You can’t innovate the economy without innovating government

In Canada, there are 134 ways to apply for federal grants and loans — and none of them talk to each other. On the Functional Government Podcast, I had a wide-ranging conversation with Senator Colin Deacon about entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and why you can’t have an innovative economy without an innovative government.

Colin brings a rare perspective: he’s a former entrepreneur who now sits in the Senate, and he sees firsthand how government structures slow down the very innovation Canada needs. If you don’t qualify for one grant, the system won’t suggest another that might work. It’s whack-a-mole. This episode is about what it would take to change that.

Read the full writeup and show notes on The Functional Government Podcast.

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