GRIT - Ed.04 - Flipbook - Page 2
Jacqueline Cook
CONTENTS
4
THE
DIGITIZATION
SHOCK
to believe that we are nearly one year into
I t’sthehard
COVID-19 pandemic. Undoubtedly the crisis
has disrupted our world as we know it, but as we have
seen, it has also helped to accelerate technological
adoptions and innovations, and provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs to seize.
6
A BRIEF
HISTORY OF
DIGITIZATION
PLUS
IN THIS ISSUE:
8
10
A NEW
FRONTIER
By John Kelleher
12
REIMAGINING THE
ROLE OF FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS IN THE
WAKE OF COVID-19
By Hossein Rahnama
14
THE POWER OF
PERSONALIZATION
By Saroop Bharwani
16
THE FUTURE
IS BRIGHT
By Emilie Cushman
LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR
Hossein Rahnama
HOW PUTTING PEOPLE
FIRST EMPOWERS DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
By Michelle Scarborough
18
TRAINING THE NEXT
GENERATION OF
INNOVATORS
24
By Nadeem Nathoo
BEHIND THE
SCENES WITH
SEVAUN PALVETZIAN
20
26
HOW HOMEGROWN TECH
IS HELPING GLOBAL
BUSINESSES SURVIVE
AND THRIVE
ASK A FOUNDER
By Jacqueline Cook
COMMUNITY NEWS
22
30
CONVERSATIONS ARE
THE NEW CURRENCY
DIGITAL DISRUPTORS
TO WATCH IN 2021
By Mike Murchison
By Joe Canavan
That’s why for Ed. 4 of GRIT, we chose the theme
“The Digitization Shock”, exploring these seismic
technological shifts, and sharing stories from talented
entrepreneurs and business leaders who are taking action to help our communities rebuild and thrive. We kick
the edition off with A New Frontier, an insightful piece
from our Board Co-Chair, John Kelleher, who shares
how consumer behaviour has changed and the role entrepreneurs can play in responding to these shifts.
As always, we love amplifying the stories of our
alumni, and this edition of GRIT is no different. We hear
from Vendasta’s Jacqueline Cook on the future of local
businesses and how they’re redefining what it means
to “go local”. In The Power of Personalization, Saroop
Barawhani, CEO of Senso, discusses how using AI to
democratize data will win new customers in the financial services sector.
Elsewhere in the magazine, we feature a behind
the scenes with Sevaun Palvetzian, the widely-respected Chief Communications Officer at Rogers Communications, who shares her thoughts on post-COVID
recovery. We also learn about the importance of
people-centered digital transformation from BDC’s
Michelle Scarborough; how conversations are the new
currency with Mike Murchison, CEO of Ada; the reimagined role of banks from Flybits’ Hossein Rahnama; and
the “new normal” in academic admissions with Emilie
Cushman, CEO of Kira Talent.
As CEO of NEXT Canada, it has been my pleasure
to act as Guest Editor for this edition. I’ve taken over
the role from our incredible former CMO, Jenn Patterson, who built GRIT from an initial concept to what it is
today. I am so grateful to Jenn for her contributions to
NEXT, and wish her the best of luck as she pursues her
own entrepreneurial journey with Cafe Plenty.
A lot has changed in the last year, but I hope this
edition of GRIT illustrates the ingenuity of Canadian
entrepreneurship, and a sense of excitement about the
business opportunities that are presenting themselves
in 2021.
JOE CANAVAN
Chief Executive Officer,
NEXT Canada
28
GRIT, Edition 04; February 2021 PUBLISHER: NEXT Canada CEO/EDITOR IN CHIEF: Joe Canavan
NEXT
MANAGING EDITOR: Emily Gilmour ART DIRECTION: Olivia Tomic NEXT Canada, 175 Bloor Street
East, South Tower Suite 1800, Toronto, ON M4W 3R8 grit@nextcanada.com www.nextcanada.com
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