How a downturn forces resilient startups to re-evaluate their business models for survival and success

Predictions on the future state of venture capital in North America in 2020: Startups were flush with cash going into COVID-19, but how will entrepreneurs launching under quarantine survive? The CVCA’s Kim Furlong explains how fundraising while physically distancing comes with its unique challenges. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

21 min listen

Renegotiating the Definition of Success with Ganesh Padmanabhan: Entrepreneur Ganesh Padmanabhan says there’s no perfect time to start a start-up, but what if you're starting a company amid the “new normal” of COVID-19? Padmanabhan says there are three critical things to think about. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

39 min listen

Managing and growing your business in a challenging macro environment: Tony van Marken knows what it takes to climb a financial mountain, so how are successful start-ups managing under COVID-19? by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

19 min listen

It's about being a "Yes, and…" versus a "Yes, but…" person: Expensify CEO David Barrett admits he never planned to get into the expense management space. But by saying yes to opportunities, he built Expensify into a successful innovation economy. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

23 min listen

The 2008 Financial Crisis vs. Coronavirus Effects on Tech Startups: Unlike 12 years ago, today’s start-ups are better positioned to weather the economic effects of COVID-19 if they’ve got this one thing. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

19 min listen

CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast Trailer: What start-up entrepreneurs can expect to learn by listening to the CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

2 min listen

Diving into a New Career with Aquatic Informatics CEO Ed Quilty: Cleantech superhero Ed Quilty fell into the business of saving lives through water monitoring. After losing the University internship he wanted, he turned a closed door into an unlimited window of opportunity. We learn how, and why that’s the same advice he gives his employees today. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

29 min listen

CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast Season 3 Trailer: Listen to stories of innovation, entrepreneurship and how to scale a business amidst a transforming economy. Innovation economy entrepreneurs share their insights on how we can create a future fueled by innovation with host Michael Hainsworth. CIBC Innovation Banking is a trusted financial partner to entrepreneurs and investors. Get in touch with our team at cibc.com/innovationbanking. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

1 min listen

Leadership and Corporate Spirituality with Lightspeed CEO Dax Dasilva: Dax Dasilva is an innovation economy entrepreneur, gallery owner and author who credits his success to a diversity of voices and a spiritual connection to the planet. Lightspeed’s corporate culture has the company moving at the speed of light. We learn how focusing on more than just corporate profits pays dividends for start-ups and the community. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

27 min listen

Building an MVP with Bridgit COO Lauren Lake: Before a start-up can land its first round of major financing, it needs an MVP. But how do entrepreneurs create a Minimal Viable Product? Bridgit COO Lauren Lake teaches us how she and CEO Mallorie Brodie disrupted the construction industry using a notepad and a box of donuts so you can change the world, too. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

23 min listen

CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast Trailer Season 2: Listen to the experiences of entrepreneurs and small businesses starting and growing their business amidst COVID-19 on the CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

2 min listen

How a downturn forces resilient startups to re-evaluate their business models for survival and success: Revisit every assumption and decide what's still true. Telehealth startup Ginger CEO Russell Glass advises entrepreneurs on how to build a business model that will survive a global pandemic. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

24 min listen

A Powerful Mindset for Business Growth with Canalyst CEO Damir Hot: Professional investors need an efficient way to compare their universe of companies, which is where firms like Canalyst come in. Canalyst’s database of thousands of enterprises helps give the pros the edge they need to uncover more investment ideas, generate better returns and bring in more assets. In this episode, Michael sits down with Canalyst’s CEO and Co-Founder, Damir Hot. During their discussion, Damir shares how co-founding a tech startup has been a lifelong dream of his since he was a child. He offers his perspective on the state of startups today, and what the future may hold for the startup ecosystem. Finally, Damir shares some of the key strategies Canalyst implemented to grow its customer base to over 400 in a relatively short period of time. Partner up Now that he’s on the other side of success with Canalyst, Damir says he highly recommends partnering with a co-founder from the beginning of your entrep by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

25 min listen

From farm life to startup success with Coconut Software founder Katherine Regnier: Katherine Regnier is the CEO and founder of Coconut Software, a customer engagement platform for financial institutions. She launched the company in 2011 after recognizing the need for improved scheduling software while struggling to book a massage appointment. Since then, Katherine has led the company through venture capital funding, strategic partnerships, and the rapid growth that makes it the envy of its industry. In this episode, we hear Katherine’s inspiring story of launching Coconut a decade ago, and how she found the courage to risk it all from the beginning. We also learn what post-pandemic life looks like for the company, and how they stepped up to be there for their customers throughout the crisis. Growing up on a farm proved to be the perfect training for startup life Katherine credits her farm upbringing as part and parcel to her success in the startup world. Growing up on a farm in Sas by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

21 min listen

How to handle your industry's "Big Opportunity" with ProctorU's Jarrod Morgan: ProctorU's Jarrod Morgan saw almost a decade's worth of growth in a few months. Find out how his company scaled up rapidly and successfully. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

19 min listen

Pivoting for Greater Success with 7shifts Founder Jordan Boesch: Not many start-ups would have the nerve to walk away from two thirds of their customers. But 7shifts founder Jordan Boesch realized the secret to greater success is focusing on who you’re solving a pain point for. We learn how he turned a chaotic restaurant scheduling system of Post-It Notes and white-out into one of the most successful human resources software systems in the world. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

24 min listen

A new frontier for home care with AlayaCare’s Naomi Goldapple: Naomi Goldapple heads up AlayaLabs for AlayaCare, a company on the cutting edge of digitally transforming home care. When the pandemic hit, they, like so many others, had to make a rapid shift and innovate through crisis, developing products and digital methodologies to enable home care that was safe and effective for patients, families and home nurses alike. We learn how AlayaCare is revolutionizing the industry with AI, machine learning and an outcome-based approach, from the front lines of a new frontier for health care. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

26 min listen

Metrics that matter for scaling SaaS companies with Carter Griffin, General Partner at Updata Partners: Carter Griffin is the general partner at Updata Partners, a company using key metrics to help SaaS companies scale their businesses exponentially using a predetermined framework. This is a framework that Carter and Updata have honed after years as technology entrepreneurs and investors. It’s based on analyzing specific metrics that help you better understand the ROI on certain expenditures, the cost of acquiring a customer, but most importantly which business activities are driving the best results. Updata Partners is helping SaaS startups find success through understanding their businesses and exploring new ways of analyzing their data. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

26 min listen

The digital revolution of health with Intellijoint’s Armen Bakirtzian: Armen Bakirtzian is co-founder and CEO of Intellijoint Surgical, a company striving to improve orthopedic patient care through technology. He is an engineer, and the son of an orthopedic surgeon which he says armed him with the knowledge of the need in this industry that led him to launch and grow Intellijoint. On this episode, we learn the origin story of this cutting edge med tech company and how they are working with the medical community to make consistent improvements to patient quality of care. Armen explores what makes Intellijoint different from their competitors, the importance of early adopters of tech in the medical industry, and the future of the “surgery as a service” approach in health care. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

26 min listen

The future of food security with Dr. Michael Gilbert and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois: The global food supply chain is the world’s largest and most interconnected market and the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly proven that the weakest links in this supply chain are only magnified by complex economic and political issues. When we’re talking about something as paramount as access and affordability of food, some of the numbers are staggering. In this episode we speak with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and Semios’ CEO Dr. Michael Gilbert about the global state of food security and how Semios’ technology is working to improve the global food supply chain and create a more sustainable agriculture industry. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

29 min listen

Standing up to close the venture capital gender gap with StandUp Ventures’ Michelle McBane: Michelle McBane is the Managing Director at Standup Ventures, a seed-stage fund investing in women led Canadian technology startups. On this episode, we discuss where Canadian VC dollars went in 2020, how COVID-19 affected the industry, and how VC funds like StandUp Ventures are leading the way by investing in the next generation of women entrepreneurs. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

21 min listen

Scaling Start-ups: Exploring Canada's Innovation Ecosystem with Bob Nye at JMI Equity: Bob Nye is a General Partner at JMI Equity. He joined JMI in 2005 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Nye’s primary areas of investment focus are internet and enterprise software companies, and he specializes in helping growth companies build value. Nye has helped many companies overcome their hurdles and grow into unicorns with a valuation over $1 billion. In this episode, we look at the unique challenges in scaling and funding Canadian start-ups. Investment strategies have evolved over three decades In the early days, you were investing in an idea. The entrepreneur would typically have experience within that industry, understand the pain points of that business, and what the customers would need. This is what investing looked like 30 years ago, but if we fast forward to today, businesses need to be much bigger if they’re looking for a sizable investment. On average, when JMI Equity invests in a by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

25 min listen

First Impressions: The Art of the Pitch with CIBC Executive Vice President and Chief Security Officer Keith Gordon: As Executive Vice President and Chief Security Officer at CIBC, Keith Gordon has been on the receiving end of an untold number of pitches from startups. In this episode, we discuss how to get a foot in the door, the elements that go into a great pitch, and what to do once you’ve secured a meeting with a prospective client. We explore the reasons why an effective pitch can turn a client into an evangelist for your product or service, while a bad pitch could damage your reputation with future prospects. Keith also shares his perspective on the importance of building authentic relationships and advice for startups looking to make a positive impression. Know your audience The importance of putting your best foot forward during a pitch meeting and remembering to tailor your presentation to your audience is critical, according to Keith. He recommends being professional, and by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

19 min listen

An Accelerated Revision to Pre-Pandemic Life with Ran Ding, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners: The pandemic’s impact on startups, growth-stage companies and late-stage organizations continues, and geopolitical issues have also had a dramatic impact on the private equity markets. No one knows this better than Ran Ding. Ran co-leads B2B growth equity investments at Norwest, where he focuses on partnering with founder managed or capital efficient businesses looking to scale from double digit revenues to triple digit revenues. Norwest is a multi-stage investment firm that has delivered top quartile returns over the past 60 years, and seen its fair share of economic cycles. Ran cut his teeth more than a decade ago during the last financial crisis, and shares his perspective on the similarities he sees today. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

22 min listen

Small Fish, Big Pond with Eva Lau: Some like to be a big fish in a small pond, while others enjoy the hustle of being a small fish in a big pond. For the founder of Two Small Fish Ventures, Eva Lau, swimming with the sharks of Silicon Valley was more her speed. Along with her husband Allen Lau, the co-founder and CEO of Wattpad, Eva launched the investment firm to give back and help nurture the startup ecosystem in Canada, and has since raised $12 million for the fund. As part of her role at Two Small Fish Ventures, Eva mentors startup founders to share the lessons she’s learned in her own career and pass the torch to the next generation of business leaders. Give a little bit Eva explained that the philosophy behind Two Small Fish Ventures is backed by a strong desire to reinvest in Canada’s startup ecosystem, not only through financial means but by sharing wisdom gleaned from years of experience. Silicon Valley grew into the ecosystem it is today as a result of this ideology of givi by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

20 min listen

Accelerating Startup Growth with Terminus CEO Tim Kopp: Account-based marketing (ABM) is a targeted B2B strategy that focuses sales and marketing resources within a specific market. Terminus, a leading account-based marketing platform, has a goal of moving from an ABM company to a platform of record — but how does a startup evolve as it expands from its home turf all the way to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia? In this episode, Michael sits down with Terminus CEO Tim Kopp to discuss how he leans on his past experiences working for global companies like Coca-Cola and ExactTarget to inform this process. In addition to providing an overview of the work Terminus specializes in, Tim offers his experts tips for startups to apply when accelerating their own growth. This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

29 min listen

Adopting the Startup Mentality with Vena Solutions COO Tina Goulbourne: Financial planning startup Vena Solutions has raised more than $400 million to fuel its growth. When you've got that kind of walking around money, you need to have a plan to turn that capital into new customers, enhanced products, and recurring revenue. In this episode, we hear from Vena Solutions’ Chief Operating Officer, Tina Goulbourne, on the key priorities required for startup success. Tina has held key roles during her career at companies like Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, and Apple, and she leans on those experiences to help guide her in her current role at Vena Solutions. During our discussion, Tina shares the story of how she ended up in her current role at Vena Solutions as well as some of the key lessons she’s learned about the startup mentality over the course of her career. Turn towards, instead of away Although Tina was happy in her previous role at Apple, she was intrigued by the opportunity to join Ven by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

29 min listen

Why This CEO Tied the Company’s Profitability Directly to Student Outcomes with Tom Dretler, CEO & Co-Founder at Shorelight: In this episode, Michael Hainsworth sits down with Tom Dretler, the co-founder and CEO of Shorelight. Founded nearly a decade ago, the company matches international students with universities in the United States, and helps them succeed socially and academically. During the episode, Tom shares how he had to go back to school—metaphorically speaking—when the pandemic collapsed demand for international education opportunities in 2020. He also explains why the economic downturn that followed has led Shorelight to revisit the way it plans on funding its future. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

29 min listen

The Most Common Mistakes Made by Early Stage Entrepreneurs with Head of Operating Platform at Jump Capital Jason Felger: Often, the most valuable insights into startup strategy and execution come from early-stage investors. For burgeoning entrepreneurs, having a chance to learn the ropes from a seasoned founder can be invaluable when it comes to guiding the company towards sustainable growth and longevity. In this episode, Michael sits down with someone who knows all about this. As the Head of Operating Platform at Jump Capital, Jason and his team work closely with founders to help them build and scale effectively in their formative years. During the episode, Jason explains how the firm’s overall mission is to invest in early stage companies, partnering with the founders early on in their journey of building the company so they can be with them throughout the entire lifecycle of the business. Jason shares some of the most common mistakes made by new entrepreneurs, how to establish effe by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

30 min listen

Connecting the Data Dots with Tealbook CEO Stephany Lapierre: It’s been said that data is the new oil. Not only has it acted as a fuel for growth, but data has been the catalyst for a whole new way of doing business. In this episode, Michael sits down with Stephany Lapierre, the founder and CEO of Tealbook, a supplier data foundation that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable supply-side innovation. As a supply chain thought leader, Stephany has raised more than $73 million for the company, and much of it during the pandemic. While COVID-19 was breaking down supply chains, Tealbook was building up its ability to connect buyers with suppliers in a whole new way. During the episode, Stephany explains how Tealbook accelerated its fundraising while pivoting to tackle the greatest health crisis of our time. Connecting the dots The idea behind Tealbook is to collect supplier information for global enterprises that need to access data quickly, easily, and efficiently. by CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

41 min listen

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How a downturn forces resilient startups to re-evaluate their business models for survival and success

How a downturn forces resilient startups to re-evaluate their business models for survival and success

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