In Between Meetings, Max Schramm, President & CEO of Lufthansa Technik Canada, shares how growing up in Eastern Germany shaped his resilience and leadership, and what brought him to Canada. We dig into why Lufthansa Technik expanded in Calgary (not the obvious choice in a Montreal-dominant aerospace country), what it takes to build a world-class engine maintenance operation, and how the SAIT partnership aims to solve a skills and accessibility gap, not a “labour shortage.” Max also compares Calgary’s ecosystem to Montreal’s, explains what’s still missing locally, and paints a vision for what a thriving aerospace and MRO hub in Alberta could look like over the next decade.

Takeaways:

• Canada doesn’t have a labour shortage, it has a skills and accessibility shortage.
• Quality, reliability, and safety are non-negotiable operating principles.
• Calgary’s edge is collaboration, agility, and a can-do mindset.
• SAIT partnership builds a direct pathway into engine maintenance skills.
• Accessibility matters: tuition, salary, and tools remove invisible hurdles.
• Montreal remains critical; Calgary adds new capacity and westward coverage.
• Calgary needs stronger ecosystem connection and a unified industry voice.
• A thriving future means world-class MRO density and stronger airline networks.

Max Schramm is President & CEO of Lufthansa Technik Canada and has spent 16 years in aviation within the Lufthansa group. He leads growth, workforce development, and ecosystem-building initiatives designed to expand Canada’s aerospace maintenance and engine repair capabilities.

Between Meetings is a video podcast with industry leaders, startup founders, and ecosystem builders. Each episode explores the realities of building, investing, and supporting innovation while catching guests between meetings during a car ride across town. Along the way, they share inspiring stories, personal experiences, industry insights, and practical advice. Since 2023, Between Meetings has been helping tell Calgary’s innovation story one conversation at a time.

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🎙 Follow the host Marian Danko on LinkedIn.

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In this Between Meetings episode, Lisa Davis shares how STEM Innovation Academy went from idea to Alberta’s first new charter school in 25 years, the policies and facilities that made it possible, and how a clear instructional model keeps culture consistent across campuses. She details the UCalgary MOU, the MIT partnership that enables advanced STEM content for teachers and students, and how industry-aligned projects build confidence and career clarity. Looking ahead, Lisa calls for more ambition in education, expansion to meet demand, and a provincial STEM Centre of Excellence.

Takeaways:

• Opened Alberta’s first new charter school in 25 years, built for innovation.
• Charter schools are the entrepreneurs of public education.
• Turned an office tower into a “Charter Innovation Hub.
• Clear model, shared assessments, and data keep culture consistent.
• Partnerships (UCalgary MOU, MIT) tighten the school-to-university transition.
• Real industry projects make learning relevant and practical.
• Multiple on-ramps (robotics levels, biomedical) help close participation gaps.
• Call for more provincial ambition and a STEM Centre of Excellence to share playbooks with any Alberta school.

Lisa Davis is the Founder of STEM Innovation Academy and STEM Collegiate two of Alberta’s top-ranked STEM charter schools. Her schools lead the province in Math and Science achievement and hold Canada’s only K–12 partnership with MIT’s Beaver Works. She’s passionate about expanding access to STEM education and building Alberta’s future innovation talent.

Between Meetings is a video podcast with industry leaders, startup founders, and ecosystem builders. Each episode explores the realities of building, investing, and supporting innovation while catching guests between meetings during a car ride across town. Along the way, they share inspiring stories, personal experiences, industry insights, and practical advice. Since 2023, Between Meetings has been helping tell Calgary’s innovation story one conversation at a time.

Support the show

🎙 Follow the host Marian Danko on LinkedIn.

Find us on YouTube and LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening/watching.

In Between Meetings, Adam Cragg, Partner at Osney Capital, shares lessons from building entrepreneurship programs at MIT, NYU, and the University of Calgary, his time at Innovate Calgary helping researchers move from lab to market, and why Osney is focused exclusively on cybersecurity. We get into portfolio construction, what he looks for in founders, how he builds relationships months before a round, and why the UK and Canada are primed to grow in cybersecurity amid shifting global dynamics.

Takeaways:

• Entrepreneurship builds self-reliance in an increasingly insecure job market.
• University systems still bias toward academia; commercialization needs new incentives.
• Tight industry–lab connections shorten the path from novel IP to real products.
• Cybersecurity fits seed investing: faster cycles and robust M&A (vs waiting for IPOs).
• Portfolio lens: earlier entry, sensible paths to £300–500M outcomes can be strong wins.
• Top founder signal: deep problem insight + precise go-to-market against incumbents.
• Meet founders early; help with design partners and avoid common first-time mistakes.
• AI adoption is surging—and so are security risks; securing AI workflows is a major theme.

Adam Cragg is a Partner at Osney Capital, an early-stage VC focused on cybersecurity. Previously, he helped build university entrepreneurship programs (MIT, NYU, University of Calgary) and worked with researchers at Innovate Calgary on moving innovations to market.

Between Meetings is a series of on-the-go interviews featuring industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators. In these interviews, we delve into the latest trends and developments in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, catching our guests between meetings in a car ride across town. Along the way, they share inspiring stories, personal experiences, industry insights, and practical advice on how to scale your way to success. Each interview is packed with valuable information and inspiration for anyone looking to make an impact in the tech and innovation world.

Support the show

🎙 Follow the host Marian Danko on LinkedIn.

Find us on YouTube and LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening/watching.