Francis Gosselin, Ph.D., ASC

🚨 New Generative AI Funding Opportunity 🚨 SCALE AI | Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster has released the details of their new call for projets in generative AI with a deadline of November 8th! The program has a $5M enveloppe commited to this call. Some key points: ✌ Two funding streams - Adoption projects where the adopting company is the lead applicant - Commercialization projects where the product company is the lead applicant 💲 Funding up to 50% of total project costs 💵 Minimum total project size of $750k 📝 Minimum of two company consortium ⏳ Project must be completed before April 30th 2026 The timeline is short, don't wait to apply. #funding #generativeai #artificialintelligence #ai #nondilutive #investments

20

2 Comments

Excited about this week's episode of the Own Your Potential Podcast, as I get the opportunity to sit down with Nicolas Chidiac, Chief Strategy Officer of Razorfish. We chat about his global journey through marketing, and how it helped him realize the many ways in which people can be similar despite at first seeming worlds apart. A really thoughtful conversation, and a must listen for anyone in the marketing and advertising space. Episode at the link below and as always subscribe and follow if you like what you hear! #ownyourpotential #ownyourcareer #career #professionaldevelopment #leadership #podcast #growth #leadershipdevelopment #ownyourowngrowth #publicissapient #digitalbusinesstransformation #publicis #publicisgroupe #razorfish #strategy #marketing

24

2 Comments

Telling an entrepreneur what they want to hear vs what they need to hear (your true feedback) is in the end one of the meanest things you can do to a founder. It took me a little while to learn this early in my career as an investor, but I learnt from the partners at Real Ventures, if you really care about the founder you need to care more about them being successful than caring if they leave liking you. Now there could be a whole discussion about how to give feedback without being or coming across as a jerk, in extremely time-constraint scenarios, but if you have limited time, tell the truth even if it is direct and might ruffle feathers. On the flip side, entrepreneurs take everything with a grain of salt. Even the most successful investors or founders are sharing learnings from their specific reality and moment in time. Feedback is data, not gospel (no matter how much conviction it is delivered with). Take it all in from as many people who actually did what you are doing, process it deeply but quickly, come to your conclusion and move forward.

30

12 Comments

I am often being asked by #entrepreneurs when is the ideal #timing for a #K #raise. Instead of reinventing the wheel, here is a good article by André Farah & Licorne Society on the various stages of fundraising and its steps to include investors, should they be BA or VC… https://lnkd.in/dA_pHadE And a second article by Eldorado.co on how this latest category (#VC) fonctions: https://lnkd.in/dgWz7gCu A third: https://lnkd.in/dG-dUcc5 Only sharing. Good reading.

7

1 Comment

Attending this conference was an incredible opportunity to connect with innovative minds and learn about the latest trends in the startup world especially for newcomers in canada. From inspiring keynotes to insightful panel discussions, the event was packed with valuable takeaways. Looking forward to applying these learnings and continuing the conversation with all the amazing people I met. 🚀 #StartupConference #Innovation #Networking #Entrepreneurship

1

While there are many positive investments in the federal #Budget2024, including housing and passenger rail, we are disappointed to see that there are no new funds available for the Active Transportation Fund or Zero Emission Transit Fund. Both of these funds have been quickly oversubscribed, and are not expected to have renewed funding until 2026 under the Permanent Public Transit Fund. 🚍 Funding support for active transportation planning and infrastructure projects, as well as for electric school buses and charging infrastructure is critical for achieving Canada's climate targets. 🇨🇦 🌎 #ActiveTransportation #ElectricSchoolBuses

6

Very interesting opinion, in the New York Times, by David Brooks on the Results of the 2024 US Presidential Election. Title "Voters to Elites: Do You See Me Now". Full article here: https://lnkd.in/eWM75Rda Excerpt 👇 "We have entered a new political era. For the past 40 years or so, we lived in the information age. Those of us in the educated class decided, with some justification, that the postindustrial economy would be built by people like ourselves, so we tailored social policies to meet our needs. Our education policy pushed people toward the course we followed - four-year colleges so that they would be qualified for the "jobs of the future." Meanwhile, vocational training withered. We embraced a free trade policy that moved industrial jobs to low-cost countries overseas so that we could focus our energies on knowledge economy enterprises run by people with advanced degrees. The financial and consulting sector mushroomed while manufacturing employment shriveled. Geography was deemed unimportant - if capital and high-skill labor wanted to cluster in Austin, San Francisco and Washington, it didn't really matter what happened to all those other communities left behind. Immigration policies gave highly educated people access to low-wage labor while less-skilled workers faced new competition. We shifted toward green technologies favored by people who work in pixels, and we disfavored people in manufacturing and transportation whose livelihoods depend on fossil fuels. That great sucking sound you heard was the redistribution of respect. People who climbed the academic ladder were feted with accolades, while those who didn't were rendered invisible. The situation was particularly hard on boys. By high school two-thirds of the students in the top 10 percent of the class are girls, while about two-thirds of the students in the bottom decile are boys. Schools are not set up for male success; that has lifelong personal, and now national, consequences Society worked as a vast segregation system, elevating the academically above everybody else. Before long, the diploma divide became the most chasm in American life. High school graduates die nine years sooner than educated people. They die of opioid overdoses at six times the rate. They marry less and divorce more and are more likely to have a child out of wedlock. They are more likely to be obese. A recent American Enterprise Institute study found that 24 percent of people who graduated from high school at most have no close friends. They are less likely than college grads to visit public spaces or join community groups and sports leagues. They don't speak in the right social justice jargon or hold the sort of luxury beliefs that are markers of public virtue."

8

🚀 Happy to share a quick tip with my LinkedIn community to enhance our daily workflow! 😃 As someone passionate about optimizing our ways of working, staying focused amidst digital distractions is key. 💡Check out this insightful article on how Word's little-known "Focus Mode" can create a serene writing environment, boosting concentration and productivity. 🤫 When "Focus Mode" is activated, all toolbar and other unnecessary interface elements disappear, leaving only the essentials on the screen: the page and the text. 🎯 This focused state of mind is crucial for optimal performance, especially in a sales role. #Productivity #FocusMode #DigitalWorkplace

8

I am thrilled to announce that Bpifrance and the Business Development Bank of Canada - BDC are joining forces to connect Canadian most promising tech companies to the French and European technology ecosystems through EuroQuity, Bpifrance's digital platform. 🌍🤝   This strategic collaboration will provide Canadian SMEs with opportunities to expand their businesses, find potential partners and investors in France and in Europe. Through bilateral partnerships and the support of the EIC, EuroQuity has become a key player in connecting European innovation ecosystems and supporting promising companies. After Europe and Africa, expanding to a new continent is supporting EuroQuity’s vision in connecting international innovation ecosystems to create further investment and business opportunities. This partnership marks a significant step towards fostering international collaborations. As a pilot, EuroQuity, Bpifrance and BDC teams are currently supporting 10 Canadian sustainability companies to expand their network and business in Europe, connecting them to key business and financial players. Together, we will create new business opportunities, enable joint ventures, and facilitate collaborations that drive innovation and growth.   Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3URTayY #Canada #France #Europe #EIC #GrowingTogether William Polushin, Joseph Regan, Sumita Banerjee, Genevieve Bouthillier Isabelle Lebo, Valentin Marin, Pascal Lagarde, Isabelle Bébéar, Catherine Borg Capra, Mortimer Pignon, Camille Tang-Taye Pinois, Edouard Combette, Gilles Schang  

178

9 Comments

🇨🇦 Canada was the first country to put in place a fully-funded AI strategy. 🌟 We have an incredible AI ecosystem and 10% of the world's top-tier AI researchers. 💰 In Budget 2024, we committed $2.4 Billion to secure our advantage! Today, our Government has launched the Consultation on AI Compute, to hear from a diverse set of groups to stay in the forefront of AI. The consultation will be from June 26 to September 6, 2024. I encourage my network of smart and innovative professionals in AI to take part! This consultation will: 1) Develop the strategy for our investment to enhance Canada's AI compute capabilities as proposed in Budget 2024. 2) Collaborate with diverse communities to shape our approach for Canada's AI future. 3) Ensure Canadian organizations have access to essential computing power for AI development and data protection. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ePiUrZVk #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Canada #Innovation

27

🚀 Day two at the Canada 157 National Innovation Conference at Université du Québec en Outaouais and the discussions on artificial intelligence, innovation, and productivity are particularly inspiring! For Canada to overcome its productivity decline, AI and digital transformation must be adopted strategically. This requires active collaboration between startups, entrepreneurship, the private sector, academia, research, and the public sector. Lasting innovation also relies on inclusion and diversity: by incorporating varied perspectives, we create accessible and adaptable solutions for everyone. How can we bring these different players together to ensure AI adoption that is ethical, secure, and truly transformative? #Innovation #AI #Productivity #Diversity #Inclusion #Cybersecurity #StartUp #Canada157 #UQO #Womenintech

8

For entrepreneurs: If your efforts to break stigma, open up the dialogue, and have a greater impact on mental health could use some funding support check this out!

4

Why use your own money when you can obtain funding to invest in AI, machine learning, or the latest web development for your company? Pipemind Technology has compiled a list of funding opportunities in its latest blog and offers expertise in acquiring funding for clients to help them invest in their consulting services and custom solutions. #AI #Machinelearning #funding #QC #consulting

3

Startup Montréal, Ministère de l’Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie, Réseau Capital, Montréal International, and Ville de Montréal have teamed up with Startup Genome to spotlight Montréal's entrepreneurial ecosystem in the #GSER2024. “I don’t think there’s any city in the world that is more entrepreneurial than Montréal. I have no doubt that immigrants have contributed to shaping the city’s entrepreneurial spirit. Montréal is the perfect city for those who have business in their blood,“ says Harley Finkelstein, President at Shopify. Montréal ranks as the #39 Global Startup Ecosystem. For more insights into the Montréal ecosystem, read more: https://lnkd.in/e72TtRZp #Montréal #startup #startupecosystem #founder #innovation

10