Creators at the World's Edge

Josh is helping to cool a warming planet by making our homes energy efficient, smarter, and cozier. His light bulb moment (an LED bulb no doubt) for a smartphone enabled electric baseboard thermostat system came when he couldn't find one at a major retailer. Fast forward several years and product iterations later, Mysa is now a household name and stocked on those same retail shelves. Josh talks to Carol about his ‘screw it, just do it' attitude to overcoming fear, why you need to build your team before the product, and what the home of the (near) future will look like.

When running a business, you often make important decisions based on your gut. As Nikitha tells us, it's the same thing when it comes to your health. She is harnessing science and AI to analyze the microbe composition in customer's guts (there are trillions of microorganisms present within each of us!) and enabling them with a personalized path to health and wellbeing. She sits down with Carol to discuss her journey from scientist and mom to entrepreneur, the power of resilience in life and business, and why for her, helping people heal through science, is personal. here.

PolyUnity is on a mission to deliver the future of healthcare today. It is making on demand medical manufacturing a reality by fusing the power of 3D printing with a digital inventory of devices. It's a radical new blueprint for lowering costs, carbon emissions, and geographic barriers. Jacqueline and Mark sit down with Carol to talk about why two CEOs are better than one, what a journey of purpose looks like, and why we need gender inclusion in tech, stat.

In a battle to give people back control over their data, Isaac Adejuwon of Metricsflow is taking on the goliaths of Silicon Valley right here from St. John's. His cookie-less data analytics platform is a big step towards restoring users' trust in the web. Carol sits down with Isaac to discuss what he had to ‘un-learn' as an engineer to thrive as an entrepreneur, why VCs need to step up their game when it comes to funding marginalized and underrepresented founders, and what excites him most about Web 3.0. (hint: it's all about freedom).

A second-generation critical care nurse, Deanne swapped her stethoscope and scrubs for spreadsheets, and a pitch book when she discovered a better way to care for mechanically ventilated patients on life support. From the island's West Coast, Deanne joins Carol to discuss how the pandemic and a (long overdue) women-led venture fund turbo-charged her company, the inherent qualities nurses and entrepreneurs both share, and why kids make the best pitch judges.

We're back! Who doesn't love getting a bonus? You let us know that your ears were hungry for more, so we're delivering. Five new bonus episodes of Creators at the World's Edge (CWE) will drop starting March 16th! But first... let's have a little fun. Behind the podcast curtain. In anticipation of the new episodes dropping, we're taking you behind the scenes and into the podcast studio. It's where the magic happens (even though it's surprisingly chilly). Our host Carol Bartlett and the techNL team (Marlayne Hardy and Regan Williams) sit down to talk about the process, what they've learned along this journey so far, and some of the interview ‘crunchy nuggets' (past and to come) that have stuck with them most. Revealing, inspiring… and fun. We can't wait to immerse you once again into the personal journeys (with all the highs and lows) of a diverse group of entrepreneurs helping to firmly place Newfoundland and Labrador's booming tech scene on the global map. From saving the planet one smart thermostat at a time to taking on the goliaths of Silicon Valley right from St. John's, we guarantee their stories will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Sid knows what you're thinking. His consumer reward app, HYKE harnesses math and psychology to delve deep into the subconscious. Originally from Iran, Sid discovered St. John's to be the perfect place to start a new life and a business, even though the local dialect and weather took some getting used to. Carol sits down with Sid and learns how he's harnessing tech to understand why we make the decisions we do, and why he sees poetry in numbers.

As a VP for Vision33, the Global IT professional services powerhouse, Gerard is a firm believer in the promise of tech to transform organisations. But, in helping grow the company to over 450 employees with a roster of blue-chip global clients, he has faced negative stereotypes of what a Newfoundland company is or should be. Carol sits down with Gerard to discuss how superficial views of Newfoundlanders only fueled him to drive harder towards success and silence the naysayers.

Med-tech entrepreneur, competitive fitness athlete, stunt-woman in training - meet Christine Goudie. She is someone who sets sky-high goals for herself, then relentlessly pursues them until she achieves them. Quitting isn't a word in her vocab. Carol sits down with Christine to learn about her journey starting a women's health company in the ultra-competitive med-tech space, why it's high time we lift the veil on issues of burnout among entrepreneurs, ways we can hack the burnout, and how the pandemic forced her to learn the art of the pivot.

Mark's journey to success doesn't follow the usual script. A lawyer with an entrepreneurial itch, he decided to take the plunge and start a tech company in the early days of the internet. The problem was he didn't have an idea, money, or customers. Knowing the web would change the world, he tested the waters with a smattering of products before landing on Celtx, an online collaboration tool for media creators. Carol sits down with Mark and learns how timing isn't everything, how focusing on the new generation of media creators was a genius go-to strategy, and his unlikely connection to Bollywood.

Chad's never been afraid to take the road less travelled, especially if it leads to the bottom of the ocean. From Canadian Navy diver to Founder and CEO of SubC Imaging - an underwater digital imaging systems company - Chad's DNA is a mix of salt water and entrepreneurship. Carol takes a deep dive into Chad's thriving business, headquartered in Clarenville, NL, and talks about developing some of the best underwater optics in the world, how his technology can already help save fish stocks, and about filming the Titanic and seeking elusive colossal squid.

Starting a tech company in Atlantic Canada is one thing. Establishing a completely new industry, well, that's on a whole other level. For Deirdre (Beep), Head of Operations for video game pioneer Other Ocean Group Canada, this was a challenge she was ready to take on. She talks with Carol about successfully growing the gaming industry in NL, about entrepreneurship as a family affair, how Newfoundland can do better at rolling out the red carpet for other founders, and how Other Ocean got to the holy grail in gaming - developing and working on their own video game and intellectual property.

You probably recognize the bright blue building on Prescott Street (it's hard to miss), but you might not know who it's home to. It's the headquarters of Bluedrop, a world leader in e-learning, simulation training, and workforce development. Having started his tech company in St. John's long before tech companies were even a thing here, Emad knows something about cultivating a vibrant start-up ecosystem. Emad chats with Carol about seeing risk in a different light, why irrationality is a good thing, and how immigration is a key ingredient for the future of tech in our province.

Brett is helping thousands to breathe a little easier. As CEO of BreatheSuite, his company is leveraging tech to transform inhalers, a device that's remained essentially unchanged for decades. Brett sits down with Carol to talk about his journey from the ice to the boardroom, and how lessons learned from his competitive hockey days have helped him captain BreatheSuite onto the global arena.

Moya Cahilll, CEO and Co-founder of PanGeo Subsea continues to make waves globally. An oceantech pioneer, PanGeo uses acoustics to image geo hazards in the sub seabed (think underwater MRI), and what she's found down there might surprise you. Moya's spirit for adventure and joyful take on the province's tech future is infectious.

Sure, most thought Adam Keating was crazy to turn down coveted job offers in California and head back home to St. John's to start his own tech company. But, the CEO and Co-Founder of CoLab Software, a collaboration platform that's powering some of the world's most innovative engineering teams, knew he could compete with the world's best right here from the Rock. Having led his team to a top place finish in Elon Musk's SpaceX Hyperloop Competition will do that. Carol sits down with Adam to talk about the power of going all in on your decisions, and how he's paying his success forward by helping grow the local tech ecosystem.

Welcome to the Creators at the World's Edge - a new podcast by techNL. Paul Preston, CEO of techNL, presents the collection of innovators, dreamers, and creators that are building the tech ecosystem in Newfoundland and Labrador.