Giants: Legends, Leaders, and Legacies of Vancouver

Nejeed Kassam

Giants is a storytelling podcast about the people who shape Vancouver’s skyline, economy, and culture. Hosted by Nejeed Kassam, our 40 minute episodes explore the people behind some of our city’s best institutions and biggest exports. We dig into the human architecture of building - the pivots, the exits, and the raw mettle that never makes it to LinkedIn. By uncovering the untold stories of those who dare to build, we aim to empower this generation of builders–and the next–in the 604 and beyond.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Sarah McLachlan: The Risk That Changed the Music Industry

    What happens when an artist refuses to play by the rules of an entire industry? For Sarah McLachlan, it meant challenging the status quo and creating Lilith Fair, the first major mainstream music festival led by women, a groundbreaking movement that paved the way for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and her Daisy Chain Festival. With three Grammy Awards, 12 Junos, and more than 40 million albums sold, Sarah has built an extraordinary career defined by creativity, resilience, and the courage to do things differently. Sarah is a giant beyond her music career. For decades, she has passionately championed young people, helping them discover their voices and potential through the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which provides more than 2,000 children each year with access to free music education. Sarah reflects on the importance of staying curious, finding joy, and building something that lasts. In This Episode: Finding her path: How Sarah's discovery at 17 led to a recording contract and a new life in Vancouver. Music and emotional healing: Why songwriting helps Sarah process grief, uncertainty, and personal challenges. Motherhood and mental health: Her experiences with parenting, postpartum depression, and balancing family with touring. Breaking industry barriers: How Lilith Fair challenged the industry and transformed opportunities for female musicians. Redefining failure: What the unsuccessful 2010 Lilith Fair revival taught her about success and perspective. Building a lasting legacy: How her School of Music is empowering underserved children through free education. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Giants 02:11 Sarah's childhood dreams of becoming a musician 04:12 Growing up in Halifax 07:22 Getting discovered at 17 09:49 Moving to Vancouver 12:26 Building lasting music industry relationships 14:02 Processing grief through music 17:53 Motherhood and personal loss 20:02 Taking her daughter on tour 23:31 Opening up about postpartum depression 25:23 Redefining success and purpose 27:37 Making new music after 11 years 30:43 The next generation of female artists 32:04 Creating Lilith Fair 35:02 Lilith Fair's impact on women 36:11 Facing industry criticism 38:39 Why Lilith Fair ended 39:35 Lessons from the 2010 revival 41:51 Building the Sarah McLachlan School of Music 46:47 Sarah's definition of legacy 47:33 Rapid-fire questions Notable Quotes [05:11] "You don't quit. When something gets hard, you push through and keep going." — Sarah McLachlan [11:29] "For me, joy has always been a huge part of the formula." — Sarah McLachlan [17:22] "That connectivity is one of the most powerful things music has to offer because it helps us feel less alone." — Sarah McLachlan [27:14] "If you have power, if you have influence, you have an opportunity to actually make a real difference in people's lives." — Sarah McLachlan [33:52] "When you tell me I can't do something, I'm very stubborn. So I'm just, oh, I'm going to prove you wrong." — Sarah McLachlan [36:42] "What does celebrating women have to do with hating men?" — Sarah McLachlan [47:04] "I want this school to endure and the work that we do to endure." — Sarah McLachlan Our Guest: Sarah McLachlan is a Canadian singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and three-time Grammy Award winner with more than 40 million albums sold worldwide. Best known for songs including "Angel," "Adia," and "Building a Mystery," she founded Lilith Fair, a pioneering festival celebrating female musicians. She also established the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, providing free music education to underserved children and youth. Her contributions to music and philanthropy have earned her recognition as an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of British Columbia. Resources and Links Giants Sarah McLachlan Website School of Music Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn

    Sarah McLachlan: The Risk That Changed the Music Industry

  2. Oct 24

    Bob Rennie: Lessons from 50 Years in Real Estate

    How does a kid from East Vancouver, raised by a beer truck driver and a waitress, become the man who helped sell the Vancouver dream? Bob Rennie left high school three months before graduation, lost $15,000 on his first business venture, and went on to become one of Canada's most influential real estate marketers. Along the way, he helped transform Vancouver's skyline through landmark developments like Woodward's and Olympic Village, earning the nickname "Condo King." In this episode of Giants, host Nejeed Kassam sits down with Bob to explore the instincts, relationships, and decisions behind his remarkable career. Bob shares how he built Rennie & Associates, why he deliberately lost $20,000 a month to establish his brand, and how data helped him navigate some of Vancouver's most challenging real estate projects. He also discusses the difficult decision to lay off 38 employees, why founders can become obstacles to their companies' growth, and what Vancouver's housing market needs to recover. Beyond business, Bob reflects on his 4,000-work art collection, philanthropy, and the responsibility of giving back to the city that shaped him. From trusting your instincts to knowing when to step aside, it's a candid conversation about leadership, reinvention, legacy, and staying curious instead of becoming cynical. In this Episode: [02:18] Why Bob wakes up at 5:04 a.m. [04:02] Growing up in East Vancouver [06:01] The realtor who changed his life [08:20] Leaving school and losing $15,000 [09:18] Learning to trust his instincts [12:20] Selling a house a day [16:24] Why data matters more than opinions [17:50] Losing $20,000 a month to build a brand [21:05] Becoming Vancouver's Condo King [26:08] Woodward's and transforming a neighbourhood [32:05] The Olympic Village turnaround [38:26] Why founders hold companies back [44:09] The difficult decision to lay off 38 employees [46:19] Immigration and Vancouver's housing market [52:18] Art, identity, and social justice [57:35] Philanthropy and giving back [01:10:15] Staying curious instead of cynical [01:11:56] How Bob wants to be remembered [01:12:52] Rapid fire and closing advice [09:18] "There's only one thing you take through life. That's your instinct. You take it everywhere you go. And yet we don't trust it." — Bob Rennie [16:40] "Too many people form an opinion and then find data to back it up." — Bob Rennie [34:34] "If I can get a stick of butter, a cup of coffee, and a prescription, I'll build you a city." — Bob Rennie [38:26] "The founders are the biggest detriment to the growth of a company." — Bob Rennie [45:02] "Whoever gets to the truth first wins." — Bob Rennie [01:10:28] "A lot of people into their 70s stop being curious and start start being cynical." — Bob Rennie Bob Rennie is the founder of Rennie & Associates, a Vancouver real estate marketing and brokerage company. Over more than five decades, he helped revolutionize condominium pre-sales and market landmark developments including Woodward's and Olympic Village. An influential art collector and philanthropist, Bob has assembled approximately 4,000 works focused on social justice and underrepresented artists. He has held leadership positions at Tate Americas, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He also restored and donated Chinatown's historic Wing Sang Building to the Chinese Canadian Museum. Bob is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia. Giants https://giants.fm Bob Rennie https://rennie.com Rennie LinkedIn Chinese Canadian Museum Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn Books Referenced The E-Myth Revisited — Michael E. Gerber In This EpisodeNotable QuotesOur GuestResources and Links

    Bob Rennie: Lessons from 50 Years in Real Estate

  3. Oct 8

    Arran and Ratana Stephens: The Journey Beyond Nature's Path

    What would make the founders of a successful food company turn down hundreds of offers to sell? How do you build a business from almost nothing, survive financial crises, and keep it in the family for generations? In this episode of Giants, host Nejeed Kassam sits down with Arran and Ratana Stevens, the husband-and-wife team behind Nature’s Path Organic Foods. Arran shares how he returned to Vancouver from India with just $7, opened a vegetarian restaurant, and helped pioneer Canada’s natural-food movement. Ratana reflects on leaving India, building a life and business alongside Arran, and bringing financial discipline, operational structure, and people-first leadership to the company. Together, they revisit the partnership breakdown that forced them to start over, selling baked goods from a converted ambulance, and opening a multimillion-dollar cereal factory that could not produce cereal. They discuss broken bank covenants, rapid growth, and why they chose family ownership over acquisition offers. Now selling in approximately 50 countries, Nature’s Path remains independent, while the family continues its philanthropic legacy through a $40 million gift to SFU’s new medical school. In This Episode [04:13] Childhood lessons from Vancouver Island and India [09:26] Returning to Vancouver with $7 [18:36] An unexpected marriage proposal in India [22:43] Building a marriage and business together [26:58] Predicting the organic food movement [29:18] Partnership breakdown and starting over [32:35] From a converted ambulance to Nature’s Path [36:23] A cereal factory that could not make cereal [38:10] Broken bank covenants and scaling challenges [42:06] Why they refused to sell Nature’s Path [47:03] The $40 million SFU gift and their legacy Notable Quotes [06:32] “People are very important in any adventure and any enterprise you take.” — Ratana Stevens [13:56] “You must not see them as workers. You must see them as a human being.” — Ratana Stevens [27:09] “It will be like a tidal wave. It’ll wash over everything.” — Arran Stevens [37:27] “A success is a failure that never gave up.” — Arran Stevens [43:19] “What are we going to leave for our kids? Bunch of money. You want to do that?” — Ratana Stevens [48:43] “If there’s any good to be done, let it be done now.” — Arran Stevens Our Guests Arran and Ratana Stevens are the founders behind Nature’s Path Organic Foods, a family-owned organic food company reaching approximately 50 countries. Married since 1969, they helped pioneer Canada’s natural-food movement and built Nature’s Path from a small bakery operation into a business employing more than 800 people. Their commitment to organic agriculture, independent ownership, and community extends beyond business. Their family has given $40 million to SFU’s Stevens Family School of Medicine, reflecting their belief in giving back during their lifetime. Resources and Links Guests Arran and Ratana Stevens Nature’s Path Organic Foods Moth and the Flame — Arran’s memoir SFU Stevens Family School of Medicine Lincoln by David Herbert Donald Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn Podcast

    Arran and Ratana Stephens: The Journey Beyond Nature's Path

  4. Sep 24

    Jennifer Heil: Driving Change from the Olympics to Silicon Valley

    Can the skills that make an Olympic champion, the obsession, the resilience, the ability to surrender under pressure, be transferred to the real world? What happens when the cheering stops, the medal tarnishes, and you have to build an entirely new identity from scratch? And can a mission bigger than yourself actually pull you out of the darkest chapter of your life? In this powerful episode of Giants, host Nejeed Kassam sits down with Jennifer Heil at the beautiful Cypress Mountain, the very site where she won Canada's first medal of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Jennifer is one of Canada's most decorated athletes, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, a four time world champion, and most recently the chef de mission for Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. She opens up about her small town Alberta childhood, where she was raised with a "no gender norms" philosophy and learned to meditate before it was cool. We hear about the intense pressure of competing at home in 2010, the personal challenges she faced behind the scenes, including a friend's tragic accident that made her hate her sport, and the crushing disappointment of winning silver when gold was the only acceptable outcome. She talks about the physiological and emotional toll of retiring from sport, the "obsession to build" that led her to co-found B2Ten, and the difficult decision to close her first startup, Raya Health. She explains the mission behind her new venture, Revvel, which uses AI to scale the expertise of world class practitioners to support women's injury recovery. It's a raw, honest, and insightful conversation about grief, identity, the burden of being an expert, and the realization that success isn't about the color of a medal. It's about the systems you build and the people you empower along the way. Let's dive in! Notable Quotes[04:03] "I'm super soft and I'm super tough all at the same time... I'm a daredevil, but I'm also very attuned to risk." — Jennifer Heil[10:04] "I think you could actually do that... That was the first time someone outside of my family verbally said to me that it was real." — Jennifer Heil[16:06] "If you are expected to win an Olympic gold medal, you have to surrender to the moment. There is no other way to perform." — Jennifer Heil[18:52] "I see pressure as a privilege. It means I've put myself in the arena to perform." — Jennifer Heil[36:44] "Leadership is not doing, it's not coming in and saving the day, it's not overstepping someone else's autonomy." — Jennifer Heil[51:28] "I don't measure it in terms of destinations anymore." — Jennifer HeilIn This Episode: [01:09] Welcome & Framing: The Human Behind the Athlete[03:43] Small-Town Alberta, Family Toughness, & Choosing the Olympics at 9[08:05] Inner Competitiveness & Believing Before Anyone Else[10:43] Highs, Sacrifices, & Control in Elite Sport[16:27] Mental Training, Managing Expectations, & the Road to 2010[18:52] 2010 Vancouver Olympics: Competing at Home, Silver Medal, & Retirement[22:07] Post-Sport Realities: Physiological Toll & Canadian Athlete Funding[25:56] Transition to Entrepreneurship: Early Startups & Founding B2Ten[31:08] SafeSport Advocacy & Abuse Safeguards[36:09] Athlete-to-Founder Evolution & Stanford[37:35] Raya Health & Gaps in Women’s Health[45:12] Closing Raya & Pivot to Revvel (AI-Powered Reconditioning)[49:25] Redefining Success[51:51] Rapid Fire Questions Our Guest Jennifer Heil is an Olympic gold and silver medalist in freestyle skiing, four-time World Champion, and chef de mission for Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. While competing, she co-founded B2Ten, transforming how Canadian athletes are supported. After retiring, she earned an MBA from Stanford GSB and co-founded Raya Health. She now leads Revvel, using AI to scale elite injury reconditioning for women.  Giants Link Jennifer Heil LinkedIn This Is Victory Podcast Revvel B2Ten Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn Resources and Links

  5. Sep 10

    Christopher Gaze: Gumption & Grace at Bard on the Beach

    How do you build one of Canada's largest theatre festivals out of the wreckage of three failed attempts? What does it take to raise your first $35,000 through nothing but personal relationships and a Canada Council grant? And can a founder's stubborn refusal to quit be the very thing that saves an institution twice, once at its birth, and once through a pandemic?We hear the story of raising that first $35,000, a thousand dollars here from a lawyer, a dentist, an insurance broker, an $18,000 Canada Council grant, and the single rotary phone that took ticket orders for opening night.Christopher talks candidly about the philosophy that's carried Bard on the Beach for 37 seasons: growing organically instead of chasing scale, building relationships instead of transactions, and inviting donors to "fall in love" with the mission rather than selling to them. It's a warm, funny, deeply human conversation about building something that lasts. Let's dive in!In This Episode:[00:00] Welcome to Giants[01:02] Vancouver's failed Shakespeare festivals of the 1980s[03:11] Playing Richard III as the curtain fell on a rival festival[04:11] What those failures taught him[05:39] 1990: an idea, no company, and almost no money[07:54] Raising the first $35,000[09:40] The wisdom behind decades of fundraising[11:22] Opening night of A Midsummer Night's Dream[14:20] Fighting for a seat: closing night of season one[15:31] Organic growth vs. "grow at all costs"[18:43] From actor to accidental boss[20:59] Building relationships that aren't transactional[26:15] April 2020: when the world closed[29:17] The toll of protecting a legacy through crisis[30:45] Confessions of a self-described workhorse[31:21] Talent vs. work ethic[33:26] "Watch and learn": a lesson from a rehearsal room in Edmonton[35:50] What he wants to be remembered for[37:16] Advice to his younger self[37:37] Rapid fireNotable Quotes[04:32] "I never thought we'd fail. I was incredibly confident." — Christopher Gaze[15:31] "I just believed it could be sustainable at some sort of level... this has all been organic." — Christopher Gaze[37:16] "Be confident in yourself. Believe in yourself... and just enjoy your life." — Christopher Gaze[1:12:06] “We can achieve all sorts of things in life. But perhaps the thing you should consider, think about and do is to be kind” - Christopher GazeOur GuestChristopher Gaze is the founding artistic director of Bard on the Beach, Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival, which he launched in Vancouver's Vanier Park in 1990 with a co-op cast, a single rotary phone, and $35,000 raised largely through personal relationships and a Canada Council grant. Under his leadership, Bard on the Beach grew from roughly 6,000 attendees in its first season to over 100,000 a year, drawing more than two and a half million patrons over its history. Born and educated in England, Gaze trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before moving to Canada in 1975 on the advice of his mentor, Shakespearean actor Douglas Campbell. His honours include the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, Membership in the Order of the British Empire, and honorary doctorates from UBC and SFU. In 2026, Bard on the Beach celebrated its 37th season, and Gaze released his memoir, The Road to Bard: A Legacy of Shakespeare on Canada's West Coast. He continues to work alongside Bard's executive director, Claire Sakaki.Resources and LinksGiantsLinkChristopher GazeLinkedInBard on the BeachThe Road to Bard: A Legacy of Shakespeare on Canada's West Coast (memoir)Nejeed KassamLinkedInBard On The Beach Tickets Bard On The Beach EducationThe Road to Bard by Christopher GrazeRobinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

    Christopher Gaze: Gumption & Grace at Bard on the Beach

  6. Aug 27

    Carol Lee: Chinatown, Preserving Legacy and a Calling Greater Than Herself

    How does one person decide to save a neighborhood everyone else has written off? What does it take to turn family stories of resilience into real change on the ground? And can a mission bigger than yourself actually end up saving you in return? She opens up about growing up with her dad, the legendary Bob Lee, a man so kind he’d bring a security guard a tie from Hong Kong, and how that quiet example of treating everyone with respect shaped everything she does. It’s a warm, honest conversation about purpose, perseverance, and what happens when you decide a place is worth fighting for, even when the odds say otherwise. Let’s dive in! In This Episode: [00:00] Welcome to Giants [01:35] Balancing it all [02:08] An ecosystem of people [02:36] Remembering Bob Lee [04:13] Growing up in the Lee family [05:30] The kindest man in the room [06:30] Pressure and expectations [07:18] Working with her father [08:31] Building a village, not a team [10:06] Her grandfather's one-way ticket [11:01] A wartime survival story [12:43] Second-generation identity [13:49] Rediscovering Chinatown in 2004 [14:42] Values passed down [15:38] Teaching resilience to the next generation [16:16] Why "Storytelling Centre," not museum [19:40] Launching Linacare [20:14] A drug delivery breakthrough [22:09] Turning down the exit [23:09] Sophie's choice: Linacare or Chinatown [24:15] The search before the calling [25:30] Falling into her life's work [26:51] Pitching an "impossible" idea to her dad [27:22] Where the Chinatown Foundation began [29:20] The first gala, three months to launch [30:13] The 3-pillar approach [30:52] Validating the idea [31:55] Perseverance vs. stubbornness [34:03] The philosophy of partnership [35:38] Trust as currency [36:38] Addressing the Downtown Eastside [38:16] Building Bob and Michael's Place [40:19] Seeing her father's name on the building [41:53] Redefining success after cancer [43:16] Rapid fire Notable Quotes [04:51] "You learn by example. You don't learn by people telling you what to do. You learn by watching somebody." — Carol Lee [08:03] "Trying to revitalize Chinatown is going to be 10 times harder than UBC Properties Trust." — Bob Lee (as recalled by Carol) [13:17] "You don't realize how important something is until you're at the risk of losing it." — Carol Lee [16:29] "There wasn't any one big heroic figure. It was all these little stories that, if you put them together, created a lot of impact." — Carol Lee [23:29] "Saving Chinatown... you'll leave a legacy for future generations." — Henry Fung (as recalled by Carol) [25:17] "You don't really know how the dots are gonna connect. You can only have faith that they will connect." — Carol Lee [42:26] "I thought I was gonna come and save Chinatown. In some ways, this mission saved me." — Carol Lee Our Guest Carol Lee is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader. She is the chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, which she helped found to revitalize Vancouver's historic Chinatown through a three-pillar approach: physical revitalization and social housing, economic development, and cultural preservation. She is also the owner of Chinatown Barbecue and the soon-to-reopen Ho restaurant. Carol is the chair of the UBC Properties Trust and serves on numerous boards. She has been recognized with both the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, and in 2026 she was inducted into Vancouver Magazine's Power 50 Hall of Fame after 10 consecutive appearances on the list. Resources and Links Giants Link Carol Lee LinkedIn Vancouver Chinatown Foundation Become a member: https://www.chinatownfoundation.org/membershipDonate to their mission: https://www.chinatownfoundation.org/donate Get involved with the organization: https://www.chinatownfoundation.org/work-with-us#volunteer Chinatown Storytelling Centre: https://www.chinatownstorytellingcentre.org Linacare Cosmotherapy IncNejeed KassamLinkedIn

    Carol Lee: Chinatown, Preserving Legacy and a Calling Greater Than Herself

  7. Aug 13

    Jason Smith:  5 Companies, 30 Years, and One Unshakable Love for the Build

    Jason Smith has built five companies, led teams from a handful of employees to hundreds, celebrated an early exit, endured a very public startup failure, and started over with Klue, a leading competitive enablement platform. In this episode of Giants, host Nejeed Kassam sits down with his longtime friend to trace that journey, from mowing lawns and reselling clothes as a teenager to launching his first company after UBC, selling it to TELUS, navigating a failed startup, and gaining valuable lessons at EA and Vision Critical before founding Klue. Jason shares the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship, including the confidence that comes with success, the identity crisis that follows failure, and the persistence needed to keep building. He reflects on the toughest decision of his career, leading Klue through a major AI-driven transformation, and explains why he believes data, not software, will define the next generation of winning companies. Tune in for an honest conversation about resilience, timing, leadership, fatherhood, and what it takes to build and rebuild over a lifetime. In This Episode: [00:00] Welcome to Giants [00:52] Passion and balance [02:08] Early hustles [04:11] Fearless building mindset [05:38] Teaching kids the grind [06:58] Columbus breakthrough [09:02] Riding the rollercoaster [10:52] Youthful confidence [13:11] Exit and money reality [16:30] Second startup failure [19:57] Timing postmortem [21:09] Learning inside companies [24:54] Ownership mindset [26:32] Family year of travel [28:46] Forcing functions to leap [29:31] Volunteering and culture shock [30:05] Off-grid family connection [30:48] Emotional inflection points [31:10] Seventeen ideas and an energy refill [33:40] 500 coffee shop meetings [35:24] Finding the right co-founder [37:04] What Klue actually does [37:27] When co-founder trust breaks [40:55] Finding the right second co-founder [42:41] ChatGPT changes the game [45:42] Data moats and enterprise LLMs [47:45] Refounding through layoffs [54:12] Lessons from the build [56:37] Earned luck and judgment [58:27] Beyond growth metrics [01:01:18] Rapid fire  Notable Quotes [00:09:27] "It's never up and to the right. It's always a jagged line." — Jason Smith [00:17:19] "Your identity does get attached to your startup... So look, when it fails, there's a piece of you that fails." — Jason Smith [00:39:06] "Founding relationships are based on trust." — Jason Smith [00:56:40] "There truly is this concept of earned luck. I think you have to put yourself in the position to be lucky, and it's not just random." — Jason Smith [01:01:05] "I hope that my legacy is demystifying what entrepreneurialism is and inspiring more people to be entrepreneurs." — Jason Smith [00:27:31] “Think like owners. And what that means is you're really trying to see around corners, not just within your own job. You're trying to look at the whole picture, not just your specific slice of it. and then anticipate what some of the problems are and try and proactively solve those.”- Jason Smith Our Guest Jason Smith is a Vancouver-based serial entrepreneur who has founded or helped scale five companies over nearly 30 years. He co-founded his first web company right after graduating from UBC, and it was acquired by TELUS while he was still in his twenties. After launching a group-buying venture and taking on leadership roles at EA and Vision Critical, where he helped grow the company from 8 employees to about 500 and nearly $100 million in revenue, Jason took a year off to travel the world with his family. That experience inspired him to found Klue, a competitive enablement and buyer intelligence platform that has raised $80 million in venture funding. Giants Link Jason Smith LinkedIn Klue Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn

    Jason Smith:  5 Companies, 30 Years, and One Unshakable Love for the Build

  8. Jul 30

    Kristine Steuart: The Human Behind One of Canada's Biggest Female-Founded Tech Exits

    Rejection didn't define Kristine Steuart. She couldn't get into business school. She was never the “cool kid” or the “smart kid”. Instead, she went on to build one of Canada's most celebrated tech exits and she's doing it all over again, with her new company SIX - helping people share personalized recommendations. In this episode of Giants, Nejeed sits down with Kristine Steuart at the SIX offices located in Mount Pleasant, the co-founder and former CEO of Allocadia, the Vancouver founded marketing performance management platform. Over 11 years, Kristine and her twin sister Katherine built a company that raised over 30 million dollars in VC funding and achieved a landmark exit in 2021, widely recognized as one of Canada's largest tech acquisitions by a female only founding team. Kristine opens up and shares the emotional rollercoaster of building a company from bootstrapped beginnings to a million dollars in sales before raising venture capital, and the mental game required to say no to acquisition offers that would have changed her life years earlier. Tune in for a raw, honest conversation about resilience, partnership, leadership, and the quiet persistence it takes to build something that lasts. In This Episode: [00:00:20] Introduction to Kristine Steuart and Allocadia's success story [00:01:39] Growing up in Burnaby and lessons from family life [00:03:30] Feeling like an underdog and developing resilience [00:04:24] The early desire to become an entrepreneur [00:05:43] Starting a business during maternity leave [00:05:56] Building Allocadia with her twin sister Katherine [00:06:02] What it was like building a company with an identical twin [00:09:29] Leadership evolution and becoming a CEO [00:10:06] Lessons from Kristine's mother and a competitive sports mindset [00:12:04] Entrepreneurship, pressure, and leading as a woman in tech [00:12:10] Navigating venture capital as a female founder [00:14:22] Why action builds confidence [00:16:33] Being a non-technical founder in SaaS [00:18:04] Winning the first enterprise customers [00:21:32] Balancing vision and execution as a leader [00:23:43] Ecosystem strategy and partnerships [00:26:33] Building a culture people genuinely want to belong to [00:29:19] The emotional reality behind Allocadia's exit [00:34:54] Relief, identity, and life after selling a company [00:38:58] Turning down acquisition offers along the journey [00:42:09] Vancouver's tech ecosystem and Canada's ambition gap [00:44:00] Understanding the "scale-up gap" in Canadian tech [00:46:22] Rapid-fire questions Notable Quotes [04:42] "I did have this feeling of like, if I don't do that, I will regret it on my deathbed." — Kristine Steuart [13:40] "Women have every ability and opportunity to be at that table, but yet they don't." — Kristine Steuart [49:12] "You know that I have something to offer and my style is okay, and it matters, and it's good, and it works." — Kristine Steuart, on what her 20-year-old self would disagree with Our Guest Kristine Steuart is co-founder and former CEO of Allocadia, the Vancouver-founded marketing performance management company she built with her identical twin sister, Katherine. Over eleven years, she raised more than $30 million in venture capital and led the company through one of the largest tech exits by an all-female founding team in Canada. She previously served as an executive in residence with one of her investors and is now building a new company, SIX, focused on helping brands engage with their customers through personalized human-led recommendations. Giants Link Kristine Steuart LinkedIn Six  Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn The Host Nejeed Kassam is an entrepreneur, investor, lawyer, and community builder. Through Giants, he sits down with the founders, builders, and visionaries who helped shape Vancouver and are building its future. The show explores the decisions, disasters, and defining moments behind some of the region's most influential leaders.

    Kristine Steuart: The Human Behind One of Canada's Biggest Female-Founded Tech Exits

  9. Jul 17

    Norm Francis: Dinner With Bill Gates, Co-Founding the CRM Revolution, and Why Profit is More Important Than Revenue

    What does it take to build a category-defining company not once, but twice? Long before Salesforce, a kid from a fruit farm in Oliver, BC was quietly helping invent the CRM industry. In this premiere episode of Giants, host Nejeed Kassam sits down with Norm Francis, co-founder of Basic Software Group and Pivotal Corporation, to trace a career that helped put Vancouver on the global technology map. They discuss how farming roots in Oliver instilled the self-reliance that shaped Norm’s career, the early bet on personal computers that became Simply Accounting, and what four years inside Computer Associates taught him about acquisitions from the other side of the table. Then came the pivot that inspired the company’s name. When the pen computing industry collapsed after burning through hundreds of millions in venture capital, Norm and his team made a complete turnaround, building Pivotal into one of the first platforms to unify sales, marketing, and customer service into a single customer view. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on entrepreneurship, resilience, leadership, and the lessons that come with building through both opportunity and uncertainty. In This Episode: [00:01] Introduction to Norm Francis and Vancouver's tech history [01:18] Growing up in Oliver, BC and lessons from farm life [05:19] Why curiosity shaped Norm's career [08:10] Building cultures that encourage debate and disagreement [09:21] The origins of Basic Software Group and Simply Accounting [12:07] Why co-founder relationships matter [13:19] Selling Basic Software Group and lessons from acquisition [16:44] Leaving entrepreneurship and discovering Pen Computing [18:00] How failure led to the creation of Pivotal and CRM [22:08] The dangers of growing too fast during market booms [24:06] Leadership lessons from the aftermath of 9/11 [27:13] Navigating economic shocks and uncertainty [28:00] Dinner with Bill Gates and Microsoft's role in Pivotal's growth [31:23] Transitioning from operator to investor and philanthropist [34:47] What Norm looks for in founders and startups [39:02] Applying business principles to philanthropy [40:32] Rapid-fire questions  Notable Quotes [07:29] "Young people need to be adaptable and being curious and accepting the future, not knowing what it'll be, and being adaptable. Curiosity is a really important part of that." — Norm Francis [26:22] "Entrepreneurs, especially when you're wound up in the fear of missing out, tend to procrastinate. You have to trust the signals and make the difficult decisions without delay." — Norm Francis [33:58] "Many business relationships are relationships of convenience. They're not genuine. The investment banker, the lawyer — they need to move on because that's where the revenue is. It's important to be able to read people and recognize what's genuine." — Norm Francis [42:33] "A straight talker who is passionately committed to whatever they're doing." — Norm Francis, on what makes him trust a founder instantly Our Guest Norm Francis is one of Canada's pioneering software entrepreneurs. He co-founded Basic Software Group, creators of Simply Accounting and AccPac, before later co-founding Pivotal Corporation, one of the early leaders in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Throughout his career, Norm helped shape Vancouver's technology ecosystem while building companies, mentoring entrepreneurs, investing in startups, and supporting philanthropic initiatives focused on community impact. About Nejeed Kassam Nejeed Kassam is an entrepreneur, investor, lawyer, and community builder. Through Giants, he sits down with the founders, builders, and visionaries who helped shape Vancouver and are building its future. The show explores the decisions, disasters, and defining moments behind some of the region's most influential leaders. Resources and Links Norm Francis LinkedIn Nejeed Kassam LinkedIn

    Norm Francis: Dinner With Bill Gates, Co-Founding the CRM Revolution, and Why Profit is More Important Than Revenue

  10. Season 1 Trailer

    Trailer

    Giants is a storytelling podcast about the people who shape Vancouver’s skyline, economy, and culture. Hosted by Nejeed Kassam, our 40 minute episodes explore the people behind some of our city’s best institutions and biggest exports. We dig into the human architecture of building - the pivots, the exits, and the raw mettle that never makes it to LinkedIn. By uncovering the untold stories of those who dare to build, we aim to empower this generation of builders–and the next–in the 604 and beyond.

  • 1 Trailer
    9 Episodes

Trailer

About

Giants is a storytelling podcast about the people who shape Vancouver’s skyline, economy, and culture. Hosted by Nejeed Kassam, our 40 minute episodes explore the people behind some of our city’s best institutions and biggest exports. We dig into the human architecture of building - the pivots, the exits, and the raw mettle that never makes it to LinkedIn. By uncovering the untold stories of those who dare to build, we aim to empower this generation of builders–and the next–in the 604 and beyond.

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