Innovation Fuel

In another episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian chat with Tess and Ariss, co-founders of Awl Together Leather in Vancouver. They share their passion for sustainability and inclusion in leatherwork and shoe repair. They started their own business focused on passing down craftsmanship and prolonging the lifecycle of leather goods through repair. Their creativity shines through in the problem-solving required for each unique repair job. Listen to learn how two entrepreneurs are preserving tradition while building community.

Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian explore the unique challenges of virtual leadership coaching with executive coach Sarah Planckaert. They discuss building trust, communication, decision making and setting boundaries in a remote work world. Sarah shares how she helps leaders have complex conversations and make difficult decisions during uncertain times. 

In this episode of Innovation Fuel! Your hosts, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian are diving into baby products. Both being parents themselves, they understand the many choices of baby products out there on the market. So, to discuss this competitive sector, they have Garett Senez from Quark Baby. In this episode, you will learn about Garett's journey from being a parent to being a dynamic entrepreneur who saw a gap in the market and decided to fill it. Listen now to another informative episode of Innovation Fuel. 

Welcome to a new episode of  Innovation Fuel! Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian delve into the cutting-edge world of biotechnology, focusing on tissue engineering and bioprinting. They talk to  Kevin Vos, Ph.D.,  the Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at VoxCell BioInnovation. VoxCell is no ordinary bioprinting company; they are a trailblazing tissue engineering firm responsible for a groundbreaking line of Truly Biomimetic solutions for the drug development industry and the field of Oncology research. 

In this episode of Innovation Fuel,  hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian,CEO, talk to  Paul McKenzie, CEO of NexOptic and discuss how his startup experience led him to develop AI that reduces video file sizes. He talks about obstacles to partnering with big streamers and his goal of a major alliance to catalyze industry change.

This episode of Innovation Fuel explores the world of Fluevog, a unique shoe company that marches to the beat of its drum.  Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian dive into Fluvog's niche customer base with CMO Stephen Bailey and learn how they've built a community around artistic vision and self-expression. Challenges like small batch production and adapting to e-commerce are discussed. Fluevog provides an inspirational case study on staying true to your values while running a successful business.

In another episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian talk with Daniel Yahel, VP of Education at Jolt.io online business school, which transforms people's careers and helps them further their career passion. They also discuss the importance of networking and always keep learning even long after you graduate from post-secondary school.

Join our Lovely Hosts, Gelareh Farhadian, and Dave Keighron in this episode of Innovation Fuel, Hamid J. Fard and Fabio Alexandre Vieira from Fard Solutions joins tell Us the story of how they developed an algorithm before the AI buzz, saving time, and resources managing databases. They present an interesting point of the ethics involved, the concerns their customers had, and how they changed their points of view with the rise of Chat GPT.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian talk to Juliana Lopes  CEO and Founder of the Fem group about encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone, break free from your friendly community, and embark on a journey of creating a brand new network.

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian explore the story of Blossom Social. An innovative investing platform that allows users to see what others are putting money into and connect with like-minded investors. They talk to two out of three co-founders, Maxwell Nicholson and Kartik Bhutani, about how their app offers a unique approach to social investing, making it easy for users to connect with other people who share their investment goals and values—changing the way how generations think about investing. 

We celebrate amazing mothers in another episode of  Innovation Fuel. Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian dive into deeply personal motherhood journeys with their guests Jamie Samhan, Founder/ CEO of Hop and Paige Mowbray, counsellor and registered social worker. They explore the challenges and triumphs when women attempt to balance their careers and raise children. 

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Toby Chu, Chairman & CEO of CIBT Education Group Inc., joins host Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian to talk about setting up International students for success when they come to Canada to study. The discussion centers around how it is challenging for international students to find homes amid a housing crisis in this ever-changing world. On top of that, they are dealing with extra living costs because of inflation. Listen now to this great conversation about how post-secondary institutions can help their students have a memorable time in Canada, succeed in their chosen career path, and become an integral part of our community. 

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, UCW Alum Massimo Bellini and founder of Bellini Consulting joins hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian to discuss global events like COVID-19 and breakthroughs in technology that affect a business’s brand. With Massimo’s many years of experience working with major fashion brands, he discusses the positives and negatives of keeping a company thriving in an ever-changing world.   

In this episode of Innovation, Fuel Dave is hosting solo today. He sits with Kerry Brock—President of GuardRFID Solutions Inc., a leading real-time location systems expert in the healthcare industry. Our guest is a seasoned sales and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in the technology sector. They discuss the ups and downs of changing the business to a work-at-home model at the start of the pandemic and how working from home has evolved in the company three years later.  It was a fascinating talk about how Kerry and the team kept their company culture thriving in an online environment, onboarding new employees, and making them feel included as part of the team and their voices heard. Let’s get the conversation started!

Join Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian for another episode of Innovation fuel as they talk to Ekaose Mon-John Nwadiani, the CEO of HybisBrands, and learn how he found a hidden opportunity re-creating his favourite childhood beverage—turning it into a popular vegan-friendly drink with high nutritional value. Not only is John, an inspiring entrepreneur, but he was also a student many years ago of Dave here at UCW. So join them for a reunion as they discuss John's journey into entrepreneurship. They have a deep conversation covering John's insights into defining a competitive edge through micro-analysis and R&D. The challenges of handling market uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of a business plan. Plus, much more!

Topics in the episode: 
- Business Plan development
- PESTL Analysis
- Taking the product to Market 
- Unique Value Proposition
- Scaling a Product

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Pat Chaisang, Founder & CEO of Isempower, Canada's first job search platform for international students, joins hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian for part 2 of the discussion around breaking down the door for international students. They checked in with Pat to discuss any changes she has seen with the recent announcement allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week. Dave and Gelareh discuss with Pat if this new announcement has helped students tackle their challenges in finding jobs in Canada. 

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, Paolo Lobo, President of Proteic, joins hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh to discuss the challenges entrepreneurs have when making big decisions to move their businesses forward. Many entrepreneurs have the inner battle of deciding to use their heads or follow their hearts when choosing the right path to take to grow their idea. Listen in as Paolo shares his truthful journey of turning Proteic into a successful company. 

Why do entrepreneurs go to consultants when chaos ensues in their business? When is the right time to get help in your business before something catastrophic happens? Please find out the answers when  Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh talk with John kay, CEO of Realize Strategies, about the challenges we all face as entrepreneurs and how he and the team can help you avoid significant fires by putting the correct practices in place. 

On this week's episode of Innovation Fuel,  Pat Chaisang,  Founder & CEO at Isempower Canada's first job search platform for international students. She joins hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian to discuss starting November 15, 2022, international students in Canada will be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. They also talk about the challenges of international students finding jobs in Canada and some misconceptions employers may have about hiring international students. 

In this episode of Innovation Fuel, Awane Jones, CEO of Phenomena Virtual eSport Arena, joins hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh to discuss not having fear about your product and throwing it out into the world and see if people will buy it. Once you know there will be customers, don't worry about creating new ideas; focus on improving the one you have until you can't improve it any more. Then that way, you will have a good product with a great user experience that people will continue to want to buy. Listen in for more great entrepreneurial advice on creating a successful idea that will turn into a profitable company.