The Business Leadership Podcast

You are listening to the Business
Leadership Podcast with Edwin.

Paul: I'm Paul Newton, creative producer
of the Future Narrator miniseries,

and I'm joined by Edwin Fzo, host
of the Business Leadership Podcast.

We are recording live at Web Summit
Vancouver 2025, and we're exploring how

today's leaders shape the future, not
just through strategy, but through story.

We believe that a strong point of
view is what inspires communities,

builds movement, and cuts through
the noise in uncertain times.

So let's dive into this conversation.

Today's guest is transforming
chaos into clarity.

One system.

One strategy, one life at a time.

Adrian Jung is the CEO of
Eva, a lifestyle tech company

revolutionizing the way people manage
their households and daily lives.

With over 15 years of leadership
experience spanning startups, high growth

ventures, and large scale transformations,
Adrian brings a rare blend of operational

precision and human-centered leadership.

A McGill, MBA, and nationally
recognized mental health advocate.

Adrian has saved organizations,
millions guided digital transformations

and build systems that support
both performance and wellbeing.

At eva, she's doing it again.

This time by building technology
that simplifies life and supports

families behind the scenes
where the real work happens.

She's been featured in Forbes
lectures at McGill, and serves

on multiple nonprofit boards.

When she's not re-imagining how we
live and lead, she's likely walking

her dog savoring quiet time or coaching
the next generation of leaders.

Edwin: Welcome to the Business
Leadership Podcast, Adrian.

How, how are we doing today?

We're doing great, and I feel even
better after that description.

Wow.

I'm feeling great about myself.

Amazing.

Um, as Paul mentioned,
we, we are here live at.

Web Summit.

Vancouver, how is your day going, Adrian?

Adrienne: It's been a
whirlwind, but I love it.

I love Vancouver.

I love that We're by the
sea and I'm energized.

Let's go.

Edwin: That's amazing.

Adrienne: Yeah.

Edwin: I know you're
here, you're pitching.

Yeah.

How, how, how's that going?

Give us the update and this,
you know, when this airs.

May, maybe there's other
updates and everything.

It'll be future updates.

I'm

Adrienne: hoping.

I just got off the stage literally
two minutes ago and I made

it into the semifinals, which
are tomorrow, so tune in then.

Wow.

We'll be looking out.

Yes, please do.

Edwin: That's amazing.

That's amazing.

We we're so excited and we're so happy
to be sitting here, here with you.

I guess for those listeners who may not
know, Adrian, if you could just tell us

about Eva and I guess the problem you're
solving in household management and.

Daily life organization.

Adrienne: Yeah.

I started Eva because, um, I realized
pretty quickly we have billions

of dollars worth of tools at work
to help us become more efficient

and manage all of the information.

I can track my billable time down to
the minute, uh, but then I go back home

and I'm using whiteboards in my kitchens
or post-its or lists on the counter.

And the disparity was just.

Uh, not right in my opinion.

And so we created eva, which is,
we're we're taking inspiration from

those corporate tools, the ERPs,
the CRMs, things like that, and

created something really powerful
for your home and daily life.

So something to help you kind of manage
your day to day and operating system.

For your life.

Edwin: Oh my God, Adrian.

I, I think I got to get my wife to
listen to this because we, everybody

Adrienne: says that

Edwin: we have post-it notes lists.

Yes.

Clipboards, whiteboards,
applic applications.

Yes.

We have written in calendars things.

So great text.

Yeah.

That's, that's amazing.

So I'm just, I'm just
visualizing it right now.

You know

Adrienne: what?

I'm glad that you said you need
to tell your wife about that.

'cause we've heard people
say, I don't need Eva.

My wife is Eva.

Okay.

So you have the better response.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

Edwin: Did you, did you hear that Betty?

Adrienne: So Betty, about us.

Edwin: Um, Adrian, can you, I mean,
given your experience and, and you know.

Where have you've come from?

I'm curious, what is your unique
point of view when it comes to,

you know, solving this problem?

Adrienne: Mm-hmm.

My background is in
operational leadership.

So before starting eva, I held roles
like, um, COO Operations Director.

My strength is going into organizations
and structuring their resources to

make them as efficient as possible so
that they can work on their mission.

Um, and so I have a, a decade of
experience working with tech tools,

with people, with information databases
and stuff like that, and structuring

them for the mission at hand.

And so when I saw that there was a a, a
mi a a blank space kind of in the personal

and daily lives, I decided to use that.

Skillset to create something and structure
the resources that we have, especially

technology to solve that problem.

So we're really taking inspiration
from the corporate world where we do

work and bringing it where it matters
most, our home and daily lives.

Paul: Yeah.

Well that makes sense from
a business, uh, perspective.

I

Adrienne: think so,

Paul: for sure.

Um, but I mean, your, your background
and, and just like how you like

to support mental health and Yes.

Empower, empower women.

Uh, yes.

What, uh, why do you
care about these things?

Adrienne: So this problem, um, is.

There's, there's a whole
kind of history behind it.

Traditionally, my opinion, what,
based on the research I've done, we

have seen that a big disparity in
the tools that we have available at

work, because it's an area that's been
historically dominated by women, right?

Women have traditionally been
responsible for the household.

Uh, only up until only recently have
been they've been able to get jobs

and so that they've been able to.

They've had to focus a bit less in
the household, but that had, the

technology and the innovation we see
at work hasn't caught up with the fact

that women are now in the workforce
and we need more help at home.

And so we're here to bridge that gap.

We're here to help women that, that
we know own most of this problem.

The mental load, you reference your wife.

Almost every man I speak to
references their wife as well.

Sometimes their mothers.

Um, and we're not here to judge,
but, but people at home need help and

that's what we're here to provide.

Yeah.

We're relieving that mental load.

Paul: Well, it is really interesting
how just over the decades, as you

know, as life at home changed and then
when we can enter the workforce and

just this, this continual evolution,
like what do you have to say about

like how things are progressing there?

Adrienne: I love the way
things are progressing.

But we have to be able to support
that progress with, you know,

again, the same level of innovation
and effort that we see at work.

We need to see that at home.

Things are changing at home drastically.

Everyone talks about the future of work.

I'm all about the future of home.

What does that look like?

The nuclear family is not a
thing anymore or less of a thing.

Family is look different.

You don't necessarily have kids.

You might have pets.

Uh, you might have, you know, a
family might be roommates, A family

might be just you and your dog.

Um, and we're here to adapt to
that and whatever that looks

like for you, we're here to help.

Paul: Yeah.

And what, what do you think about
you is, uh, is uniquely poised

to see this and support this?

Adrienne: So, I, the Eva was started
from a lived experience, right?

So I bought my first house, uh,
during the pandemic, which was.

Something in and of itself
that was an experience.

Yeah.

Uh, but when I got my house, uh, there
was a whole lot of information that I

got from the previous owners, right?

Uh, these are the lights for this.

You have to do this in the spring, you
have to use this in the fall and like,

call this plumber, don't call that guy.

He's terrible.

And so I'm scrambling, taking notes and
so I looked for something that could

help me in the way that I had help
at work and there was nothing there.

Add to that, that was
just the home aspect.

Add to that, you know, I've got a
dog, I've got a spouse, I've got

all of these other things happening
in my life, and it was just.

A lot.

Um, and I think almost, and all
adults can kind of relate to that.

Yeah.

Being an adult is super chaotic
and it doesn't get any easier.

You, you adapt to it better, but
then there's new milestones, new

challenges, new things that happen.

And so we just wanted to create something
that was there to support you through

every phase of your life, uh, with
technology at the service of humanity.

Paul: And, and so how do you see
this changing how life is lived?

Like.

Adrienne: We wanna make it
easier so your daily life easier.

We always say like, everyone wants to
change the world and that's great, but

do you even know what's for dinner?

Yes.

You know what I mean?

How are you gonna change the world if
you're worried about what's for dinner?

And so that changes

Paul: my world really.

It changes my

Adrienne: world too.

And so our, that's how
we are saving the world.

We are making it easier for people
to live their daily lives so

that all of a sudden changing the
world like that becomes possible.

If you're on your way to curing cancer,
I wanna make it so your daily life.

So easy, you don't have to worry about it.

You can worry on the cancer
to the cure to cancer.

Paul: Well, and I mean, these things
that happen at home have such an

impact on, on family and community.

Yes.

And things too.

Right.

Adrienne: We've been told
we're saving marriages.

Yeah.

Saving relationships.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah,

Paul: yeah.

And future generations from
trauma, future gener trauma.

Yes.

Adrienne: Yeah.

Actually, we've heard a lot
from people who are moving out

of their parents' house, right?

And they're learning to
adult the Gen Z generation.

They've coined the term adulting,
like they're learning to adult.

What it takes to like.

Pay a bill and like have dividing up
chores with roommates and like all of a

sudden they're out in the, in the world.

And we're helping them again with that
next phase of life of being an adult and

those milestones that come with it, um,
using technology to, to make it easier.

Paul: And, and so as you think
through this cultural impact that

you're facilitating here Yeah.

Like, I mean, that's a big responsibility.

Adrienne: Yeah, it is.

But you know what, who better
to tackle it than a woman?

For sure.

Sorry guys.

For sure.

Edwin: We're just gonna go now.

Adrienne: No, it is, it is a big,
it's what we're doing is big.

Yeah.

Uh, and that's why, you know, we only
launched our MVP back in January.

We've been operational
for two and a half years.

It took a while to build what we
wanted to build for it to be at the.

Scale that we wanted it to be, because
again, we're talking about an operating

system for your life that can adapt to
whether you have dogs or kids or whatever.

So the, the task is big,
it's a big responsibility.

Um, but the, the response
has been amazing.

People really resonate
with what we're doing.

Everybody.

This is something everybody experiences.

And so yeah, the, the, the, the hurdles
have been there, but the validation

also has been so it's been great.

Paul: And, and have you given
a lot of thought to what, like,

what life looks like post Eva?

Adrienne: There is no post eva.

I mean, okay.

I mean like, um,

Paul: like post-adoption wide
scale of eva, where Oh yeah.

Eva

Adrienne: is going to be a
household name, guaranteed.

Yeah, absolutely.

But

Paul: everyone's using it.

Everybody's using, let's it just
say, uh, you know, like all the

families are doing it and, uh,
yeah, marriages are being saved.

Kids are just like, you know, they're,
they're in the right places at

the right time and everybody like,
you know, and they're just happy.

Like, what, what happens to life?

We're

Adrienne: innovating.

We're innovating, right?

We want to be to like your home
and daily and personal life.

What like, you know, Tesla
and Apple and Microsoft are

doing in the corporate world.

We are all about setting the future of
home, the future of your daily life.

Uh, and so we're gonna be, you
know, uh, avant garde and setting

the stage and leading the charge
when it comes to what's next.

Paul: Yeah.

Yeah.

And, and so like, okay, your
dogs and everything that you Yes.

You know, that you're
doing in your life, like.

Just give it a little taste
of what, like, like how

transformational it's been for you.

Adrienne: It's been
insanely transformational.

I mean, I'm running a business,
uh, I don't have time to ma

to, to remember all the little
details and to manage all of that.

Um, I got a reminder on Eva just
a few months ago that it was tick

season and I needed to go to the
vet to bring my, to get my dog, uh,

the te the vet, the tick medication.

Um, and I.

I had taken a picture of what the
medication was last year that I put him

on and his reaction to it and all of that.

So I had all that information.

So that vet appointment
lasted all of five minutes.

'cause I went into it with the
information, what I knew I wanted.

All of his, like his
weight, his, all of that.

Um, and it was just a seamless experience.

I really didn't have to think about it.

So it relieves a lot of that mental
load, that brain space so that

I can use it for what I wanna be
doing, which is changing the world.

Edwin: Wow.

So cool.

Adrienne: Thank you.

Edwin: Hey Adrian, this is a.

This's been like, I've been, I've
been, it's gonna bring back to my wife.

I mean, this is, you should always
bring things back to your wife, man.

I mean, I've been trained.

Well, don't worry.

There you go.

This is very from my mother, my strong,
from my strong mother and sister.

Right.

There you go.

So I've been raised by women, smart men.

I was actually born in women's
college hospital, so I, I always

joke when growing up I was, I was,
I was raised by women, man, born and

raised by women, and you can tell.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Mom.

Did you hear that?

There you go.

You're doing a good job, mom.

Yes you are.

Um.

No, it, it's really inspirational in
terms of like what you and the team

at EVA are doing and really creating.

And I think when it comes to, like
we're, we're at Web Summit Vancouver,

there's a lot of innovation, a
lot of tech, but some of them.

May not hit home.

Yes.

In terms of the impact.

I mean, there is a promise of
AI and it's gonna make you, no

one knows what that means yet.

Adrienne: Yeah, exactly.

Like

Edwin: they're, they're, they're
saying things, but when you speak

Adrian and you talk about Eva, like
it, everyone's already relating to it.

Exactly.

So it, it's, it's very inspirational
and, and really, really excited for that.

But before we let you go.

I'd love to get, and you could take
this wherever or whatever comes to mind.

Okay.

Any final advice, thoughts,
or recommendations?

It could be to the other, to your
competitors out there, the other

founders starters, other business
leaders 'cause you the way you speak and

your experience leading organizations.

Is is cool.

A lot of people who are business
leaders are listening as well,

or, or the mothers out there?

The wives out there,

Adrienne: yeah.

Or husbands I guess.

Um, I think the biggest thing,
which, um, you know, the, my

path with Eva has taught me is.

Don't be afraid to do things differently.

Mm.

When we launched Eva, or when
I launched Eva, we were told

to do things a certain way.

There was a certain way of
building a tech startup.

Edwin: Yes.

Adrienne: Yeah.

Uh, we, neither me nor my
co-founder have a tech background.

Uh, so building a tech company
when you don't have a tech

background is interesting.

So what we did, we went
with our strengths.

Were business people.

So we built the business before
the product, we went against the

grain and just that set us apart.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, so don't be afraid
to do things differently.

Um, that's, you'll, you'll get
a lot of advice that tells you

to do things in a certain order.

Um, but I think the, the outliers are the
ones that get things done and are, are the

ones that actually do change the world.

So don't be afraid to follow that.

Edwin: I love that.

And, and I think just to add to,
to your point, Adrian, it's also

there was a clear problem that.

Not only hits home to you, but
you didn't have to go far to get

someone to relate to that problem.

I just talked to my neighbor,

Adrienne: I talked to my
mom, I talked to yeah.

The people that are near and dear to me.

And, uh, everybody gets it

Edwin: and you talk to them and the ones

Adrienne: that don't get it,
usually they go back home, they

talk to their wives and then they
do get it and they come back to me.

Right, right.

Edwin: That's amazing.

Yeah.

So we want to share a book that.

Paul and I wrote it and we just
released, it's called Future Narrator.

Okay.

We were at collision last year.

We interviewed inspiring
founders and CEOs like yourself.

Okay.

In terms of it, and we created the
stories and then we wrote the book.

I love it from what we learned from it.

So we see you as a future narrator.

We were actually happy that you
came onto our show and brought on on

Harris, so thank you for having me.

This, this is you.

So thank you.

Thank you for joining us on the
Business Leadership Podcast.

Adrienne: Thank you for having me.

This has been great.

You are listening to the Business
Leadership Podcast with Edwin.