The Innovation Day Podcast

Kassia Meador has crafted an incredible career as a professional surfer, wellness advocate, and entrepreneur. From turning pro at 16 through to her very recent decision to set a new path for her business, Kassia has dropped in with focus and intentionality. In this episode Kassia brings her trademark candour, humour and warmth as she reflects on her journey, and shares her thoughts on what might come next.The Innovation Day Podcast is produced by Chess Originals. 

When he was just 18, Ben Taylor started the Beachman Life account on Instagram, and at the time it was a brand in search of a product. Fast forward to 2025 and that product is now an eBike (and soon to be motorcycle) like you've never seen before. On this episode Ben shares the Beachman story, from those very first bikes to the immanent launch of their electric motorcycle. 

Jayme and her co-founder Jessica set out to solve a complex and layered problem and wound up being voted one of Time Magazine's best new inventions. Jayme brings her infectious energy and passion to the show and shares with us how Everist is going about transforming the world of beauty care. 

For many, newspapers may not exactly be synonymous with “innovation”, but that opinion may change after listening to this episode. In 2017 musician and author Dave Bidini was inspired to start up a community paper in his west end Toronto neighbourhood. It was a labour of love and, with the help of his team and community, the West End Phoenix was born. The paper, and now the WEP's office and event space, bring people, family and friends together through shared experiences and stories. Speaking of stories, Dave is a great storyteller and we are thrilled to have him on the show.

The path to entrepreneurial success is winding, steep and treacherous – just ask anyone who's started a business. As with so many founders, Robert Kirstiuk had to make a ‘pandemic pivot', and the result was Freshline. Robert's story is one of starting local, with what you know, scaling up, scaling down and then rebuilding something new from the pieces. It's a story about staying committed and being resilient, and one that we think you'll really enjoy.

Britta Shillingsburg has been hands-on in her quest to create a product that is just rightfor her customers and the best it can be for the planet. As you'll hear in the episode. It's a high bar to meet, one that has set Britta on a multi-year journey from the hiking trails to her kitchen to her new online store. Britta's story is one of commitment to the vision through the twists and turns of bringing both a product and a company to market.

Founders like Ali Sabti, who have built a product are inventors at heart. Every inventor has their “Eureka” moment, for Archimedes it was in his bathtub and for Ali it was on his front lawn. Dealing with wasps and watering was the problem and, eventually, OtO was the solution. In this episode Ali shares his journey to create the product that was named one of the “Best Innovations” at CES and one of the “Best Inventions of 2022” by Time magazine. Who knew lawn care could be so cool?

Founders find inspiration in all sorts of places, and for Craig Follett, Co-Founder of Peggy, it was at Art Bazel in Switzerland. Craig, along with his Co-Founder Adam, set out to take all the best elements of the Blue Chip art market and make it available to the rest of us. The result is Peggy, a platform that enables discovery, purchase and resale of art. If you love art, technology and creativity this episode is for you.

It's astounding to think of all the puzzle pieces that need to fall in place for a successful product launch. From a great design, to manufacturing, to product market fit, to shipping and sales and so (SO) much more. In this episode Tony take us from a conversation that inspired the RUX system through to today, where the product is sold online and in major retailers across North America, Europe and Asia. It's an amazing product and a great story.

Open innovation and prizes to drive exponential change have been around for a long time and have delivered huge results. In this episode Eric shares insights and stories from the front lines of sustainability – from Paris, to the UN to the XPRIZE. Eric is a fantastic storyteller and listening to this episode will be 40 minutes well-spent.

This episode is for everyone sitting in their cubicle (if that's still a thing!) or working from their kitchen table dreaming of following their passion and starting up a business. Bern shares his journey from self-funded festival founder running the event on vacation time and credit cards, to pre-pandemic heights through the inevitable pandemic pivot. Filled with insight and humour, this is a story of passion, resilience and the power of a great party.

Every Founder has their “Founder's Story”, but few have a story like Emily's. In this episode Emily takes us on an incredible journey, from incarceration to inspiration to the shelves of your local grocery store. With humility and humour Emily shows us that creativity can't be constrained, and that second chances can deliver astounding results.

Dieter Rams, the legendary industrial designer, created with the ethos of “less, but better” and that pretty neatly sums up Ralph Dunning's approach to Foreign Rider Co. Based out of Toronto, Ralph is channeling his experience from creating Dunning Golf in his newest venture. Ralph is passionate about getting it right: for his customers, his suppliers and for the planet. Purpose is one of the most commonly misused words in business, and Ralph shares his view on what purpose really means. Foreign Rider marries great design with strong values and that foundation is the launching pad for a brand poised to take off.

“We aren't saving lives here.” This is a phrase I've heard many times in the business world as we put our projects and stress into perspective. Well, as an ER physician, Dr. Brian Goldman is actually saving lives, and in his latest book The Power or Teamwork, How We Can All Work Better Together, he brings the teamwork tools from the OR into perspective for the rest of us.

As businesses across North America struggle with the concept of “hybrid” work, employees are experiencing record levels of stress. In this episode Jennifer Moss shares her insights on what makes work meaningful. Strong bonds, individual contributions and empowered teams all contribute to happy employees, but remote work can stand in the way and employees are often trading the commute for real connections at work. Jen brings years of experience as an author, researcher, Harvard Business Review contributor and combines those with personal anecdotes in this very timely episode.

AI is popping up everywhere, from helping your photos look better to finishing the sentences in your email. But despite all the talk of, “big data”, for many leaders AI has not come knocking on their door. Peak AI is looking to change all that. At Peak, AI is being used to help business make better decisions, and in this episode Chris Billingham guides us through the what, how and why of AI powered decisions.

“Innovation”, the very subject of this podcast, is still a mysterious concept to most. Often understood to be a magical moment of “eureka”, the process of innovating is actually slow, messy and fraught with emotional landmines. In her new book, Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey, Karen and her co-authors break down the innovation journey and, most importantly, focus on the barriers and biases that often limit our capacity to be innovative.

Getting outside is good for you, that is a well-established fact. Fresh air, exercise and being in nature have positive, and measurable, health benefits. Now, powered by AI and machine learning, NatureQuant is putting a number on nature and working to quantify the positive impacts of getting off your screen and out of your home. This start-up is mapping North America and Europe, pulling in data from myriad sources and providing insights that are driving decisions within not only the public and private sector, but also by individuals who want better health outcomes.

In 2022 your time, eyes and data are fought over, and sought after, by a long list of advertisers, app developers, publishers and brands. Vox media is no different, they want your eyes and need your time, but they are different in the way they are going about it. In this episode Melissa shares the personal journey that led her to Vox, and shares her perspectives on the future of everything from privacy to co-branded content, and from personalization to premium experiences.

In big cities around the world, housing, especially in a downtown core, has become financially out of reach for many. Add to that the disruption of development on those in a neighbourhood, and the environmental impact of building and we are truly facing a multi-faceted housing crisis. But it doesn't have to be that way. Leith Moore envisioned a future where houses and land can be used more efficiently, and developments can be built quickly, more affordably and significantly more sustainably. That vision has formed the foundation of his Toronto-based firm R-Hauz, and in this episode Leith shares with us that vision, and the reality of building at a more human scale.

After the tragic events of 9/11 Steve Abrams took a hard look at his career and decided it was time for a change. That change—starting Mill St. Brewery with some friends—took him on an amazing journey, one he is starting all over again. Steve and his Co-Founders sold sold Mill St. to Labatt in 2015, but the entrepreneurial spirit was still very much alive and Steve is at it again. His new company once again making craft beer, but this time non-alcoholic. On this episode Steve shares the story of starting up one again.

In this, our first iD Short, we are taking a quick break from our regular format as we introduce you to our Producer, Darryl Webster. Far more than just our Producer, Darryl is also a musician, published author and film adapter. On this episode we get Darryl in front of the mic to tell us the story of his first book, Pride in Travel.

When Luke Anderson was 24 years old he experienced a mountain biking accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, leaving him with quadriplegia. That moment set in motion a series of events that led Luke to create the Stopgap Foundation, an organization dedicated to both the creation of ramps that solve some of the challenges of our build environment, and also to education and awareness of the barriers that exist in that environment. Luke is truly a renegade, his story is moving, funny and carries with it lessons that transcend business to touch on the spirit of who we are and what we can achieve.

It all started on vacation in Mexico when Carmen Sandor fell in love with a brand of mescal and decided to import it to Canada. While the mescal didn't work out, it started Carmen on a journey that led her to start her own brand — a green-tea-flavoured vodka called Green Owl. Launched during the pandemic as Carmen's side hustle, within a year the brand was being carried in over 150 stores and is now on its way to going national.

Aron Levitz and his team have over 100 projects in production all over the world, stories mined from the more than one billion pieces of content uploaded to the Wattpad and Webtoon platforms. Combining community, creators and technology, Aron is helping to integrate Wattpad and Webtoon after a $600 million acquisition from South Korea-based Naver. It is an incredibly exciting moment in time for the Toronto-based Levitz who's tasked with bringing stories to life in exciting new forms.

Friends since elementary school, when Mikayla and Naomi discovered a shared desire for better style, inclusivity and sustainability in the world of outdoor apparel, they made the big decision to leave their jobs—Mikayla a National Geographic explorer, Naomi a fashion marketer— and start Alder Apparel. Alder launched during the pandemic; a time when the need to get outside was more acute than ever, but also a time when comfy and casual were the main criteria for clothing. 

In 2013 Elon Musk published the Hyperloop Alpha  paper.  Just a few weeks later Hyperloop TT was founded and started down the long road to commercialize the concept. Fast forward to today and Hyperloop TT is one of the front runners to get hyperloop to market; and it has been a wild ride. Hyperloop sounds almost too good to be true—safe, reliable, super-fast, and modelling that shows a hyperloop system will put energy back into the grid. In our conversation Rob provides us with a “hyperloop 101”, discussing the hurdles that have been crossed and those still to come, while sharing Hyperloop TT's staffing model that is now the subject of multiple business school case studies.

If you've paid even a little attention to the news lately you've noticed the flurry of all-electric announcements by major global automakers. Ford, GM and Volvo, amongst others, are aiming to make the vast majority of their fleet fully-electric within the next 15 years. In this episode, we talk about the EV revolution with Hugues Bissonnette, the Country Manager for Polestar Canada. Polestar joined forces with Volvo in 2017 and is boldly charting a new path, with plans to double their footprint in 2021 and then again in 2022. In our conversation, Hugues shares the challenges, excitement and passion of the Polestar team when looking ahead to what will be an exciting EV future.

Almost everything has changed in some way or another over the last year and a half, and the world of presenting and experiencing art is no exception. In this episode we talk to Rosemary Thompson, VP Corporate, Public Affairs and Marketing at the National Gallery of Canada, about helping to lead Canada's premier public art institution through the practical and social change that has come about through the pandemic. Candid, insightful and deeply human, Rosemary shares her experiences and perspective as the Gallery opens with a blockbuster exhibition that is very much presented through a contemporary lens. If you've missed art and wondered what the future of exhibitions might look like, then this episode is for you.

LA-based Bureo started as many companies do; with an opportunity and an idea. The opportunity was a start-up program in Chile, and the idea was a skateboard made from recycled fishing nets. While the Bureo team is still on the ground in Chile, and you can still buy one of those skateboards, a lot has changed since 2013 when David and his partners wrote that first business plan. They've recycled millions of tons of nets, they've partnered with Patagonia to develop new fabrics and products, and they are branching out well beyond the borders of Chile. This is a story of small steps, community engagement and creative thinking coming together to make a big impact.

In 2005 Maayan Ziv founded AccessNow, a platform to crowdsource and share accessibility data for locations around the world. In a time when there was an app for pretty much everything, Maayan still found it difficult to find information that would help her, and others living with a disability, navigate a world filled with barriers. Fast forward to 2021 and AccessNow has more than 1,000,000 data points for locations in over 32 countries. This is a story everyone should hear, about an idea whose time has come, the determination to succeed and a mission to map the world.

With a great idea and literally buckets of cigarette butts he collected off of California beaches, Taylor Lane and his friend Ben designed a surfboard that won an international design competition and kicked off a journey that would take them around the world. In this episode, Taylor tells host Neil Follet the improbable story of a surfboard made of cigarette butts, the documentary film he's nearly finished, and the inspirational people he's met along the way. 

David Lavin founded The Lavin Agency over 30 years ago, and his business has grown to be North America's largest “intellectual talent” agency. In David's words he works with “smart people”, and in this episode he takes us on the journey from his very first booking, to dominating the market. He shares what happened when COVID meant all his bookings were cancelled, how he managed through that crisis and how he's now ended up even stronger than ever. If you enjoy entrepreneurial stories of resilience, creativity and taking big leaps then you'll love this episode.

Chris Barth is an author and a Lead Strategist for Contagious Communications, a strategic intelligence business.  He's also an urban farmer, growing vegetables on a plot of land in downtown Minneapolis. Running the farm with his wife Ashley, and now his very young son Rhys. Chris speaks with Neil as he is about to start his third planting season. Chris and Neil talk about the trend of urban farming, the trials of running a farm while also having a full-time job, and the joys of being connected to the land and the community. If you love good food and good conversation this episode is for you!

In this episode host Neil Follett speaks with Jacie DeHoop, co-founder of TheGist, a growing sports content platform targeted at the more casual fan. Jacie shares how the Gist came to life, talks about leading a growing business with her best friends, and reflects on the challenges a sports-focused business faces when sports are cancelled due to a global pandemic. For anyone who's ever dreamt of starting a business with friends, this episode is for you.

In his latest book, The Soul of an Entrepreneur: Work and Life Beyond the Startup Myth, best-selling author David Sax takes us from Silicon Valley all the way back to the roots of entrepreneurship. Host Neil Follett talks to David about why the start-up myth is a myth, what drives and connects entrepreneurs, and the process of writing his new book. If you are an entrepreneur, know one, or have ever thought of going out on your own, this episode (and David's book) is for you.

LaRayia Gaston, founder of the non-profit Lunch on Me can now add published author to her long list of accomplishments. In her new book Love Without Reason, The Lost Art of Giving a F*uck, LaRayia lays out a personal, powerful and accessible blueprint for being more connected to those around you, and to yourself. In this episode Neil and LaRayia talk about her book, her many business ventures and what she's learned through running Lunch on Me and serving over 10,000 meals a month to those experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. If you've ever wanted to give a little more or find more balance, this episode (and LaRayia's book) is for you.