The Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast

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.
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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.
 
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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
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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
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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.
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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.

Jacqueline Good, Founder & CEO of Spacetech Start-up, Magnestar

Episode #1 - Magnestar
As above, so below! The Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast officially launches with Canadian spacetech start-up, Magnestar. Co-hosts Braden Kemp and Tracy Morningstar are joined by Magnestar's Founder & CEO Jacqueline Good, as she works to secure the future of earth-to-space communication.
The conversation encompasses:
An epic year for Magnestar, winning accolades, pitch competitions and earning media exposure.
Space communication 101 (the spectrum, radio interference, satellite connectivity and system resilience).
Participating in Entrepreneur First.
On the meaning of the name ‘Magnestar’.
Peer mentorship and the path of entrepreneurship, the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL).
The origin story, how Magnestar was founded, data science (systems and architecture).
Attracting talent by solving game-changing, globally significant problems.
Magnestar’s customers and value proposition.
Predictive analytics.
Jacqueline’s passions and volunteering, the Royal Ontario Museum, Chinese arts and culture, giving back, the Upside Foundation.
Founder advice, closing ‘stress loops’, hiring the right team.
Everyday consumer reliance on spacetech, satellite connectivity, implications for Canada’s North.
“From base camp to the top of the mountain,” characterizing the state of the industry today, and looking to the future.
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/References
Magnestar’s official website
Malcolm Gladwell
OMERS
Entrepreneur First
Creative Destruction Lab
International Space University
Bishop White Committee, Royal Ontario Museum
Upside Foundation
7 Spacetech Predictions 2023 (via TechCrunch)
NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative and portfolio
NCFDC’s DELIA Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
FedDev Ontario
Acknowledgment
Magnestar 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).
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DELIA is NCFDC's Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund for qualifying women-owned businesses across Canada. With the support of ⁠ISED Canada⁠, we are working to close the gender access to capital gap and to unleash the full potential of inclusive economic growth. To learn more head to ⁠delia.fund⁠ and apply today.
Additional terms and conditions apply. See website for details.