London Inc. Weekly October 6, 2023

David Ciccarelli steps down from Voices.com helm

David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com Inc. (pictured with his wife and firm co-founder Stephanie Ciccarelli), is resigning his post, he announced on Monday. “This decision has not come lightly,” Ciccarelli wrote in a blog post. “Over the past 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of building Voices.com alongside my dear wife, Stephanie, transforming it into the largest platform of its kind.” Ciccarelli says he plans to remain with the company as a strategic advisor, and will remain “a dedicated board member, offering my strategic insights.”

The upshot: Ciccarelli’s tenure at Voices oversaw a sustained period of growth for the company, going from a small startup in Western Discovery Park to one of the city’s shining tech stars. The company is the world’s largest voice-over marketplace, with over four million members, clients and voice-over professionals in over 160 countries and services in over 100 languages and dialects. Voices has brought in Jay O’Connor, managing principal at San Francisco-based Silver Tree Associates and a partner at Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital (Voices raised US $18 million in funding from Morgan Stanley Expansion in 2017) to serve as interim CEO. According to a Voices spokesperson, Ciccarelli “will be helping the board with facilitating the leadership transition and helping identify the next CEO.” Voices did not comment on whether the moves are associated with a pending acquisition or sale but said that the company “was at the beginning of the inevitable market migration from business as usual to Voice’s completely online voice-over talent engagement process.”

Read more: Voices.com

Copp’s Buildall launches line of “backyard homes”

Harkening back to the Wartime Housing Corporation’s “strawberry box houses” that built up Canadian suburbs after the Second World War, or perhaps the DIY housing kits sold by Sears and Eaton’s, Copp’s Buildall is launching a line of out-of-the-box backyard tiny homes. Called CBYH (for Copp’s Backyard Homes), they are starting with two models, a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom, at 400 and 720 square feet respectively. “We saw a gap in the market of affordable housing,” said downtown branch manager Mac Copp in an interview with The London Free Press. “We see this as a way people can harvest their own yards to create more housing.” Locally, the whole concept is pending approval from the city, but if they get that, the idea is simple ― you pick out your model (starting at around $140,000), and Copp’s will take over from there, managing contractors, permits and supervising the work, the company says. From their initial talks, the city seems supportive, Copp said.

The upshot: Innovative housing solutions like this have been popping up with increasing frequency since the province announced sweeping housing changes (Bill 23) last fall that override municipal zoning laws in some situations and allow for the construction of up to three units on each residential lot. Add to that London’s recent upzoning policy that will see up to four (and maybe even five) units permitted as of right on each lot, and you can see the logic in Copp’s moving to propel this forward. “The simple fact is that there is not enough housing in Southwestern Ontario and in the current market,” the company said in a blog post. Copp’s is pitching the homes as ideal solutions to generate rental income (to help combat housing affordability) and for family use (think seniors of kids still living at home or unable to afford a foothold in the housing market). There are two models on display at the Copp’s store at 1640 Fanshawe Park Road West.  

Read more: CBYH | London Free Press

Despite support from downtown businesses, city recommends pulling plug on Core Area Ambassador Program

Despite positive reviews and a call from core-area businesses for continuance, city staff is recommending the Core Area Ambassador Program be terminated after less than two years of operation. Launched in late 2021 and intended to be a four-year pilot project, by its own definition the city says, “The ambassadors play many roles, such as providing a welcoming presence for people spending time in the core, supporting small-scale events and activations, working with other city teams to keep streets clean and safe and building ties with local businesses.” A report to council’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) identifies the cost of the “interactive aspects” of the program at $550,000 per year, and recommends the program be concluded at the end of 2023. A recent survey of downtown, midtown, Richmond Row and Old East Village businesses by the city showed that 89 per cent of businesses that interacted directly with the ambassadors indicated that they see value in the program continuing, and 63 per cent of businesses that responded think the program should continue.

The upshot: Given the growing discontent and disconnect between core-area businesses and the city on how issues such as vandalism and drug addiction are being addressed, this one is a head-scratcher. “I think it’s ridiculous they’re even considering this,” Kayla Gibbens, owner of Uber Cool Stuff on Dundas Street, told CTV News London. “This is something the downtown needs if we’re going to get our footing back.” Former city councillor John Fyfe-Millar, a supporter of the program last term, added that he believes council should look elsewhere for savings. “Look at the value proposition of this, and what it means to the downtown. What it means to the stability of the core area more than anything else.” City staff suggested the on-street ambassadors (they walk the core in pairs) could be replaced by a new “core area business and owner connector” position at city hall, because, well, you know, why provide a valued street-facing service when you can create another 300 Dufferin Avenue position? Members of the SPPC will consider the future of the program on October 10. 

Read more: CTV News London

Western appoints chief AI officer, a first-of-its-kind role at a Canadian university

In a first for a Canadian university, Western has appointed Mark Daley (pictured) to the role of chief artificial intelligence officer. According to the university, Daley will “develop and implement a university-wide AI strategy that supports Western’s academic mission and research objectives.” Daley, who previously served as the university’s chief digital officer, will hold the position for a five-year term beginning later this month. “Mark is uniquely qualified for this exciting new role that will help propel Western to the forefront of AI research and application,” said Western president Alan Shephard. “I’m so excited to be alive right now and to see this technology get to the level it’s at, and to see what’s ahead for the next five years,” Daley said.

The upshot: In announcing the appointment, Western published an interview with Daley that offers a window into his expansive and optimistic vision for where he hopes to take the role. “I’m an optimist and I believe in human agency,” Daley said, adding that he’s hoping to let the direction bubble up from below, based on how students and faculty end up using the tool. Though Daley is upbeat, it’s probably not going to all be sunshine and rainbows out of the gate, and likely top of mind will be developing guidelines around how AI should be used. Universities across Canada are still grappling with how to respond to the use of AI in the classroom, especially around issues of plagiarism and accuracy, where some faculty are already growing anxious. “This is a rat race we’re bound to lose,” one professor recently told University Affairs. “We can’t dawdle: AI is already in classrooms. We need tools that teachers can rely on.” 

Read more: Western News | CBC News London