Between Meetings Marian Danko

In a recent Between Meetings episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Grantmyre, a Partner at Osler. During our conversation, we delved into various topics, including his role in the community, his passion for startups, Osler's packages designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs, and the reasons behind his move from Toronto to Calgary. Michael also shared common mistakes that startups make and offered valuable advice.Takeaways:Always be more than just a lawyer.I really view my r...

In a recent Between Meetings episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sabina Bruehlmann, CEO at Nimble Science. We discussed the role of a PhD in running a startup, Sabina's unique expertise, her initial experience with startups, and why Calgary is an excellent location to start your business.Takeaways:Any startup founder who is thinking about the salary is not a true startup founder.A PhD does not necessarily make a great startup founder.Entrepreneurship has become significantly more chal...

In a recent Between Meetings episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Dahl, Director of ElevateIP at Innovate Calgary. Our conversation dove into his professional journey, explored the early days of Calgary's innovation ecosystem, highlighted his impactful stint at Plug and Play, and delved into his current role at Innovate Calgary. Takeaways:I am always in the corner of the underdog.Fifteen years ago, innovation was just this little shiny object over to the side.Becoming a star...

In a recent installment of Between Meetings, I had the privilege of interviewing Ken Xu, a Partner at CMC Capital Partners. Our conversation delved into the formative years of the VC industry in China, his experiences at Gobi Partners, and the pivotal decisions that startup founders must navigate in a post-COVID world.Takeaways:Back in the early 2000s, 75% of Gobi's startups were from BeijingThe effects of COVID-19 will stick around longer than we thinkCMC Capital Partners mainly invests in C...

I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Daydou, Partner at EY Fabernovel, in a recent episode of Between Meetings. We discussed various topics, including her childhood dream of visiting the Shaolin Temple, the valuable lessons she learned while running two startups, her dedication and hard work at Fabernovel, as well as the challenges that international companies encounter in China and much more.Takeaways:What kept me in China was the feeling that I was in the center of everything fascinati...

On the latest episode of Between Meetings, I had the pleasure of interviewing Oscar Sum. He discussed his international background and shared his journey from being a dentist in the UK to founding a tech startup in China. Oscar delved into the challenges of dentistry and candidly shared the mistakes he made as a first-time entrepreneur.Takeaways:Understanding science and practical application are two different skillsI sought a challenge and chose a different path than my peers in dentistryThe...