Episode 250
Unleashing the Power of Edmonton’s Regional Innovation Network with Janice Baskin
In this milestone 250th episode, host Kelly Kennedy sits down with Janice Baskin, Manager of the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network (ERIN), for a deep dive into how Alberta entrepreneurs can better navigate the complex ecosystem of supports, funding, and opportunities available to them. From breaking down the role of ERIN as a connector organization to sharing personal insights from her own entrepreneurial journey, Janice offers a transparent and practical look at what’s working—and what’s still missing—for founders across Edmonton and beyond.
Together, Kelly and Janice explore the reality of growing a business in Alberta, including the challenges of accessing support, the confusion many founders face when searching for help, and the gaps that still exist in serving women in tech and growth-stage companies. Whether you're launching a startup, scaling an established business, or just trying to figure out what’s available to you, this episode is a must-listen playbook for understanding how to plug into Edmonton’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.
Key Takeaways:
1. Entrepreneurs often don’t know what support exists, and lack of awareness remains one of the biggest barriers to growth in Alberta.
2. You don’t need to go broke to start a business—service-based models can be profitable early with smart planning and clear value.
3. There’s support available for more than just startups; growth-stage companies struggling to scale can also access funding and guidance.
4. The ecosystem is powerful but disconnected, and what’s truly missing is a central connector to guide founders through what’s available.
5. ERIN exists purely to support entrepreneurs, without taking equity or fees, and is funded entirely by Alberta Innovates.
6. Gaps still exist—especially around women in tech and programming that supports underrepresented founders.
7. Balance as an entrepreneur isn’t daily, it’s seasonal; the key is recognizing when to push and when to rest.
8. Ask the “dumb” questions, especially when it comes to finances—avoiding them leads to much bigger problems later.
9. Warm connections and intros can shortcut weeks of confusion and open real doors inside the ecosystem.
10. If a solution isn’t a fit, don’t stop—ERIN’s role is to keep helping you explore options until the right one clicks.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Hypervac Technologies
- Fabled Solutions
- atWork Office Furniture
- Capital Business Development
- BDC Canada
- Alberta Innovates
- Alberta Women Entrepreneurs
- Edmonton Unlimited
- Edmonton Regional Innovation Network
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Transcript
Hey, rockstars.
Speaker B:We made it.
Speaker B:Episode 250.
Speaker B:Only about 1% of podcasts ever make it this far, and that's not lost on me.
Speaker B:This milestone isn't just a number.
Speaker B:It's a testament to the thousands of hours, the late nights, the powerful conversations, and most importantly, the incredible community that has made it all possible.
Speaker B:To every one of you who has tuned in, shared the show and supported this mission, thank you.
Speaker A:To our expert guests who have poured.
Speaker B:Their knowledge into these episodes, I'm honored by your trust.
Speaker B: To our incredible: Speaker B:And to my incredible fiance, Shelby Hobbs, thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you for the countless evenings and weekends you've held our family down so I could be in the studio.
Speaker B:This show simply wouldn't exist without your strength and sacrifice.
Speaker B:For this milestone episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Janice Baskin from the Edmonton regional Innovation Network.
Speaker B:You may know it as Aaron.
Speaker B:Janice is a powerhouse connector and longtime entrepreneur who's now helping build a bridge between between innovation and opportunity right here in Alberta.
Speaker B:This one is packed with value for anyone navigating entrepreneurship, community or the business growth landscape in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Speaker B:Stick with us.
Speaker B:You don't want to miss this episode.
Speaker C:The great Mark Cuban once said, business happens over years and years.
Speaker C:Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any.
Speaker C:And we couldn't agree more.
Speaker C:This is the business development podcast based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and broadcasting to the world.
Speaker C:You'll get expert business development advice, tips and experiences and you'll hear interviews with business owners, CEOs and business development reps.
Speaker C:You'll get actionable advice on how to grow business brought to you by Capital Business Development capitalbd ca.
Speaker C:Let's do it.
Speaker C:Welcome to the business development podcast.
Speaker C:And now your expert host, Kelly Kennedy.
Speaker A:Hello.
Speaker A:Welcome to Milestone, episode 250 of the Business development podcast.
Speaker A:And today it is my absolute pleasure to bring you Janice Baskin.
Speaker A:Janice is a dynamic networking professional and seasoned entrepreneur, co owner of Camelot Interiors where she has spent over a decade mastering business development, customer relations and delivering top tier custom blinds and window coverings.
Speaker A:Her commitment to exceptional service and building strong community ties has set her apart as a leader in her field.
Speaker A:As the manager of the Edmonton regional innovation network, Erin Janice now brings her wealth of experience to the forefront, driving collaboration among Edmonton's most innovative ventures and fostering a culture of growth and connection within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Speaker A:For the past 15 years, Janice has captivated audiences as a speaker and facilitator, sharing her passion for the power of authentic relationship building on regional and national stages.
Speaker A:Now she spearheads growth at Erin.
Speaker A:She is laser focused on igniting a wave of business innovation across Edmonton.
Speaker A:If you're ready to discover how bold leadership and strategic networking can unlock new pathways for your business and the entire community, Janice is the visionary leader who will light the way.
Speaker A:Get ready to be energized and equipped to help shape Edmonton's future through the power of collaboration and innovation.
Speaker A:Janice, it is an honor to have you on the show today.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:Wow.
Speaker D:That was a fantastic introduction.
Speaker D:You should be my.
Speaker D:Like, my spokesperson.
Speaker D:I didn't.
Speaker D:I'm not paying you to say those things.
Speaker A:My gosh, you know, the listeners will never hear it, but there was a word there that I could not pronounce.
Speaker A:It was so funny.
Speaker A:In 250 shows, I have never had that happen.
Speaker A:So it was so fun.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm not even gonna try it.
Speaker D:I was in my head, I was trying it.
Speaker D:It wasn't working either.
Speaker A:So I'm like, a tough one.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Every once in a while, it's just.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:That's a word I cannot say.
Speaker A:And you never figure it out until you have to say it.
Speaker A:Janice, I.
Speaker A:First off, it's a pleasure.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you for connecting with me.
Speaker A:I know we've been in each other's ecosystems for quite a while, and it's just the connection never really happened.
Speaker A:And so it was a pleasure to finally actually get to connect with you.
Speaker A:We booked a call and caught up and met each other, you know, about a month back at this time.
Speaker A:And so thanks for doing that.
Speaker A:And when we did that, I was like, you know what?
Speaker A:We have to talk, Aaron.
Speaker A:We have to talk, Aaron.
Speaker A:Because we've been trying to do this Edmonton, Alberta ecosystem thing, and somehow I just have never been able to lock it down.
Speaker A:So I'm really excited to chat about that today.
Speaker A:And, you know, like I said before the show, we've talked about BDC Canada, prairies can, Edmonton chamber of commerce, Alberta innovates and Alberta women entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:And the reason that this is a bit of a passion project for me is I'm in Edmonton and we have an amazing entrepreneurial community, if not the most amazing entrepreneurial community in Canada.
Speaker A:Might I say, I might be a little biased, but we have so much opportunity here for our entrepreneurs, for our startups, for our tech companies, for anybody, really.
Speaker A:And that's really what I'm realizing is the further I go down this path, holy cow.
Speaker A:Like Alberta is a powerhouse, but there is a big gaping hole in this powerhouse and it's.
Speaker A:We have all of these things available to us.
Speaker A:But I think a lot of companies don't know if they qualify, don't know what's available to them, if they do qualify.
Speaker A:And so what I wanted to do with this series with this like Alberta ecosystem thing is to try to shine a big bright light on each individual organization, what they do, where they fit into the pie so that people understand how to use it.
Speaker A:I'm really excited to do that with you today.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:And thank you.
Speaker D:I'm very excited to be here.
Speaker D:I've been in the role of Aaron manager for seven months.
Speaker D:And so it's been a real roller coaster of sort of.
Speaker D:You know, as you mentioned, I own a business and so I was in the traditional space and I got very involved in the entrepreneurial community in Edmonton and I thought I knew it all and then I took on this job and I was like, there's an entire another piece of this community that I had no idea existed.
Speaker D:And so it's been a real joy and challenge to just sort of figure out who's who, where do I go, how do I help people navigate this.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And those intersections between the traditional and then the innovative business world has also been really cool for me.
Speaker D:Like, I just, it's.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:To echo what you said, there is so much but there is this gap of like, how do people figure it out?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And one of the amazing things about Alberta specifically is we have the fastest growing tech sector in the world.
Speaker A:And most people don't realize that.
Speaker A:People don't think of Canada as this like massive tech hub, but we are.
Speaker A:And especially Edmonton and Calgary, we are really taking off and yeah, it's really cool.
Speaker A:And what that means obviously is that Canada wants to support this and they really do.
Speaker A:Like our federal government wants to support it, our provincial governments want to support it, our regional situations like Erin want to support it.
Speaker A:We have a lot of support here, but it's just a matter of understanding how that support works.
Speaker A:And it's funny because the further I go down this path, I'm not going to lie, even the more confused I get about how it works.
Speaker A:It's like you would think that the more you learn, the more you know, but it's.
Speaker A:The more I learn about this, the more questions I have regarding the whole thing.
Speaker A:I don't know if it's the Same for you.
Speaker D:Well, and for me, I'm like, I'll be like, I think I finally have figured this out.
Speaker D:And then like earlier this week I had a meeting with somebody from the federal government and they had this whole other program.
Speaker D:I was like, I had no idea this existed.
Speaker D:So I was like, I guess I.
Speaker D:But maybe that's the point.
Speaker D:Maybe we don't ever.
Speaker D:And maybe because it's constantly changing and iterating and maybe that's good, right?
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker D:I hope that things are changing in response to the things that people need rather than changing just because, you know, random decisions.
Speaker D:But yeah, it's a real challenge.
Speaker D:And so it's a challenge for people like us who understand the ecosystem, we understand how to connect and how to build relationships.
Speaker D:I can't imagine for somebody who's, you know, a early stage founder or, you know, someone who's just kind of trying to figure this out on their own, what that must feel like.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's, it's definitely challenging.
Speaker A:And you know, one of the gaps that I always felt like is the struggle is like, what about companies that are doing well but not quite well enough?
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Like, for instance, I actually talked with somebody at the federal government the other day trying to better understand what that is.
Speaker A:It's going to be a show for a future time.
Speaker A:But one of the things we were talking about is what are the supports available, not just for startups, not just for, you know, the hot med tech or Agritech or whatever people are wanting to support in this moment.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Or AI based.
Speaker A:But what about a company that's doing say like $1 million a year and they are operating fairly all right, on their own, they're profitable, but they're really struggling to make that big gigantic leap.
Speaker A:Well, guess what?
Speaker A:There's supports for them too, but I didn't know that and I doubt many of them do either.
Speaker A:And so like, the goal with this really is like, how can we shine a big bright light and say, hey, guess what?
Speaker A:No matter what stage of business you are at, Canada wants to help you.
Speaker A:And it's true, we do.
Speaker A:It's just unfortunately we've really struggled with how to communicate or how to centralize that.
Speaker A:Like the recommendation that I had made to the gentleman in the federal government was, why don't we just make an organization that all businesses can go to, that's one that then interconnects all of these things and finds them which one is the best opportunity?
Speaker A:And he kind of alluded there might be one or that they might be part of that.
Speaker A:But once again, if you don't know about it or what good is it to Canadians?
Speaker D:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker D:And I think, you know, I think the ain plays a little bit of that role.
Speaker D:You know, if people aren't necessarily sure of where to go and they enter the ecosystem in so many different places and stages, it's interesting to me, like I would love to know, you know, where those entry points are and how they got connected in there.
Speaker D:And I think it would be a really interesting thing to survey the community about and start to really understand where those pieces are interconnected.
Speaker D:But to your point.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:There are programs out there, I mean, that I don't, you know, sometimes someone will come to me and they're like, this is the stage that I'm at.
Speaker D:I'm like, I don't know what's there, but I'm like, pretty sure there's something.
Speaker D:So give me a couple days and I'll do a little bit of research.
Speaker D:And so I really enjoy playing that part in the ecosystem however I can.
Speaker D:And I think there's a few organizations that play that role.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker D:But again, it's that question of how do they get tapped into that right place and then, you know, begin to move through.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you know what?
Speaker A:I think we're going to get there.
Speaker A:I have hope, I have hope here because there's too much available.
Speaker A:There really is.
Speaker A:I'm not going to say that there is too little available.
Speaker A:There is actually so much available to Canadian entrepreneurs, specifically Alberta based entrepreneurs or Western Canada based entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:They really want to invest in this area and it's amazing and we appreciate it greatly.
Speaker A:I do.
Speaker A:I work with a lot of these companies, so we appreciate it immensely.
Speaker A:But I think the only missing piece is that central connector.
Speaker A:If we just had one.
Speaker A:You know what, maybe there's people listening right now.
Speaker A:I guarantee there's people listening right now.
Speaker A:If you are looking for a great business idea, be the central connector.
Speaker A:Be that thing, start that company.
Speaker A:That's, you know what?
Speaker A:I'm going to be the knowledge power in all of this and I'm going to create the company that you come to that'll ultimately connect you with all of this ecosystem partners to get you what you need.
Speaker A:That would be amazing.
Speaker A:It is needed.
Speaker A:It probably should be a government funded thing, but I imagine it's probably more likely to come from private sector to see the opportunity first, maybe, right?
Speaker D:Yes, it is.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Ecosystem concierge, like, how can I help you today?
Speaker A:Yes, exactly.
Speaker A:Imagine how amazing that would be.
Speaker A:I know I would use it.
Speaker A:I would call, I'd be like, look, I do this.
Speaker A:Is there any help for me?
Speaker A:And if they called all of them and said, hey, yeah, this works for you, that'd be amazing.
Speaker A:Like, I'm not sure why that doesn't exist today.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:And like I said, there's smaller pieces of it that maybe exist.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like someone might, you know, get connected in Alberta innovates and they go, okay, well, you're not ready for our programs yet, so we're going to refer you out to, to a written or.
Speaker D:We're going to refer you to here or there or wherever.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:But yeah, to have.
Speaker D:I don't know what the revenue model would be.
Speaker D:That would be the interesting part.
Speaker A:That would be.
Speaker A:It would be nice if it was maybe a flat fee instead of a commission based structure.
Speaker A:Pay us a thousand bucks and we'll do this for you.
Speaker A:To me, that would be a better model and a more fair model.
Speaker A:But yeah, you'd probably make more money doing it on commissions.
Speaker D:Yes, probably.
Speaker A:That's the downside to private.
Speaker A:We're.
Speaker A:They're always going to look for the best way.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Whereas I think that an initiative like this should really be a more government focused situation.
Speaker D:Yes, I agree.
Speaker D:I agree 100%.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Well, you know, you're quite the entrepreneur yourself.
Speaker A:You're not just the manager of Aaron.
Speaker A:You have been an entrepreneur for many years.
Speaker A:You've been through the gamut.
Speaker A:Introduce us.
Speaker A:Who is Janice Baskin?
Speaker A:How did you end up on this journey?
Speaker D:Do you know, it's so interesting.
Speaker D:I am not an.
Speaker D:I do.
Speaker D:I now identify after years of owning a business as an entrepreneur, but I was not an entrepreneur.
Speaker D:And I started out my career in social services.
Speaker D:I have a background in psychology.
Speaker D:And my whole thing in life is I just want to make an impact.
Speaker D:I want to help people.
Speaker D:I want to make a difference.
Speaker D:And so working, you know, in the social services industry.
Speaker D:And I finished my career there as the program director at the ymca, which was, you know, they're a wonderful organization.
Speaker D: iness and he's owned it since: Speaker D:Wow.
Speaker D:And he had a business partner who was getting ready to retire and she was, you know, doing.
Speaker D:She was traveling more and working less.
Speaker D:And so we came to a point where he was like, I'm doing this all on my own now and it's getting harder and harder.
Speaker D:And we did this funny little dance where I was like, hey, maybe I could work with you.
Speaker D:And he was like, hey, I don't want you to leave your job if you love it, but we could do this thing.
Speaker D:And it was, yeah, finally we had the conversation.
Speaker D:And so what happened was we bought out his partner, out of her half of the company, and I started working with him.
Speaker D:And truly and honestly, my job for the first three years was wielding a box cutter and opening boxes of blinds.
Speaker D:That is all I did.
Speaker D:And I had no experience.
Speaker D:I'm a very motivated person and I'm driven, but I had no experience, like sort of singing for my supper, so to speak.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like, I was used to a salary and corporate benefits and all those types of things.
Speaker D:And so to go from that to.
Speaker D:What do you mean we don't know what our intake will be this month?
Speaker D:And what do you mean I can't get a massage or I have to pay for my massage or whatever, you know, and so there was a lot of.
Speaker D:For me, that initial piece of the journey was growing comfortable with the discomfort of the unknown.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh, I totally feel that.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:It's something you really take for granted as an employee is that you just have all these things available.
Speaker A:And you know what?
Speaker A:You know, we advocate heavily for entrepreneurship on this show, but you know what?
Speaker A:Being an employee is also a pretty sweet place to be.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You know what you have to do.
Speaker A:You go to work, someone else is doing the sales and the marketing.
Speaker A:Very likely for you, you can just go into work, do your job, and go home and shut down.
Speaker A:And the biggest challenge that I have had as an entrepreneur is I went from that world to being on my own.
Speaker A:And one of the things that really benefited me was I was in business development before, so I was kind of used to singing for my supper even then.
Speaker A:So that wasn't the big challenge for me.
Speaker A:The challenge for me came, you know, trying to balance what became a work from home situation, because it was Covid learning how to work from home and learning how to balance life as an entrepreneur.
Speaker A:When you are singing for your supper, when you don't have all those supports available to you, and trying to balance life at the same time, which for me became really challenging.
Speaker A:I'll be honest, I still struggle with it today.
Speaker A:It's work life balance.
Speaker A:And I've talked to so many entrepreneurs about this, but work life balance is.
Speaker A:It's different things for different people, really.
Speaker A:There's no one size fits all.
Speaker A:And I think most of us struggle with it.
Speaker A:And I think sometimes you got to give a little more to work, and sometimes you got to give a little more to family.
Speaker A:And that's how it balances.
Speaker A:There's no easy way to shut down in my world anyway, to just shut off work and be able to be at home, if that makes sense.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And you can imagine if you work with your spouse.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker D:Then that is amplified.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like he literally sits behind me all day and you know, or anywhere we're driving, we're driving to work or we're talking about work.
Speaker D:And for whatever reason, and I can't really pinpoint how we did this.
Speaker D:And I think I have to credit my husband for his years of experience of just being like, you know what, when the work's there, we work hard and we work a lot and in the slow times and you learn that cadence, that ebb and flow of yeah.
Speaker D:What your year or what your seasons will look like.
Speaker D:And he's like, when it's slow time, we hang out, we chill, we go on vacation, you know, and it was a really difficult lesson for me to learn to just be comfortable with that.
Speaker D:But having him already as that seasoned entrepreneur, you know, having experienced it, it made it so much easier for me because I could look at him and go, well, he's not panicking, so I guess why should I pandemic?
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker D:I figure everything's okay.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And I also had the benefit of coming into the business when it was, you know, far past startup stage.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:So it was already succeeding.
Speaker D:It was already a business model that was generating revenue and doing well.
Speaker D:So I didn't have to do the, you know, 100 hour weeks and sleepless nights and all that.
Speaker D:He had done that all for me.
Speaker D:I can't even speak to what that experience must be like.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And I don't think it's for everybody.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You know, in the beginning it doesn't necessarily have to be hundred hour weeks.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like it's different for different companies and different organizations.
Speaker A:I like to say that if you're a service based company and you can really do your pre planning well and you can articulate well, you probably will be making profits within the first three months.
Speaker A:And you should, if you're providing service, you should be able to make profits pretty easily.
Speaker A:Like a lot of people think that you have to go broke to go into business for yourself.
Speaker A:And it's completely wrong.
Speaker A:It's completely wrong.
Speaker A:You don't have to go broke.
Speaker A:There's lots of, there's lots of businesses you can start that are ultimately service based, that you're providing the work or you have, you and a team are providing the work which is pretty much profitable in instantly.
Speaker A:As long as you can market your value proposition well.
Speaker A:As long as you can set up things on the back end where you're not, your costs aren't too high, but it isn't impossible to be immediately profitable.
Speaker A:And I'm a perfect example of that.
Speaker D:Yeah, you know what, that's a really good point and it's very true.
Speaker D:And I think our, like you say the service based businesses, you don't have a ton of overhead, you just kind of hit the ground running.
Speaker D:As long as you can connect and get the right people, get in the rooms with the right people and have those conversations and have them build some trust in you.
Speaker D:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker D:You could start to build profit pretty quickly.
Speaker A:Yeah, I like to take that misconception off the table because I think so many people have been told, well, you're gonna have to go broke, you're gonna have to like borrow all this money to start your company.
Speaker A:And while, yes, you, you, if you don't have a few bucks in the bank, you may have to borrow say 10, 15 grand to get things going.
Speaker A:But it definitely doesn't have to be 50 or 100 grand.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You can definitely do it with way less.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker D:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker D:And you know, when it comes to balance, I think about this a lot.
Speaker D:I had an entrepreneur that I met with maybe about three months ago and I'm very solution focused.
Speaker D:So when I meet with someone I'm like, okay, what do you need?
Speaker D:What are you working on?
Speaker D:Where can I connect you and how can I help?
Speaker D:And so we're having this conversation and I'm saying, okay, I'm going to connect you here and I'm going to do this.
Speaker D:And I'm, and he's, can you just stop for a second?
Speaker D:And he's like, how do I manage this?
Speaker D:Like how do I just mentally manage this?
Speaker D:And I was like, oh, wow, you know, yeah, let's slow down and let's have that conversation.
Speaker D:Because in my opinion, on balance is.
Speaker D:And again, it's just an opinion, but if you're looking at it on the short term, you're never going to achieve it.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:On a day to day or an hour to hour thing.
Speaker D:But if you over a long period of time can somehow just sort of it, I don't know, it works out in the wash as long as you're very attuned to yourself and what's happening and if you start to feel that stress or, you know, where those times are when you can rest.
Speaker D:It's.
Speaker D:I always liken it to high performance training.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like, you.
Speaker D:You know, your times where you work hard and when you rest and your body will respond to that.
Speaker D:And if you are sitting and you're grinding through something and you're not finding solutions or you're frustrated, that is the time where you need to take a break.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah, I love that.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know.
Speaker A:I've struggled immensely with the entrepreneurial roller coaster.
Speaker A:Being, like, super excited, and then it doesn't go the way I planned, and I'm like, ah, this sucks.
Speaker A:And then two days later, I'm back to being super excited.
Speaker A:Like it for me, what I've noticed in my entrepreneurial journey, and it's been short.
Speaker A:I'm only four years into my.
Speaker A:My owning my own business, but it's been exciting and fun, and this podcast came out of it.
Speaker A:So there's been a lot of cool things that happened, but everything took longer.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:I must say that I might be, like, the worst person ever to sit down and make a timeline for myself, because I think I always set my timelines a little too short.
Speaker A:My expectations of things happening fast is always a little too high.
Speaker A:And so in my experience, almost everything with business has taken twice as long as maybe it should have.
Speaker A:But it did eventually happen.
Speaker A:Like you said, it did eventually get me where I wanted to go, where I did get the outcome I wanted.
Speaker A:It just never seemed to happen in my timeline.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:That's really interesting.
Speaker D:It's like construction, right?
Speaker D:Like, nothing.
Speaker D:No construction project is ever done on time.
Speaker D:I don't know why they even set timelines.
Speaker D:I guess they have to, but it's.
Speaker D:Yeah, it's very similar to that.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes, it is.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:And so, like, to my entrepreneurs out there listening, if you're like, if you make plans and they just haven't gone exactly to plan, guys, I'm not sure they ever do go exactly to plan.
Speaker A:I think that's a miracle when it does.
Speaker A:And so don't feel bad if things are taking a little longer, because in my experience, you will achieve what you're trying to achieve.
Speaker A:It just might take you a little longer than you originally planned, but that's completely okay.
Speaker D:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker D:Great reminder, Kelly.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, I wanted to chat with you about being a husband wife team, though.
Speaker A:That's frigging cool.
Speaker A:How do you manage that dynamic in the house?
Speaker A:Because I know for us, that has been a challenge.
Speaker A:Like, I'm sure at some point we'll get to the point where if Shelby wanted to, she could come on board and work with me.
Speaker A:But Shelby is such an independent woman.
Speaker A:She's.
Speaker A:She's an accomplished woman on her own.
Speaker A:And so I know for her, like you said, to leave that position that she's worked hard for and that she's earned is a hard choice, and I would never make her do that.
Speaker A:But, you know, talk to me about what it is like to manage a husband and wife partnership.
Speaker A:How do you make that successful?
Speaker D:So my husband's name is Chris.
Speaker D:Chris and I started our relationship on a very open and honest foot with each other.
Speaker D:It was okay because we've both been married before.
Speaker D:And I will bring this back to business, I promise.
Speaker D:We.
Speaker D:So when we sat down and started just spending time together, we're like, look, these are my priorities.
Speaker D:These are the things that really matter to me.
Speaker D:And it sounds very unromantic, but it's.
Speaker D:If this is not part of your vision for your life or where you see things going, then maybe we just say, hey, we're friends from here.
Speaker D:And that has carried through in our relationship.
Speaker D:Now, don't get me wrong, there are times where it's, you know, what's wrong?
Speaker D:Nothing.
Speaker D:What's wrong?
Speaker D:Nothing.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:Oh, my God.
Speaker D:But to me, it is that piece of having that forward thinking thinking of, hey, here's what's coming up this week.
Speaker D:It's going to be a challenge, like, how do we navigate this together?
Speaker D:Or I've noticed that maybe I'm doing this thing that's bothering you or you're doing this thing that's bothering me.
Speaker D:You know, how do we manage that?
Speaker D:And what's really interesting is that I'm the visionary, the person, the big idea person.
Speaker D:I'm like, well, why can't we do this?
Speaker D:And let's do this and let's go over there and do this program.
Speaker D:And I have these clients.
Speaker D:And he's no, like, this is the business model.
Speaker D:This is the right.
Speaker D:And so that has been really an experience in us figuring out, me pushing him out of his comfort zone, but him also bringing me back to earth.
Speaker D:But that's the beauty of the relationship, I think, is just that's how we kind of operate.
Speaker D:And, you know, we never set hard and fast rules.
Speaker D:Oh, we don't talk about work when we're after 5pm or while we're on vacation.
Speaker D:But it just sort of, it just sort of worked out that way where we realized that there are times where we're like, oh, we don't want to talk about.
Speaker D:About work.
Speaker D:We're out with family or we're, you know, out on vacation or whatever.
Speaker D:It's.
Speaker D:And I can't say what the secret is, but it's just never really been an issue for us.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:No, that's amazing.
Speaker A:Like I said, I don't run into a lot of husband and wife teams, so whenever I do, I always want to ask the question, what has made it successful for you?
Speaker A:Because, you know, I hope one day that.
Speaker A:That me and Shelby are able to do something similar to that.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:I do wonder sometimes if two people that are very fiercely independent might struggle with that dynamic.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:Which is fair.
Speaker A:Which is completely fair.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And everyone has their own sort of vision for how they want their life and their relationships to look, and it was really funny.
Speaker D:So when I quit my job and started working with Chris, I remember telling my mom, and she said to me, oh, this sounds like an excuse for you, the two of you, to just spend all your time together.
Speaker D:And I was like, absolutely.
Speaker D:This is exactly what this is.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Actually.
Speaker A:Oh, man.
Speaker A:I'm going to speak to that, because I have worked from home now for.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Going on four years, and so is Shelby, and it's been amazing.
Speaker A:It's really awesome being able to work from home with your partner.
Speaker A:That's absolutely amazing.
Speaker A:I would highly recommend that some people would say, oh, that's a bit too much time.
Speaker A:But you know what?
Speaker A:It's great time, because most of the time, at least for us, our kids are at school.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so we really get to have that, like, real connection with each other during the work, during the workday.
Speaker A:And I think that is incredible and probably one of the greatest things that came out of COVID Yeah.
Speaker D:And, you know, so our love language.
Speaker D:And this was another conversation that we had very early on in our relationship.
Speaker D:Both of our love language is spending quality time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:So, like, our love language just sort of matches up in that way.
Speaker D:The real challenge, to be honest with you, Kelly, is now that I'm working full time as the errand manager, and he's still managing Camelot Interiors full time, is we are no longer together all the time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:And that has been, you know, that has changed the dynamic of our relationship because we were together, like, literally all day, every day for 12 years.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:And now it's okay.
Speaker D:Well, we have to remember now, going back to we need to make time for each other, because that is our love language.
Speaker D:And we have to, you know, make sure that we're having those important conversations and, and not just getting caught in that grind of passing each other at the door and see you later and dinner's in the oven or whatever.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So that has been more challenging than transitioning to working together ever was.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, for sure, for sure.
Speaker A:You know, what was it that made you decide that it was time to do something different?
Speaker D:My husband would like to retire.
Speaker D:So a couple of years ago, we had Camelot Interiors evaluated.
Speaker D:It, you know, was sitting at a number that we were quite happy with.
Speaker D:And so then when we started to plan out, okay, what does this look like?
Speaker D: years in: Speaker D:So that's sort of our end date.
Speaker D:And as we started to go through what our exit strategy looked like, it was like, okay, well, he's nine years older than me.
Speaker D:I'm not quite ready to retire.
Speaker D:And so I wanted to continue to work, but I didn't want to start another business.
Speaker D:So I thought, you know, I want to continue to work with entrepreneurs.
Speaker D:I want to continue to contribute to our community in Edmonton.
Speaker D:And so I just said, you know what?
Speaker D:I'm going to start looking for jobs that would start to sustain us once you're retired, once Camelot is gone.
Speaker D:And that's.
Speaker D:That was our plan.
Speaker D:And the plan was for me to get this job and then him to work less.
Speaker D:That has not come to fruition just yet, but in a good way.
Speaker D:Camelot is still.
Speaker D:It's doing very well.
Speaker D:And, you know, as you come towards an exit from a company, the more revenue that you can generate and profit you can generate is, you know, it's money in the bank.
Speaker A:So that's where the multiples come from.
Speaker A:That is amazing.
Speaker A:And, you know, first off, thanks for making that jump.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:We know that there was a gap opening up in Aaron and it's not an easy position to fill.
Speaker A:It just isn't.
Speaker A:It's a big role and a big job, and so congratulations on taking that step.
Speaker A:And I know it couldn't have been easy.
Speaker D:Yeah, it felt natural.
Speaker D:And what's really interesting is that I had a checklist.
Speaker D:So I sat down and I went, what are the things that I want my next part of my career to look like and what do I want that role to look like?
Speaker D:And this job checks every single box with the exception of a benefit plan.
Speaker D:But that's okay.
Speaker D:I was willing.
Speaker D:I've been an entrepreneur long enough.
Speaker D:I'm like, I haven't had one for 12 years.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:But, you know, like, it's a challenging role.
Speaker D:But it's.
Speaker D:I think it's perfectly suited for me because I'm.
Speaker D:I don't like to sit with the same.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:Like with stasis, I'm not.
Speaker D:Want to constantly be doing different things.
Speaker D:I want my mind shifting back and forth.
Speaker D:I want.
Speaker D:I like that challenge.
Speaker D:And I was worried that if I got a corporate position where I was just sort of sitting at someone else's desk and working their 9 to 5, that I would be bored.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And that just wasn't a good fit for me.
Speaker D:And so because I had time, you know, we still have time left with Camelot.
Speaker D:I had time to just evaluate exactly where I wanted to be.
Speaker D:And that's a real privilege, right?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker D:To be able to have that.
Speaker D:And so it just.
Speaker D:When this came along, I'm like, this just feels.
Speaker D:I don't exactly understand what the whole job is, but it just feels right.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Do we ever really understand what the whole job is when we walk into it?
Speaker A:Heck, I'll tell you, I never have.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:So true.
Speaker D:So true.
Speaker A:Well, let's just lead into it, you know, like, I've had the pleasure of interviewing Derek Armstrong before he left Alberta innovates and I'm actually going to have him back to chat about Calgary economic development.
Speaker A:So I'm pumped about that.
Speaker A:But Derek was awesome and he shined a really big bright light into what Alberta innovates is, what the different rins are, which I had no idea there was multiples of them, but there are.
Speaker A:But we didn't delve deep into what a regional innovation network is.
Speaker A:And so I'm really pumped today to chat with you about that.
Speaker A:Can you just introduce us to the Edmonton regional innovation network?
Speaker A:What is it?
Speaker D:Yeah, and it's an interesting.
Speaker D:It's an interesting concept because it's not necessarily one thing.
Speaker D:And I think it's constantly changing and adapting to the needs of the community.
Speaker D:But essentially what it is, it's a coalition of organizations that represent, ideally will represent all sectors of the innovation ecosystem in Edmonton.
Speaker D:And we have a fund of money from Alberta innovates that we then inject into the community based on the needs of the community.
Speaker D:And so the spirit of it really is we're listening to what the community needs and what the ecosystem needs.
Speaker D:And then we are shifting and moving and reporting back to Alberta Innovates on how we can better serve the founders and the service providers.
Speaker D:So the service providers play a big piece in this and our sort of connection in bringing them all together to do that, you know, and we just.
Speaker D:We want to figure out ways to work collaboratively and to support founders and to support them in starting and growing their businesses.
Speaker A:Yeah, no.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So it's essentially an ecosystem of companies.
Speaker A:And what the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network becomes is a connector.
Speaker A:You essentially then connect the opportunities.
Speaker A:Is that a good way to explain it?
Speaker D:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:So connecting people to entrepreneurs, to services, to capital, to customers, sort of.
Speaker D:How do we just support them on a very broad level?
Speaker D:And, you know, a lot of the people that I talk to, I'll talk to at one stage and then they'll go away for weeks.
Speaker D:I haven't come to the place where it's yours just yet.
Speaker D:But, you know, then we'll connect again and they'll go, okay, well, I finished that accelerator.
Speaker D:Now what?
Speaker D:Or, you know, I'm looking for this next round of funding.
Speaker D:Like, how do I go about doing that?
Speaker D:And like I said before, I don't have all the answers.
Speaker D:But the great thing is that I'm connected well enough that I can reach out and go, okay.
Speaker D:Rather than them saying just trying to do all that by themselves, I'll just be like, okay, I have this connection here.
Speaker D:I have this connection here.
Speaker D:I'll just ask the question for you and I'll let you know.
Speaker D:And I'm hoping it makes life easier for them.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So it's basically like a public service, but it's not just a public service because you actually have reach back and access into Alberta innovates.
Speaker A:Is that correct?
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so what kind of services are you able to connect businesses with through Albert Innovates?
Speaker D:So really, any of their.
Speaker D:Ideally, I guess what happens is a lot of the time the journey for us looks like someone will go to Alberta Innovates for a voucher or a micro voucher, like one of their grant programs, and they're not at the stage of business yet where they would qualify for that program.
Speaker D:So they would go through the Alberta Innovates intake process and then they go, oh, you're not quite ready yet.
Speaker D:You need to, you know, take these steps.
Speaker D:Where are you in the province?
Speaker D:Oh, you're in Edmonton.
Speaker D:Okay, let me connect you with Janice at the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network, and she can help get you connected into the resources that you need in the community.
Speaker D:And so with people like that, it's okay if their main goal is to eventually qualify for this micro voucher program or this particular grant.
Speaker D:How do I get them connected to the places and the programs that are going to help them achieve that goal?
Speaker A:Do you work like obviously we're talking about Alberta Innovates, which is provincial.
Speaker A:Do you also work with like Prairies can, like with the federal government or is the mandate essentially to work within the provincial opportunities?
Speaker D:So Paris can holds an ex officio seat on our steering committee.
Speaker D:So they are kind of a part of that ecosystem advisory.
Speaker D:When we start to look at how we fill those gaps is certainly a place where I send people from time to time if they for funding.
Speaker D:And then I know that some, there are some organizations that say might take the funding that we've given them and leverage them to pers can so that they can get additional funding to run a ro.
Speaker D:A more robust program.
Speaker A:I see.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you're not locked down to working only with Alberta Innovates.
Speaker A:You can also work within the federal government and there might be multiple avenues.
Speaker A:That's kind of what I'm getting at here.
Speaker A:There's multiple ways to get help for companies and you're not limited to just a provincial based solution.
Speaker D:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Like I mentioned before, I met with a gentleman the other day from the, I said program with government of Canada, you know, and that was something that I had absolutely no idea that existed.
Speaker D:And so whatever for me, and this is me personally and I think that my, my representatives, my board would agree with this.
Speaker D:It's whatever's best for the entrepreneur.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And if it's not a good fit, if we're working towards something and they're like this isn't working or I didn't like that program or it didn't work for me, it's okay, well let's try again.
Speaker D:Let's go back and say what else exists where I can help you.
Speaker D:It's not necessarily, you know, just sending them one place and being like that's the only place for you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Is.
Speaker A:Is Aaron specifically a government funded company or like how does it work exactly?
Speaker A:Like how do you stay in operation?
Speaker D:Yeah, I know, right?
Speaker D:And this was like when I started this job I was like trying to.
Speaker D:I literally for my interview I had to map it out because I was like, I don't understand how this works.
Speaker D:So we all of our funds, 100% of our funds comes from Alberta Innovates.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:The community.
Speaker D:So the which is represented by the steering committee came together and applied for this pool of funding for the regional innovation networks from Alberta Innovate.
Speaker D:So for a three year period we have $4.8 million.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:We're not a legal entity, so we're not an organization.
Speaker D:We can't Run programs and services.
Speaker D:We can't take in revenue.
Speaker D:And that is by design because we're not here to compete with the service providers that already exist.
Speaker D:We're here to enhance and provide collaborative opportunities for them.
Speaker D:And currently that is the model.
Speaker D:And then we report back to Alberta Innovates on how that money is being spent within the programs that support entrepreneurs.
Speaker D:You know, who's being supported, what's the economic impact of that?
Speaker D:Are we creating jobs, revenue, all that kind of stuff that government wants to know?
Speaker A:I love this, I love this model.
Speaker A:And I love this model for a reason.
Speaker A:Because I think a lot of people think all the help out there is only out there to take advantage of me.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Oh, they're just gonna, they love my idea, but they're gonna fund me and they're gonna take a part of my company, whether it be venture capital or angel investors or whatever it is.
Speaker A:The thing I love about this when I was talk with Derek Armstrong is that these organizations like Alberta Innovates, like Aaron, they are, they are government funded.
Speaker A:BDC Canada as well, actually.
Speaker A:Government funded, sure, they have to take a small profit, but at the same time, they're government funded.
Speaker A:And what they want is what's best for the country, which means they want your business to succeed.
Speaker A:It's like they almost have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that you are getting the best opportunity possible.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And you can imagine that if we didn't, if we weren't properly representing the ecosystem at any point, we have a contract, you know, Alberta Innovates could come in and go, that's not working.
Speaker D:Like we, that's you.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So we, our mandate is literally just to serve entrepreneurs.
Speaker D:And we take, we can't take any piece of the pie.
Speaker D:It's legally impossible.
Speaker A:Yes, but that's something that you have to state, and I hate to say that, but you almost have to state it because people think, well, how are they making money?
Speaker A:They've got to be making money off my back somehow.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But the answer is no, they're not.
Speaker A:They're using tax dollars through crown corporations to help you.
Speaker A:You're already paying for these services.
Speaker A:Use them.
Speaker D:Yeah, 100%.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And you know, there's a flip side to that coin, is that there are certain metrics that government agencies need you to report back on.
Speaker D:And so if you don't fit into those boxes or you're unable to report in that specific way, it can jeopardize your opportunities.
Speaker D:And so that's the other piece that I'M really learning more how to do is like, how do I help people understand how those government services need things to be and why they are the way they are?
Speaker D:Because sometimes it's just, oh well, I didn't hear back and I just didn't get this funding.
Speaker D:And it's okay.
Speaker D:Well, if I can understand some of the intricacies of it because you know, as an entrepreneur you're like, how much information can I possibly hold inside my head?
Speaker D:You know, I like to try to be a little bit of a guide in that sense of okay, well here are the things they're like, well, I don't, they said I don't qualify for this.
Speaker D:It's okay, well here's why.
Speaker D:Let me break this down and then let's find the place where we can help you get those qualifications.
Speaker D:If that's your ultimate goal, that's what you want, you know, to apply for this grant or be eligible for this fund, then let's get you there.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:And so like people can just essentially reach out to Aaron and say, hey, like first off, we need help.
Speaker A:You'll say, hey, these might be available to you.
Speaker A:And even if they come back and say, hey, you're not qualified, you will help them get qualified.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker A:Yes, that is.
Speaker A:See, people don't know this, Janice.
Speaker A:This is the problem.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:We just don't know what's available.
Speaker A:This is an amazing service that most people don't even know exists.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And you know, our model in the.
Speaker D:So there are eight regional innovation networks across the province, as I'm sure you learned with your conversation before with Alberta Innovates.
Speaker D:And our rural partners work a little bit differently than myself.
Speaker D:And then I have a colleague with the Calgary Innovation Coalition.
Speaker D:That's what the, the RIN in Calgary is called her and I.
Speaker D:The urban centers work a little bit differently than the rural centers.
Speaker D:The rural centers are really more focused on and I don't want to speak to their programming, but they're, they are more focused on really that frontline support for entrepreneurs.
Speaker D:And so whereas I might meet with somebody and then maybe talk to them again in six months or probably a year or just follow along, I'm not necessarily providing that one to one support.
Speaker D:Whereas in the rural models a lot of them are partnered with community futures.
Speaker D:And so they're also sort of doing double duty and providing that one to one support on a more consistent level.
Speaker D:So it's really interesting to see the sort of the juxtaposition how the two centers work.
Speaker D:Differently.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I think they all, like you said, they have different mandates, too.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:There's different initiatives they're also supporting.
Speaker A:That was one of the things I learned with Derek, is that the government has priorities.
Speaker A:There's things that they want to support a little more than other things.
Speaker A:And so can you tell me what the priority is for Aaron, for edmonton regional innovation network?
Speaker D:Our priority is literally our mission statement is we exist to help entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
Speaker D:And again, the caveat with that comes is that we're not providing that program for them.
Speaker D:We exist to help them get connected to those programs.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And so the incredible thing is, if you look at our.
Speaker D:I'm the only paid full time employee of the Aaron.
Speaker D:So again, we run on a very lean budget because we want that money injected into the community.
Speaker D:We want it to be making that impact and we don't want to have, you know, so again, that's why we're not a big organization.
Speaker D:That's why we don't have a big corporate structure.
Speaker D:Everybody else that works with me is a volunteer.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker D:And they are incredible people.
Speaker D:They take time out of their weeks and their days to meet with entrepreneurs, to attend events, to sit on panels, to bring together different initiatives.
Speaker D:It's really quite an incredible thing.
Speaker D:When you.
Speaker D:When I sit back some days and I go, these people just.
Speaker D:They just care.
Speaker D:They just want it to matter.
Speaker D:They want to help other people get to where they maybe have been and maybe they got some support along the way or maybe they didn't and they wish they had.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm never not impressed with the Edmonton ecosystem.
Speaker A:Like, the business ecosystem here is amazing.
Speaker A:People really do just want to help you.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I can't tell you how many people have reached out to even help me in my journey.
Speaker A:They're like, hey, I see you're struggling with this.
Speaker A:Do you need some help with that or.
Speaker A:Heck, I've helped people.
Speaker A:BD advice.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:We want each other to succeed here.
Speaker A:It really is an amazing ecosystem.
Speaker A:So I couldn't agree with you more.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:It's.
Speaker D:I just.
Speaker D:I constantly marvel.
Speaker D:I meet people who are just like, well, you know, and then I'm doing this and I'm getting my master's and I'm also the founder of this.
Speaker D:And I'm also, you know, doing this research and I, you know, volunteer at kids cottage in my.
Speaker D:I'm just like, oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:I hear that, too.
Speaker A:And it's like, how do you have time?
Speaker A:Tell me how it integrates with other with other organizations operating with edmonton.
Speaker A:So like edmonton unlimited, alberta women entrepreneurs, you know, bdc canada.
Speaker A:How does it fit in with these organizations?
Speaker D:Edmonton unlimited, we have a kind of a unique relationship with them in the sense that, number one, they do receive some of our funding for their programs.
Speaker D:So the Business 101 program, their Discover and validate program, their experts on demand and their executives in residence, those are all aaron funded programs through alberta innovates.
Speaker D:And so they would report back to me.
Speaker D:They do report back to me on how those programs are performing.
Speaker D:And.
Speaker D:And then our committees and subcommittees, you know, continually evaluate those programs and make changes alongside their staff.
Speaker D:So it's really a collaborative sort of relationship that we have with edmonton unlimited.
Speaker D:They also serve as our banker because we are not a legal entity.
Speaker D:We can't hold funds anywhere.
Speaker D:So they hold those funds and disperse them for us.
Speaker D:We, you know, and I have a great relationship with their finance department to.
Speaker D:They've been just super with me.
Speaker D:And I give those ladies so much credit because they work really hard.
Speaker D:And you know, if say, for example, somebody has a.
Speaker D:Gets a community initiatives grant through us, then we.
Speaker D:I would put that request into edmonton unlimited to pay them and then we, you know, manage the budget kind of that way.
Speaker A:I see.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So it is a real partnership.
Speaker A:It's not just, oh, these two organizations.
Speaker A:No, these are.
Speaker A:This is a partnership.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And then with other organizations, it's really more of a.
Speaker D:Again, like, how do I.
Speaker D:I have good connections at bdc as well.
Speaker D:So, you know, how do I understand their programs that are happening?
Speaker D:Do I have direct connections?
Speaker D:Because I think a lot of people.
Speaker D:The frustration, frustrating part when you're trying to access resources is getting a response.
Speaker D:Yeah, right.
Speaker D:And if you can get a warm introduction through an email to someone, it's just that one step further where you know who you're connecting with.
Speaker D:There's a little bit of a relationship built there already.
Speaker D:So, like my one connection at bdc, she will send me someone and say, hey, I've been working with this client.
Speaker D:This is where they're at.
Speaker D:And then I'll meet with them or I might do the same for her.
Speaker D:And it just takes that one step out of the client or the entrepreneur going, ugh, now I have to email this info at and see who's going to get back to me.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So that's with some of the other organizations.
Speaker D:That's how the relationship currently exists.
Speaker D:Those organizations and any organization in edmonton can apply for the community initiatives fund, which is currently spent, but will Come back in April of next year.
Speaker D:But they can apply for programming and events funding to help support, you know, if they're running a pilot program or they're doing something.
Speaker D:And then that relationship would change in the way that they would then report to us the impact that program is having.
Speaker D:And then I would report that to Alberta Innovate saying, hey, here's what this money did for the community.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:So talk to me a little bit about that.
Speaker A:What are you guys looking for with the community initiatives?
Speaker D:Yeah, so the purpose of the community initiatives is really to help fill gaps where services are needed.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Some of them are very industry specific.
Speaker D:So for example, Health Innovators Meetup, that API runs, that's something that we fund.
Speaker D:They won the Meetup of the year or something through YEG Startup Awards last year.
Speaker D:They won an award for the community initiative of the year.
Speaker D:That's what it was.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So it's a really important community initiatives that brings people in that health innovation space together once a month.
Speaker D:And so there's tremendous value in that.
Speaker D:And so that's one of the things that we've funded.
Speaker D:We've also funded the YEG Startup Awards.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:Because that's another way that the community comes together and they just celebrate one another.
Speaker D:It's unique.
Speaker D:That's not something that necessarily exists specific to Edmonton outside of an event like that.
Speaker D:So we're looking for things that serve the community, that bring people together and ultimately will impact, have impact to the founders and entrepreneurs in the community.
Speaker A:I see.
Speaker A:Ok.
Speaker A:So it's like really, you'll entertain almost any idea as long as it would fill that gap.
Speaker A:It would help entrepreneurs and business owners in the Edmonton community.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And it's very.
Speaker D:They have to.
Speaker D:That's the key piece is like what is the impact to the ecosystem?
Speaker D:And it can't be a business development impact.
Speaker D:So you can apply for profit or not for profit.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:But if you are a for profit entity, the weight of the balance has to be on.
Speaker D:There's community impact here, more so than business development impact.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker D:That can be tricky.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, because I could argue that every single community impact is a business development impact.
Speaker D:100%.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:No, I get it though.
Speaker A:I get it though.
Speaker A:You have to really show that at the end of the day your interest is not just in your pockets, that you're actually trying to help the community get better.
Speaker A:So I get that.
Speaker A:Listen to that statement.
Speaker A:Make sure that whatever you guys are submitting that you are showing how and why it is Going to benefit the community and why that is your priority.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And the other thing that I have said and I've met with many people, if you're interested in it and you just want to understand more or you have a draft, you can send it to me in advance of submitting it and I'll take a peek and I'll look it over and give you some feedback.
Speaker D:I try to do my best to anticipate what the committee is going to want to see.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker D:Sometimes I'm really successful with that.
Speaker D:Sometimes they throw me for a loop.
Speaker D:So sometimes I'm surprised.
Speaker D:But the more that I work with them, the more I am, you know, understanding what they're looking for.
Speaker D:And I can help either make, you know, get this project to that place where it would qualify for the fund or save some people some time and say, look like this probably isn't the best fit.
Speaker D:Let's find another area, another resource where maybe we could find you alternative funding.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Well, my next question is follow up to this and it is, are you seeing any gaps in the submissions?
Speaker A:Are there any wide open holes that people have not yet been able to.
Speaker A:To fill for you guys?
Speaker D:Oh, that's really.
Speaker D:That's a really good question.
Speaker D:So I started this job in March and it's now September.
Speaker D:In seven months, we funded 33 projects.
Speaker D:Wow.
Speaker D:So we.
Speaker D:And like they run the gamut of sort of everything from networking events to, you know, a small scale program that serves indigenous entrepreneurs.
Speaker D:I think one of the things that I have not seen a application for that I think is a gap in the community is women in tech.
Speaker D:I don't know if years before this, if people have applied, but something specifically geared towards women in innovation and tech I think would definitely be a place where I think there's tremendous opportunity and benefit.
Speaker D:And so Alberta women entrepreneurs, for example, they do have some programming at their gala every year.
Speaker D:They have, you know, tech specific awards and tables and things like that.
Speaker D:So there are pockets of the community that are doing work like that.
Speaker D:You know, I would encourage anyone who's sitting there thinking like, I think it would be really great if we could for women, like reach out.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:See, big gaps.
Speaker A:They're always found.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And one of the other questions that I have for you before we wrap up today's show is how can the Edmonton business community help you?
Speaker A:What are you guys looking for?
Speaker A:How do we support you?
Speaker D:First and foremost, for me, it's, I can't do this job if I don't have feedback and So a big part of what I feel has become very important is for me to be accessible to the community because our volunteers are volunteers.
Speaker D:Some of them are, you know, they're professors, they're running high level businesses, they're very busy people.
Speaker D:And so the more accessible that I can make myself to the community, the better that I can understand the needs of the community and then the better that we're being.
Speaker D:I think that, you know, one of the.
Speaker D:If I could say one of the criticisms that I've heard about the earn in the past is that it's.
Speaker D:People aren't quite sure what's happening and what is this money and how does this interact.
Speaker D:And I hope, like with what I've talked about today that I've of opened up that conversation a little bit because I think that if we aren't transparent in what this money is and what it's for and how we're serving the community and how our structure supports that service, we aren't doing what we are set to do.
Speaker D:And I think, you know, by coming out to events, reaching out to me, giving feedback of any kind, when we send out surveys, sometimes we'll do community surveys.
Speaker D:Filling out those surveys, I really do read every single solitary one because it's really important for me to get a great understanding because it will shape the way the RIN adapts and serves people as time moves on.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And we'll be coming up to another cycle of funding.
Speaker D:And so we need to know where that money should be spent.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:The more that we can just be that eyes and ears on the ground for people.
Speaker D:And I really do invite people to reach out to me because I'm an open book, love to chat with people, love to meet them.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I think like, one of the other things that I was kind of alluding to here is that you can actually join Aaron.
Speaker A:Like you can become a member.
Speaker A:And so my call might be to any Edmonton organization who is not yet a member of Aaron.
Speaker A:It's free.
Speaker A:Go to the website, log in, create an account and talk about what you do.
Speaker A:Because it creates this cool online community of people that can support the Edmonton business community.
Speaker D:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker D:And yes, there will be.
Speaker D:In my.
Speaker D:As my tenure, there will be no point where we're like, just kidding.
Speaker D:It's going to be $10 a month.
Speaker D:Like I said, we exist in the model that we exist in so that we're not going to, you know, start generating revenue or anything like that.
Speaker D:It really is.
Speaker D:As a member, I like to think that you'll have a voice in the direction of how we're serving the community.
Speaker A:That is absolutely amazing.
Speaker A:And, Janice, you know, you're a longtime entrepreneur yourself.
Speaker A:You speak with entrepreneurs on a daily basis.
Speaker A:There's a lot of people listening right now.
Speaker A:Might be on the fence, might be a little afraid.
Speaker A:Maybe they just started their company.
Speaker A:What's the best piece of business advice that you could give them?
Speaker D:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker D:I got asked this question a little while ago.
Speaker D:I was speaking to an entrepreneurial class at Muskwood Cheese.
Speaker D:Oh.
Speaker D:And, you know, ask the stupid questions like.
Speaker D:And I frame this in the sense of, like, your finances.
Speaker D:Because if you sit down in a room with an accountant or your financial advisor as you start to generate revenue and you don't understand something because they could get it really heady, really fast.
Speaker D:Just ask the dumb question.
Speaker D:Because if you don't understand some of those really basic operating principles of your business, it's going to lead to brown envelopes from the CRA in the future.
Speaker D:They're not going to be fun.
Speaker D:They probably don't mail them anymore.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker D:It's probably digital.
Speaker D:But I think, you know, just asking what you feel like, you're like, I'm not going to ask that question because I should probably know the answer.
Speaker D:Just ask.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:Because if you don't have that information, you're not empowered to make the decisions that will be best for you and your business.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:No, I agree completely.
Speaker A:And I think, you know, I mean, nobody's born financially literate.
Speaker A:So don't feel bad.
Speaker A:If you're listening to this, you're like, I don't know how to read my profit loss statement or I don't know how to know how much taxes I need to pay this month and when.
Speaker A:Because like you said, it's a.
Speaker A:It's crazy.
Speaker A:But yes, absolutely.
Speaker A:Don't be afraid.
Speaker A:None of us were born financially literate.
Speaker A:I learned it, you know, working years and years in operations and reviewing profit law sheets and income statements and things like that.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But you learn it by practicing and asking questions.
Speaker A:And you're absolutely right.
Speaker A:There's no dumb questions.
Speaker A:We answer business development questions on the show all the time.
Speaker A:And the first thing I say to everybody, there is no dumb question.
Speaker A:If you have a question, so does a thousand other people.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:And if you have an accountant or a, you know, a expert that you're sitting down with that makes you feel stupid, find someone else.
Speaker D:They should.
Speaker A:Absolutely, Absolutely.
Speaker A:Janice, this has been amazing.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time today and introducing us to both you and your background and obviously the Edmonton regional innovation network.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Thank you so much, Kelly.
Speaker D:I really appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker D:This has been fantastic, and it's been great getting to know you as well, a little bit.
Speaker A:You as well.
Speaker A:And I'm a huge advocate and if there's anything that I can do, I'm going to do it live on air.
Speaker A:If there's anything I can do to support you, I'm a phone call away.
Speaker D:Awesome.
Speaker D:Thank you so much.
Speaker D:Likewise.
Speaker A:All right, until next time, this has been episode 250 of the Business development podcast and we will catch you on the flip side.
Speaker C:This has been the business development podcast with Kelly Kennedy.
Speaker C: business development firm in: Speaker C:His passion and his specialization is in customer relationship generation and business development.
Speaker C:The show is brought to you by Capital Business Development, your business development specialists.
Speaker C:For more, we invite you to the website at www.capitalbd.ca.
Speaker C:see you next time on the business development podcast.
