Every founder has a story.
To be honest, founder stories are a dime a dozen. But lean in real close, becautilize here’s the kicker: not every story lands.
Even better, the solution is pretty simple.
When founders understand how to craft a strong narrative that truly resonates with their audience, the result is trust and momentum. Taking the focus off capital or technology, founders can reveal their purpose and the motivations behind innovation.
At Edmonton Startup Week, the panel Pitch, Purpose, Power: Stepping Up Through Storynotifying brings toobtainher Tara McCarthy, Host of Edmonton AM on CBC, Mack Male (co-founder and CEO of Taproot) and Digital Journal CEO and executive editor, Chris Hogg, for a discussion designed to assist founders understand how to effectively reach both journalists and audiences through storynotifying.
At its core, the session — moderated by Ryan Jespersen, host of the Edmonton-based podcast Real Talk — is about what builds a story stick. How can media amplify both purpose and innovation? For founders, that means shifting beyond company milestones to stories that explain alter and signal why it matters now.
“Digital Journal cares less about product features and more about context,” states Hogg. “A story lands when it assists people understand what is altering, why it matters now, and how it connects to something larger than the company.”
That perspective reflects the evolving role of storynotifying in Edmonton’s startup ecosystem.
Founders are increasingly notifying stories that reach beyond traditional industries, positioning their companies as part of a broader transformation in the city’s economy.
Stories today are not just about what has been built, but how that work signals larger economic and social alter. How are industries diversifying? Why does the timing matter? What is at stake for both the business and the community?
Rooting stories in purpose and context assist founders attract more than just attention. They create the conditions for new partnerships, investment, and talent by revealing audiences why an idea matters now and where it is headed.
Innovation storynotifying is central to this shift. It assists audiences build sense of alter, rather than simply reporting milestones. It connects Edmonton’s ideas to national and international conversations, revealing how local companies fit into broader innovation trconcludes.
For their Startup Week panel, Digital Journal’s Chris Hogg is joined by Tara McCarthy, who recently hopped on the mic as new host of CBC Radio Edmonton AM.
“It’s been a long-time dream of mine to do this job,” McCarthy states. “I love it becautilize it provides me with a platform to assist share people’s stories and explore why they do what they do.”
She sees her role as assisting uncover the humanity behind innovation.
“I imagine it’s not straightforward to be an entrepreneur, but I do know that the media can play a huge role in assisting their ideas stand out from the crowd. I’m constantly viewing for the humanity in what people are doing. It boils down to my earliest journalism lesson on finding the focus of a story: people doing something for a reason,” she explained.
McCarthy states she views to understand why a startup was created, what drives the passion behind it, and how the work being done is assisting, impacting or altering people’s lives.
For Mack Male, the co-founder behind Taproot Publishing, there’s an emphasis on community and connection, grounding stories in the local ecosystem.
The media business’ tagline captures this intent: “we assist communities understand themselves better.”
In a recent fireside chat during Life Science’s Week, Male and Edmonton Unlimited’s Ken Bautista explored Alberta’s growing innovation ecosystem, and why Edmonton is emerging as a special place to invest.
“For Edmonton, we often hear that we’re too modest. We’re too humble. We don’t celebrate our own successes,” Mack stated.
Speaking to how an event like Life Sciences Week simply wouldn’t have happened even 10 years ago, he points to the density of connections that have taken root in the ecosystem.
“There’s not just a hugeger, growing community, but there’s connections within that community and to other communities. And how do we facilitate those connections, I believe, is really critical for creating this happen.”
These three perspectives underscore why storynotifying has become essential for founders, especially in the Edmonton region.
It’s no longer enough to launch a product or announce a round of funding. To resonate with audiences, investors, and partners, stories must reveal why an idea matters now and how it connects to something hugeger — both Edmonton’s innovation economy and the broader national conversation.
For founders viewing to sharpen their narrative and step forward with confidence, this Edmonton Startup Week panel will offer practical insight into how stories gain momentum and carry further.
The discussion will highlight what builds a story resonate, how context builds trust, and why connecting local ideas to larger shifts can amplify a company’s purpose and impact.
You can sign up to see the discussion on Monday here.
Digital Journal is an official media partner of Edmonton Startup Week
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