The 10-Minute Take: Waterloo’s Booming Tech & Innovation Scene

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The 10-Minute Take: Waterloo’s Booming Tech & Innovation Scene

FromDisruptors

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Length:

11 minutes

Released:

Mar 1, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

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To learn more about Communitech and their mission to help founders start, grow and succeed, visit Communitech.ca.Disruptors wants to hear from you! Please fill out our quick 5-minute listener survey and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a pair of Apple AirPods Pros.

Released:

Mar 1, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Disruptors, an RBC podcast, is an ongoing series hosted by SVP John Stackhouse about reimagining Canada’s economy in a time of unprecedented change. It features thought-provoking conversations with Canadian business and innovation leaders about planting the seeds of a new economy.

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Freshco's Mandy Rennehan on Women in Trades: There’s a serious skilled trades shortage in Canada. Carpenters, plumbers and electricians are retiring faster than they can be replaced. Here’s an easy answer for the problem: encourage more women to get involved. They make up nearly half the workforce in Canada, but less than five per cent in the trades. RBC CEO David McKay spoke with the founder and CEO of construction company Freshco, Mandy Rennehan, about the skilled trades shortage, getting more women into the building industry, and the importance of soft skills such as networking. by Disruptors
16 min listen
Willing To Fail: The Disruptive Force of an Entrepreneurial Mindset Event Highlights (Feb. 27, 2019): Hauling away other people's junk, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder Brian Scudamore has seen it all: a mountain of escargot shells, a naked man and $400,000 in cash hidden under the floorboards. A lifelong entrepreneur, he’s also seen what it takes to succeed in business — and how failing is vital to learning how to get things right. At the last RBCDisruptors, Scudamore spoke about being willing to fail and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way. by Disruptors
34 min listen
The NFL's Maryann Turcke on Sports Content in the Mobile Age: The NFL is a TV ratings juggernaut: 19 of the 20 most-viewed broadcasts in U.S. history are Super Bowls. But the league is facing new challenges to its dominance in the age of mobile video, at the same time as America's Game has become a cultural flashpoint. The NFL's head of digital, Maryann Turcke, explains how she dealt with player protests, covered off-the-field controversies, and tried to keep the focus on football during a tumultuous year for the league. by Disruptors
32 min listen
Sidewalk Labs' Dan Doctoroff: Quayside and the Future of Cities: Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff talks about the Quayside project and his company's plans to build a test lab for the city of the future. by Disruptors
37 min listen
Netflix's Jessica Neal on Building a Culture of Innovation: Netflix is maybe the biggest disruptor of them all. Ten years ago, the company made most of its money sending DVDs by mail. Now, it’s bigger than Disney—the most valuable media company on earth. Jessica Neal is head of talent at Netflix, and it’s her job to maintain the company’s culture of innovation. This episode is live from the C2 conference in Montreal. by Disruptors
26 min listen
Farmer 4.0: The Shift to Automation: Automation is changing the nature of food production. In part two of this mini-series, John Stackhouse visits the dairy operation of Matt and Jaclyn Walker in Muir, Ontario, two food producers that define Farmer 4.0; entrepreneurs experimenting with technology and innovating the business model of farming. With their robotic milking machine, they are able to shift their focus to cultivating data, problem-solving and improving animal health. For more on Farmer 4.0, see rbc.com/farmer4 by Disruptors
21 min listen
Mnubo's Frederic Bastien on the Internet of Things: The Internet of Things, the network of connected devices that surrounds our everyday life, creates oceans of data every minute. Montreal-based Mnubo uses that data to help companies transform their business, turning companies that make things like HVAC systems into service providers that sell real-time monitoring and maintenance. Founder Frederic Bastien talks IoT, Montreal's startup scene, and what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. by Disruptors
24 min listen
MLSE's David Hopkinson on Raptors Uprising and eSports: RBCDisruptors host John Stackhouse sat down with MLSE's David Hopkinson in December to talk about Raptors Uprising and the rise of eSports. by Disruptors
26 min listen
Davos Debrief with RBC CEO David McKay: RBC CEO David McKay talks about some of the crises facing the world: political instability, robots taking jobs, cratering trust in institutions. These were the discussion points at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos this year, along with the fact that world markets seem to be completely shrugging them off—nearly every economy on the globe is growing. John Stackhouse sat down with Dave for a debrief after their trip to Switzerland. by Disruptors
23 min listen
Sidewalk Labs - RBCDisruptors Event Highlights (Jan. 17, 2018): Here are some of the highlights from our Jan. 17, 2018 live RBCDisruptors event with Dan Doctoroff. by Disruptors
27 min listen
Mental Health In The Digital Age Event Highlights (Sept. 26, 2018): Millions of people have turned to wearables to track their steps, monitor their heart rate and sleeping patterns, and more. For many of us, the fitness tracker is a constant companion. Should tracking our mental health be any different? This was the theme of the latest RBC Disruptors in advance of Mental Illness Awareness Week. This episode's guests are former Olympian and mental health advocate Silken Laumann, Sam Duboc of BEACON and Dan Seider of Stigma. by Disruptors
26 min listen
Scott Galloway on Breaking Up Tech's Big Four: Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon control huge swathes of our online lives. That's why we need to seriously consider breaking them up, according to NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway. In his new book, The Four, Galloway makes the case that these original disruptors have come to form an oligopoly—one that is stifling innovation. He says we need a radical new approach to regulating the big four. by Disruptors
34 min listen
Canada’s Skills Revolution: Building the Winery of the Future: As part of our look at the skills revolution in Canada, we headed down to the Niagara Peninsula to see how one of Canada’s largest wine companies is training the next generation. Andrew Peller Estates has a partnership with Brock University, bringing in co-op students and building their skills through on-the-job training. RBCDisruptors producer Peter Henderson sat down with John E. Peller, whose grandfather founded the company, and Emma Garner, one of Peller’s top winemakers, to talk about the winemaker of the future. Part two of three. To read the skills report, go to www.rbc.com/humanswanted by Disruptors
24 min listen
Canada's AI Challenge with RBC CEO David McKay & Integrate.AI CEO Steve Irvine: Is Canada falling behind on artificial intelligence? How can we turn machine learning into successful products? And how do you compete for talent against Facebook and Google? RBC CEO David McKay and Integrate.AI founder Steve Irvine explore the challenges facing Canadian companies big and small when it comes to AI. by Disruptors
23 min listen
RBC CEO Dave McKay in conversation with PayPal CEO Dan Schulman: Dan Schulman is President & CEO of Paypal, a worldwide online payments system that supports online money transfers and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like cheques and money orders. He spoke with RBC CEO Dave McKay at the recent RBC Capital Markets Technology, Internet, Media and Telecommunications Conference in New York City to discuss how Paypal transformed to a customer champion company, changing their strategy from product to platform. by Disruptors
26 min listen
Slack: Changing The World With Chat Event Highlights (Oct. 1, 2018): It's hard to talk about Stewart Butterfield without getting into his unorthodox path to the heights of tech. The Canadian entrepreneur spent his early childhood without electricity, taught himself to code, and studied philosophy at Cambridge before falling into a tech career that’s now pitting him against Microsoft and Google. Butterfield’s biggest business success, Slack, is a corporate communications tool aimed at reducing some of the 269 billion emails sent around the world each day. He joined us at the latest RBC Disruptors. by Disruptors
25 min listen
Canada’s Skills Revolution: Feeding the Future: Canada is facing a quiet crisis, In the coming decade, half of all jobs will be disrupted by technology and automation. That's the conclusion from our new report, Humans Wanted, a year-long study of the future of the Canadian workforce. As part of that study, we visited the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph to hear from its director, Evan Fraser, and two student entrepreneurs, Leah Blechschmidt and Amberley Ruetz, about the future of food. Part one of three. To read the report, go to www.rbc.com/humanswanted by Disruptors
31 min listen
Estonia: The World's First Digital Democracy: If you’re looking for the future of digital government, you’ll find it in the unlikeliest place: the tiny European nation of Estonia. The country offers nearly all of its government services online, and Estonians are behind Internet innovations such Skype and Kazaa. Siim Sikkut is the man charged with making sure Estonia stays on the cutting edge, and we sat down with him at C2 in Montreal to talk about what Estonia can teach the rest of the world. by Disruptors
44 min listen
From Burberry to Apple: A Shift in Retail (July 8, 2019): There is a shift happening in retail. Angela Ahrendts, former SVP of Retail at Apple and CEO at Burberry joined us on RBC Disruptors to discuss the trends she's seen from her time at two iconic global brands and to share her vision for the future of retail. by Disruptors
43 min listen
Canada's Skills Revolution: the Human Touch in Healthcare Automation: Robot doctors are still years away, not least because of their cold hands and stilted bedside manner. Yet the transformational power of technology is nowhere more obvious than in healthcare, where data is reshaping diagnostics, implantable sensors are saving lives, and digital video has opened up new opportunities for virtual care. Our guests, Shirlee Sharkey, CEO of in-home care provider Saint Elizabeth Healthcare, and Felicia Kontopidis, a nurse and clinical practice coach, agree that technology is changing everything—but you can't automate the human touch. Part three of three. To read the skills report, go to www.rbc.com/humanswanted by Disruptors
28 min listen
Diversity x Inclusion x Innovation Event Highlights (June 20, 2018): Dax Dasilva says that when building a successful startup, culture is more important than code. He's the founder and CEO of Montreal-based Lightspeed, which has 50,000 customers around the world using its e-commerce platform and nearly $300 million in funding. Yet it wasn't clever coding that powered that success, he says, but an open mind and an inclusive corporate ethos that draws on his background as the son of immigrants and a member of the LGBTQ community. Lightspeed's success comes from a core understanding that diversity fuels innovation. by Disruptors
25 min listen
Disrupting the daily RITUAL Event Highlights (April 24, 2019): When Ritual CEO Ray Reddy was a product manager at Google, he learned a trick from Larry Page: the toothbrush test. If you can use a product twice a day, it will become habit-changing. A ritual. Reddy took this premise and applied it to the last frontier of digitization: the local market. At its core, Ritual is about connecting the physical and digital worlds by monetizing the local, in-person experience. He joined us at the last RBC Disruptors event to share how he’s working to make lines a thing of the past, allowing customers to place orders ahead of time. by Disruptors
40 min listen
Cryptocurrency: Future or Folly? Event Highlights (Apr. 26, 2018): Some say cryptocurrency is the future of money. Others think it’s a house of cards that’s going to come crashing down any minute. We hosted a lively discussion about the future of cryptocurrency at our RBCDisruptors event on April 26, 2018. We heard from an entrepreneur who is bullish on the benefits of cryptocurrencies, a venture capitalist who thinks the hype has grown out of control, and a blockchain researcher who says companies needs to understand crypto’s disruptive potential. by Disruptors
53 min listen
The Spin Master [Toy] Story Event Highlights (Dec. 4, 2018): Spin Master was founded in 1994 by three friends fresh out of university. They had early hits with the Earth Buddy and Devil Sticks; but it’s when they started investing heavily in R&D that their toy company took off. Today it’s one of the top five toy companies in the world, with sales exceeding $1.5 billion last year. Ronnen Harary, their Co-Founder and Co-CEO joined us at the last RBC Disruptors to share more of their story, and innovation lessons learned along the way. by Disruptors
25 min listen
The Audience Strikes Back: Peoples’ viewing habits are shifting dramatically, with the rise of streaming services and mobile viewing – yet, digital isn’t stopping live entertainment from drawing crowds. Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente – the co-heads of the Toronto International Film Festival joined the 50th episode of RBC Disruptors to speak to the power of audience in an age of digital experience. by Disruptors
26 min listen
BlackBerry's Big Pivot Event Highlights (Jan. 16, 2019): John Chen didn't set out to be The Turnaround Guy. He just played to his strengths. He’s had plenty to fix at BlackBerry, the iconic Canadian tech company he took over as executive chairman and CEO in 2013. BlackBerry’s CEO & Executive Chairman says he’s driven to do what others think isn’t possible. He spoke at the last RBC Disruptors about trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the future of mobile devices and how artificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity. by Disruptors
31 min listen
Farmer 4.0: Agriculture's Skills Revolution: Agriculture is undergoing a skills revolution. In part one of this mini-series, John Stackhouse discusses the findings of a new RBC report, Farmer 4.0, with Andrew Schrumm, its lead researcher, and how agriculture can thrive in the age of automation. Unfavourable demographics and disruptive technologies in the industry magnify the skills challenge ahead for the 2020s, in which Canada has the opportunity to feed an ever expanding global population. For more on Farmer 4.0, see rbc.com/farmer4 by Disruptors
31 min listen
Shopify's Harley Finkelstein on the Future of Tech Talent: Canada’s tech sector needs more swagger. That’s according to Shopify COO Harley Finkelstein, who says part of his company’s runaway success has been the ability to sell itself—to customers and to potential employees. After hiring 200 people from 50 countries over the past two years, Shopify is looking to add thousands more in its Ottawa HQ and around the world. To meet those needs they’ve partnered with Carleton University on a new degree program, are supporting coding camps for kids in elementary and high schools, and are making Canada a destination for international talent. by Disruptors
25 min listen
"Hey Alexa, What's Next for Voice Tech?" Event Highlights (March 28, 2019): The most common question people ask their voice tech assistant isn't “How's the weather?" Not anymore. Today, it's “Alexa, will you marry me?" With 80,000 skills and growing, marriage is maybe the one thing Alexa can’t do. This year, the smart speaker industry will grow to be worth an estimated $7 billion, and demand could potentially surpass that of smartphones. Al Lindsay, a Canadian voice tech pioneer and Amazon’s VP of Alexa Engine Software joined us at the last RBC Disruptors to share his insights into a voice-first world. by Disruptors
25 min listen
Fireside Chat with iNovia’s Patrick Pichette: When it comes to business transformation, Patrick Pichette has seen it all. The former chief financial officer at both Google and Bell Canada has over 25 years of financial and operating expertise and has led world-class companies like McKinsey and Sprint Canada to break through the complexities of hyper growth, and to execute large, transformative programs. This episode is live from RBC’s National Market Leaders Conference. by Disruptors
28 min listen

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The Tech Outlook: Bumpy Now, Bright Soon: It’s no secret that the last few years have been rough for tech, but the sector also has a unique ability to look beyond the clouds and see opportunity through innovation. And while there are challenges ahead, there is a renewed optimism that we may be entering a recovery stage — where a period of fiscal discipline and strategic focus can set companies up for long-term success. Silicon Valley and other tech centres are hopeful and as markets looks toward rate cuts going into 2025, a new confidence can be felt. John Stackhouse is live from the RBC Capital Markets Technology Private Company Conference in LA and is joined by Sachin Dev Dugal, Chief Wizard at Builder AI — named one of the world's top three Most innovative Companies in AI, alongside Open AI and DeepMind. by Disruptors
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AI is Disrupting Canada’s Labour Landscape: New technology has rarely led to fewer jobs, though it often impacts the way we work — eliminating old ways of doing things to create new opportunities. To mitigate workforce disruption from the rise of AI and automation, we must invest in our people to enhance the value of expertise and enable valuable work. But how do we ensure that AI is constructive and not destructive? On this episode, we’re joined by David Autor, a renowned labour force economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who has spent his career studying the consequences of technology on jobs and the economy. by Disruptors
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Building Blocks: Solving the Supply Shortage with Prefabricated Homes: Housing affordability has become a crisis in Canada, and we must prioritize innovative designs, building techniques, and technology to boost productivity and close the supply-demand gap. Prefabricated homebuilding promises faster, more cost-effective alternatives to traditional construction methods — and if scaled correctly, a solution to address home prices and rent relief. We’re joined by three prefab experts using technology to rethink construction; Craig Mitchell, Principle at BlackBox Offsite Solutions; Michele Tung, CEO at homeD Modular; and Mark Stephenson, CEO at Qube Building Systems. by Disruptors
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Overruled: The New LegalTech Precedent: Innovative technology continues to disrupt the service sector — where expertise is augmented by cutting-edge tools — in attempt to remove complexity and reimagine delivery. Cloud computing has transformed the legal profession and now AI stands to push that transformation even further — paving the way for a more inclusive and efficient legal system. On this episode, we’re joined by Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio, a LegalTech unicorn based in Canada, to discuss how tech disruption is transforming the legal landscape and what that means for both lawyers and their clients. by Disruptors
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Unlocking the Energy Transition’s Economic Benefit: The complex climate transition requires investment and access to capital, as well as broader support nationwide — because without investment, there will be no transition. But it’s a bumpy year for innovators, with higher interest rates and consumer resistance. Our research also shows that while climate intentions are admirable, consumers are going to act with their economic benefit in mind. We must find ways to simplify sustainable solutions that lead to acceleration and scale to unlock value for society — and a lot of it will come down to technology and whether it can transform our economy fast enough. On this episode, we’re joined by Peter Tertzakian and Jackie Forrest of the ARC Energy Research Institute to discuss the energy transition and what is sure to be a critical year in Canada’s climate journey. by Disruptors
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Shattering Glass Ceilings in Canadian Cleantech: Innovative green technology is critical for driving environmental resilience and economic growth — though this tech is no stranger to obstacles. Cleantech faces challenges and persistent barriers and having a diverse ecosystem — including entrepreneurs and investors — that encourages innovation and provides access to capital is critical to scale and market acceptance. This also means women and individuals from underrepresented communities need to be part of the solution. This episode is a roundtable cohosted with Alison Nankivell, the incoming CEO of MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a nonprofit that provides support for startups. We’re joined by three women on the frontlines of Canadian cleantech; Myra Arshad of ALT TEX; Natalie Ashdown of Evoco and; Jacqueline Hutchings of Friendlier. by Disruptors
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Reboot of “Investing in Climate Action: What Canada Can Learn from the US”: As another wildfire season blankets Canada and the U.S. with smoke, air quality is worsening, and the summers are only getting hotter. Some of Canada’s most populous cities even topped the rankings when it comes to the worst air quality on the planet. That’s why we’re highlighting an important episode of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, focused on spending on climate action. August 16th marks exactly one year since President Joe Biden signed into law the almost $370-billion Inflation Reduction Act — America’’s largest ever investment in green technology. But how and where can that money be spent for maximum impact? And what should Canada do now that its own coffers have been topped up thanks to the 2023 Federal Budget? Listen in as host John Stackhouse chats with two leaders who are collectively responsible for investing billions of dollars in green tech; Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fun by Disruptors
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Reboot of “AI Helped Produce This Episode": Have you jumped on-board the AI bandwagon yet? This year has marked a potential tipping point in the mass adoption of artificial intelligence thanks to the public release of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, which sent a shockwave of disruption through many established sectors, from healthcare and agriculture to journalism, cybersecurity, and of course, any creative industries. That’s why this summer is a perfect time to highlight an episode from earlier on in this season of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, featuring host John Stackhouse in conversation with one of Canada’s preeminent voices on the topic of AI. Professor Ajay Agrawal is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. His latest book is called “Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence”, which he co-wrote with his fellow Rotman profs Joshua Gans and Avi Goldfarb. As you’ll hear by listening to this episode, many of the by Disruptors
32 min listen
Olivier Desmarais: How Canada Can Win In A Net Zero World: When it comes to the energy transition, we're going to need to literally rewire our economy. On the season finale of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, host John Stackhouse sits down with Olivier Desmarais, the CEO of Power Sustainable, one of Canada’s most significant and global enterprises. The firm is a sustainable investment manager that invests in companies and projects that contribute to decarbonization, social progress and growth. Listen as they discuss where Canada fits in the global Net Zero transition, investment strategies, and the country’s biggest opportunities to win. by Disruptors
31 min listen
How Indigenous Business Can Accelerate Canada’s Net Zero Transition: If Canada is going to transition to clean energy, we’ve got to involve and engage our Indigenous communities for economic development and reconciliation. On this episode of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, host John Stackhouse speaks to two leaders working to make a meaningful partnership happen: Annette Verschuren, CEO of NRStor, and Matthew Jamieson, the CEO and President of Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation. Listen as John and guests dissect the makings behind the recently-announced Oneida Energy Storage project, a 50/50 private and public partnership with Six Nations of the Grand River. The project will help Ontario reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.1 million tonnes, the equivalent of taking 40,000 cars off the road every year. by Disruptors
29 min listen
Building Green Part 2: Harnessing High-Tech To Lower Emissions: It all starts with the envelope—a building’s envelope, that is, to create more sustainable, comfortable homes and offices. Then the power of innovative materials and software comes together to create Net Zero buildings. In Part 2 of a special two-part series of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, focused on greening Canada’s build sector, host John Stackhouse chats with three experts dedicated to building Canada’s next generation of sustainable buildings: Brad Carr, CEO of Mattamy Homes; Carol Philips, Design Leader and Partner, Moriyama Teshima Architects; and Sam Ramadori, CEO of BrainBox AI. by Disruptors
30 min listen
Building Green: Fixing Canada’s Leaky Homes: Canada is a nation of builders—but buildings are our third biggest source of greenhouse gases and release some 90 million tonnes of C02 annually. On Part 1 of a special two-part series of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, focused on greening Canada’s built sector, host John Stackhouse chats with three experts committed to decarbonizing our buildings: Kent Peterson, owner at engineering services firm P2S and Chair of the ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization; Jody Becker, the Chief Strategy Officer, Executive VP, Infrastructure Services & Technology at construction services firm Ellis Don; and Jamie Gray-Donald, the SVP of Sustainability & Environmental, Health & Safety at QuadREAL Property Group by Disruptors
30 min listen
Innovation Nation: 3 Canadians Share Their Secrets: Have you ever wondered what qualities make up a true innovator? How do they approach problems and create new solutions? Is it nature or nurture? On this episode of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, host John Stackhouse goes inside the minds of three Canadian innovators, all recipients of this year’s Governor General Innovation Awards: Gary Agnew, Co-founder and CEO, Ideon Technologies; Paulette Senior, CEO and President, Canadian Women’s Foundation; and Dr. Mark Stradiotto, Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Dalhousie University. by Disruptors
29 min listen
From Ship to Shelf: Vancouver’s Port of the Future: The COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events and record e-commerce demand have shone a spotlight on the world’s supply chains. The journey of how we receive “stuff” is quite complicated—and fragile. Luckily, the power of technologies such as automation, renewable energy and data are helping to both streamline and “green” Canada’s supply chains. On this episode of Disruptors, an RBC Podcast, host John Stackhouse is joined by special guest co-host Naomi Powell, Managing Editor of Economics & Thought Leadership at RBC, to speak with Peter Xotta, Vice-President, Operations and Supply Chains at Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. by Disruptors
25 min listen
Ten Questions on Climate for Earth Day: On this episode of Disruptors, an RBC podcast, host John Stackhouse is joined by a special guest co-host: Lindsay Patrick, Head of Strategic Initiatives & ESG at RBC Capital Markets, where she leads the Sustainable Finance Group. As the world marks Earth Day on April 22, John and Lindsay explore various questions on climate and call on a cross-section of Canadian experts to help answer them. Listen in to find out what exactly is a nuclear Small Modular Reactor (SMR), and whether electric vehicles ramp up will “blow up the grid?” by Disruptors
22 min listen

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The 10-Minute Take: Waterloo’s Booming Tech & Innovation Scene

The 10-Minute Take: Waterloo’s Booming Tech & Innovation Scene

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