Quarterly Publication - Ed. 02-May6 - Flipbook - Page 33
ASK A FOUNDER
We asked a few of our NEXT alumni which resources have been most helpful to them
in maintaining their personal and work wellness over the last couple of months. Bonus
points for what they are optimistic about for Canadian startups.
FAVOURITE WFH TOOL:
Airtable - the platform was really
easy to onboard the team with
diverse templates for a variety
of projects and it is affordable.
FAVOURITE QUARANTINE BOOK:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
GUILTIEST
PLEASURE:
Waking up to
“Wannabe” by
the Spice Girls
EMILY BLAND
Founder & CEO,
SucSeed;
Next 36, 2018
FAVOURITE QUARANTINE BOOK:
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Harari
HOW DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR YOUR
MENTAL WELLNESS:
Be human. Reconnect with acceptance,
loving kindness, whatever makes your
soul sing (for me it’s cooking and
karaoke singing in the shower like
no one is watching). This isn’t
just fluffy nonsense, there’s a
lot of science which supports
acceptance as a coping skill,
connectedness through
“loving kindness practice”,
and hedonic happiness
as a correlate to mental health.
MORGAN
ROSENBERG
Founder & CEO, Resili;
Next 36, 2018
FAVOURITE WFH TOOL:
Google Hangouts, incorporated well with
Google Calendar, email and my virtual
assistant from x.ai
HOW DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR
YOUR MENTAL WELLNESS:
I’m a new mom and often too busy
to incorporate anything extra into
my calendar. But, I am enjoying every
moment of being with my baby which
keeps my mental wellness in check.
NEDA GHAZI
FAVOURITE WFH TOOL: Using my
window as a whiteboard. Being able
to expand my workspace beyond my
computer and into my physical space
has always been important to me. It helps
me think better and hold more context.
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GRIT
FAVOURITE
QUARANTINE BOOK:
The Hard Thing About
Hard Things by Ben
Horowitz
CHENNY XIA
Co-founder, Growth &
Client Experience GotCare;
Next 36, 2014
Investors need to be
the ones who make the
biggest impact here.
There are so many entrepreneurs
who are smart, driven and want to
make a big impact in Canada. But
if we don’t have access to fair capital, then the pursuit of building billion-dollar businesses will take us
outside of Canada.
CHENNY XIA
Co-founder, GotCare
Founder & CEO, Comfable;
Next Founders, 2018
FAVOURITE WFH TOOL:
I’m loving Asana - everyone is staying on top
of tasks and mapping out clearer processes.
FAVOURITE QUARANTINE BOOK:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
HOW DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR YOUR
MENTAL WELLNESS: I have lots of plants
and post-it notes with gentle reminders to
myself around my place. I also make sure
to have healthy snacks nearby, and work
on the patio whenever possible.
LOOKING FORWARD, WHAT
ARE YOU MOST OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO
CONSUMER MINDSET?
HOW DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR
YOUR MENTAL WELLNESS:
I set a routine for work and personal
time that keeps everything in my
mind well organized so I don’t feel
disoriented despite the craziness
around me.
MICHELLE KWOK
Co-founder & CEO, FLIK;
Next 36, 2019
As tough as this situation is right now, it has
the potential to create a
new world. So many of our current
systems are broken; if we come together now, we have the opportunity to create a new future.
EMILY BLAND
Founder, SucSeed
Virtual care is booming.
Toronto is a hub academically through WCH
and industrially through our many
great startups! Expect to see real
change and consumer empowerment in health services.
MORGAN ROSENBERG
Founder, Resili
GRIT
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