The Entrepreneurs

Stuart McNish
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A new show and online series, set to change the way we see and appreciate the women and men who drive our economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Oct 28

    15 | How Kumaran Thillainadarajah built SmartSkin Technologies

    He never wanted to be an entrepreneur. “The first time I heard of the idea of an entrepreneur, I thought who would want that!” Well, ultimately he did. He kept winning contests for his nano infused rubber and one of the prizes – $60,000 – was only payable to a company. His hand was forced. He had to incorporate or forego the money. He almost didn’t do it. But then he did and his invention went on to revolutionize the way bottling and packaging companies maintain their production lines. Today, SmartSkin employs more than 80 people – and growing. Kumaran says, “The thing I learned was that when opportunity knocks, open the door.” --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 | How Kumaran Thillainadarajah built SmartSkin Technologies

  2. Oct 14

    14 | How Adam Harris built C-Therm

    C-Therm was pegged to be a billion-dollar company when it emerged from a lab at the University of New Brunswick. Investor money poured in. The sky was the limit – but then it wasn’t. In fact, it crashed. A Halifax entrepreneur picked up the pieces and called Adam Harris, who had lost his job when the company crashed, and said, “Want to do it over, but this time from the ground up?” Adam knew the potential. He set aside any concern he had about investing himself in a redo and went to work. That was 20 years ago. Today, C-Thern is an industry leader and disrupter in the world of thermal conductivity. It also stands as a model of slow and thoughtful growth. Adam Harris is a masterclass in building a company that listens to its customers and builds the products and services they need. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 | How Adam Harris built C-Therm

  3. Sep 30

    13 | How Anthony von Mandl built Mark Anthony Group

    It started in the trunk of his car. Anthony von Mandl had a dream of turning British Columbia into a world class centre of excellence in wine. At the time, he says, “No one in BC was drinking wine and the wine produced in BC wasn’t that good.” He was 19 and he set his sights on changing all of that. He was renting a shoebox office for $29.95 per month and there were months that he couldn’t afford the rent. There were dark days along the way – dark days that pushed him to find new ways of producing and marketing fermented beverages from BC. His story is the story of the rollercoaster ride entrepreneurs live everyday. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 | How Anthony von Mandl built Mark Anthony Group

  4. Sep 16

    12 | How Jennifer Denouden built Avana

    Jennifer Denouden loved being a private wealth agent. “I really liked the feeling of helping other people realize their financial goals,” she says. “I would have done that work for my entire career except that life got in the way.” She gave birth to her first child and returned to work, only to learn she would be welcoming her second child into the family. While on maternity leave, she and her husband were looking at investing in property. The plan was to buy a lot, have a house built, and then rent it out. The cost of construction was more than Jennifer anticipated if they had hired a contractor. “So I thought, let’s do it ourselves – how hard can it be? People build houses all the time.” So she, her husband, and two other family members teamed up to build that home. That led to another home and then another and another. In other words, they were doing well. But why were they growing? What was their purpose? “I wanted to go back to work that was of benefit to others, so we decided the mission of our company was to build and rent quality housing in quality neighbourhoods for marginalized women – those with lower paying jobs and or women [who] needed a safe place following a bad relationship.” --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 | How Jennifer Denouden built Avana

  5. Sep 2

    11 | How Barry Lapointe built KF Aerospace

    According to Don Bell, the co-founder of WestJet, “It’s pretty easy to lose money in aviation but Barry came up with a magic formula.” Barry Lapointe loved airplanes, going back to his earliest memories in life – just loved them. He earned his pilot’s license before he got his driver’s license. He then became a flight instructor and then an airplane mechanic. “I figured if I could teach people to fly, then they’d want an airplane, which I’d sell to them, and then I’d look after it for them,” says Lapointe. Sounds simple. Well, sure, if you’re willing to take the risk of opening a flying operation in the Okanagan in the early 1970s. To do so, you have to be willing to take risks. According to Barry, “You spell entrepreneur, ‘RISK’.” And that willingness to take risks led to a middle-of-the-night phone call that changed his life and the future of his business. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 | How Barry Lapointe built KF Aerospace

  6. Aug 19

    10 | How John Neate built JJ Bean

    Back in the late 1990s, John Neate had a brilliant idea: “Why not open a coffee shop and take on Starbucks?”  “Why would you!?” is the question that comes to mind. John’s answer: “Well, I’m competitive.”  John looked at the landscape of available coffee locations and picked the east side of the east side of Vancouver. A place with a tough reputation. Why make it easy when you can do it the hard way? With the location picked, what would make JJ Bean stand out from the competition? Espresso – great espresso – would define the brand. Espresso that, he insisted, you drank in a porcelain cup in the coffee shop. “If we could get diehard espresso lovers to love our coffee, then they would tell their friends and they would tell their friends and so on.” It’s a philosophy that percolates into every aspect of the business. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 | How John Neate built JJ Bean

  7. Aug 5

    09 | How Ash Modha built Mondetta

    When Ash Modha was 16, he decided that he no longer wanted to work for his mother’s photo studio. He wanted to run his own business – his own clothing business. He, his brother, his lifelong friend, and uncle banded together and started experimenting with one clothing item after another. It was a slow start. “We set up a pushcart kiosk at Grand Beach at Lake Winnipeg selling T-shirts. It was slow, so we hired skateboarders to draw attention.” It worked. They experimented with beach jams and sweatsuits. They pivoted from one type of clothing to another, to another. Mondetta was born. It soared, it sagged, it rose again, and sagged. Over the past 40 years, Ash and the team have pivoted and pivoted again to ensure they would survive and thrive. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    09 | How Ash Modha built Mondetta

  8. Jul 21

    08 | How Cheryl Zealand built Cranked Energy

    Cheryl Zealand is an accountant – a really good one. She’s also a mother – a really good one. And she’s an athlete – a really good one. Oh – and she pays close attention to the quality of food that she consumes. As an athlete, she loved the convenience of energy bars but not the ingredients in those bars. That led her to making them for herself and her family. Over the years – yes, years – her recipes got better and better. Her family loved them and friends loved them and one day, a juice bar asked to buy some so they could sell them. Reluctantly, Cheryl decided to make a few for the juice bar. Guess what – they were a hit and then more orders came in from more and more stores and cafes that wanted to sell them. But to make more and sell more, she would need to invest in a commercial quality kitchen. That’s a big decision for someone who had no intention of running a food business. --- The Entrepreneurs is a show that features the imaginative, innovative drivers of our economy. For more, see our website at www.theentrepreneurs.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    08 | How Cheryl Zealand built Cranked Energy
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About

A new show and online series, set to change the way we see and appreciate the women and men who drive our economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Stuart McNish
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Oh Boy Productions
  • Show Website
    The Entrepreneurs