After building their careers in pharmacy, Aba Anton and Mina Rizk noticed a troubling trend: many men felt ashamed to talk openly about their health concerns. To help change that, they teamed up with longtime friend Dr. George Mankaryous to launch Rocky Health—a digital platform tackling sensitive topics like erectile dysfunction and hair loss with a personalized, discreet approach. In this bonus episode of The Moment, the founders share how they balance different personalities in business, what it takes to redesign the customer journey from scratch, and why staying closely connected to users is key.
Eva Wong, COO and co-founder of Borrowell, joins The Moment to share the behind-the-scenes journey of building one of Canada’s leading fintech companies. From launching a product that failed, to navigating team tension, fundraising hurdles, and the double standards female founders face, Eva offers a candid look at what it really takes to survive—and thrive—as an entrepreneur. She reflects on resilience, finding product-market fit, balancing leadership and motherhood, and why staying alive as a company was always the top priority.
After being laid off from the oil and gas industry, Bobbie Racette found herself at a crossroads, until she took a leap into entrepreneurship, founding Virtual Gurus, a talent platform that’s redefining the future of remote work. But her success didn’t come easy. In this episode, Bobbie opens up about the 170 investor rejections she endured before becoming the first Indigenous woman in Canada to secure Series A funding, why she once walked out of a pitch competition moments before taking the stage, and the pivotal realization that led her to fire herself as CEO before stepping back into the role. She also shares how burnout forced her to rethink leadership and the mindset that kept her going when the odds were stacked against her.
You might think the toy industry is all fun and games—well, it is, but running a toy business is no child’s play. This episode welcomes Anton Rabie, Co-Founder and Chair of Spin Master, the powerhouse behind beloved brands like PAW Patrol, Hatchimals, and Bakugan. After being co-CEO for nearly three decades, Anton is known for cultivating a fearless mindset, embracing risk and failure as essential ingredients for innovation. He shares how this philosophy fueled Spin Master’s growth, from launching award-winning products to expanding into over 28 countries. Anton delves into the strategies behind scaling a business, building a resilient company culture, and navigating the challenges of global retail partnerships. It’s not about avoiding failure, it’s about using it to fuel your next breakthrough.
You might think selling a company is the ultimate goal for founders—but for Satish Kanwar, it was just the beginning. In this episode, the co-founder of Jet Cooper shares how his agency’s acquisition by Shopify transformed his career, leading to a decade of scaling one of Canada’s biggest tech success stories. Now, as the co-founder of Good Future and Chair of the Board of Directors at BetaKit, Satish is on a mission to invest in Canada’s next generation of entrepreneurs. He breaks down what makes a great founder, why irrational commitment is key to success, and how Canadian startups can compete on a global stage. Tune in for an inside look at building, selling, and betting on the future of tech.
The journey to starting a business can be difficult, rewarding, exciting, stressful, and so much more. But what about the journey to closing a business? This often overlooked aspect of entrepreneurship is the focus of this week's episode. Jason and Fatima sit down with Marie Chevrier Schwartz, the current CEO in Residence of TechTO and former CEO of Sampler. Marie shares her unique experience of closing the chapter on Sampler after nearly 10 years of rapid growth and success. She delves into what contributed to her decision, the challenges she faced, and why it was ultimately the right choice. Marie explores her experience while offering insights into failure, balance, leadership, and the roller coaster ride she's been on. Although Sampler was a significant chapter in her career, Marie is far from done. When one door closes, another opens. It's time to chat all about how and why!
For more information, visit Quill, CoHost or Canadian Business
Allen and Eva Lau are founding team members at Wattpad, one of Canada’s most well-known and successful tech startups. Today they run Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage tech venture capital fund that recently closed a $41 million fund III. They join us on The Moment to talk about their incredible journey building Wattpad at the beginning of the user-generated content boom, being in rooms with naysayers, and how their experience as entrepreneurs shapes what they look for in founders today.
For more information, visit Quill, CoHost or Canadian Business
Every entrepreneur faces a moment, a turning point in their journey that defines them and their business. These moments can be stressful, exhilarating, and unexpected. In “The Moment,” hosts Fatima Zaidi, Founder and CEO of Quill and CoHost, and Jason Maghanoy, Publisher for Canadian Business, sit down with some of the biggest names in the Canadian entrepreneurial landscape to break down their very own ‘moment.’ You’ll hear the good, the bad, and the ugly from these founders and get inspired and equipped to face your own defining moments head-on.
Guests this season include:
For more information, visit Quill, CoHost or Canadian Business
