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 Kitchener Innovation Lab has served as an experimental hub within the Communitech Hub, bridging the gap between municipal government and the local tech ecosystem. Nicole shares her journey from communications to IT and provides an inside look at the upcoming Digital Kitchener 2.0 Strategy, set to launch in April 2026.
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.
Mark joins us on the podcast to talk about the inspiration behind the app, which uses community-maintained OpenStreetMap data to find low-stress, bike-friendly routes, including those secret neighborhood shortcuts and connecting paths that other apps miss.
Communitech’s Isibeal Ryan is in the cohost set to share her perspective on how Cycling Guide addresses the critical issue of confidence when navigating traffic, roundabouts, and disconnected infrastructure.
So, what do we talk about?
The Non-Profit Model: Why Mark chose to make the foundation a charity to protect user privacy and avoid monetizing data.
Community Data: How local enthusiasts keep the map up-to-date (sometimes faster than officials!).
Accessible Cycling: Moving the conversation away from "sport" and toward everyday transportation, like grocery runs and commuting.
Learn how the app is expanding its reach across Canada and how you can support their mission to make cycling safe, fun, and accessible for everyone.
Links:
Download Cycling Guide on iOS and Android
Support the Foundation: cyclingguide.org
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 inclusive community takes work, passion, and boots-on-the-ground leadership.
That is exactly why we're excited for this episode's guest.
Samantha Campbell is a software engineer, a long-time community builder, and the driving force behind Gender Equity Tech Waterloo.
We’re going to dig into her journey from organizing Girl Geek Dinners to launching Gender Equity Tech Waterloo, a new initiative creating vital spaces for women and gender-diverse people in our community, and—most importantly—how we can all move from just 'talking' about equity to actually making it happen.
In this episode, we discuss:
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 to elevate the stories of women and non-binary people in tech.
On this episode of Tech About Town, Dinah sits down with guest host Michelle Engelhardt from Communitech to talk about representation, allyship and why programs like Fierce Founders matter now more than ever.
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 been sharing stories on LinkedIn, from why avoiding a Salesforce integration was the wrong decision to why he regrets not digging deeper into customer insights.
He’s putting those lessons into practice with his latest startup, Elderella, a platform to help caregivers feel less alone and unseen. (You can listen to our interview with Mike and Jacqui Murphy here.)
Open your textbooks, class is in session.
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 Director of Research and Innovation at KidsAbility and KidsAbility Rocket Research Centre, to talk about how his team is rethinking systems, shortening wait times, and showing how innovation can thrive even without a dedicated R&D budget.
We explore:
How play-based launch groups improved access to care
What Intel and pediatric therapy have in common
Why tech founders should think about partnerships with nonprofits
Innovation doesn’t have to be high-tech to be high-impact. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is ask: “How could we do this better?”
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 through how the team markets Waterloo Region to leisure travellers, sport organizers, and business event planners alike. We also explore how tourism boosts talent attraction and community pride, and how founders can get support when planning conferences, tournaments, or team events.
Listen is as we discuss:
The power of “curious combinations” in Waterloo Region’s new brand
Hosting the Call of Duty League Championships (yes, at The Aud!)
Why a vibrant visitor economy helps attract top talent
Bringing major events like esports and Ontario Games to town
Stay curious!
01:03 – What is Explore Waterloo Region and what does it do?
01:47 – Hosting the Call of Duty League Championships at The Aud
02:48 – Kitchener on the global stage with record-breaking esports viewership
03:28 – Upcoming events: National Dodgeball Championships, judo, and more
04:10 – Tourism for locals: changing the narrative of "I live here"
05:00 – Marketing leisure, group, sport, and business tourism differently
06:23 – Canoeing the Grand, St. Jacobs charm, and city–rural duality
07:44 – Agritourism and authentic experiences as regional differentiators
08:54 – New brand: Stay Curious—and how it came together
09:31 – Building a brand that spans cities, townships, and industries
11:17 – What changed: brand personality, tone, consistency across business lines
12:57 – Balancing sport, leisure, and business personas in the new brand
13:26 – How whimsy and ambition work together in brand storytelling
14:47 – Events that attract talent: Call of Duty, Ontario Games, tech conferences
16:18 – Why Waterloo Region is the perfect place for tech conferences
18:04 – The advantage of working with Explore WR: access to venues, speakers, logistics
20:29 – Sustainability in events and hosting carbon-neutral conferences
21:06 – Want to bring a sporting event? Start with Explore WR
22:03 – Hidden gem facilities: Schlegel Park (aka “the multiplex”)
23:02 – Oktoberfest and the magic of holiday events
24:39 – The Mistletoe Trail, St. Jacobs Sparkles, and Sip and Shop
25:25 – Family-friendly Oktoberfest experiences + ghost walks
26:31 – Farmtoberfest makes its debut
27:30 – Wrapping up: why tourism and tech go hand in hand
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 investing in long-term, intergenerational impact: from managing over 420 community funds and endowments to launching new tools like WRgive.ca and GatherWR that make it easier to do good.
He also unpacks insights from the latest Vital Signs report, including Waterloo Region’s dramatic demographic shift, and why belonging and social infrastructure matter more than ever.
We talk about:
The future of philanthropy (hint: it’s hyperlocal)
Why belonging is dropping—and how to rebuild it
What founders and tech leaders can learn from community building
Creative experiments to reconnect neighbourhoods
How to make generosity part of your company’s story
Listen in now!
01:00 – Why trust and connection matter to founders—and communities
01:34 – What WRCF actually does (and why more people should know)
04:35 – From ToastyToes to the Essentials Fund—local giving in action
05:41 – Making it easier to do more good (without needing millions)
06:55 – Mission-aligned investing and local impact loans
07:59 – Introducing Vital Signs and the focus on social infrastructure
08:45 – In-migration, out-migration, and the churn of change
10:00 – Why growth alone doesn’t make a better place
11:48 – What makes social infrastructure work (and what happens when it doesn’t)
13:35 – Vital Signs report highlights: we’re younger, more diverse—and less connected
15:52 – Sarah’s experience moving back: finding community is hard
17:10 – Loose Change Louie’s, cold emails, and the search for “your people”
18:36 – Eric’s “Lunch of Erics” experiment and accidental connection hacks
19:32 – Gen Z and Millennials: half the sense of belonging of older generations
20:40 – Frequency matters: why recurring spaces beat one-off festivals
22:14 – 60% of Canadians don’t belong to any group or association
23:13 – The loneliness epidemic or the laziness epidemic?
23:38 – Is the pendulum swinging back to in-person connection?
25:00 – Examples of small, local ways to reconnect community
26:45 – Who do you trust to pick up your Amazon packages? That’s your neighbour.
27:24 – What is WRgives? And why it’s like civic Kickstarter
30:00 – How it works (and why some projects aren’t even charities)
31:32 – Why WRCF is acting more like a startup than a legacy institution
31:57 – Other ways to get involved (funds, GatherWR, newsletter, ideas welcome!)
33:06 – There’s no shortage of spaces—we just need to find and use them
34:29 – Be the change you want to see… or just start a neighbourhood potluck
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 momentum, reconnecting the region’s tech community, and why Sheldon believes the “return to office” is critical for Communitech’s mission.
We also explore:
Communitech’s shift back to its original community-first ethos
How AI adoption and “AI-native” thinking are reshaping how orgs operate
The importance of global networks, not just local ecosystems
The vision for increasing activation across 10% of the region’s tech workforce
And yes, there’s hummus, lederhosen, and festhallen talk too.
01:47 – Oktoberfest plans and lederhosen commitments
03:08 – Community events and hosting techtoberfest
04:11 – Hosting OpenAI’s Salman Chowdhury in Waterloo
06:17 – Nabil’s hummus, persistence, and bringing global talent here
07:11 – Building network effects vs stopping “brain drain”
08:29 – Why Communitech is thinking in terms of network, not just ecosystem
09:10 – Making Waterloo globally competitive without becoming an island
10:24 – What keeps Sheldon up at night (spoiler: the tension between urgency and commitments)
11:49 – Why “Community in Tech” starts with what’s in the name
13:05 – Reconnecting the community post-COVID
14:07 – AI is top of mind for everyone—from startups to HR leaders
14:54 – How Communitech is adopting AI (and learning from members)
17:01 – First step: documenting processes and aligning on outcomes
17:56 – Internal adoption of AI to reduce “cost per member served”
18:22 – Why Communitech is going back to a full-time in-office model
19:52 – Is return-to-office a model for other tech orgs?
21:54 – Being out in the community vs just being at your desk
23:35 – Reframing Communitech as a movement, not just an address
24:46 – Looking ahead: what success could look like in 6 months
25:28 – Defining goals: 10% tech worker activation, late-stage founder mentorship
28:37 – Using AI for podcast production (and why timestamps matter!)
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 episode, we sit down with Jacqui Murphy and Mike Kirkup, two of Waterloo Region’s most respected tech leaders, who have launched a new venture, Elderella. Born from personal experience and extensive discovery work, Elderella is building tools that ease the invisible burden of elder care, starting with coordinated planning and just-in-time resources for caregivers.
We talk about:
The invisible load caregivers carry
Why AI is revolutionizing startup operations and prototyping
Building a startup that’s AI-native in structure and process
The origin story behind the Elderella name (and its Cinderella-inspired mission)
How Communitech brought this co-founder duo together
This episode is an episode for caregivers, founders, or anyone trying to do right by their parents.
Timestamps:
01:05 – Introducing Elderella and the caregiver challenge
03:07 – Alex’s discovery call with Elderella
04:46 – Caregiving is unexpected, invisible, and isolating
07:49 – Mike and Jacqui’s origin stories and why this problem
09:23 – How they became co-founders (thanks, Communitech)
13:35 – Why leaving the house leads to great ideas
14:50 – Is Elderella an AI-native company? Yes—and here’s what that means
17:26 – A product for caregivers, not institutions
18:01 – Most common pain points from discovery calls
19:48 – Why caregivers feel invisible and burnt out
21:06 – Just-in-time learning for caregiving
22:25 – The need for proactive care roadmaps
24:16 – Navigating elder care with compassion and respect
26:00 – The demographic tsunami that’s already here
27:52 – Building joy and calm into product design
28:44 – Unlocking help from your support network
30:00 – Coordination as the unlock for community care
31:33 – Parenting vs elder caregiving visibility
32:24 – We need all hands on deck
33:17 – Building a throwaway prototype in 4 days
35:48 – HIPAA-compliant infra is easier than ever
36:12 – Marketing from day one: not for splash, but for learning
38:11 – The story behind the Elderella name
39:31 – You don’t need the perfect brand—just start
40:10 – How to sign up for a discovery call
42:01 – Leave your house—good things happen outside
43:24 – Where to find events around town
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 enough, especially in a crowded space or a new category where customer education is critical to success.
Our guest today wants you to know that you don’t have to choose between building a great product and a solid marketing strategy.
Roshni Wijayasinha is the CEO and lead strategist of Prosh Marketing, a fractional marketing firm providing guidance and support to startups and scale-ups across Canada. Prosh is also a member of the Communitech Pro Squad, a curated group of professionals offering mentorship and services to Communitech members.
Roshni shares why marketing shouldn’t be left until after launch, how early brand and go-to-market thinking de-risk your product, and why you don’t need a massive budget to start building traction. From PR hacks and social strategies to AI tools and customer discovery tips, this episode is packed with insights for founders at any stage.
She also shares how her passion for street art informs her creative approach to marketing—and how you can bring more creativity to your startup strategy.
03:16 – What is the Pro Squad?
04:39 – Meet Roshni Wijayasinha from Prosh Marketing
05:57 – Roshni’s journey from Microsoft to Kobo to fractional CMO
07:03 – The danger of delaying marketing until product launch
08:47 – Why beta testing beats early bad PR
09:41 – Funnel vs flywheel thinking in startup marketing
10:59 – Marketing with $0: Partnerships, email, social, and more
13:00 – Choosing the right social media channel
14:40 – Is LinkedIn dead? (Spoiler: No)
16:21 – Using channels in a way your customers actually want
16:54 – How AI is supercharging—but not replacing—startup marketing
19:05 – Paid ads: underrated channels and smarter testing
20:31 – PR on a budget: tools and tactics
21:34 – Founder as thought leader: writing opinion pieces that get noticed
22:27 – Roshni’s street art practice and how it inspires her marketing
24:24 – Bringing murals and creative energy into company culture
25:28 – The one thing every founder should know about marketing
28:15 – Free strategy call offer from Prosh Marketing for Communitech founders
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 professionals for honest conversations, actionable insights, and community support.
In this episode, we’re joined by Selina Miah and Larissa Currah, two of the trio of organizers behind SocialHRCamp KW, happening on September 25, 2025, at Magnet Forensics’s office in Waterloo. They talk about why they brought the global event series to KW, what makes this region’s HR community so special, and what to expect at this year's event, including panels on AI in the workplace, legal trends in HR, and total rewards that actually matter.
Whether you're head of HR at a scaling startup or a team of one at an SMB, this episode has something for you.
00:41 – Meet Selina Miah and Larissa Currah from SocialHRCamp KW
01:21 – How the global event series came to Kitchener-Waterloo
03:15 – The power of peer learning in the local HR community
04:37 – Why similar HR frameworks still yield different insights
05:51 – Reflecting on the last 5 years of change in the workplace
07:37 – HR burnout and the need for continued connection
08:20 – Three core themes of this year’s event: AI, legal, and total rewards
09:53 – How AI is impacting HR beyond recruitment
11:21 – Organizational-wide AI adoption and HR's strategic role
12:47 – Guardrails, privacy, and the risks of unchecked AI use
14:11 – Treating AI as part of health, safety, and change management
15:36 – Generational differences in AI adoption and perception
16:28 – Leveraging students and new grads in your AI strategy
18:26 – AI literacy as a new job requirement
20:00 – Shifting gears to total rewards
20:49 – What’s new in the world of perks, benefits, and retention
23:30 – Aligning total rewards with real employee needs
24:38 – Examples of benefits that matter: mental health, menopause, fertility
25:23 – Event details: date, time, location, speakers, and sponsors
26:51 – Thank you to sponsors, venue, vendors, and raffle contributors
27:19 – How to get tickets and where to find SocialHRCamp KW online
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 needs, and what the 27-year-old organization needs to do differently to help tech companies start, grow and succeed.
Tune in and get to know our new CEO and what's on the horizon for the Waterloo Region tech ecosystem.
This episode is brought to you by Communitech and Elevate IP.
3:21 – Sheldon talks about his first impressions, learning the ropes, and balancing founder instincts with listening.
6:02 – How Communitech’s legacy influenced Sheldon’s decision to take the role.
8:08 – What founders are saying. Sheldon reflects on conversations with founders about economic uncertainty, AI, and Communitech’s role.
12:38 – Discussion on how AI is impacting founders—and where Communitech can help.
14:27 – Why Sheldon took the job. Sheldon talks about bringing founder empathy to the role and becoming a trusted partner.
18:10 – Rebuilding community. Sheldon and Alex talk about COVID’s impact and how Communitech can help reconnect the ecosystem.
19:47 – Why Waterloo? Sheldon shares how his family—and a few of his wife's bridesmaids—brought him to the region.
21:43 – Local favourites rapid fire. Arabella, Public, JLB, Lucero, and date night go-tos.
24:04 – What needs to change? They discuss legacy programs and how Communitech needs to evolve beyond just being “a place.”
29:43 – Acting like a startup. Why Communitech needs to move faster, stay current, and focus on what founders actually need.
32:09 – Back to basics and the power of proximity. Sheldon talks about returning to more in-person interaction and using community as a competitive advantage.
34:42 – Elevate IP Minute. Alexis Conrad shares a cautionary tale of IP lost at 30,000 feet.
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 with Shriaa Sheth, Events & Communitiy Engagement Specialist at the Accelerator Centre, to dig into what makes an event succesful.
Whether you're planning your first event or an established pro, tune into this episode to learn their secrets and what events they're most excited for this year.
01:29 – Guest spotlight: Shriaa Sheth from Accelerator Centre
02:22 – What makes an event successful?
04:09 – Founder-focused event elements & networking tools
06:17 – Measuring attendee experience and post-event surveys
07:47 – Launching the AC Expert Founder Workshop series
08:58 – Incubate + showcase preview (Aug 20)
09:41 – Panels: pros, cons and moderating tips
13:45 – Designing inclusive events (dietary, accessibility, alcohol-free)
18:04 – The rise of non-alcoholic options at tech events
18:56 – Getting the word out: multi-channel promotion & posters
22:17 – Cross-org collaboration to avoid double-booking
23:23 – Favourite event venues around Waterloo Region
27:06 – Tannery Event Centre relaunch & future plans
30:27 – Immersive venues and creative event spaces
34:15 – Unlimited-budget dream events & pub-crawl idea
37:48 – Waterloo Tech Week & September event rush
39:29 – Sponsorship hustle and final thoughts
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 developing a faster, safer, and more effective thromboectomy solution to remove clots to provide better patient outcomes.
In this episode, Kevin and Purvish share how their experience at industry giants like Medtronic helped them recognize the gaps in current stroke treatment and gave them the confidence to take the leap into entrepreneurship.
From co-founder matchmaking on YC to tinkering in a basement, they walk us through the early days of building Sensible Vascular and the long road ahead to regulatory approval.
It's a story about timing, trust, and the relentless drive to make stroke intervention faster, safer, and more effective, because when it comes to stroke, every second counts.
00:43 – Introducing today's topic: strokes and thrombectomy
01:44 – Meet Kevin Macwan and Purvish Soni from Sensible Vascular
02:52 – First startup experience and joining Communitech’s Bootcamp
03:52 – Key takeaways from their first accelerator program
05:16 – Discovering Waterloo Region's medtech ecosystem
07:10 – How Kevin and Purvish met and started working together
08:27 – Learning from big medtech companies like Medtronic
09:40 – Bringing startup knowledge from the corporate world
11:00 – The power of lived experience in gaining investor trust
12:13 – Finding out they lived 10 minutes apart
13:28 – "YC meets Tinder" – on co-founder matching
14:17 – What made them go all-in on their startup
16:24 – Building trust and validating the idea
17:21 – Complementary skills: business meets engineering
18:54 – The role of family support in taking the leap
20:11 – Early physician feedback and validation
21:24 – Let’s talk about the product: a new approach to thrombectomy
23:08 – The need for stroke awareness and patient education
25:53 – Getting accepted into The Forge at McMaster
27:58 – Where they see the company two years from now
29:30 – Canada vs. U.S.: navigating medtech regulatory paths
32:04 – Building partnerships with stroke centres
33:15 – Final thoughts and how to learn more
33:52 – About Communitech and how founders can get support
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 sheets that rival leather for strength and feel, while slashing water, energy, and chemical use.
Stephanie joined us from Montreal to talk about how MycoFutures got started and how the startup is working to break through barriers on its road to commercialization.
Special guest host: Mohammed Kamla
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 logistical weight of caregiving while raising a family and running a fast-growing tech company in Waterloo.
That experience led to Caregiver by Cognitive, an eldercare solution powered by WiFi Motion, software that turns ambient Wi-Fi signals into a passive way to monitor movement in the home, with no cameras, no microphones and no extra effort from aging loved ones.
In this episode of Tech About Town, Taj joins us to share how his team built a privacy-first tool that helps families worry less, the challenges of elder tech adoption, and why Waterloo continues to be the perfect home base for Cognitive’s global impact.
00:42 — Introducing Dr. Taj Manku and the idea of Wi-Fi-powered caregiving
03:01 —The origin of Cognitive Systems
06:40 — From fall-detecting pendants to smart plugs: why ambient Wi-Fi wins
07:28 — “Rise & Shine,” Last-Motion alerts and inactivity notifications
10:17 — Privacy first: starting tough conversations with ageing parents
13:38 — How (and why) Caregiver stays separate from 911 call-centres
15:03 — Two parents, one home: what the system can—and can’t—see
16:24 — Ageing in place with dignity while families “worry less”
17:54 — In-home-care adoption: pricing, installation and industry response
20:00 — Branding shift: B2B roots vs. B2C ambitions
23:31 — Building the “Caregiver by Cognitive” brand with partners
25:44 — Why Waterloo Region is still the perfect global HQ
28:34 — Wrap-up, show notes and where to learn more about Communitech
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 to life through limited-edition plush toys. Today, Makeship has grown into a global business with over 65 employees and more than $20 million paid out to creators, without taking on a dime of outside funding.
In this episode, Landon joins us to talk about Makeship’s journey from its Kitchener roots to the global stage, the power of fan communities, and how his team is building trust at scale with creators big and small. Plus, he shares what it takes to scale, why being scrappy still matters, and how Makeship plans to hit $100 million in annual revenue in the next three years.
00:00 – What do plushies and startups have in common?
01:47 – From $8K to crowdfunded success
06:15 – Superfans know their stitching
09:20 – The road to $100M
13:50 – Platforms shift, creators adapt
18:30 – Tariffs, transparency, and trust
23:35 – Leading through chaos
27:40 – Plushie wishlist and career tips
Visit makeship.com to learn more about the company (and get yourself some plushies). Need help getting your startup off the ground? Visit communitech.ca to learn how we can help!
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 same-day, blood-based cancer screening.
She talks about the challenges of launching a biotech company as a solo founder in Canada, how her research background enabled a breakthrough in early detection and why she's focused on making cancer monitoring more accessible for survivors.
From Velocity to the FDA, it’s a conversation about perseverance, precision and purpose.
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 shares real-world insights on how founders can grow without losing grip. Plus, we get into startup Darwinism, job title inflation and the big question every founder should be asking before going international.
Dave was nice enough to share his show notes with us (and you), too!
3:06 – Dave on scale-up stage companies and growing leadership teams
4:50 – Coaching founders to delegate without abdicating
7:25 – Founders, boards and power dynamics
11:03 – When to bring in new C-level leaders
13:04 – Structuring leadership teams in scaling tech companies
14:26 – Title inflation vs. functional leadership
17:47 – Founder-CEO identity and adapting with company growth
21:31 – Real stories: navigating transitions in early-stage startups
24:17 – Global expansion: founder concerns in uncertain times
25:10 – Hardware vs. SaaS: Who’s affected by global market shifts
27:59 – Testing new markets: opportunistic vs. strategic expansion
32:11 – The one thing many scaling founders overlook