping them engage with the broader innovation ecosystem available at the University. Adam discusses what it takes to overcome fears of risk in entrepreneurship and outlines how interested individuals and teams can get involved with the AEIR program.

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We speak with Dr. Craig Ginn, PhD, in episode 16. Craig is a Professor of Metis ancestry in the Department of Classics and Religion at the University of Calgary. His Songs of Justice Project more recently evolved into the Animal Kinship Project. This socially innovative work has taken Craig into the Evolve to Innovate (e2i) program at Innovate Calgary (more information on this program can be found in episode 11 with John Wilson). Craig shares details on how his perspective on audience has changed since being a part of e2i. He also shares insight into how his perspective of himself and his work has evolved since being in the program. Those songs heard on the podcast are Wonders of the Sky and Travel Without Me.

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In this episode, we speak with Derrick Hunter, President and CEO of Bluesky Equities. Derrick is an active champion for entrepreneurial thinking, chairing the external advisory committee of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking and a member of the external advisory committee of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Calgary. He sits on the board of directors for Platform Calgary and serves on the Dean’s Board at the Haskayne School of Business. Derrick's dedication to entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem has been acknowledged through awards like the Management Alumni Excellence Award from the Haskayne School of Business in 2018. He was also named Canadian Angel Investor of the Year by the National Angel Capital Organization in 2019, and Technology Investor of the year by Start Alberta in 2019. Derrick shares his insight into the partnerships between academia and the broader community, discussing opportunities for entrepreneurship and measurements for success in the innovation economy.

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In this episode, we speak with Alice Reimer who is the Site Lead at Creative Destruction Labs Rockies (CDL) in Calgary. Alice is a successful entrepreneur, previously co-founding Evoco which has become the standard construction management system for global retailers including Walmart, Home Depot, and Staples. Alice has also served as CEO of Chaordix, a pioneering software leader in the crowdsourcing and open innovation space, with global clients including LEGO, Procter & Gamble, KPMG, and IBM. Alice was the recipient of PROFIT’s W100 designation as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs and was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People for 2013. Alice shares her insight into what type of team is well suited to join the program at CDL and how these teams should approach the scaling up phase.

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Episode 13 features a conversation with Headversity CEO Dr. Ryan Todd. Headversity is a workplace mobile platform that allows organizations to put the mental health of employees back into their hands. Dr. Todd's entrepreneurial business stands alongside his many other endeavours which collectively aim to redefine how psychiatric services are provided in Canada. He shares his insights into taking on entrepreneurship fresh out of medical school and offers advice gained from his own failures and successes. 

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In episode 12, we speak with Carlene Donnelly who is the executive director of CUPS. Founded in 1989, CUPS works to help Calgarians escape poverty and overcome trauma. The charity's mission is to build resiliency in people through integrated healthcare, education, and housing support. Carlene's team believes in partnerships with government, research organizations, local businesses, places of worship and other charities to strengthen the broader community. One such partner is UCalgary’s Social Innovation Initiative led by Karen Benzies. Carlene talks about the importance of making decisions based on this research partnership.

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We begin season 2 by speaking with John Wilson, President and CEO of Innovate Calgary. Innovate Calgary is the innovation transfer and business incubator at the University of Calgary. Its mission is to help individuals and teams form companies and gain licensing. John shares details of how Innovate Calgary provides intellectual property management, commercialization guidance, technology and innovation marketing, and connections with industry partnership. He also provides insight into two major programs offered through Innovate Calgary; UCEED and Evolve to Innovate (e2i).

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