Do you struggle to keep up with best practices in business?
Join us on Founder Fridays, where we take a deep dive into key takeaways from authors. These fireside chats dive right into key concepts from the book, page numbers to reference back to, and a chance to get a copy of their book for free.
On the first Friday of every month, from 12-1 MST, Brandy Old and Craig Elias host a live fireside chat with a featured author.
Every session gets recorded and sent out to all registrants.
Want to catch up on previous chats? Hit the “FIRESIDE CHAT” link in the Past Sessions section on FounderFridays.ca.
Founder Fridays is more than a series-it’s a launchpad for Alberta’s founders, mentors, investors, and ecosystem builders. It’s about upskilling, building connections, and accelerating startups through every stage.
Powered by Alberta's Regional Innovation Network and Alberta Innovates, Founder Fridays is excited to welcome a guest speaker from different Regional Innovation Networks for each interview.
Register now, and let’s make this Friday one for the books! Do you have a book or author that should be on our radar? Text or call Craig Elias at +1.403.874.2998. If it’s a fit, we’ll see what we can make happen.
Upcoming Sessions
October 3, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
October 17, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
November 7, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
November 21, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
December 5, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
December 19, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
Feb 6, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
Feb 20, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
March 6, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
March 20, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
April 3, 2025: Fireside chat with our surprise guest author of the renewed series.
April 17, 2025: Roundtable discussions on how to apply the learning from the fireside chat and from their book.
Each month, you can register for either or both of two sessions:
A fireside chat with an author where the last 15 minutes is an audience Q & A session with the participants, and a link is provided so those from Canada can request a free copy of the author’s book.
Discussions are held two weeks later (sometimes with, sometimes without the author) to discuss the different ways the content from the fireside chat and the author’s book can be applied to Alberta’s startup community and tech ecosystem
Founder Fridays are designed to support Alberta’s entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, ecosystem builders, and service providers by:
Upskilling entrepreneurs, mentors, ecosystem builders, and service providers
Developing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship support in and around post-secondary institutions
Helping startups grow faster and develop the expertise and traction required to attract capital
Working with existing entrepreneurship support organizations to expand their mentor network
Increasing the volume of startups and the velocity at which they progress through the Startup Commons stages
Created by Craig Elias, Founder Fridays is made possible by the generous support of Alberta Innovates and Alberta's Regional Innovation Networks.