Intended Consequences

Entrepreneurship is the foundation of economic development. But what happens when entrepreneurs want to retire?
According to a report from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), nearly 61% of Canadian SMEs are led by owners who are 50+ and many plan to exit within the next five years.
Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC, joins the podcast to discuss this dynamic and what might happen to these SMEs. He shares insight into whether entrepreneurs are prepared for their exits, who they might sell their companies to, and the benefits of business acquisitions for buyers and the Canadian economy.

Live music and film are major drivers of economic development in communities across Canada.
Erin Benjamin, President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, and Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos, Film Commissioner and CEO of the Ottawa Film Office, join the podcast to discuss the positive economic and social impacts of their respective sectors.
They highlight the importance of partnerships and people and explain how governments can help attract and support live music and movie productions.

Growing Canada's housing supply requires adequate underlying infrastructure. Water and wastewater capacity, waste management, and public transit and active transportation are top-of-mind housing-enabling infrastructure for communities across Canada.
Ren Thomas is a member of the Canadian Infrastructure Council (CIC) and joins the podcast to discuss the CIC's first National Infrastructure Assessment. She provides key insights on the state of infrastructure in Canada, regional differences, the role of social infrastructure, and climate resilience.

AI is top of mind across all organizations. Julie Gonyou, Vice President at StrategyCorp, explains how AI is rapidly embedding itself in the public sector. As the pace of AI continues to accelerate in 2026, Julie explains how it will shape the next phase of public sector transformation, and why decision-makers must get it right.

StrategyCorp's year-in-review and 2026 look-ahead
StrategyCorp's annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is back to close out the 2025 season of Intended Consequences. Our expert guests discuss the most important developments of 2025 in politics, communication, real estate, education, technology, and geopolitics, and share what they will be keeping an eye on in 2026 to help us get ready for a new year.