The StartWell Podcast

StartWell
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Conversations with our members, partners and associates - recorded on campus in downtown Toronto.

  1. 6d ago

    How Shopify's Head of Engineering Thinks About His Job And AI - Farhan Thawer

    Shopify's VP & Head of Engineering Farhan Thawar joins StartWell to unpack Sidekick, why Shopify builds its own tools instead of buying them, and how a 7,000-person hackathon and 1,000 annual interns keep the culture moving.

    How Shopify's Head of Engineering Thinks About His Job And AI - Farhan Thawer

  2. Jun 24

    Saud Aziz wants to fix how Canadian businesses manage money — and he's not waiting for the banks to do it.

    Venn co-founder Saud Aziz on building Canada's business banking alternative — from a cold email to employee #5, Revolut's Canadian expansion, and raising a $21.5M Series A from a team of 10.

    Saud Aziz wants to fix how Canadian businesses manage money — and he's not waiting for the banks to do it.

  3. Jun 4

    The Business Model Behind Affirm - An Honest Credit Card Alternative (Wayne Pommen, Affirm CRO)

    Affirm CRO Wayne Pommen on building and selling PayBright, why credit cards are broken, and what Canada's fintech scene needs to grow up.

    The Business Model Behind Affirm - An Honest Credit Card Alternative (Wayne Pommen, Affirm CRO)

  4. May 27

    This Founder Left Washington To Defend Canada's Arctic - Eliot Pence

    Former Anduril executive Eliot Pence left Washington DC to build the defense company Canada never had. Here's why he came back — and what's at stake.

    This Founder Left Washington To Defend Canada's Arctic - Eliot Pence

  5. May 11

    Som Seif on Why Canadians Are Afraid of the Wrong Thing

    Som Seif has spent two decades disrupting Canadian financial services — first with Claymore, one of Canada's earliest ETF companies, then as co-founder of Wealthsimple, and now as CEO of Purpose Unlimited, a platform spanning asset management, wealth management, SMB lending, and retirement solutions. In this conversation on the StartWell Podcast, he gets candid about the mindset holding Canadians back, what's broken in how we build wealth, and why he's more energized right now than at any point in his career.

    Som Seif on Why Canadians Are Afraid of the Wrong Thing

  6. May 4

    Buy a Business, Don't Start One? Steven Wang on Canada's Entrepreneurship Revolution

    Steven Wang, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard-trained lawyer, and CEO of Venture for Canada, joins Qasim Virjee at StartWell to talk about what it really takes to future-proof the next generation of Canadian workers, why the country has an experience gap (not a talent gap), and why buying a small business might be one of the most underrated entrepreneurial moves of our time.

    Buy a Business, Don't Start One? Steven Wang on Canada's Entrepreneurship Revolution

  7. Apr 21

    Teaching Students to Embrace Failure | AJ Tibando

    Canada has no shortage of talent - but according to AJ Tibando, we have a mindset problem. As CEO of Shift Canada, AJ is leading a national effort to reshape how young people think about risk, failure, and entrepreneurship. Starting with students as early as grade five, Shift’s programs challenge one of the most deeply ingrained barriers in Canadian culture: the fear of getting it wrong. In this conversation, AJ breaks down why traditional education systems often unintentionally discourage experimentation. When students are rewarded for being right instead of trying, they learn to avoid risk altogether. That mindset doesn’t just stay in the classroom - it follows them into careers, limiting innovation at a national level. Shift Canada is tackling this head-on by normalizing failure as part of the learning process. By creating “permission structures” where students can try, fail, and try again without judgment, they unlock creativity, confidence, and real problem-solving ability. But this isn’t just about education - it’s about economic competitiveness. AJ connects the dots between cultural attitudes toward risk and Canada’s ability to produce founders, builders, and bold thinkers. This episode is a sharp reminder that innovation doesn’t start in boardrooms - it starts much earlier. And if Canada wants to compete globally, it needs to rethink how it prepares the next generation.

    Teaching Students to Embrace Failure | AJ Tibando

  8. Apr 14

    How AI is Rewriting Venture Capital - Karim Gillani (Luge Capital)

    Karim Gillani has had a front-row seat to some of the most important shifts in technology and finance over the past two decades. From early days in mobile payments to leading M&A at companies like Xoom and PayPal, and now as a co-founding General Partner at Luge Capital, his perspective on venture capital is shaped by real operational experience. In this conversation, Karim breaks down how the rules of building and investing in startups are changing - fast.

    How AI is Rewriting Venture Capital - Karim Gillani (Luge Capital)
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About

Conversations with our members, partners and associates - recorded on campus in downtown Toronto.

Information

  • Creator
    StartWell
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2021 StartWell Holdings Inc.
  • Show Website
    The StartWell Podcast

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