Why building great ecosystems is even more important today with Chris Heivly

I had the chance to talk with  co-founders Megan Leslie and Julian Mulia about their work with Nanotess and their entrepreneurial journey while we are at Inventures 2023 this past May.

We dive into Nanotess 101, what it means and what they do and then we're right into discussing how Nanotess became certified as a manufacturer of medical devices with subsequent approval from Health Canada in an incredible two year time span.

Megan and Julian are very easy to talk to and are open in explaining their experiences as a young couple running an innovative company. We speak about using values and communication to guide the company in making decisions and much more!

Welcome to Shift!

Bios
Megan Leslie – Co-Founder & CEO of NanoTess Inc

Megan holds two degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Finance. At NanoTess, Megan has led the company to achieve numerous critical milestones. Notably, oversubscribing NanoTess’ pre-seed and seed financing rounds, winning several pitch competitions and awards including Startup Canada’s global pitch competition in the scale up category, REHAB i2c pitch competition and the Start Alberta A100 One to Watch, securing funding from federal, provincial, and military sources, completing a successful project with the Canadian Department of National Defense, certifying NanoTess’ ISO13485/MDSAP quality management system for medical device manufacturing, and obtaining Health Canada approval for NanoTess’ flagship product - NANOSALV Catalytic Advanced Wound Care Treatment Matrix.

Julian Mulia – Co-Founder & COO of NanoTess Inc

As an engineer by training, Julian has worked as a management consultant, advising Fortune 500 C-Suite clients on Strategy, Operations, and establishing their innovation ecosystems and intrapreneurship practices. As a co-founder of NanoTess, Julian has led several critical milestones including securing dilutive and non-dilutive funding, establishing both an R&D laboratory and a production facility for NanoTess, developing scalable supply chain partnerships for equipment and materials to avoid delays associated with scaling production quickly, and securing several key business development partnerships with clinicians, health care organizations, and multi-national companies to help grow and scale NanoTess and its technology.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

Sacred Science brings together Indigenous knowledge and western science to create opportunities for new solutions to environmental challenges, including issues that are important to Indigenous People.

For this edition of Shift, I had the chance to sit with Alvin First Rider and talk about the Blood Tribe's Buffalo Restoration Project. We were joined by Emily Herdman from InnoTech Alberta and Brett Purdy from Alberta Innovates.

Alvin is a member of the Káínawa, or Blood Tribe,  in southern Alberta. Extending into US territory, these lands form the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Alvin speaks about his nation's use western science alongside Indigenous Knowledge to bring buffalo back to their historical plains.

We discuss the importance of restoring this iconic animal as part of an intertribal effort to restore the great plains ecosystem and to reclaim the traditions of the Indigenous peoples who have occupied these lands since time immemorial.

The Sacred Science video series, developed in collaboration with Indigenous communities in Alberta, Alberta Innovates and InnoTech Alberta, tells the stories of how these communities are leveraging Indigenous knowledge in tandem with western science to tackle complex conservation and land management challenges that impact all of us and to preserve their cultures.

These videos demonstrate successful collaboration between Indigenous communities and natural scientists that create meaningful impact and demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation, particularly in the natural sciences.
 
You can see all three videos here.

Bios

Alvin First Rider, Environmental Technician, Blood Tribe Land Management

Alvin is a member of the Blood Tribe of Southern Alberta and a descendant of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana both of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Alvin works as a environmental technician with Blood Tribe Land management.

He's been an advocate for the voiceless flora and fauna of Blackfoot Territory, and for traditional use land management practice such as bison, cultural burning, beaver restoration from a Blackfoot perspective.

Emily Herdman, Technical Lead, InnoTech Alberta

Emily is the Supervisor of Integration and Sector Alignment for the Environmental Services division at InnoTech Alberta. She supports project development and implementation in Environmental Impacts and Biodiversity Monitoring, while also nurturing strong relationships with key partners and progressing strategic planning for priority areas.

Bringing the right people together to solve complex client problems is what Emily enjoys most about her job. Her projects have included Indigenous communities, industry, academic, government, and regulators, reflecting her broad network and focus on collaborative approaches to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Brett Purdy, Executive Director of Environmental Innovation, Alberta Innovates

Brett is the Executive Director of Environmental Innovation at Alberta Innovates. In this position, Brett works with a talented team responsible for a supporting research and innovation in the areas of integrated land management, restoration and reclamation, climate adaptation and sustainable water resource management. 

Brett has worked in government and academic institutions as a reclamation research scientist, and has conducted research in reclamation, forest ecology, conservation biology, and population genetics and taught university courses in forestry and conservation. 

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

I had a chance to sit down with Ian Beacraft, an engaging, energetic and creative visual presenter, while at Inventures recently. Ian had flown in from Chicago and was providing one of the keynotes the day we got to chat.

Ian is very well versed in artificial intelligence. He understands the nuances, the concerns and the opportunities. He was willing to go down any rabbit hole I wanted to explore and I feel it made for a great conversation.

Don't take my word for it, though. Dive in for yourself!

Welcome to Shift.

Bio
Ian Beacraft, CEO and Chief Futurist, Signal and Cipher 

Considered one of the top voices in emerging technologies, Ian Beacraft is a trusted advisor to the world's most innovative companies. The founder and chief futurist of Signal and Cipher, Ian leads a strategic foresight agency that guides companies through the rapidly changing technology landscape and finds meaningful routes to innovation that impact the bottom line, inspire cultural change, and create new products and services. 

Previously responsible for P&Ls and innovation departments at the largest agencies in the world, Ian is known for making bleeding-edge technology understandable and monetizable. Brands he has advised over the last decade include Samsung, Intel, Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, Nike, and dozens more.

Ian has pioneered a digitally immersive presentation style that brings artificial intelligence and extended reality to life so audiences can understand the future of technology in actionable ways. Ian is also the co-owner of a production studio designing virtual worlds and the first person ever to host a news segment as a synthetic human, streaming to over 100 million devices around the world.

A classically trained musician, Ian understands the magnitude of AI's coming impact on human creativity. As a strategist and speaker, he strives to educate stakeholders on the real-world implications of emerging technologies so they can make informed decisions that positively shape our world and advance humanity. In a rapidly evolving world that some consider dystopian, Ian remains a steadfast optimist and offers what everyone needs now: hope.

Taken from Ian's LinkedIn profile.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

I met Ryan Greir from Whispering Cedars Ranch while I was at the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology AgSmart event in early August.

Ryan and his wife Janna are first generation Alberta farmers originally from British Columbia. I walked impressed with how these two are embracing and engaging a lifestyle that's not for everyone but one that everyone depends on.

On their farm, Whispering Cedars Ranch, they strive to raise Alberta lamb and provide the industry with healthy and proven purebred replacement breeding stock.  As entrepreneurs they're constantly looking for ways to diversify their income as they continue to grow sustainable farming in the province.

Sit back and settle in as Ryan sheds light on his experience and the joy he and his family derive from farming in Alberta.    

Additional links mentioned in our interview:

• Campaign for Wool
• OneCup AI
• Capital Power
• Alberta Lamb Producers

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

Welcome to episode two of our KDays Innovation Zone retrospective! 

Alberta Innovates had the opportunity to participate as in-kind sponsors for the Innovation Zone led by Explore Edmonton. This was a great opportunity to meet and feature some Edmonton-based entrepreneurs, businesses and students on the Shift podcast. 

This second episode is my discussion with Kathy Janzen and Ken Schmidt from Wilson Analytical Services. We dive into the work they're doing in the area of spectroscopy.  

Other KDays Innovation Zone interviews include:

• Jean Bruce Koua from Elev Homes,
• Krishna Panchal from the University of Alberta's Future Creators, and 
• Joe Callahan from Correct AI.

Bios

Ken Schmidt, President and founder

Ken is an Alberta based Professional Chemist and entrepreneur. He completed his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Calgary in 1990. Over the last 25 years, he has worked with universities and the mining and energy industries to solve industry specific problems in sulfur chemistry, catalysis, ceramics, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) coatings and spectroscopy. His expertise is in industrial analytical chemistry, process laboratories for industry, instrument design, manufacturing, sales and technical support.

He has been involved in several high tech start-ups, including Wilson Analytical (which he co-founded in 2003). He is also President of Canadian Tool, a Montreal firm specializing in machining and manufacturing. Ken's key role at Wilson is technical development and customer relations.

Kathy Janzen, Vice President and founder 

Kathy is a professional Chemist with twenty-five years of experience with the RCMP as a forensic scientist, followed by two years as one of the principles of the analytical services side of Wilson Analytical. She was also involved in several high tech start-ups, and worked with entrepreneurs at the Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI).

Kathy served 10 years as the Executive Director of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA) and was also the former council chair of the Federation of Canada’s Professional Chemists. Kathy's main role with Wilson is financial and strategic planning, sales, and human resources. Together, Ken and Kathy make all company business decisions.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

I met Nick Kazakoff onsite at Inventures  2023. His company OneTwoSix Design had generously offered the use of one of their Loop Phone Booths for me to feature to interview guests for the podcast while we were in Calgary for the event.

My Inventures 2023 guests included the following: 

• Nick, who you'll hear from today
• Damien Hocking from Madala Software, 
• Lorna Baird and Joy Agnew from Olds College of Agriculture and Technology,
•  Dr. Ben Schultz from Maverick Large Animal Veterinary Service, 
• Ian Hagreaves from ATB, and, 
• coming soon, Ian Beacraft from Chicago-based Signal & Cipher.

OneTwoSix Design

Founded by Industrial Designers Nick Kazakoff and Brendan Gallagher, Onetwosix is an award winning design agency and team of artists, researchers, designers and builders working to give form to ideas.

Based in Western Canada, they regularly work with clients across Canada and the USA. From businesses in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and San Francisco to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and New York - they turn great ideas into beautiful and functional products that can be manufactured efficiently and cost effectively. 

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

Welcome to episode one of our KDays Innovation Zone retrospective! 

Alberta Innovates had the opportunity to participate as in-kind sponsors for the Innovation Zone led by Explore Edmonton. This was a great opportunity to meet and feature some Edmonton-based entrepreneurs, businesses and students on the Shift podcast. 

Other KDays Innovation Zone interviews include:

• Krishna Panchal from the University of Alberta's Future Creators, 
• Kathy Janzen and Ken Schmidt from Wilson Analytical, and 
• Joe Callahan from Correct AI.

This third episode is my discussion with Jean Bruce Koua from Elev Homes. Born from the shared struggles of three university students - Jean Bruce, and his partners Kevin Mpunga and Kwasi Boateng - Elev started as a side project but quickly turned into a mission.

These three weren't just sympathetic observers of the student housing struggle - they were in the thick of it themselves. Their drive to find a solution came from firsthand experience; they knew that by fixing this issue for others, they'd be fixing it for their own lives too.   

Bio
Dubbed the "Master of Making Things Happen," Jean Bruce Koua is one of Elev's founders. His first 'student home' in Canada was a budget hotel room.

Jean Bruce believes challenges are the greatest form of learning opportunities, and once overcome, can help efficiently address other sets of obstacles. As the co-founder of Elev, he is able to provide tools to help students facing challenges navigating the off campus housing market, an experience he endured as an International student studying in Canada.

Having worked in both the public sector with the Federal Government of Canada, and the private sector with the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, he is able to provide strategic input in the growth of Elev. Being able to merge his economics and problem solving skills allow him to make informed and calculated decisions that are key to the success of the startup.

Jean Bruce Koua believes that learning from one another is very important and looks forward to connecting with great minded people in the community! (LinkedIn profile)

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

At Edmonton's recent KDays event, Alberta Innovates had the opportunity to participate as in-kind sponsors for the Innovation Zone led by Explore Edmonton. This was a great opportunity to meet and feature some Edmonton-based entrepreneurs, businesses and students on the Shift podcast. 

This is the third episode and it features my brief chat with Krishna Panchal from the University of Alberta's Future Creators. 

KDays Innovation Zone interviews also include:

• Jean Bruce Koua from Elev Homes,
• Ken Schmidt and Kathy Janzen from Wilson Analytical, and 
• Joe Callahan from Correct AI.

Future Creators

Future Creators is a University of Alberta Engineering student group and nonprofit organization that inspires future engineers and technology innovators by providing youth with the mentors, knowledge, and resources to bring their own technology projects to life.

They partner with schools to provide a weekly afterschool program to students in grades 7-12.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

I met and interviewed my guest at Inventures 2023 in Calgary this past May. He had a wee break in his schedule and was kind enough to join me onsite to discuss the work he and his company are doing optimize oil production on Alberta well sites.

It's fascinating to learn that his company's technology helps the onsite production engineers understand and adjust variables related to each well in real time. Evidence to this point has shown that sites using the technology are up to ten percent more productive. Over the course of many wells and many sites this number adds up to become quite impressive.

Pour yourself a cup of your favourite wake-up elixir and settle in to learn more about this made-in-Alberta oil & gas optimization tool.

Welcome to Shift.   

Bio

Dr. Damien Hocking - Chief Technology Officer for Madala Software

Damien has a diverse career in solving complex problems through technical software development.  He is an expert in hydraulics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and both steady state and transient simulation.  He has held key technology roles at Hyprotech, Aspentech, KBC, and Computer Modeling Group. Additionally, he's worked for MEG Energy and HTRI.  

In addition to Madala Software Inc, Dr. Hocking founded Corelium Inc. which provides a scalable simulation platform.  He's the co-author of six patents in the heavy oil industry and holds a Bachelor in Engineering and PhD in Chemical Engineering both from the University of Adelaide.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.

Artificial intelligence has taken the public imagination by storm and things are moving quickly.

At Inventures 2023 in Calgary we had Ian Beacraft and Timnit Gebru dedicate their keynotes to it, and a panel featuring representatives from Microsoft, Enmax and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute discussing it from an industry perspective.

Today, we're featuring my discussion with Ian Hargreaves from ATB.

Ian and I dive in and build off a previous discussion he had on Tyler Chisolm's podcast Collision YYC (I encourage you to give it a listen) to further explore the implications, considerations and what keeps him up at night as far as artificial intelligence goes. Again, things have been moving fast and we'll talk about some of the changes that have occurred between his and Tyler's interview and his and mine.

One of Ian's big messages is that it's critical for us, ALL of US, to stay on top of AI developments and specifically business exploring the use of AI to understand the role and implications of the incoming federal Act C-27. 

Bio

Ian Hargreaves, Fellow, Artificial Intelligence at ATB

As Fellow of Artificial Intelligence at ATB, Ian is responsible for taking AI out of the lab. This means creating secure, scalable and transparent platforms that deliver on core AI capabilities like computer vision or personalization. His mission is to weave a thread of AI through all digital experiences at ATB - whether it’s tools used by ATB team members, or experiences that directly benefit customers. By rethinking how teams build, support and deliver AI capabilities, Ian and his team believe that they can truly reimagine banking by surrounding all Albertans with a network of intelligent services designed to grow their wealth, however they define it.

After an academic career using neuroimaging and predictive models to understand how people make decisions, Ian graduated from the University of Calgary with a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Ian has developed both highly valuable intellectual property and also the foundations of a data science practice within business operations. Ian has managed numerous proofs of concept, and in scaling those quickly learned that the impact of AI is ultimately limited by trust: trust in the algorithm, trust in the team that designed it, and trust in the overall strategy. Ian has co-authored one patent and has 20 academic publications.

Shift by Alberta Innovates focuses on the people, businesses and organizations that are contributing to Alberta's strong tech ecosystem.