Canadian Business

The traditional 9-to-5 office setup has completely transformed. On any given afternoon, a project manager might review client deliverables from a commuter train while an IT leader configures an entire department’s tech stack from their home office. In this fluid world of hybrid work, the line between a smooth, productive workday and a frustrating afternoon of tech bottlenecks usually comes down to one tool: your laptop. Today’s professionals don’t just need a machine that can keep up.

I grew up in Kolomna, a small city outside Moscow, raised by my mom and grandparents after my parents separated when I was two. We lived paycheque to paycheque, though I didn’t fully understand that at the time. My childhood still felt full–riding bikes, spending time with friends, and being outdoors. When I was 13, my dad came back into my life. He gave me a choice: receive occasional money or take a job packing parachutes at a drop zone so we could spend more time together. I chose the job.

Ideas When Sari Adbo and co-founder Faisal Kanji launched hungerhub, a workplace meal delivery platform for companies, in 2018, they assumed that venture capital would be a key part of the startup’s growth story. But as the business began attracting customers, Adbo realized there was another way to build.

When I worked as a financial advisor at Investors Group in 2007, I spent a lot of time helping Muslim Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area navigate investing, tax planning, and retirement strategies. One of their biggest concerns was homeownership–buying a home, building equity, and achieving long-term financial security.

I grew up in Surrey, British Columbia with a single mom during my teenage years. I was always drawn to working and took on several part-time jobs throughout high school, including overnight shifts at McDonald’s, and roles at Domino’s Pizza and COBS Bread. I didn’t yet have the confidence to act on my own ideas. I was always obsessed with Dragons’ Den and would write down business ideas while watching it.

{Photography: Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment} When James Johnson resigned as head of Australia’s national football league to take over Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) last year, he walked into a house on fire. Despite both the national teams and the sport itself defying expectations on the pitch, recent tensions surrounding the organization, which oversees the commercial aspect of the sport, had overshadowed the on-the-field success.

{Photography: Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment} When James Johnson resigned as head of Australia’s national football league to take over Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) last year, he walked into a house on fire. Despite both the national teams and the sport itself defying expectations on the pitch, recent tensions surrounding the organization, which oversees the commercial aspect of the sport, had overshadowed  the on-the-field success.

Every spring, Don Murray asks his team to stop their regular work to build whatever they want. There are no roadmaps, approvals, or management sign-offs required. Murray, co-founder and CEO of Safe Software, a Surrey, B.C.-based data integration firm, calls this annual company reset Innovation Daze. Now in its 13th edition, the week generated 105 active projects across a staff of nearly 400. That number is striking, but Murray says it isn’t the point.

Picture Perfect Cleaning Inc. founders Aaron Graham (left) and Jared Sarbit When Jared Sarbit and Aaron Graham launched Picture Perfect Cleaning, they weren’t looking to start just any other cleaning company. They wanted to challenge an industry that often lacked disciplined operations, professionalism, strong workplace culture and long-term investment in employees, areas they believed could become powerful competitive advantages.

{Photography: Iskwew Air} I fell in love with flying during a trip to Botswana in 2001. I was on an aerial tour of the Okavango Delta, where the pilot banked the aircraft as he spoke about the land, and pointed out the trees, rivers, and animals below. It was an awe-inspiring experience that changed the course of my life. When the plane touched down, I knew I wanted to become a pilot. Growing up in Quesnel, British Columbia. I didn’t have any clear vision of my future.