Dr. Vivienne Ming offers a glimpse into her keynote address at Magnet Network Live. Dr. Ming is a theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Socos Labs. Her AI inventions have launched a dozen companies and nonprofits focused on human potential in education, workforce, and health. Dr. Ming explains her idea that we need to challenge ourselves with AI, not simply using it to make life easier, but harder, by having it create “productive friction that makes us better.”

Highlights from our conversation include:

1. Ming says we need to use AI “as our Socrates” to ask us the questions we’ve been “hiding from ourselves.” She asks us to consider what humanity is uniquely good at that AI isn’t. 2. Ming says a great life “goes deep,” is engaged, and is willing to be wrong in order to learn and find something new.

Host: Maggie John

Tiffany Callender joins us to discuss her efforts to help deliver economic empowerment to Black Canadian entrepreneurs. Callender is co-founder and CEO of the Federation of African-Canadian Economics (FACE). Working with the Government of Canada, she co-developed the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund. Callender explains how access to capital is an essential need for entrepreneurs, and describes how minorities have traditionally faced difficulty borrowing the funds they need from banks and credit unions. As her work shows, shared lived-experience between lenders and borrowers has improved access to capital for Black Canadian entrepreneurs, illuminating a community of business people “hiding in plain sight.”

Highlights from our conversation include:

1. Callender launched FACE during the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t meet her team in person until more than a year later. The experience reinforced her belief in the value of digital readiness. 2. “COVID taught us that we need to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time,” she says, explaining how a digital footprint offers an avenue for business growth amid changing circumstances. 3. Networking is an important part of a successful digital strategy, because the right network can help you identify the digital tools you need at different stages of your business’ growth journey.

Host: Maggie John

Darian Kovacs joins us to discuss how small businesses can harness digital tools to maximize the reach and impact of their marketing efforts. Kovacs is the Métis founder of Jelly Digital Marketing & PR and Jelly Academy, based in Vancouver. He hosts the Marketing News Canada podcast, chairs the Digital Marketing Sector Council, and sits on the board of NPower Canada. Kovacs shares what businesses can learn from viral TikTok stars, why the most important social media channels aren’t the ones you think, and why he thinks we’re in the age of “silent social.”

Highlights from our conversation include:

1. Businesses need to be findable and able to respond to customers. The only social media channel that you actually own is your newsletter. You can nurture those contacts and relationships over time, while LinkedIn and Tiktok can change their algorithm tomorrow. 2. Rather than being the sole voice of their brand, businesses need to think about how they can create shareable content that allows customers to be their representatives, while also rewarding that customer loyalty.

Host: Maggie John