Samuel Witherspoon was a lawyer who walked away from a safe career to co-found a tech company. The first thing he built? A platform for selling divorces online. He was ashamed to tell people what he did for a living. So he sat in a boardroom with his co-founders and asked a dangerous question: what if we burned it all down and started over? That question launched a 12-year grind into one of the most guarded industries on Earth — Canadian defense intelligence. Someone told Sam that no one eve...
Feb 19
1 hr 7 min
In this episode, Fahd sits down with Vincent Ircandia, CEO of Stellar Algo, a Canadian startup that’s revolutionizing the sports industry with data-driven fan engagement solutions. Vincent takes us through his journey of building a product that gives sports teams and leagues the power to understand their fans on a deeper level, moving beyond simple metrics to actionable insights that fuel growth and loyalty. Vincent discusses the challenges of scaling in a competitive space, the importance o...
Feb 3
1 hr 2 min
In this episode, Fahd sits down with Ray Newal—startup advisor, ex-Microsoft and Yahoo exec, and a founder who moved across the world to build tech that mattered. Ray’s journey spans from selling ads for AltaVista to leading Techstars India, but it’s his time building in emerging markets that shaped his sharpest lessons. They explore what makes the real difference in David vs. Goliath battles: choosing the right Goliath to fight, timing your moves, staying close to your customer, and buildin...
Jan 9
44 min
In this episode, Fahd sits down with Zak Lefevre, co-founder and CEO of ChargeLab, to unpack a modern David vs. Goliath story in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries—EV infrastructure. Zak started in 2016 with a drill, a parka, and a vision—installing EV chargers in freezing parking lots across Toronto. Today, ChargeLab powers over 15,000 chargers and is on a mission to become the universal software layer behind the future of electric mobility. Zak shares how he pivoted from hardwa...
Dec 12, 2025
51 min
In this episode, Fahd sits down with Ron Tite—comedian, author, and founder of Church+State—to explore how creative Davids take on industry Goliaths without selling out or burning out. Ron shares how he bootstrapped his agency through speaking gigs, built a brand that stood out by standing for something, and why the smartest move isn’t to play harder—but to play different. He opens up about the early chaos of entrepreneurship, what nearly broke him, and the lessons that helped him lead with...
Nov 27, 2025
52 min
In this episode, Fahd sits down with Stuart Lombard, founder of Ecobee, to unpack one of the most iconic David vs. Goliath stories in Canadian tech. What started as a personal mission to reduce his carbon footprint led Stuart to invent one of the world’s first smart thermostats—and take on giants like Honeywell and Google Nest in the process. Stuart shares how Ecobee turned clunky hardware into a customer-obsessed experience, why innovation often starts with frustration, and how staying true...
Nov 13, 2025
1 hr 3 min
In this episode, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Nora Beatty, VP of People Operations at Cohere, to unpack how small, high-trust teams scale in high-stakes environments. Nora shares her journey from Cohere’s 40-person startup stage to its 500-person rocketship rise—and what she’s learned about leadership, mentorship, and risk along the way. Together, they break down why the “self-made” leader is a myth, how founders can’t outsource culture, and what it really takes to compete for top talen...
Jul 10, 2025
37 min
In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Miranda Pokoy, SVP of People Success at Partnerize, to explore how HR can be a powerful driver of business performance. Miranda shares her journey from administrative assistant to executive leadership, and the strategic mindset shift that took HR from policy enforcer to business partner. They dive into what it really takes to lead through mergers and acquisitions, build culture across global teams, and develop manag...
Jun 26, 2025
36 min
In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Penny Farinha, former VP of People at Ecobee, to unpack what it really takes to scale a mission-driven startup through every phase of growth—without losing your soul (or your best people). Penny shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Ecobee went from 75 employees to a billion-dollar acquisition, all while competing head-to-head with Google Nest. She reveals why values-based hiring (not just skill) helped them bui...
Jun 12, 2025
39 min
In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Adam Gellert, founder of Linkus Group and Hypo, to talk all things hiring—from building high-performing teams to breaking outdated recruitment myths. Adam shares what it really takes to find top-tier talent in startups, why the "hire slow, fire fast" mantra is broken, and how founders can avoid costly mis-hires by aligning on the real business problem behind every role. He opens up about the grit behind building two...
May 29, 2025
34 min
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