Happy holidays! East of Montreal offers its first Gift Guide for all you last minute shoppers, with quick discussions with some great East Coast brands including Educated Beards, BIBLIOnomics, BeBe Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks, Saltwinds Coffee, La Belle Cabane and Halifax Tides FC. Put something local under the tree this year.

Vice-Admiral (Ret.) Ron Lloyd served as Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Acting Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and the first Chief Data Officer for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces. With Ottawa set to invest billions in new spending in Defence, he highlights the challenges facing Canada's Armed Forces to spend that money wisely - data, cybersecurity, procurement and more, and argues for a policy foundation that helps achieve the bold vision set out for Canada's military.

What started at Nova Scotia farmers markets has become a coast-to-coast success story. Andrew Russell, Chief Growth Officer of Made With Local and a Team Canada Olympian, shares how the company scaled from farmers markets to the shelves of North America's largest retailers. Andrew discusses the challenges and triumphs of growing a food brand, the transition from grassroots to big retail, and what it's really like building a business with your spouse, who happens to be the founder of Made With Local.

Competition is coming for Nova Scotia Power. Dan Roscoe and his team at Roswall are the first to offer a choice of electricity providers to Nova Scotians. What will this mean for consumers? And for the former monopoly?

Startup stories, campfire vibes! Recorded lakeside at East Coast Connected's Startup Camp, we dive into real conversations with founders building innovative companies from Atlantic Canada. Hear their stories of inspiration, challenges, and community in this authentic, dockside chat about what it takes to create and grow something new.

(music credit) Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Artist: Benjamin Tissot
License code: AMJFRZIJDIKNN32G

When Erin O'Toole was leader of the federal Conservative Party, he spoke often about defending Canada's sovereignty and building a stronger military. It turns out he was ahead of his time but he's still fighting hard for Canada's military and defence sector.

Nova Scotia's Colin Deacon is bringing his experience as a founder to the Senate of Canada. He's fighting the good fight, pushing the Government of Canada to work smarter in support of innovation and to open up procurement to help Canadian start-ups. It's a tough battle.

Space is the final frontier, one that Atlantic Canada has largely been shut out of - until now. Arad Gharagozli and his Halifax-based company, Galaxie, are putting Atlantic Canada's mark on the stars, extending the cloud to orbit with an innovative Virtual Satellite As A Service offering. And he's just getting started. dBBvssf57rAFVZ2tlTQV