Relentless RoundUp

29th Edition

Hello forthcoming Holiday Season.

December lands differently depending on family, social circle, work responsibilities, weather (hello atmospheric rivers in BC, 35cm snow dumps in a day in Ontario), and of course – status of health. Health underpins family, social lives and how we manage work. Personal health, the health of family, the health of our friends, the health of everyone we are connected to will impact how we celebrate over the next couple of weeks.

Now for my reminder that persistent loneliness and social isolation has been associated with up to a 60% increased risk of dementia. You may have seen a recent LinkedIn post about Lloyd (my dad) and his commitment to daily activity (#BeLikeLloyd). He has me to prod him about getting onto the bike which also serves as a regular point of shared connection, celebrating his activity stats. Many older adults in our direct lives, or adjacent lives (think widowed neighbours) simply want to be considered. Perhaps your purpose over the holidays could include making an unexpected day brighter for someone. Lessen the social isolation for someone in your orbit.

Relentless RoundUp

28th Edition

Personally, I believe watching leaves turn colour with seasonal changes is nature’s reminder that we all have cycles. We all have peaks of vibrance then pauses to refuel. Sometimes, we even have our own version of hibernation to then burst out once again in the spring rejuvenated with vim and vigour. Autumn leaves drop. We don’t panic and ponder ‘will I ever see a green leaf on that tree again’?

We trust nature’s process. We trust the rhythm. We trust in the renewal.

October is a prelude to the hunker down feeling due to fewer daylight hours and consistently chillier days. As Longevity Month, October can be the time to reflect on nature’s rhythm as well as our own. Let’s honour our cycles. I challenge everyone to be thinking about how you will care for your body and mind during the forthcoming dormant season. As author C.S. Lewis stated, ‘you are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.’

Relentless RoundUp

27th Edition

As an investor, I have been asked a variation on the following question more than once, ‘what would you solve with your magic wand if you had one wish?’ Always, my answer is solving loneliness for seniors. Always. We have written about the profound impact loneliness has on the mental health and cognitive decline of our aging friends, family and neighbours on LinkedIn and newsletters. Recall that RoundUp where we described the impact of ‘passive sports engagement’ as a strategy for addressing loneliness?

Social isolation leads to loneliness.

What we don’t often discuss is that social isolation can be a hidden human experience, and it can affect people of ALL AGES. Men and women. It isn’t always visible. In fact, the feeling of being isolated can exist even though we are surrounded by others. This is where empathy comes in.

Empathy can be the bridge to solving loneliness. Leading with empathy can inspire others. It can be the choice to notice, to listen, to ask questions, to not assume everyone and everything is okay, to reach out, to connect, to be present.

Never Alone

June is ‘Men’s Mental Health Month’. The Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (‘CMHF’) campaign theme for 2025 is ‘Never Alone’.

Relentless RoundUp

26th Edition

The favourite shorthand that I have read about longevity is that it is effectively a rebranding of ‘preventative health’. You know what? That’s true. That is exactly what longevity is. We are choosing to reframe this as ‘productive longevity’, which encapsulates all that we do with Relentless portfolio construction.

·       Tackle known health risks.

·       Mitigate the progression of disease specific symptoms.

·       Support individuals facing daily challenges with a chronic condition.

·       Reduce the risk of developing co-morbidities.

·       Measure objectively with meaningful impact on health outcomes.

·       Face every day with personal health insights. Empower the individual.

Healthspan is the period of life you live without a chronic condition or disease. However, we believe your lifespan (the length of time you live) can be more productive with technology providing new options and insights even if you are living with a chronic condition or disease.

At Relentless, we focus on investing in chronic disease management because we believe deeply that productive longevity can also be joyful longevity with meaningful tools, insights, and support. That is where we live. That is where we invest. Because we know that there is a 73% chance that once you hit the age of 65, you will be living life with at least one of the ten most common chronic conditions. By 2030, chronic diseases are expected to account for 70% of total global deaths and 56% of the global burden of disease. We want to reduce those probabilities.

We may make an investment that tackles the risk when you are a teenager. We may make an investment that addresses your chronic condition as an older adult. We invest in the continuum of health and life.

Relentless RoundUp

25th Edition

Welcome to the 25th Edition of the Relentless RoundUp, one month into 2025.

I have noticed that there has been a lot of commentary around ‘resilience’ across LinkedIn, on stage at conferences, declared by influencers as their ‘word of the year’ and even as a key talking point on stage during a panel I was on recently. In some cases, it comes across as the ‘mot du jeur’, but on the most part it lands and sticks with relevance. A well-timed use of an adjective that captures the adapting, learning and thriving amid challenges.

Here’s a roundup of responses to some stealthily navigated portfolio challenges in 2024 . . .

Relentless RoundUp

24th Edition

November 14th is Sir Frederick Grant Banting’s birthday. A Canadian pharmacologist, orthopedist, field surgeon, trained midwife, Canada’s first professor of medical research and Nobel Prize winner. A bullied child in school who also had deep struggles with spelling which led to a litany of failed language courses.

Most Canadian children have learned about Banting’s scientific discovery in school, Insulin, that essential pancreatic hormone that regulates glucose in our bodies. I wish they also learned about his resilience.  

November 14th was selected as World Diabetes Day because it is Banting’s birthday. In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that designated today as World Diabetes Day underscoring the urgent need to pursue ‘multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health and provide access to treatment and health-care education.’ The resolution encouraged Member States to develop national policies for the prevention, treatment, and care of diabetes.

This resolution came 86 years after the original discovery of insulin in a lab at the University of Toronto, co-discovered by Banting and his student Charles Best, under the supervision of John Macleod.

This RoundUp is dedicated to amplifying the persistent need for prevention of Type 2 diabetes, management of life with both Type 1 & 2, and of course the outstanding need for a T1D cure.

Relentless RoundUp

23rd Edition

Well hello Autumn. I like the cut of your jib. This year as my favourite season blows in, I still feel buoyed by Canada’s showing at the summer Olympics. It was exhilarating to watch veterans to first timers secure podium positions. I love watching competition tactics, highs, lows, hugs, tears, environment challenges (I am speaking to you River Seine) and team dynamics. The similarities with venture capital investing are fascinating.

Watching Canada perform on the global stage has always been a delight for me, from sport to healthcare innovation. There are many parallels. Including how you find high performance athletes taking on roles in high performance finance firms. The discipline and focus required to compete at an international level has clear transferable skills to the world of investment such as venture capital. We are fortunate to have  such an individual on our team and she is heading into an extraordinary October as a competitive athlete.

Meet Isabella Bertold, the Concord Pacific Racing Women’s Team skipper for Canada’s first-ever campaign at the historic Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

Relentless RoundUp

22nd Edition

Witnessing the world actively engage in all that a lovely spring offers is invigorating. I am even cuing up a bike friendly meeting locations as I finally return to cycling following that wee multi-bone fracturing incident from a while back. If you have followed Relentless since inception, you will know we have always been staunch all-season advocates of active living and movement. ‘Mobility’ is a core investment focus for our health tech fund.

Relentless RoundUp

21st Edition

Tenderness. That is my word of choice for 2024.

I chose tenderness to ground me for the year ahead. Personally, and professionally.

Not as in ‘I feel pain when my abdomen is touched’, but the noun that is generally defined as a combination of love and kindness. It can also be known to encompass resilience, determination, insight, optimism, compassion, hope and empathy.

Tenderness for myself. Tenderness for others. In my work world, my play world, and all the overlapping Venn diagram bits in between. Apropos to share with my community as we close out heart health month.

February is Heart Month – Keep on Stepping

Have you embraced this year’s Heart Health Month with a little extra passion? 2024 is a leap year, we get one bonus day. Tomorrow! One extra day to act, take steps, refresh our step strategy. When was the last time you checked that little heart icon on your iPhone that automatically tracks your step count? Or are you a classic Fitbit or pedometer user? Or do you go for walking time? It really doesn’t matter which tool you use to motivate, just move. Simply putting one foot in front of the other can mean big steps forward for your heart health.

Relentless RoundUp - 20th Edition

Self-care. It has been top of mind as of late.

In September, my younger brother Billy spent 28 days in the trauma ICU.  I sat at his bedside most days. I held his hand, whispered words of encouragement to his deeply sedated being, and constantly repeated ‘You have been fixed. You are going to be okay.’ He heard me. He came back to us on Day 24. And yes, he is going to be okay.

Over the course of that soul crushing experience, one of Billy’s exceptional ICU nurses stopped me in my tracks when she asked me what I was doing to take care of myself. Me? What? It is amazing how quickly we can find ourselves slipping into non-compliance of our own health needs when focused on others. She nudged me to reflect. My personal tank was running on empty. She texted me later that night the following note:

RESET.

RESTART.

REFOCUS.

AS MANY TIMES AS YOU NEED TO, JUST DON’T QUIT.

So here is to the grand reset, as many times as we need to.