Vanguard Magazine

42 JUNE/JULY 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com gAme CHANGER See the full interview online Q What is your role at your organi- zation today? As the founder of this start-up compa- ny, I tend to wear many hats. I am the President and CEO, the chief engineer, the promoter, and the cheerleader of my team. I make all the tough calls, resolve all the problems, and ensure everything gets done. I divide my day between leading and inspiring my people, forg- ing new business relationships, pitching our product, reporting to my investors, and advancing our technology toward construction of a full-scale prototype to prepare for market entry. Q What was your A-HA moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader, tell us that story? In early days, we presented our concept to a wide range of prospective clients. In one particular meeting with a couple of military commanders, things quickly fell into place for the defence sector. Those officers excitedly described to us many possible uses they envisioned for our product, such as forward operating bases, arctic sovereignty, line-of-sight reach-back, and autonomy from foreign satellites. It was then that we had our "A-HA" moment. We realized then that we had a winning concept and a solution that was needed and awaited. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? I am thrilled at the ever-increasing list of possible uses for our product, the "Si- tallite" and all the enthusiastic responses we've received throughout the industry from potential customers, partners, and investors. I keep learning every day from advisors with deep knowledge of the armed forces market about how we are well-positioned to make a meaningful and sustainable contribution. I find that incredibly motivating and empowering. Q What is the best advice you received? I was facing a particularly difficult chal- lenge last year and a trusted mentor crys- talized everything by asking me "what kind of company do you want to be?" That stuck with me. So now I take stock daily of how exactly I want my business to be perceived and evaluated. I think about our value, about how we can help and serve customers, and how we inno- vate to differentiate - essentially, I think about our reputation and our legacy. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? As an entrepreneur managing a growing business, two habits help me. The first is to find support: mentors and advisors who offer guidance and encouragement but also honest feedback. It can be col- leagues, or family, or friends, or formal consultants. Having this network of close, trusted people impacts everything from my mood to our strategy, to our success. The second habit that helps is to teach. I regularly volunteer my time to mentor other start-ups at my local incubators in Hamilton: "The Forge" and "Innova- tion Factory". Teaching is the best way of learning. It helps us refine and improve our own skills. A good leader trains oth- ers to lead, and in the process becomes a better leader. Q What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset? Right now, I'm inspired by the organiza- tions that foster better connectivity and communication. For example, websites like YouTube democratizes broadcast- ing so that everyone can create and share content, some of which inspires more and more creativity and innovation. Ted Talks and Big Think come to mind as some of my favourite channels. Also, trail-blazers like Amazon, Google and Microsoft keep pushing the envelope of connecting peo- ple such as by creating innovative new high-altitude platforms. It is my aim to join their ranks when we introduce our geostationary high-altitude platform to enable new paradigms for connectivity, commerce, and security. Q What technologies, business models, and trends will drive the biggest changes in your industry over the next two years? I am paying particular attention to the changes in the procurement process within the Canadian government. New programs like IDEaS and SIF and new policies like "Strong, Secure, Engaged" should help the government to better communicate its needs to industry in order to get deals reached faster and smoother. Also, I am seeing continued refinements to valued programs like ITB that are helping small businesses and start-ups (like mine) to align with Primes and bring our valuable new solutions to market much faster. We will see in the next few years if these ef- forts, and the valuable work of many ad- vocacy groups, will help to build and keep more projects in Canada, for sustained economic growth and a model of leader- ship on the world stage. Erinn van WynsbErghE founDing presiDent anD ceo VanWyn aerospace Logistics

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