Innovation buzz in California

California is buzzing with innovation this week.

Just back from Founders Forum LA – a packed day and night connecting with inspiring entrepreneurs and hearing from world-class speakers.

It coincides this week with the Natural Products Expo West, still one of my favourite places for spotting breakthrough new products and emerging consumer trends.

A few forum sessions that really stood out:
1. “Your Business Is Dead in 30 Months (Without a Chief AI Officer)”
A provocative title with a serious message. AI isn’t a capability companies can “get to later.” It’s rapidly becoming a leadership discipline. The companies that embed AI thinking at the executive level will shape their industries. Those that treat it as a side experiment risk learning too slowly in a world that’s accelerating quickly. (And interestingly, the speakers suggested that 30 months might actually be generous – 12–18 months may be a more realistic window.)

2. “Mistakes That Made Me a Millionaire” – Kim Perell
A refreshingly honest look at the entrepreneurial journey. Two takeaways stayed with me. The most significant factor in anyone's life is the people they surround themselves with. And failing doesn’t make you a failure – quitting does. Kim also shared how her dad normalized failure growing up, asking everyone at the dinner table each night to talk about the worst thing that happened to them today. I thought this was a powerful way to build resilience early.

3. “From Shark Tank to a $1.95B Exit” – Stephen Ellsworth & Allison Ellsworth (Poppi)
Stephen and Allison shared their fascinating story of building poppi from mixing apple cider vinegar soda in their kitchen to selling at farmers’ markets, and eventually (and rapidly!) scaling into one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the U.S. before its $1.95B acquisition by Pepsi. It was a reminder that many breakout brands begin with a simple insight – and the passion and persistence to keep refining it.

Beyond the content, I’m super grateful for the ideas, perspective and ENERGY that comes from spending time with people who are building things. I loved meeting so many incredible warm, passionate and brilliant creators from across the world doing incredible things - and getting a chance to go deeper with a few Toronto-based founders I already know and love.

Thank you to The Founders Club for an incredible event.