The Entrepreneur Podcast

Family businesses have been important pillars in the history of Canada, where they have developed industries and enriched communities from coast to coast.Jonathan McCain is part of that tradition. Hailing from a family legacy that includes McCain Foods and Maple Leaf Foods, Jonathan decided to take the consulting route after university before exercising his entrepreneurial talents in an industry that was in no way related to food.In this fascinating discussion with Ivey Lecturer David Simpson, McCain talks about his entrepreneurial family, how consulting prepared him to lead his own enterprise, and the growing role his playing in the family business.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum and founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Dr Connie Clerici.

In 2014, Erik Mikkelsen and Rob Cherun made the first successful exit for a Canadian search fund when Auxo Management LP acquired Toronto-based security firm UCIT.The move cemented the two Ivey alums in the relatively young history of Canada's entrepreneurship through acquisition (or ETA) sector; a form of entrepreneurship popularized by Harvard in the 1980s, where leaders would buy and run pre-existing businesses.Over the next decade, Mikkelsen built Stealth to become a powerhouse in the security space, growing the company from 55 to over 2,000 employees, whilst achieving a 30x increase in revenue. In 2024, Stealth was acquired by GardaWorld.In this insightful discussion with Ivey Lecturer David Simpson, Mikkelsen talks about his journey from entrepreneur to consultant to entrepreneur through acquisition, the evolution of search fund models in ETA, and the field’s growing importance and visibility in the Canadian market.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum and founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Dr Connie Clerici.

Scott Stirrett was the Founder and CEO of Venture for Canada, a national charity that fosters entrepreneurial skills in young Canadians by recruiting, training, and supporting them to work for innovative Canadian small businesses and startups.After running the venture for a decade, Stirrett has collated many of his learnings into a book, titled “The Uncertainty Advantage: Launching Your Career in an Era of Rapid Change.”In this episode, Stirrertt speaks with Ivey Faculty Member Eric Janssen about turning down a job at Goldman Sachs, launching and growing Venture for Canada, and the six pillars cited in his book for building our “uncertainty muscle” for a world that is looking more and more volatile.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum and founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Dr Connie Clerici.

If you are talking about start-up law in Canada, John Wires is often at the top of that list. Wires is the CEO of Wires Law, a corporate commercial law firm that has delivered legal services to entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses across Canada for over a decade. While it can often be seen as an intimidating or boring topic, legal implications can often be the making or breaking of a business, especially when success is baked into the formula.In this episode, Wires speaks freely with Ivey faculty member Eric Janssen about the role lawyers play in decision-making, how to calculate and mitigate legal risks, protecting intellectual property and the complications to consider when raising capital and diluting ownership when building a business.For those interested in learning more, download Wires free book, The Law for Founders - The legal playbook for Canadian founders — from incorporation to exit, in the link below: https://founderlaw.ca/ The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum and founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Dr Connie Clerici.

Eric Brass didn't hate his job in asset management. He had a terrific boss, wonderful colleagues, and the pay was great! But six years before, on an exchange trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, Eric fell in love with premium tequila. So much so that it planted a seed that ultimately led him to create a world-class Tequila brand.In this episode, Brass revisits The Entrepreneur Podcast and talks about his ongoing journey with Tequila Tromba and shares some exciting updates on his latest venture that is supporting sustainability in Agave cultivation.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Quantumshift 2008 alum and founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Dr Connie Clerici.

Some founders don't have "entrepreneur" as part of their plan. They slowly evolve into one.That's what Chris Barnard shared with students at Ivy's New Venture project. After a slew of jobs, including investing money for other companies, Barnard wondered, 'why not invest in his own venture?'That venture became Points.com, one of the earliest loyalty programs in the world. Barnard, his co-founder, Rob McLean, and Points.com, would go on to weather a series of world-changing storms, including the dotcom bubble , 9/11, and the War on Terror, before settling into cruising altitude.Barnard would go on to take Points.com public, and in 2022, the venture was acquired for half a billion dollars.In this episode, Barnard speaks with Ivey faculty member Eric Janssen about his incredible journey of building a startup in tumultuous times, the importance of travel, and how to navigate technological change as entrepreneurs.

This season of The Entrepreneur Podcast is packed with discussions that range from instructional to aspirational: From stories of founders who’ve built incredible brands and placed themselves in the history of Canadian entrepreneurship to the mental and legal building blocks that are integral to launching a career in entrepreneurship.The new season of The Entrepreneur Podcast launches on November 18th.To ensure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player or visit entrepreneurship.uwo.ca/podcast. The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Dr. Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Founder of Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

Kevin Sullivan has a storied history as a founder and investor in Canada’s modern entrepreneurship story.An early backer of Blackberry, Sullivan was part of GMP Capital from its inception and went on to serve as its President and CEO. In 1995, He co-founded one of Canada’s leading independent investment dealers, GMP Securities LP.In this episode, Sullivan shares stories from his 30-year-long career, discusses changes in the investment landscape, and answers difficult questions on what the future holds for entrepreneurs and investors in Canada.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

The global video game industry is a behemoth that is worth more than the music, television, and film industries put together. That’s not bad for a sector that was considered niche before the 2000s.As the former President of Digital Extremes, Michael Schmalz had a front-row seat to these seismic changes. The London, Ontario-based game studio started by his brother, James, rose to prominence with international hit games like Warframe and Unreal. With a background in business and technology, Schmalz was able to ride the waves of uncertainty and opportunity to build a thriving company that not only delivered iconic games but also shaped the way the industry managed projects and people.In this episode, Schmalz gives us a window into the gaming industry, its history, and what lies ahead.The Entrepreneur Podcast is sponsored by Connie Clerici, QS ’08, and Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, Inc.

Entrepreneurship is often viewed as a discipline within business and that makes sense. Entrepreneurs are dealing with finances, crunching numbers, raising money, and balancing payroll.But Entrepreneurship is more than business. It’s an art.Entrepreneurs build products, services, companies, and brands that carry a piece of who they are. It’s a form of expression that reflects who they are; just like a painting that gives a window into the innermost thoughts of the painter.On this episode, we talk to two founders who embrace both titles and have joined their love for music and business, to create an international music act that might be on your party playlist. Andrew Fedyk and Joe Depace are Loud Luxury, a Canadian DJ Duo that rose to fame through their 2017 releases "Body" and a remix of the Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa single "Scared to Be Lonely".In this episode, I sat down with Andrew and Joe to discuss their story of how a business and political science major at Western University ended up selling-out dance clubs across the world.