S02|12: Ecosystem Live with Terry Rock, Shelley Kuipers, Amreesh Khanna, and Martin Toner

02/11/25 • 58 min

In this season two finale, recorded for a live audience, host Leah Sarich dives into the critical role of ecosystem support in driving the success of tech startups, featuring insights from a panel of dynamic leaders. Terry Rock, CEO of Platform Calgary, starts the discussion by highlighting their efforts in connecting innovators with capital and resources, supporting over 600 tech companies through specialized programs.

Shelley Kuipers, Managing Partner of The51, shares her vision of activating $2.5 billion in capital for women-led businesses by 2030, emphasizing the transformative impact of community and advisory support. Martin Toner from ATB Capital Markets highlights the bank’s commitment to Founders through lending, venture capital, and equity research, ensuring long-term support to Alberta’s growing tech sector. Amreesh Khanna, dentist and Founder of the OraQ platform offers an inspiring perspective on the transition to becoming a Founder and creating innovative technology for his industry. He underscores the value of mentorship, community support, and an interconnected ecosystem for overcoming challenges.

The panelists collectively explore the importance of collaboration, networking, and shared resources in fostering innovation in Alberta and Canada. The conversation concludes with a shared vision for Calgary as a leading tech hub fueled by investment, mentorship, and a vibrant community ready to support the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Resources discussed in this episode:

About Terry Rock | CEO of Platform Calgary

Dr. Terry Rock is President & CEO of Platform Calgary, an organization focused on driving growth and velocity in Calgary’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Platform works with over 100 partners to advance startup Founders, investors, tech talent and corporate innovators in the new Platform Innovation Centre in Calgary’s East Village.

Terry’s previous experience has covered a wide variety of contexts and industries. He has been Executive Director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association and founding CEO of Calgary Arts Development Authority. He worked on civic partnerships at The City of Calgary and was an assistant professor in strategy at the University of Calgary.

Terry has contributed to the community through volunteering on the TELUS Calgary Community Board and the boards of Sled Island Music & Arts Festival, Hillhurst United Church, Calgary Cultural Capital 2012, the 2008 and 2016 Calgary-hosted Juno Awards, and was on the founding board of cSPACE Projects. He was Chair of the AIESEC Canada board where he had been President in the early 90’s.

Dr. Rock holds a PhD in Management with a focus on strategic management, entrepreneurship and innovation from Texas Tech University, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing (with Distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan.

About Shelley Kuipers | Co-Fo...

Resources discussed in this episode:

About Terry Rock | CEO of Platform Calgary

About Shelley Kuipers | Co-Fo...

Previous Episode

S02|11: Innovating Access: Transforming Healthcare for Underserved Communities with Amaan Banwait of PurposeMed

In this episode of The Founder Mindset, Amaan Banwait, Co-Founder and Chief Commercialization Officer at PurposeMed, takes us through his journey from a management consultant to a healthcare-focused leader with the Clinton Foundation to Co-Founder of PurposeMed. He explains how each of PurposeMed’s brands serve different underserved communities, including Freddie—which supports HIV prevention, Frida—which focuses on ADHD and mental health diagnosis and treatment, and Foria—which offers expert gender-affirming care.

Amaan shares the complex challenges PurposeMed faces in overcoming barriers, such as social stigma towards their target audience and high specialist wait times. He also discusses how PurposeMed’s tech-driven approach enables patients to receive comprehensive care from diagnosis to treatment, no matter where they live in North America.

Amaan also gives insight into PurposeMed’s shift from a revenue-focused business model to a bottom-line-oriented business model—an essential transition for building a sustainable organization in healthcare without compromising results. As Amaan opens up about his personal growth and leadership journey, he reveals his commitment to continue making a global impact in healthcare, with future aspirations that include applying PurposeMed’s learnings to emerging markets. This conversation offers an inspiring look into the complexities of healthcare innovation and the personal drive needed to make a lasting impact in the lives of others.

About Amaan Banwait

Amaan is a Co-Founder and Chief Commercialization Officer of PurposeMed. PurposeMed delivers complex healthcare to underserved communities through various brands such as Freddie, which is Canada's largest HIV prevention service and Frida, which provides mental healthcare online. Amaan was previously the Co-Founder of Ilara Health, a VC-backed provider of affordable diagnostics for African clinics. He was also previously a manager at the Clinton Foundation, helping the Government of Uganda scale up its HIV/AIDS programs, and a consultant at Bain & Company. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BComm from UBC.

Resources discussed in this episode:

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

Contact Amaan Banwait | PurposeMed:

Transcript:

Amaan 00:02

Going back for me, growing up, I always knew I wanted to do something good for the world. I wanted to make a difference. I didn't know what that was, that you know, the flavour of that changed many times over, but ultimately, sort of kicked off with my time at the Clinton Foundation. And, you know, I've kind of weaved impact into my work and my story in different ways since then.

Leah 00:20

Hi, thanks for being here. And welcome to Season Two of The Founder Mindset, brought to you by ATB. I'm Leah Sarich, your host, and I'm super excited to talk to more Founders about the human experience of being an entrepreneur. In this podcast, we're digging into what it really feels like to build a company from nothing. I was a broadcaster for over 20 years. So I've interviewed thousands of people, but entrepreneurs, not that many. And yet they have the best stories. They're solving big problems. And they're creating incredible impact. But it is hard work. So why would they do this? Let's find out. Joining me today is Amaan Banwait, Co-Founder and Chief Commercialization Officer of PurposeMed, a company improving access to complex health care for underserved communities. Amaan, thank you so much for being here.

Amaan 01:19

Thank you so much for having me.

Leah 01:20

I just love the work that you are doing, to be very clear. I've done a little bit of research on you, and I'm deeply impressed. You're the Co-Founder of another company as well, with PurposeMed, but al...

Next Episode

S02|13: AI, Dentistry, and Passionate Entrepreneurial Resilience with Amreesh Khanna

In this bonus episode of The Founder Mindset, Leah sits down with Dr. Amreesh Khanna, Founder of OraQ, a groundbreaking dental AI company. Dr. Khanna shares his journey and past struggles as an entrepreneur building not one but two thriving dental clinics despite having to persevere and rebuild the first after a devastating Calgary flood.

His experience creating these businesses, solving problems, and recognizing the gaps in quality dental care led him to develop the idea for standardized, AI-driven dental assessments. After thorough market research and validation of his idea, he networked with tech experts to create OraQ. Now, with $4 million in funding and approvals from Health Canada and the FDA, OraQ is revolutionizing dental care with personalized treatment recommendations powered by artificial intelligence.

Dr. Khanna opens up about the core values that drive his mission—Inspire, Influence, and Educate—and how these ideals shape both his business and community impact. Through initiatives like Cause to Smile, he is not only advancing technology but also giving back to the community. Whether you’re a dental professional, entrepreneur, or tech enthusiast, this conversation is packed with insights on innovation, tenacity, and passion for making a meaningful impact in the world.

About Amreesh Khanna | Founder of OraQ AI

Dr. Amreesh Khanna refers to himself as a professional tooth enthusiast, more commonly known as a Dentist. He has a deep passion for the integration of AI/ML in clinical applications and is at the forefront of advancing precision dental care through his start-up OraQ AI. This company is dedicated to redefining ethical dental practice growth by prioritizing optimal patient care.

With over 17 years of clinical dental experience, Dr. Khanna has encountered numerous challenges and successes on his entrepreneurial journey as a dental practice owner. In terms of patient care, he has been involved in complex treatments including dental implants, bone and gum grafting, IV conscious sedation, dental sleep medicine for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, and oral rehabilitation for individuals with complex TMD, tooth wear, and bite concerns.

Dr. Khanna remains actively engaged in his field as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Additionally, he has established his own dental education platform called ADEPT Dental Education, which aims to drive accelerated growth on the clinical and business sides of Dentistry.

Resources discussed in this episode:

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Contact Thin Air Labs:

Contact Amreesh Khanna:

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Transcript

Amreesh 00:00

I kind of went through this exercise at one point to really understand, like, Okay, what is it that's truly important to me? What is it that defines me, makes me different than anyone else, and from there, then how can I make the impact that I'm trying to do? It was through that kind of personal evaluation and journey that then I came up with these personal values of Inspire, influence, and educate.

Leah 00:20