The Business Leadership Podcast

Building a Founder-First Innovation Ecosystem with John MacRitchie | BVZ Five Years Bold

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sits down with John MacRitchie, Assistant Vice President of Zone Learning and Strategic Initiatives at Toronto Metropolitan University, to reflect on five years of the Brampton Venture Zone and what it has unlocked for founders, researchers, and the broader community.John was instrumental in bringing the Brampton Venture Zone to life and shares why Brampton was the right place to build a founder-first incubator — one grounded in community, persistence, and long-term investment.We explore:Why Brampton emerged as a key innovation hub in CanadaHow BVZ differs from traditional incubators by focusing on place-based innovationThe role of community in multiplying entrepreneurial impactWhat the Brampton Venture Expo reveals about ecosystem momentumHow BVZ connects researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs as the School of Medicine launchesWhat the City of Brampton’s renewed investment signals for the next five yearsThis episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how innovation ecosystems are intentionally designed — and sustained — over time.This episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary.🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/LDx9ASzzWmEGuest:John MacRitchieAssistant Vice President, Zone Learning & Strategic InitiativesToronto Metropolitan University

Scaling Trauma Care with Empathy with Sakeena Mihyar | BVZ Five Years Bold

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sat down with Sakeena Mihyar, Founder and CEO of SAVIN, as part of BVZ: Five Years Bold — a founder story series celebrating five years of the Brampton Venture Zone.Sakeena is a refugee-led founder building a digital, neuroscience-based mental health platform delivering trauma care in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Inspired by her lived experience as a survivor of war, SAVIN uses evidence-based EMDR therapy principles to make trauma treatment accessible, culturally appropriate, and scalable across languages and regions.We explore:How lived experience became the foundation for a global mental health platformWhy neuroscience-based trauma care can outperform traditional talk therapiesThe challenges of building a HealthTech company as a refugee and Muslim woman founderHow empathy and inclusion can be operationalized at scaleHow BVZ supported SAVIN in identifying blind spots, refining its pitch, and scaling impact globallyToday, SAVIN operates across Canada and internationally, including in post-conflict regions such as Syria, supporting communities affected by trauma with dignity and care.This episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary.🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/Gxhz-q0NRWQGuest:Sakeena MihyarFounder & CEO, SAVINBVZ Launch Program Alum

From Lived Experience to Patient Care with Latchmi Raghunanan | BVZ Five Years Bold

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sits down with Latchmi Raghunanan, Founder and CEO of Maman Biomedical, as part of BVZ: Five Years Bold — a founder story series celebrating five years of the Brampton Venture Zone.Latchmi shares how her personal IVF journey became the catalyst for founding Maman Biomedical, a MedTech startup developing technologies to reduce the physical, emotional, and financial burden of fertility treatments. Drawing from her background as a materials scientist, she reflects on the journey from kitchen-countertop prototyping to building a company focused on real-world patient care.We explore:How lived experience can shape meaningful healthcare innovationThe leadership challenges of building a biomedical startup from an academic backgroundTranslating scientific research into something investors and partners can understandHow BVZ provided visibility, credibility, and community at an early stageThis episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global, the F1 Circuit of the Startup Ecosystem, and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary and the founders' bridging science, entrepreneurship, and patient impact.🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/zJc86VLVI5YGuest:Latchmi RaghunananFounder & CEO, Maman BiomedicalBVZ Launch Program Alum

Transforming Cancer Care with AI-Powered Pathology Robotics | Saumik Biswas | BVZ Five Years Bold

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sits down with Saumik Biswas, Co-Founder and CEO of Tenomix, as part of BVZ: Five Years Bold — a founder story series celebrating five years of the Brampton Venture Zone.Saumik shares how Tenomix is using AI, robotics, and ultrasound imaging to transform one of the most manual and error-prone workflows in cancer care: lymph node detection during pathology and cancer staging. By automating this process, Tenomix aims to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce lab backlogs, and support better treatment decisions for patients worldwide.We explore:The clinical problem Tenomix set out to solve in cancer stagingHow AI-powered robotics can standardize and improve pathology workflowsThe challenges of building and funding deep MedTech in CanadaHow BVZ supported Tenomix through mentorship, strategy, and fundraising fundamentalsThis episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global, spotlighting startups and the Brampton Venture Zone at Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary and the founders' push to advance healthcare innovation.🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/weNRr3H4HxUGuest:Saumik BiswasCo-Founder & CEO, TenomixBVZ Launch Program Alum

Building Trust-First HealthTech with Shreyansh Anand | BVZ Five Years Bold

In this special episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, Edwin Frondozo sits down with Shreyansh Anand, Founder and CEO of Wave Medical, as part of BVZ: Five Years Bold — a founder story series celebrating five years of the Brampton Venture Zone.Shreyansh shares how Wave Medical was launched during the pandemic to help clinics manage overwhelming volumes of medical data and documentation. Today, Wave’s platform supports hundreds of clinics across Canada, helping healthcare teams act faster on urgent patient information while reducing administrative burden.We explore:What it was like to start a HealthTech company during the pandemicWhy trust is the most critical currency in healthcare innovationHow automation can improve patient outcomes without disrupting clinical workflowsHow BVZ helped Wave build credibility, secure early customers, and scale responsiblyThis episode is a special collaboration with UpNext Global and the Brampton Venture Zone by Toronto Metropolitan University, produced in celebration of BVZ’s fifth anniversary and the founders building practical, high-impact healthcare solutions.🎥 Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/oNt0Z5dOYZUGuest:Shreyansh AnandFounder & CEO, Wave MedicalBVZ Launch Program Alum