Toronto Talks

Building AI-Fluent Organizations: Where AI Becomes a Superpower, with Candice Faktor

What does it actually take to build an organization that doesn't just use AI, but thinks with it?

In this episode of Toronto Talks, host Jon Worren sits down with Candice Faktor, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Disco to unpack what AI fluency means and why most organizations are getting AI adoption backwards.

Candice breaks down the three types of people inside every organization (catalysts, converts, and anchors), why "work that can be done by AI will be done by AI," and what changes when leaders stop treating AI as a software purchase and start treating it as a superpower their people can grow into.

Recorded against the backdrop of Toronto Tech Week, the conversation also takes stock of our city's tech ecosystem nearly a decade after Toronto was first called the next big AI hub.

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Can Toronto's Transit Stay on Track When the World Comes to Town?

Toronto is about to welcome the world. One of the largest sporting events on the planet is coming to the city this summer, and getting millions of visitors to and from the waterfront is no small feat. With match days expected to be bigger than Game Seven of the World Series, Toronto's transit system is about to face its biggest test.

 

Recorded live at the Board's Home Field Advantage event, Giles Gherson sits down with Mandeep Lali, CEO of the TTC, and Michael Lindsay, President and CEO of Metrolinx, to talk through the plan, the pressure, and what it all means for downtown employers.

Driverless Trains, Smarter Transit, with Transdev Canada's Arthur Nicolet

Shovels are in the ground on the biggest transit build-out the Toronto region has seen in a generation. But who actually runs these new lines is a question most riders never think about. Giles Gherson talks with Arthur Nicolet, CEO of Transdev Canada, about why the operator matters as much as the builder, what Transdev brings to a project before a track is even laid, how driverless trains and full automation on the Ontario Line will set a new standard for North American transit, and what it will take for the region to finally move as one.

 

 

 

 

We Need to be a Country of Business with CIBC's Lisa Raitt

Canada is not a country of business. Not at the moment. On the latest episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson speaks with Lisa Raitt, Vice-Chair in the Office of the CEO at CIBC, about why Toronto's productivity gap with ten major US metros has grown to nearly $100,000 per worker, what's driving the outflow of talent and capital, and what it will actually take to start thinking and acting like a country of business.

Billions Spent, Transit Lessons Learned with the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria & Hon. Todd J. McCarthy

Ontario is in the middle of the largest transit expansion in its history and two of the province's most senior ministers say the hardest part is behind us. Recorded live at the Board's 11th Annual Transportation Symposium, this conversation between Giles Gherson and Ministers Sarkaria and McCarthy covers GO Expansion, the shift to alliance-style procurement, OneFare, and why — despite the bumps on the road — the future has never looked brighter for getting around the Toronto region.

Wellington Holbrook, Vancity: Competition, Capital and the Future of Financial Services

Giles Gherson sits down with Wellington Holbrook, President & CEO of Vancity, to discuss how institutions of different sizes contribute to a strong and resilient financial ecosystem.

Holbrook explains Vancity’s growing presence in Canada’s financial capital and it's supporting role in housing, clean energy, community infrastructure, and small business growth. The conversation explores how mid-sized institutions can complement Canada’s well-established banking sector by advancing innovation, and deepening relationship-based financial services.

Bonus Episode: Canada’s Global Strategy with The Hon. Anita Anand and RBC’s John Stackhouse

In this special bonus episode, recorded live at a Toronto Region Board of Trade luncheon, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable Anita Anand, sits down with John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President at RBC, just hours after returning from trade negotiations in India and as a new military conflict in the Middle East unfolds in real time. From the breaking Iran-Israel crisis to Canada's accelerating reset with India, China, and the Asia-Pacific, Minister Anand offers unfiltered, first-hand insight into where Canada's foreign policy is headed and what it means for business.

Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas: What World-Class Cities Get Right About Regional Rail

In this episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson speaks with Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas, about what it takes to plan, build, and operate regional rail systems in the world’s leading cities.

Drawing on Alstom’s experience across Canada, the United States, and Europe, Michael explains why long-term planning, disciplined execution, and a focus on day-to-day service quality matter as much as capital investment. The conversation looks at GO Expansion, electrification, modern signaling, and the role of operations and maintenance in delivering reliable service that people trust.

They also explore why regional rail has become a critical piece of economic infrastructure. As congestion, labour access, and productivity shape business decisions across the Toronto region, the ability to move people efficiently is no longer just a transit issue. It is a competitiveness issue that will influence growth for decades to come.