Canada's #1 Podcast for Entrepreneurs Canada's #1 Podcast for Entrepreneurs

Calgary

Sharing successful entrepreneurial stories

Faisal Karmali is an author, business expert and media personality, business and market expert for 770CHQR and CTV Morning Live in Calgary, and an entrepreneur. He brings his passion for helping people succeed in their businesses to his interviews and advice straight to you.

The Karmali Exchange with Faisal Karmali is a monthly web show and podcast, featuring successful entrepreneurs sharing their stories about how they achieved their goals, some of the challenges they have had along the way, and their advice that can help other business owners learn and grow their own companies.

He describes his mission this way:

“No entrepreneur does it by themselves. Every day, I speak to entrepreneurs about their businesses, and analyze and report on dozens of companies for thousands of people. I’ve noticed a pattern: what makes the basic building blocks of a successful business.

“I also know that entrepreneurship is a difficult, and often lonely endeavour. The best way to find solutions for your business is to talk to other entrepreneurs for insight and unique perspectives. But it’s hard to find those people to talk to when you are working so hard.

“That’s why I’ve decided to create a community to share advice, ideas and insights from experts, as well as the things I’ve learned from decades of studying successful businesses. Join us today to get the help you need to take your business to the next level.”


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A passion for transformational businesses

Robert Price is a founder and the CEO of Bōde, an online real estate marketplace that launched in Alberta in 2019 and recently expanded to Toronto, Greater Vancouver and the Okanagan. A member of Avenue’s Top 40 under 40 Class of 2022, Rob has brought together an all-star team that is turning the traditional real estate industry upside down. Bōde directly connects buyers and sellers to work out a deal on their own time, their own schedule and on their own terms, while saving them tens of thousands in commission fees. Previously, Robert was a senior executive at telecom leader and disruptor Axia, which provided next generation fibre-based networks to customers in Canada, the US, France, and Singapore. Robert is also an Advisor to one of Canada’s fastest growing tech companies, Symend, and has a land development partnership building high tech, sustainable communities. Robert has a passion for transformational businesses that empower customers with choice through exceptional experiences.


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Paving the way for future females in finance

Passionate, forthright and dynamic, Julie Shipley-Strickland builds strong relationships with her valued clients by understanding their goals, supporting their concerns, and providing thoughtful and strategic solutions. As a Senior Wealth Advisor with Wellington-Altus Private Wealth and a Senior Insurance Advisor with Bergh Tatomir & Associates, Julie provides independent investment advice, financial planning, insurance solutions, and clear guidance to entrepreneurs, executives, and their families.

As one of Canada’s few female investment and insurance advisors, Julie is paving the way for future females in finance with her strong leadership and dedication to women-led businesses in the community.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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How this serial entrepreneur amassed $1 billion dollars in commercial real estate development assets

Frank Lonardelli is a “serial entrepreneur” who has been investing and developing Real Estate since he was 25 years old and built and sold two of his former companies to public entities by age 35.

Since launching ASI as his full-time focus in 2012, the company has amassed over $1 billion dollars in commercial real estate development assets and has attracted dozens of articles written about its successful strategy and projects from both regional and nationally recognized business and industry publications.

ASI owns some of the most high-profile development sites on and around Calgary’s 17th avenue corridor. ASI’s focus is the development of “Live, Work and Play” projects within these urban areas.

Committed to innovation, strategic thinking, transparency, accountability and performance, ASI has become a respected and sought-after real estate company. Winning multiple awards including the PCMA Commercial Real Estate Deal of the Year, Frank has also been recognized as one of Alberta’s 2016 Business Leaders of the Year and was recently named as an EY 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.

ASI creates projects which generate significantly higher returns than traditional Real Estate investment options. The company exclusively raises private equity from their growing list of accredited investors, family offices and institutional investment houses.

Frank’s proudest achievement to date is the launch of the Arlington Street Foundation Scholarship Program in 2009. He intends to expand the program nationally within the next 5 years.

Frank is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg with a major in Political Sciences and has completed the Executive Master’s Program through the Sloan School of Management.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Building a real estate empire one property at a time

Bob Dhillon is the Founder, President & CEO of Mainstreet Equity Corp, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Mainstreet is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:MEQ). As of Q1 2023, assets were valued at close to CDN$3B and MEQ reported its 23rd year of consistent, year-over-year, double-digit returns through its continued organic growth.

Year-to-date holdings currently consist of 16,802+ apartments across western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba). Along with its healthy balance sheet success, Mainstreet is a strong and proud champion of affordable housing.

In 2018, Bob gifted CDN$10M to the University of Lethbridge towards the creation of the Dhillon School of Business (DSB). Bob’s strong belief that education and entrepreneurship are the engines of national prosperity, along with his strong desire to give back to the province that provided him with so many opportunities, motivated his decision to make this substantial and transformative contribution. One of the primary areas of study at DSB is a world-class research and emerging technologies. Bob is also very proud of the fact that DSB was the first post-secondary institution in Canada to mandate an indigenous studies course requirement.

Bob is also the owner of National Payments, a Visa and MasterCard-approved merchant-processing business in the financial services sector.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Making the world a more colourful place, one artwork at a time

Elle Wray is a professional artist based in Calgary. She has been obsessed with art and drawing from a young age. Her Grade 3 teacher told her she would be a successful artist one day.

“Painting is as essential to me as any central longing that is satisfied.” – Elle

Elle’s obsession grew into a career, with paintings hanging in collections across the globe. Elle continues to make the world a more colourful place, one artwork at a time.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Using engineering principles to educate homeowners and realtors on their foundations

Benjamin Heninger is a registered professional civil engineer with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry and is the founder of groon construction. He is a born-and-raised Calgarian, who takes pride in operating with integrity, efficiency, practicality and ingenuity. Using his engineering expertise, he solves complex problems and educates his clients. Heninger has been in good standing with the association of professional engineers and geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) for the past 17 years.

groon construction is a Calgary-based boutique construction company specializing in concrete foundation waterproofing solutions since 2003. They believe that your concrete foundation’s stability, functionality, and integrity are critical for a safe and healthy home.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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A passion for taking care of her community

Lourdes Juan is a Calgary-based entrepreneur and Urban planner, with a Masters in Environmental Design, who has founded a diverse array of organizations including Hive Developments, Soma Spa, Knead Technologies, Leftovers and Fresh Routes.

As a daughter of immigrants, Lourdes’ parents instilled in her a passion for taking care of her community. This has been a driving force behind her tireless work to solve problems including by creating two non-profit organizations that address dignified food access and newly founded a tech company to redirect food surplus. Lourdes’ community advocacy is vast and also includes serving on numerous local and national boards related to urban planning and design, development appeals, affordable housing, impact investment and business leadership.

Lourdes is a mom to a one-year-old son who inspires her to continue to work towards building a brighter future for Calgary.


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Innovative leadership style and strong entrepreneurial spirit

With an innovative leadership style and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, David Wallach has expanded Barclay Street Real Estate from a small local establishment with a handful of brokers to one of the most prominent and respected commercial real estate brokerages in Alberta.

David’s career started over 30 years ago in Israel where he owned a successful insurance brokerage and was President and GM of a professional basketball team. However, David saw bigger opportunities in his future when he, his wife and three children immigrated to Canada in 1999.

In 2000, David began his career in Canadian commercial real estate and was later invited to join a group of senior negotiators who bought an established real estate firm in 2001. In 2003, David assumed the leadership role of President with a rigorous business growth plan in mind, and in 2004 the brokerage was rebranded under the name Barclay Street Real Estate.

In a few short years, David has made strides in growing Barclay Street locally and internationally. In 2007, David added Property Management to Barclay Street’s portfolio of services and the division has grown dramatically in the last few years with properties throughout Alberta, managing today over four million square feet.

To expand Barclay’s national and global reach, David formed a partnership in 2011 with TCN Worldwide, a real estate services organization that serves more than 200 markets globally. As a member of TCN Worldwide, Barclay Street has the ability to service their customers on a local and international level through a network of over 1200 commercial real estate firms. Since 2012, David brings his commercial real estate knowledge to the international stage as a board member on the TCN Worldwide Board and as the Regional Vice President of the Canadian Region.

On April 2013 David received his CCIM – Certified Commercial Investment Member designation.

In June 2014 David launched a new venture, Triumph Real Estate Investment Trust. A private REIT focused on acquiring revenue-producing properties in defined markets both in Canada and the U.S.A. David is the founder and president and is responsible for all real estate matters of the Trust as well as involved in raising funds for Triumph.

David holds a strong belief that a company and individual are only as strong as the community and clients they serve. With that in mind, Barclay Street takes part in many community initiatives including sponsoring local music festivals.

With the leadership philosophy of “leading by example”, David has created a culture of mutual respect and care for his employees that transcends beyond the office wall so every client receives top-quality service and should not expect less when dealing with a Barclay Street employee. With family-centric ideals, David ensures Barclay Street employees and clients feel like they are dealing with family, not just coworkers or a commercial real estate broker.


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The importance of family is at the root of everything the Couillard Group does

Jessica Theroux joined the Couillard Group in 2014 coming from a background in commercial real estate. She successfully completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Haskayne School of Business as well as her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.

Jessica is the founder of a not-for-profit foundation, Souls for Sisters, and is passionate about women’s rights and education around the globe. She is also a registered yoga instructor and donates her time teaching weekly providing support to Souls for Sisters.

Outside of work, Jessica spends her time with her husband Greg, two boys, Bennett and Austin and her daughter Aidah. She is passionate about yoga, food and travel!


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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