CB EVOLUTION ^23

IN October, Canadian Business brought together rising entrepreneurs and senior business leaders for the inaugural CB Evolution event series, inspired by CB’s award-winning The Evolution newsletter. In partnership with American Express Canada, Moderna Canada and Steam Whistle Brewing, the week-long programming focused on Canada’s innovation landscape with a series of thought-provoking online and in-person events featuring leaders from a range of sectors. Fatima Zaidi, co-founder and CEO of podcast-production agency Quill, described how early failures, like losing a fundraising round during the pandemic, were essential to building a more resilient business. “You don’t have to have a perfect idea to launch a business—the challenges will multiply and keep changing, and your goals will keep evolving,” Zaidi said. Phanikar Yenamandra, VP of card member and client engagement at American Express Canada,…