The Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast

Victoria Xu, Co-Founder of Green Hydrogen Start-Up, CleanInnoGen

Episode #11 CleanInnoGen
If green hydrogen will be the fuel of the future, many technological breakthroughs will be needed. Deeptech ventures are charting a course through the outer reaches of thermo-chemical engineering to a new era of net zero energy abundance. Today, Co-Hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar take you to the industrial frontier with Victoria Xu, impact entrepreneur, angel investor and Founder of CleanInnoGen.
As noted by Foresight Canada (CleanInnoGen was a Foresight 50 2023 Honouree): "CleanInnoGen helps to decarbonize heavy industries like steel and cement by using their waste heat to drive a chemical process, the copper-chlorine cycle, that produces green hydrogen and oxygen on site. The hydrogen and oxygen can be used in the industry’s process for fuel switching to a non-carbon source and for improved combustion efficiency, thus helping to decarbonize their operation. The process uses significantly less electricity than water electrolysis."
Themes we encounter in this conversation with Victoria:
The promise of green hydrogen
Balancing entrepreneurship and angel/impact investing
The intersection of green hydrogen and electric vehicles/electrification
Hydrogen storage and transportation requirements and costs
Closed loop systems (utilizing waste heat from heavy industry for decarbonization)
Circular business models, time to market, demonstration markets
Why the notorious “valley of death” is even more challenging for deeptech startups
Capital-intensive physical technologies.
Quick Links and References:
The CleanInnoGen (CIG) official website
CEMEX Ventures and Foresight Canada entries on CIG
On hydrogen and green hydrogen (MIT Climate Portal)
Key vocabulary: Water Electrolyzers (USA - ENERGY.GOV), Steam Methane Reforming - SMR (Wikipedia), Thermochemical Water Splitting (USA - ENERGY.GOV), Circular Economics (ENR - Government of Canada), Technology Readiness Level - TRL scale (Innovation Canada)
Hydrogen Production Pathways backgrounder (NRC)
Thermochemical Hydrogen Production (Ontario Tech University)
Acknowledgments
CleanInnoGen secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
Laboratory work to further commercialization of this technology is being carried out by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler, Daniela Scoppa, Sanjay Deoram and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
For more information on our podcast, including co-host biographies, click here.
Today’s Advertisement
NCFDC provides alternative lending solutions for qualified businesses and organizations in Northumberland, Ontario, Canada, with the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Click here to learn more about how the Community Futures Program can support local business start up, stabilization or expansion.
Additional terms and conditions apply. See website for details.

Thomas Storwick, Co-Founder of Cleantech Start-up, Coastal Carbon

Episode #10 Coastal Carbon
Thomas Storwick from Coastal Carbon uses satellite data and AI technology to speak for the trees... or in this case, the kelp! His platform is enabling blue carbon credits, data-driven marine ecosystem restoration, protection of biodiversity, sustainable aquaculture and economic development–even in remote locations around the world, where Indigenous communities are so often at the global forefront of climate action. As Thomas remarks, "None of this remote monitoring would be possible without AI. We're doing measurements that were impossible before and at a scale that wasn't feasible."
Today, we take you to the intersection of seaweed and AI, in this tenth episode of Season 1 of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast, with Co-Hosts Braden Kemp (Bioenterprise Canada) and Tracy Morningstar (CCAB).
Themes we encounter in this conversation with Thomas:
The state of seaweed in the coastal environment
Aquaculture farming and marine ecosystem regeneration
Remote data capture with AI
Blue carbon credits and co-benefits (community economic development, supporting remote communities, understanding and influencing the growth of biodiversity)
Indigenous economic development implications
Coastal Carbon’s market focus and business model
Seaweed markets generally, biotech applications and outlook
Seaweed farming insights and analytics (beyond blue carbon credits).
Quick Links and References
Coastal Carbon’s official website
Ocean Wise
On sea urchin barrens (UC Santa Cruz news center)
Key vocabulary: Blue Carbon (NOAA definition); Transect (NPS definition); MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification, World Bank overview), Biostimulants (University of Minnesota definition), Bio-fouling (IMO).
Learn more about UC Berkely’s seaweed projects
Acknowledgments
Coastal Carbon secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler, Daniela Scoppa, Sanjay Deoram and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Today’s Advertisement
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) is a national non-profit organization with a mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities and awareness for all CCAB Membership.

William Jones, Founder & CEO of Digital Health Start-up, Leynek Medical

Episode #9 Leynek Medical
William Jones from Leynek Medical is engineering new hardware and software solutions for digital healthcare transformation. Join Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast Co-Hosts Braden Kemp (Bioenterprise) and Tracy Morningstar (Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business) as they learn more about William’s mission and vision.
Themes we encounter in this conversation:
Avoiding unnecessary hospital trips ER, cancer oncology
Supporting healthcare system users and practitioners, information sharing
Medtech/digital health entrepreneurship, patient first design
Leynek Medical origin, founder story, personal experience
Understanding and interpreting device health data, virtual care
Business models and partnerships
Clinical validation
Mentorship, entrepreneurship, start-up pitfalls
Importance of seed funding for early-stage entrepreneurship.
Quick Links and References
Leynek Medical official website
Tabriz, Turner, Hong et al., Trends and Characteristics of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Cancer in the US., Emergency Medicine (2023)
MDEL (Health Canada), 510k Submissions (FDA)
Invest Ottawa.
Acknowledgments
Leynek Medical secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler, Daniela Scoppa and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Today's Advertisement
The Venture13 innovation centre is located in Cobourg, Ontario, just over an hour east of Toronto, and includes co-working space for startups, an innovation commons and demo hall, a mechatronics-focused makerlab as well as co-locating anchor organizations like NCFDC, the Northumberland Manufacturers Association, Northumberland Makers, the Cobourg Police Service’s business unit and the Town of Cobourg’s Economic Development Department. For more information, and to join the VentureZone, head to venture13.ca.

Sydney Robinson, Co-Founder & CEO of Prosthetics Start-up, Vessl

Episode #8 Vessl
In this latest podcast episode from the entrepreneurship frontier, Co-Hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar join Sydney Robinson, Co-Founder & CEO of southern Ontario-based start-up, Vessl Prosthetics, for a conversation about business, innovation and defining company culture from the beginning. Sydney is a mechanical and biomedical engineer working on an isoform socket to improve prosthetic solutions: “we are dedicated to amputees and being the best company we can be.”
Themes we encounter during this episode include:
Biomedical engineering innovation and iterative, user-driven design
Business model, innovation commercialization and regulatory strategies for prosthetics start-ups
Social media
Food and travel, and sources of inspiration
Building a strong company culture
Acknowledgments
Vessl secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links and References:
Vessl Prosthetics official website
Earned media: Global News, CTV News, University of Waterloo.
Mechanical Engineering (Queen’s University, Kingston, ON)
Western Medical Innovation Fellowship (Western University, London ON)
Key vocabulary: ”Prosthesis” (Wikipedia), ”Osseointegration” (Wikipedia), ”Physiatrist” (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Brené Brown (brenebrown.com)
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio.
Today's Advertisement
Bioenterprise is Canada’s Food and Agri-Tech Engine, a community of entrepreneurs, researchers, accelerators, and partners, committed to driving innovation across Canada in the agri-tech and food industry. To learn more, and discover opportunities for collaboration, head to bioenterprise.ca.

Sarah Paterson, Founder & CEO of Travel Start-up, Jetsplitz

Episode #7 Jetsplitz
One day, ‘fly-sharing’ or ‘jet-splitting’ might be everyday vocabulary, as common as Uber’s ‘ride-sharing’ or AirBnB. In this episode of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast, Co-Hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar sit down with the Founder of Jetsplitz, Sarah Paterson, to talk about her business, her entrepreneurial journey and her sources of inspiration. Jetsplitz, a certified Aboriginal Business, is on a mission to make transportation systems more accessible, efficient and sustainable. "Hopefully with Jetsplitz we're changing the narrative on what Indigenous people can do and where you're going in life,” Sarah says. “And for females, you can be a techy as well."
Themes we encounter during this episode include:
The private and charter jet side of transportation systems
The carbon footprint and unsolved problem of dead legs and empty seats
Confidence-building, graduating from Harvard, teaching yourself to code
On female founders and Indigenous women in tech, then and now
Attracting Indigenous talent, developing a skills pipeline from under-represented groups
Uber and AirBnB case studies and comparisons
‘Fly-sharing’ during the pandemic
Parents as mentors
Sarah Blakely
Balancing parenting, life and business.
Acknowledgments:
Jetsplitz secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links and References:
Jetsplitz official website.
Positive Parenting Solutions.
Sarah Blakely Founder of Spanx (bio via Forbes’ America’s Self-Made Women, Masterclass profile, or Wikipedia entry).
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio.
Today's Advertisment
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) is a national non-profit organization with a mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities and awareness for all CCAB Membership.

James Aein, Co-Founder & CEO of Grid Analytics Start-up, ENERZA

Episode #6 ENERZA
Will robots help modernize the world’s power grid? In this episode of the Podcast, co-hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar sit down with James Aein, Co-Founder & CEO of ENERZA.
Themes we encounter in conversation with James Aein:
An introduction to the power grid
Robotics-as-a-Service business model
Sales cycles for utilities companies as customers
Benefits of startup accelerator programs
AI and predictive analytics
‘Grid edge’ technologies
Knowledge transfer from post-secondary research to commercialization
Startup life, mindset, personal motivations of founders
Quick Links and References:
Background on 2023 Maui wildfires (via Britannica.com), Bare electrical wire, leaning poles possible cause of deadly Maui wildfires (CBC News)
Hydro One, Hydro Quebec, BC Hydro
Intro to IoT (the Internet of Things) (McKinsey)
Grid Edge Infrastructure (Forbes)
Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator
Finding Opportunity in the Decentralized Grid (RBC Capital Markets)
Transforming Your Mind - Dr. Joe Dispenza Podcast (via Spotify)
Acknowledgments
Enerza secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
 
Today’s Advertisement
The Venture13 innovation centre is located in Cobourg, Ontario, just over an hour east of Toronto, and includes co-working space for startups, an innovation commons and demo hall, a mechatronics-focused makerlab as well as co-locating anchor organizations like NCFDC, the Northumberland Manufacturers Association, Northumberland Makers, the Cobourg Police Service’s business unit and the Town of Cobourg’s Economic Development Department. For more information, and to join the VentureZone, head to venture13.ca.

Osaffat Khan, Co-Founder & CTO of Rapid Prototyping Start-up, ZapMetals

Episode #5 ZapMetals
In the latest episode of our frontier project, Tracy and Braden interview Osaffat Khan, Co-Founder and CTO of ZapMetals, and delve into the challenges and opportunities of industrial automation. 
Themes tackled during this session include:
Running a machine shop
Learning about industrial trends and best practices, introducing automation
Manufacturing and prototyping 101
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Underserved markets for CNC parts
Metal sourcing
AI integrations, monitoring tolerances
Computer vision, surface detection
Control systems textbooks (!)
Autonomous snow blowing
Learning through serial entrepreneurship
Green manufacturing, reshoring production
Enhancing skilled trades through advanced manufacturing and net new job creation
Golf (is it relaxing or aggravating?)
ZapMetals secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links
ZapMetals official website
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio
ZapMetals is an Entrepreneur First venture
Today’s Advertisement
Visit the Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED Canada) Business Benefits Finder (⁠click here⁠) to discover resources and support for your venture today. A service provided by the Government of Canada.

Christopher Klich, Co-Founder & CEO of Agtech Start-up, Mycro Harvest

Episode #4 - Mycro Harvest
In this episode of the podcast, we’re unlocking the power of mushrooms, powered by advancements in production automation, computer vision and artificial intelligence. Co-hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar take you on a mycologically odyssey with Christopher Klich, Co-Founder & CEO of Mycro Harvest, a southern Ontario agtech startup building the AI-driven mushroom smart farms of the future.
Themes tackled during this episode of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast include:
Road trips, discovery tours, talking to mushroom farmers
Finding scalable models for production optimization
Mycro Harvest’s mission and vision
Traditional versus advanced growing practices, standardization and automation
Varieties of specialty mushrooms and market opportunities
Cultivated versus wild-foraged native species, substrates
Controlled environment agriculture
From dried to fresh mushrooms, locally produced
Mushroom production in Canada’s North, food security implications
Lean startup thinking, iterative agriculture
Output and scalability
Shipping containers to control grow room dynamics
Controlling timing of production
Mushrooms as input into bioremediation
Optimizing properties of mushrooms
Mycro Harvest business model and target markets, ROI
Importance of mentorship for small teams and start-ups
Generational differences, traditional versus technologically transformed farming.
Acknowledgements
Mycro Harvest received $25,000 in performance-based seed funding from NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada. 
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links and References
Mycro Harvest official website
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio
Co-Founders Christopher and Justin are graduates of the Entrepreneur First venture program and were profiled by CTV News and the University of Waterloo. Mycro Harvest is a member of the Velocity Incubator.
David Hunter – The Contrarian Investor Podcast (via contrarianpod)
FedDev Ontario
Today’s Advertisement
Bioenterprise if Canada’s Food and Agri-Tech Engine, a community of entrepreneurs, researchers, accelerators, and partners, committed to driving innovation across Canada in the agri-tech and food industry. To learn more, and discover opportunities for collaboration, head to ⁠bioenterprise.ca⁠.

Ben Su, Co-Founder & COO of Investment Start-up, Capita

Episode #3 - Capita
Co-Hosts Tracy Morningstar and Braden Kemp start up a conversation with Ben Su, Co-Founder of Canadian fintech start-up, Capita, in this third episode of NCFDC’s Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast. Capita is working to simplify investing and raising funds, helping founders to automate how they raise and helping investors to launch syndicates and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
In an engaging discussion with Ben, we tackle:
Moving from the legal profession to the start-up world
Equity-building and exponential tech
Side hustles and social impact
Living with your co-founders
Developing a pitch
Revolutionizing investment syndicates, smart contracts, capital formation, governance and the concept of “default compliance”
The path less traveled and the importance of mentorship from exit entrepreneurs who have been to the frontier and back.
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links
Capita official website.
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio.
FedDev Ontario.
Mentioned in this Episode
Chalk River - Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Andrew Arruda
a16z.com, Initialized Capital, Sequoia Capital
Y Combinator
University of Ottawa - Faculty of Law
University of Waterloo - Computer Science
J. Cole (rapper) via YouTube
Acknowledgment
Capita secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's thriveFORWARD initiative, with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).

Sloane Paul, Founder & CEO of Automotive Re-Engineering Start-up Arc Motor Company

Episode #2 - Arc Motor Company
At a shop in Peterborough, Ontario, classic cars are being converted into electric vehicles. The global mega-trend of electrification is beginning to touch all aspects of the economy. In this second episode of the Podcast, we bring you to the frontier of automotive re-engineering with Sloane Paul, Founder & CEO of Arc Motor Company, just as the bay doors are opening on Arc’s first conversion project: a 1974 Ford Bronco.
We discuss:
The meaning behind the Arc brand
Sloane’s journey from the corporate world to the world of start-ups
EV market trends and the future of electrification
Gender dynamics and culture in the automotive sector
Sustainability and decarbonization
‘Passion points'
Social media marketing
Distributed models for EV retrofits and capacity to scale.
The Executive Producer of the Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast is Robert Washburn. Special thanks to NCFDC’s Victoria Pichler and John Hayden. This project is made possible with the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Quick Links and References
⁠Arc Motor Company (arcmotors.com)⁠
⁠Moment Motors⁠
⁠Volvo EX90⁠, ⁠Rivian⁠, ⁠Hyundai Ioniq⁠. ⁠GM Electrification⁠, ⁠Nissan LEAF⁠, ⁠Genesis GV70⁠, ⁠Tesla Canada⁠
⁠Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) sales targets⁠
⁠Lunaz.design⁠ and ⁠Lunaz.tech⁠
NCFDC’s ⁠thriveFORWARD⁠ initiative and portfolio
The ⁠Community Futures Program⁠ in Northumberland, and ⁠Community Futures Peterborough⁠
⁠FedDev Ontario⁠.
Acknowledgment
Arc Motor Company secured $25,000 in matching, performance-based seed funding from NCFDC's⁠ thriveFORWARD⁠ initiative, with the support of⁠ FedDev Ontario⁠ and the Government of Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF).
Notes
The conversation was originally recorded last year.
Today's Advertisement
NCFDC provides alternative lending solutions for qualified businesses and organizations in Northumberland, Ontario, Canada, with the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). ⁠Click here⁠ to learn more about how the Community Futures Program can support local business start up, stabilization or expansion.
Additional terms and conditions apply. See website for details.