It's A Complicated Role

Being a start-up founder and CEO is not simple. It's a role with many difficult decisions and often heavy consequences.

There are lots of people that offer advice but getting good advice takes some sorting. Connecting with those that have created and built more than one start up is ideal as they can provide a unique perspective.

Dr Burke didn't have a network and still says his network is small compared to most, but he has decided to make himself available to any start-up founder that wants to talk about their business.

Humble Beginnings

If you are a fan of the popular tv show "The Trailer Park Boys" that is similar to what Dr Darren Burke's life was like growing up.

His dad was a mechanic and his mom worked shifts at the hospital. His older brother, younger sister and he played outside pretty much all day. They spent most days riding bikes, climbing on the monkey bars, and getting into the occasional fight while other parents sat on their decks watching, drinking beer and smoking. It was a community.

Athlete. Scientist. Entrepreneur.

Dr Darren Burke was a chubby kid and loved junk food. Fortunately his mom forced him into every sport possible to get him active. It didn't take long for this to change, as he loved many sports and was pretty decent at a few. He won a number of national championships and competed internationally.

But one thing that was very different from his peers and many in his extended family was that he was pretty smart! School was easy and became so fun. He would find himself escaping into the wonder of science. This passion for learning helped him get a PhD in three years, publish a lot of scholarly articles and then get university tenure quickly.

And then he discovered business. Always on. Lots of complex situations to navigate and plenty of challenges. Without knowing anything he started a sports nutrition brand and grew an idea from a $50K loan to over $20M in revenue in five years, followed by a successful exit.

This successful exit was followed with the co-founding of a sustainable technology company to preserve the nutrients in food destined for landfill, with his long time friend and former NHL hockey player, TJ Galiardi. Together they grew the company from idea to an operating company with manufacturing facilities in two provinces.

About Dr Darren Burke

Dr Darren Burke built a world class research program and reputation as an expert. During his time as a professor at St. Francis Xavier University he taught classes in sports nutrition, exercise physiology and metabolism, plus he trained a number of students to excel as scientists and in professions such as medicine and dentistry. 

In 2008 Dr Darren Burke left his tenured university professor role and launched a brand of sports nutrition products, including protein powders, energy pills and muscle building creatine supplements for professional athletes. His brand was the first to offer safe supplements for athletes in drug tested sports. A brand positioning that would change the sports nutrition world for the better, forever, as most supplements now include a safety certification. In just five years he grew the company from idea into category leader in Canada and the United States, then successfully exited the business when it was acquired by Nutrivo based in Chicago, Illinois. 

Dr Burke is a visionary leader and self-described as curious. Therefore, it was not a surprise in 2018 when and former NHL hockey player, TJ Galiardi, teamed up to launch an innovative sustainable technology based company to upcycle fruits and vegetables destined for landfill. Outcast Foods had partnerships with farms, food brokers and groceries to take their late in life or cosmetically rejected fruits and vegetables and turn them into nutrient dense, long shelf life powders for use in natural health products. The company grew from idea to multiple manufacturing facilities and value in just three years.

Recognized as a regular speaker, Dr Darren Burke often delivers insightful presentations on various subjects including nutrition, cleantech, sustainability, and food waste reduction. In 2021, he received the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Atlantic Canada, highlighting his outstanding achievements. Dr. Burke's academic background includes a graduate degree in Kinesiology and a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

Dr Darren Burke has emerged as a pioneer in the field of innovative consumer products, sustainable food practices through his groundbreaking approach to solving problems in our food supply chain and making best products for consumers. Utilizing his creative approach to product development and brand building he has disrupted multiple industries and created unique and lasting consumer products.

Product Innovation

Sales & Marketing Strategy

"Working harder than the competition will result in success" -Dr Darren Burke

"Resilience is one of those traits that makes the difference between success and failure as a start-up founder" -Dr Darren Burke

Success in life is relative and unique for each of us. Some view having a family as success while others view making millions of dollars, driving a fancy car and having a big house as success.

Dr Darren Burke learned how to understand and improve characteristics related to his past, his upbringing, and his background experience to achieve great personal and professional success. He tested the same system in my personal and professional life with success in other aspects.

Dr Darren Burke also learned how to help others discover this in their personal and professional lives, modify where needed and excel. He shares his story to showcase that anyone can do great things and achieve all that they want. Success comes in incremental steps through a series of self evaluations, practical modifications, and simple guiding principles.

Reach Out

Enjoy an educational, entertaining and exploratory one-on-one session or group session with Dr Darren Burke. Ideal for start up founders, large academic departments, government organizations, executive leadership teams, athletic departments, and start-up organizations

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