Challenger City TO EP3: Toronto's Growing Pains with Alex Tribe

In this episode of Challenger City TO, host Iain Montgomery sits down with Alex Tribe to discuss Toronto's transformation from a vibrant entertainment hub to a growing global city. They explore the city's evolving challenges, including housing affordability, risk aversion, and cultural mediocrity. Alex shares his unique insights from his journey as a DJ turned entrepreneur and small business consultant, highlighting the need for clear vision and ambitious leadership to navigate Toronto's growing pains and unlock its full potential.Key Topics Discussed:Alex's Background:Transition from DJ to entrepreneur.The value of experimentation and taking risks in career and business.Evolution of Toronto’s Entertainment District:Changes from a nightlife hotspot to a more residential area.Impact of these changes on the city's cultural landscape.Toronto’s Growing Pains:The city’s transition into a global city and the associated discomfort.Challenges of applying old solutions to new problems.Cultural Mindset:Tendency to choose mediocrity and avoid bold decisions.Impact on the city's development and problem-solving.Affordability and Risk-Taking:Economic realities forcing creative and entrepreneurial talent out of the city.The alarming trend of people leaving Toronto for more affordable areas.Perception and Real Change:The overwhelming focus on housing affordability overshadowing other critical issues.Importance of perception and culture in driving real change.Clear Vision and Leadership:The need for ambitious leadership with a clear vision for the city's future.How solving housing and transit issues could unlock Toronto's potential.Notable Quotes:"I'm a firm believer that just doing stuff for the sake of it and seeing where that takes you is one of the biggest launching pads for the best opportunities.""Toronto is kind of becoming a grown-up city... with a bunch of people who I think are reluctant to the idea or fail to recognize that we're becoming a global city.""We seem to just choose the middle of the road... it creates a culture of kind of, I guess, good enough or tolerate mediocrity.""Places that are less expensive are where experiments can be made because the risk of failure is lower.""Nine and a half out of ten conversations I have with people my age somehow get brought back to housing. I'm sick of talking about housing. I want to talk about way more interesting things than housing.""If we solve housing affordability and transit, it allows us to change the conversation to something higher leverage."

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