Beatboxer to Tech Founder: Adam Fainman on the Highs and Brutal Lows of Solo Founding

Beatboxer to Tech Founder: Adam Fainman on the Highs and Brutal Lows of Solo Founding

Adam Fainman is a beatboxer and musician turned tech founder. During COVID, he started using generative AI to make music videos for TikTok and YouTube. When one went viral and everyone asked what app he was using, he realised it didn't exist, so he built it. That became Moonlite Labs, a platform where creators can generate, edit, and distribute content all in one place. In this episode, Adam talks about what it means to be a creative founder in a technical space and how leading bands and producing albums actually trained him for leading a startup. He gets honest about the brutal side too, from contractors holding code for ransom right after his first big win, to the isolation that comes with being a solo founder wearing every hat. We also dig into how he funded the company through grants instead of venture capital, where the conversation is heading on AI ethics and artist compensation, and what it's like building a globally recognized AI company from Winnipeg, with users in 98 countries and recognition from TechCrunch, VivaTech, and the DARE Innovation Awards. Building Manitoba is a podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who care about creating something that lasts. Hosted by Nathan Maertins, the show explores the decisions, trade-offs, and systems behind real growth in Manitoba. Want the key insights in your inbox? The Building Manitoba Review is a weekly newsletter with practical takeaways and ideas from recent episodes. Subscribe at buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com [https://buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com/]

Fill the Gap: Mark Chipman on Revitalizing Downtown and Betting on Manitoba

Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman of the Board of True North Sports + Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, joins Nathan for a wide-ranging conversation about the principles behind one of Manitoba's most transformative business stories. Mark shares how working for his father's automotive business taught him servant leadership, and how a simple framework has guided every major decision: find the gap, ask what you can uniquely bring, and act on it. That approach runs through everything from relocating the Minnesota Moose in 1996 to building Canada Life Centre, True North Square, and the Portage Place redevelopment. He also talks about managing risk through team competency, building trust that survives changes in government, investing in community through the True North Youth Foundation and the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, and why Manitoba's resilience and people make it a province worth betting on. Building Manitoba is a podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who care about creating something that lasts. Hosted by Nathan Maertins, the show explores the decisions, trade-offs, and systems behind real growth in Manitoba. Want the key insights in your inbox? The Building Manitoba Review is a weekly newsletter with practical takeaways and ideas from recent episodes. Subscribe at buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com [https://buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com/]

It’s About People: Building the Brandish Way

Lee Waltham unpacks how Brandish Agency scaled from a small Winnipeg start-up into a national brand-building partner by betting on culture first. He traces the early stumbles, the moment the team swapped top-line targets for metrics that actually move margin, and why serious brand work begins long before a logo is even sketched. Lee also walks through the math and the mindset that convinced him a four-day work week could boost profitability rather than dilute it. The result is a set of hard-won lessons and immediately actionable insights for anyone determined to build a brand that really sticks. Building Manitoba is a podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who care about creating something that lasts. Hosted by Nathan Maertins, the show explores the decisions, trade-offs, and systems behind real growth in Manitoba. Want the key insights in your inbox? The Building Manitoba Review is a weekly newsletter with practical takeaways and ideas from recent episodes. Subscribe at buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com [https://buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com/]

Building Globally from Manitoba

From a pool-table “lab” in Winnipeg to mine sites and customers in almost 50 countries, Todd Burns shares the playbook that turned a small one-man dust-control business into a world-class cleantech exporter. We dig into cash-flow squeezes that forced invention, the R&D boost unlocked by a partnership with RRC Polytech, and the systems Todd uses to scale without losing Manitoba roots. Building Manitoba is a podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who care about creating something that lasts. Hosted by Nathan Maertins, the show explores the decisions, trade-offs, and systems behind real growth in Manitoba. Want the key insights in your inbox? The Building Manitoba Review is a weekly newsletter with practical takeaways and ideas from recent episodes. Subscribe at buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com [https://buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com/]

From Flyover to Flywheel: Unlocking Early-Stage Capital in Manitoba

Manitoba has historically been underrepresented when it comes to early-stage venture capital. That’s starting to shift. In this episode, I sit down with Iain Crozier, founder of Trillick Ventures, to talk about why he’s building Manitoba’s first dedicated early-stage venture fund — and what that could mean for founders here. We talk about the lessons he carries from growing up in a family business, what Trillick actually looks for when backing a founder, and why recent updates to Manitoba’s Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit could meaningfully improve access to early-stage capital for Manitoba founders. We also explore what Manitoba can learn from ecosystems like Calgary and Newfoundland when it comes to building a durable startup flywheel. If you care about capital, founders, and the long-term growth of this province, this is a conversation worth digging into. Building Manitoba is a podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who care about creating something that lasts. Hosted by Nathan Maertins, the show explores the decisions, trade-offs, and systems behind real growth in Manitoba. Want the key insights in your inbox? The Building Manitoba Review is a weekly newsletter with practical takeaways and ideas from recent episodes. Subscribe at buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com [https://buildingmanitobapodcast.beehiiv.com/]