Invested in Our New Reality

Podcast by Invest Ottawa

Listen in on stories about companies navigating the unique challenges and opportunities necessary to achieve success. Ottawa is home to some of the country’s fastest-growing companies that have managed to grow through some of the most challenging years to date.

Subscribe to hear these incredible stories on Spotify, Apple, or Simplecast.


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Invested in the Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda – Sueling Ching

October 4, 2024 | 30 minutes


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play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S14 E2 Invested in the Ottawa Business Community – Matt Holland September 20, 2024 | 19 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S14 E1 Invested in Fine Dining Downtown - Stephen Beckta September 6, 2024 | 22 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E8 Invested in custom software solutions May 24, 2024 | 14 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E7 Invested in clean air May 10, 2024 | 20 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E6 Invested in optimizing solar energy  April 26, 2024 | 20 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E5 Invested in Supporting Struggling Students - Open Door Educational Services April 12, 2024 | 24 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E4 Invested in Rapid and Accurate Cannabis Testing - Ekidna Sensing March 28, 2024 | 20 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E3 Invested in aviation, autonomous, and automotive - Aviation Products and Operations March 15, 2024 | 16 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E2 Invested in the future of tech – Shabodi Telecommunications March 1, 2024 | 17 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 E1 Invested in reducing food waste - The Aggressive Good February 16, 2024 | 15 minutes
play-button-gray-link-popup-podcast S13 Season 13 Teaser: The Ottawa Advantage February 15, 2024 | 30 seconds
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S12 E8

Invested in Designing the Car of the Future

October 13, 2023 | 30 minutes

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S12 E7

Invested in Re-Thinking Transportation (And Everything Else)

October 6, 2023 | 28 minutes

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S12 E6

Invested in EV charging for multi-family dwelling

September 21, 2023 | 30 minutes

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S12 E5

Invested in fast-charging electric car batteries

September 15, 2023 | 23 minutes

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S12 E4

Invested in the Latest Simulation Technology

September 8, 2023 | 22 minutes

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S12 E3

Invested in Investing in Ottawa

August 22, 2023 | 28 minutes

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S12 E2

Invested in the Future of Robotics

August 18, 2023 | 21 minutes

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S12 E1

Invested in Safe and Smart Autonomous Vehicles

August 11, 2023 | 23 minutes

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S11 E7

Invested in the Domestic Nuclear Medical Supply

June 02, 2023 | 22 minutes

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S11 E6

Invested in Data-driven Solutions for Mental Health and Substance Use Care

May 26, 2023 | 26 minutes

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S11 E5

Invested in Improving Home Testing (Among Other Things)

May 19, 2023 | 28 minutes

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S11 E4

Invested in Bringing Person-Centred Care to Senior Living Facilities

May 12, 2023 | 26 minutes

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S11 E3

Invested in Caring for Caregivers

May 5, 2023 | 36 minutes

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S11 E2

Invested in Senior Care That Works for Families

April 28, 2023 | 36 minutes

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S11 E1

Invested in Bringing Patient Care Into the Virtual World

April 21, 2023 | 35 minutes

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S10 E10

Erin Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Symbolics Inc.

February 28, 2023 | 16 minutes

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S10 E9

Mychelle Mollot, Chief Marketing Officer, Solace

February 17, 2023 | 27 minutes

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S10 E8

Sanja Mitar - Talent Acquisition Lead, Noibu

February 10, 2023 | 23 minutes

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S10 E7

Keira Torkko - Assent

January 23, 2023 | 30 minutes

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S10 E6

Pierce Ujjainwalla - Knak

January 16, 2023 | 26 minutes

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S10 E5

Peter O'Blenis - DistillerSR

January 13, 2023 | 30 minutes

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S10 E4

Nia Bruno-Gibson - MASV

January 6, 2023 | 13 minutes

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S10 E3

Alok Ahuja - Trexity

December 16, 2022 | 25 minutes

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S10 E2

Mike Potter - Rewind

December 9, 2022 | 27 minutes

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S10 E1

Martin Sendyk - Lytica

December 2, 2022 | 26 minutes

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S9 E6

Nick Quain: Creating a solid foundation for Ottawa's entrepreneurial ecosystem

August 26, 2022 | 31 minutes

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S9 E5

Kirsi Maharaj: HR in The Modern World

August 19, 2022 | 22 minutes

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S9 E4

WarnerMedia Ottawa: Changing the future of streaming

August 12, 2022 | 17 minutes

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S9 E3

Siemens Healthineers and Ottawa's health sciences sector

August 5, 2022 | 16 minutes

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S9 E2

Causing disruption through gender, race and tech

July 29, 2022 | 20 minutes

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S9 E1

Putting the 'human' back in Human Resources

July 22, 2022 | 16 minutes

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S8 E8

Jean Nabolle: Innovating Digital Banking Half a World Away

June 10, 2022 | 14 minutes

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S8 E7

Pouria Ghods: De-Carbonizing the Concrete Jungle

June 03, 2022 | 26 minutes

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S8 E6

Lissa Appiah: Career Coach Extraordinaire

May 27, 2022 | 20 minutes

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S8 E5

Muna Mohammed: Re-inventing the family business

May 20, 2022 | 14 minutes

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S8 E4

Shanaz Sigouin: High Skies & High Security

May 13, 2022 | 9 minutes

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S8 E3

Diana Gimba: When Personal Experience Drives Entrepreneurship

May 6, 2022 | 28 minutes

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S8 E2

GBatteries: Ultra-fast charging without compromising cycle life

April 29, 2022 | 23 minutes

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S8 E1

Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh 🏃‍♀️ Karla Briones: Passing the Baton

April 22, 2022 | 18 minutes

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S7 E8

Genna Elvin: Small data leads to big opportunities for Tadaweb

March 18, 2022 | 15 minutes

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S7 E7

Darrell Wellington: Why Ottawa's talent base is an international attraction

March 11, 2022 | 11 minutes

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S7 E6

Maxime Dumas: Ottawa’s appeal and the future of wireless telecommunications

March 4, 2022 | 13 minutes

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S7 E5

Cara Salci: How Thales Canada is making its mark on the world

February 25, 2022 | 13 minutes

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S7 E4

Niloo Boroun: positioning Canada as the place global companies want to be

February 18, 2022 | 13 minutes

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S7 E3

Leonardo: A global heavyweight working to close the digital divide in Canadan

February 11, 2022 | 17 minutes

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S7 E2

Kari Simpson: How InGenius Software became the latest local company to go all the way

February 4, 2022 | 14 minutes

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S7 E1

Jens-Michael Schaal: Why Ottawa is the city of choice for North American expansion

January 28, 2022 | 17 minutes

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S6 E7

Nick Quain: Creating a solid foundation for Ottawa's entrepreneurial ecosystem

November 5, 2021 | 31 minutes

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S6 E6

Alida Burke: re-thinking our local food supply with hydroponic systems

October 29, 2021 | 13 minutes

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S6 E5

GameStrat: revolutionizing the way players and coaches strategize

October 25, 2021 | 12 minutes

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S6 E4

Kirsi Maharaj: HR in the modern world

Kirsi Maharaj is the Manager of People at Rewind, a company that builds apps that protect critical SaaS and cloud data. Kirsi joins Shavonne on the podcast to chat about the growing importance of human resources in the modern world, and how companies can strategically adapt to the future of work to cultivate increased mental and physical wellbeing of employees as well as foster equitable and inclusive internal work cultures.

October 15, 2021 | 22 minutes

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S6 E3

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah on creating a more inclusive Ottawa

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is the Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD), a national 2SLBTQ+ organization that focuses on empowering gender and sexually diverse people through education, research, and advocacy. Debbie joins Shavonne on the podcast to chat about how Ottawa’s business community can create truly progressive, inclusive, and equitable workplaces that make our broader community better for everyone.

October 8, 2021 | 20 minutes

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S6 E2

WarnerMedia Ottawa: Changing the future of streaming

Don Liberty, GM at You.i TV (now WarnerMedia Ottawa), joins the podcast to chat about the company’s growth and what it means for the future of streaming. You.i TV, now WarnerMedia Ottawa, is an Ottawa-based technology company that prides itself on helping media companies build better streaming apps and enhance user experience. Having recently been acquired by WarnerMedia Ottawa, Don chats about the company’s transition and what the acquisition means for the future of WarnerMedia Ottawa and the streaming industry.

October 1, 2021 | 17 minutes

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S6 E1

Turning the tables: an interview with Shavonne

We’re turning the tables on our hardworking host, Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh, for an extra special episode. Michael Tremblay, the President and CEO of Invest Ottawa, takes the mic for a one-on-one interview with Shavonne herself. We look back at the many Invested in Our New Reality milestones and guest highlights since its inception.

September 24, 2021 | 22 minutes

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S5 E9

Siemens Healthineers and Ottawa's health sciences sector

Mathias Ganzmann, Vice President of Manufacturing with Siemens Healthineers, talks about the company's planned expansion of its Ottawa, Ontario manufacturing facility. He explains what makes Ottawa the ideal place for such an expansion, what it will mean for the company and the local economy, as well as his hopes that some effects of the pandemic continue on in the future.

July 9, 2021 | 16 minutes

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S5 E8

Lisa Aucoin: springing into digital solutions

Lisa Aucoin is the CEO of Spring: Cheer, Dance & Tumbling an international instructional cheerleading company and choreography business. In this episode Lisa tells listeners about how her business’s transition to digital and adoption of creative and practical solutions helped them leap forward during COVID-19.

July 2, 2021 | 15 minutes

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S5 E7

Cassy Aite: adapting your business in unprecedented times

Hoppier, began in 2016 as a platform to provide healthy snacks to workplaces across North America but recently Hoppier reinvented its business model to account for unexpected changes in consumer behaviour brought on by COVID-19. In this episode Hoppier CEO, Cassy Aite, joins the podcast to chat about how his business was able to adapt during these unprecedented times.

June 25, 2021 | 17 minutes

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S5 E6

JAMZ Drone Delivery: flying into the future

This week’s guest is taking food delivery to the next level, literally. Mohammad Abu-Shaaban is the Technical Lead at JAMZ Drone Delivery, a food delivery service which aims to provide high-frequency fully autonomous delivery via drone drop off. In this episode Mohammad chats about how he will be working with Area X.O to test and validate the company’s very first 21st century solution.

June 18, 2021 | 13 minutes

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S5 E5

Julie MacDonell: uplifting women entrepreneurs and securing capital

Julie MacDonell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Heirlume, an online self-serve trademark search and registration service that prides itself on being “better than the best lawyer.” In this episode Julie shares her advice for underrepresented entrepreneurs, chats about her experience as a business owner, and provides advice on how to navigate the red tape when it comes to business.

June 11, 2021 | 28 minutes

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S5 E4

Canadian Bank Note Company: 125 years of innovation

In this episode Alexander Schmidt, VP of Marketing at the Canadian Bank Note Company (CBN), tells listeners about the strategy at the core of CBN’s almost 125 years of success. From global online immigration systems to lottery tickets, CBN is a leader in creating functional and customer-centric IT solutions.

June 4, 2021 | 29 minutes

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S5 E3

Jessica Lim: Supporting small, adopting digital and filling market gaps

Jessica Lim, Owner of Hippie Mylk, started her business to fulfill a personal need. Living with severe allergies, Lim was struggling to find a plant-based milk alternative that aligned with her dietary restrictions. This led Lim to develop Hippie Mylk, which prides itself on being all-natural, locally made, and free from carrageenan, fillers, and synthetic additives. On this episode, Lim walks us through her Hippie Mylk journey, tells listeners about her experience going digital in the Digital Main Street program, and how customers can support small even when economically strapped.

May 28, 2021 | 20 minutes

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S5 E2

Manny Otero on making Ottawa a leader in biotechnology

Manny Otero, CTO at Turnstone Biologics, uses innovation and science to develop practical and pragmatic clinical research that results in breakthrough cancer technology. In this episode Otero tells listeners about the up-and-coming biopharmaceutical industry in Ottawa and makes the case for fostering biotechnology hubs in a growing tech city.

May 21, 2021 | 23 minutes

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S5 E1

Dimple Thomas on diversity and inclusion in tech

Dimple Thomas, Engineering Manager at Ericsson, discusses the importance of empathy, diversity, and inclusion when it comes to new tech.

May 14, 2021 | 14 minutes

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S4 E8

David Bell: How to futureproof your business

David Bell, Author of Location Is (Still) Everything and Co-Founder of Idea Farm Ventures, breaks down the three crucial steps for future-proofing any business. COVID-19 has meant more consumers are online and in turn, more businesses are developing an online presence, but Bell explains why it’s often still critical to maintain a physical presence for consumers as well.

April 6, 2021 | 23 minutes

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S4 E7

Women in business: a conversation with Jennifer Francis

Access to capital is a major hurdle for female entrepreneurs. Capital Angel Network Chair and SheBoot Co-Founder, Jennifer Francis, is using her lifetime of expertise in STEM to help other women access the mentorship and funding they need to succeed. In this episode, she talks about SheBoot, an Ottawa-based 6-week entrepreneur bootcamp, that helps more women access the tools, network, and knowledge they need to pitch their businesses successfully.

March 23, 2021 | 18 minutes

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S4 E6

Jean-Sylvain Sormany: from start-up to global growth in the world of gaming

Jean-Sylvain Sormany is the President and Co-Founder of Snowed In Studios, an Ottawa-based company that specializes in game development and software solutions. During COVID-19, Snowed In Studios grew exponentially and recently celebrated passing the 100-employee mark—taking them from small start-up to full blown industry leader. In this episode, Sormany explains how Snowed In Studios’ collaboration with Invest Ottawa, has helped them recruit top talent, foster their growth and expertise, and expand globally.

March 16, 2021 | 11 minutes

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S4 E5

Brad Rollo: disrupting the delivery market

Brad Rollo is the CEO and Co-Founder of GoFor an Ottawa-based company that helps North American businesses of all sizes get their products into the hands of customers faster. GoFor delivers any package — no matter the size — locally within three hours. In addition to their speedy services, GoFor has also recently announced that they will be providing delivery services for COVID-19 vaccines across North America. Simply put, GoFor is making waves in the delivery industry and they’ve got the numbers to prove it, this year alone GoFor saw a 500% growth in revenue. In this episode, Brad Rollo gives listeners the inside scoop on the company’s success.

March 9, 2021 | 22 minutes

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S4 E4

Mandela SH Dixon: Diversity, inclusion, and representation in tech

Founder Gym is the first online training program designed specifically to help underrepresented tech start-up founders raise money to scale their start-ups. Founder, Mandela SH Dixon is paving the way for underrepresented business owners to find a path to success through advisement and expertise. In this episode we find out how Mandela has created a community where ALL entrepreneurs can thrive.

March 2, 2021 | 25 minutes

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S4 E3

Impact and intention: a conversation with Naomi Haile

Naomi Haile, intrapreneur, QuakeLab consultant, and host of ‘The Power of Why’ podcast talks about what she has learned about impact and intention and how they play into a sense of fulfillment and a path to success.

February 22, 2021 | 29 minutes

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S4 E2

Spartan Bioscience: rapid testing in the age of COVID-19

Roger Eacock, CEO of Spartan Bioscience talks about Spartan's remarkable hand-held COVID-19 rapid testing technology. Spartan recently received authorization from Health Canada for their made-in-Canada solution but the journey wasn't always easy. Eacock takes us through their story and walks us through the ins and outs of rapid testing.

February 16, 2021 | 11 minutes

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S4 E1

Digital Main Street: Kevin Bourne on music, marketing, and making diversity a business priority

The pandemic has impacted all of us but for racialized and marginalized communities the adverse effects of COVID-19 have been disproportionate. As a result, there has been an increased focus on championing and supporting diverse businesses and entrepreneurs. Kevin Bourne, Chief Executive Officer at SHIFTER Magazine and well-known PR and marketing whiz, seeks to bridge the business barriers that many members of the Black community face — specifically Black artists struggling to navigate the industry — by advising and providing them with a platform to market music, draft content, and build their business. Kevin’s story is one of leadership, talent, and dedication.

February 8, 2021 | 26 minutes

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S3 E8

Digital Main Street: Steve Georgopoulos on bringing small businesses back into focus

Focal Ottawa is a student-led initiative dedicated to promoting and supporting local Ottawa businesses. By now we all know too well how COVID-19 has adversely impacted small businesses throughout the Ottawa community. While Ottawans across the city are working diligently to support the businesses they love most, a group of students took it upon themselves to create awareness about local businesses and amplify their message using web traffic. Steve Georgopoulos, sits down with Shavonne Hasfal-Mcintosh to explain how the initiative was born, and discuss the role that leadership, education, and inspiration play in bringing small businesses back into focus. 

January 25, 2021 | 21 minutes

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S3 E7

Digital Main Street: BIAs and a Shift to Digital

Mark Kaluski, Chair of the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas (OCOBIA), talks about the challenges small businesses have faced since the pandemic began, and how critical the shift to digital is for survival. He explains why some government programs are too complicated for business owners to consider, and others are met with skepticism. Digital Main Street, he explains, is the real deal which is why he's decided to become an ambassador and champion the program.

January 18, 2021 | 16 minutes

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S3 E6

Digital Main Street: Marie Pierre Faye on breaking into a crowded market

Breaking into the food and beverage industry is difficult during the best of times. With the added challenges of COVID-19, it can prove to be exceptionally more difficult. Despite these challenges, Marie Pierre Faye has adapted her beverage business, Faye Beverage, swiftly to successfully continue serving customers the exotic flavours of hibiscus flowers and fresh fruits from West Africa. Thanks to a strengthened digital strategy and a passion for sharing all that her West African culture has to offer, Marie has managed to build a successful and delicious juice business. Marie’s story is one of adaptability, courage, and enthusiasm.

January 11, 2021 | 8 minutes

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S3 E5

Digital Main Street: Justin Assaly of PerfectPRO Painters on taking the family business online

Since the pandemic, home improvements and renovations have been booming. In this episode of Invested Pod, host Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh speaks to Justin Assaly of PerfectPRO Painters about how the Digital Main Street program helped enhance their online presence and streamline their digital assets to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic and beyond.

December 14, 2020  | 12 minutes

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S3 E4

Digital Main Street: Lina Jimenez on taking her spa business online

Personal care businesses have taken a hit during the pandemic, at a time when we could all use some relaxation and self-care. In this episode, we speak to Fifth Ave Spa owner and recent Digital Main Street graduate, Lina Jimenez about how she’s shifted her services and created a more cohesive online presence. She also shares her personal story of navigating her small business during these trying times, and what she believes entrepreneurs should keep in mind when they are working toward success.

December 7, 2020  | 12 minutes

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S3 E3

Digital Main Street: Karen Marcotte on using creativity to adapt to changes

As a relatively new entrepreneur, Good Eats Cafe owner Karen Marcotte has learned a few things in a short amount of time. Leaving a stable career in mechanical engineering to take a chance on a café, she knows all about risks. Having faced many challenges which forced her to shift her business model before the pandemic, she's now navigating her business through COVID-19, Karen’s story is one of resilience, staying creative and embracing change.

November 27, 2020  | 16 minutes

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S3 E2

Digital Main Street: Soloman-St. Lewis on staying sustainable during these times

If there’s one thing entrepreneur Resa Soloman-St. Lewis has taken away from 2020, it’s that nothing is guaranteed and you have to be ready to adapt to change. Learn more about how she pivoted her popular Ottawa restaurants Baccanalle and Capital Fare Café over the course of this pandemic and why she became a Digital Main Street Ambassador.

November 24, 2020  | 17 minutes

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S3 E1

Digital Main Street: helping you future proof your business

Season 3 of Invested in Our New Reality will focus on Digital Main Street, a new program to help businesses reach new customers, build or improve their website, create a marketing campaign, and find innovative ways to boost revenue - all at no cost to the business owner. It's Invest Ottawa and the provincial and federal governments' ways to help businesses make it through these difficult times. In our first episode, Paula Hopkins explains more about the program and what it can do for entrepreneurs.

November 16, 2020  | 12 minutes

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S2 E10

Area X.O: driving the future of Ottawa tech

Invest Ottawa President & CEO, Michael Tremblay, joins Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh to talk about Area X.O, Ottawa's futureplex of innovation and collaboration. Find out how the facility will help Canadian SME's and attract multinationals to our region as well as drive the development of future tech.

October 23, 2020 | 16 minutes

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S2 E9

Komal: developing resilience and investing with impact

She’s an interviewer, impact investor, and resilience educator. In this episode, Komal Minhas talks about how she has grown in the face of adversity caused by the pandemic, lessons learned through the people she interviews, and offers concrete advice for women looking to start their own business.

October 2, 2020 | 23 minutes

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S2 E8

Keeping networks fast and secure: Gigamon

With so many workers shifting to a work from home model, digital transformation during COVID-19 put networks to the test. Gigamon, a worldwide leader in network visibility, analytics, threat detection and response, is helping companies and organizations respond. President and COO, Shane Buckley, talks to Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh about how COVID-19 has affected Gigamon's business and explains why the company is expanding its international footprint into Ottawa with a new R & D centre.

September 18, 2020 | 13 minutes

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S2 E7

The push for a COVID-19 vaccine: VBI Vaccines

Jeff Baxter, President & CEO of VBI Vaccines talks about research being done in Ottawa toward the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and how companies and governments around the world are working together in unprecedented ways as the world anxiously waits.

September 11, 2020 | 20 minutes

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S2 E6

Causing disruption through gender, race and tech.

Ellie Ardakani, an accomplished geoscience advisor and award-winning energy-tech entrepreneur, talks about disruption. How her company is disrupting the way the oil and gas sector uses data, how the pandemic disrupted the company’s path, and how she is tackling the realities of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and an immigrant facing systemic bias.

August 28, 2020 | 20 minutes

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S2 E5

How COVID-19 changed market research.

Erin Kelly, CEO of Advanced Symbolics Inc., talks about how market research changed during the pandemic, how her company is disrupting the way it's done, and how entrepreneurs can use the insights they have to decide when to stay the course and when to pivot.

August 21, 2020 | 19 minutes

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S2 E4

#NavyInnovation.

The Royal Canadian Navy has existed for over 100 years, but technology and innovation remain integral to its survival – and to the safety and security of the people who serve in it. In this episode, Shav is joined by Lieutenant Commander John Faurbo to discuss collaboration and modernization in one of Canada’s most venerable institutions.

August 14, 2020 | 17 minutes

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S2 E3

Sport, concussions and tech: How Neurovine is changing the game.

Ashleigh Kennedy, founder and CEO of Neurovine talks about concussions and how her technology aims to empower concussion patients by measuring brain health and optimizing their recovery process.

August 7, 2020 | 15 minutes

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S2 E2

Howie Kahn, Food for Thought.

Howie Kahn is a best-selling author, journalist and successful podcaster focussed on the food industry. He talks restaurant re-invention & re-opening on the latest episode of Invest Ottawa’s popular new podcast Investing In Our New Reality.

July 31, 2020 | 16 minutes

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S2 E1

Russel Coltess: I am held to the standard of not being able to fail.

Sweatcrew CEO Russell Coltess talks about adapting his business model through COVID-19, his experiences as a black business leader, and what has to happen to truly move the needle on racial bias and diversity in the workplace.

July 24, 2020 | 16 minutes

   
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S1 E7

Cynthia Labelle, Syntronic R&D Canada.

Cynthia Labelle, Vice President Of Engineering at Syntronic R&D Canada talks about the challenges of doing R&D during a pandemic and the key to successful communications during a crisis..

June 12, 2020  | 16 minutes

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S1 E6

Andrea Winter, Martello Technologies.

Andrea Winter, VP, People at Martello Technologies talks about the critical role of HR departments during a crisis such as COVID-19 and how organizations can put the "human" back in Human Resources..

May 29, 2020 | 16 minutes

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S1 E5

Sheena Brady, Tease Tea.

Sheena Brady, Founder and CEO of Tease Tea talks about her business journey, how COVID-19 affects women entrepreneurs, and what companies should focus on now to ensure they can thrive post-pandemic.

May 22, 2020 | 20 minutes

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S1 E4

Laura Mindorff, COO, Wicket + industrial.

Laura Mindorff, COO of Wicket and industrial, talks about the impact of COVID-19 on her companies, and what new approaches being taken now are here to stay post-pandemic.

May 15, 2020 | 15 minutes

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S1 E3

Derick Cotnam, Owner, My Catering Group.

An honest discussion with Derick Cotnam, owner of My Catering Group, about how COVID-19 has affected his business and how he plans to ramp back up when he's able.

May 8, 2020  | 15 minutes

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S1 E2

Kelly Gregoire, TryCycle Data Systems

Shavone Hasfal-McIntosh talks to TryCycle's VP of Operations, Kelly Gregoire, about how the company is helping doctors, therapists, and clinicians reach people in treatment for addiction, substance use, mental illness, depression or trauma through this pandemic.

May 1, 2020 | 13 minutes

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S1 E1

Michael Tremblay on how Ottawa businesses are tackling the impact of COVID-19.

Invest Ottawa's President and CEO talks about how Ottawa businesses are evolving in the face of the new realities brought on by COVID-19 pandemic.

April 24, 2020 | 17 minutes

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S1 E0

Invested in our new reality teaser.

Welcome to Invest Ottawa's new limited-edition podcast, providing honest observations about how leaders from Ottawa’s business community are navigating our new reality during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

“Invested in our new reality” will provide a platform for business leaders to share their experience of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and offer authentic observations and practical advice on leading through this crisis.

April 22, 2020 | 32 minutes

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Season 14 Host

Ottawa-based, award-winning journalist Sam Laprade will return as guest host for season 14. An award-winning radio broadcaster and professional fundraiser, Sam works closely with the community to give a voice to new ideas, tough topics, and philanthropy. With over 30 years of experience in media, fundraising and municipal politics, Sam has created an impressive network of community and business leaders. A Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE), Sam has raised money for important charities in her community over a 34-year period.  She also currently writes a monthly column for the Ottawa Business Journal entitled Philanthropy in Ottawa and created and hosts An Hour to Give on Rogers TV Ottawa and Country 101.1, highlighting non-profit organizations and philanthropy. Sam was also the host of The Sam Laprade Show from July 2021 until October 2023 on CityNews 101.1 Ottawa, sharing information with listeners in her unique style, from breaking news to local, national, and global issues.

IONR Podcast Host Sam Laprade.

 

IONR Guest Hosts

Podcast Guest Hosts

Since launching in 2020, Invested in Our New Reality has benefited from outstanding hosts and guest hosts. Season by season, the podcast hosts have individually enhanced the overall quality and depth of the podcast’s content by bringing fresh perspectives and expertise to each season and by offering diverse insights and knowledge on various topics. Invested in our New Reality hosts and guest hosts have included:

About the podcast

Invested in Our New Reality is a dynamic podcast where business leaders offer honest observations about navigating our ever-evolving reality. Each episode provides a space for entrepreneurs to speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities they’ve faced, arming listeners with practical advice on how to thrive in the future.

Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality

Ottawa is a globally recognized, innovative, and future-ready city and the best place to learn, work, live, and play. A vibrant city can provide access to a diverse and highly educated pool of tech talent, world-class R&D, low business costs, innovation ecosystems, larger markets, and an exceptional quality of life, all of which significantly impact the success and growth of loyal entrepreneurs and companies.

Season 14 of Invested in Our New Reality Downtown: Evolved celebrates the companies that make their home in Ottawa’s downtown and those working to transform and revive the city’s centre.

 

 

podcast microphone and sound beats on screen

 

Funded in part by the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario.