From a Missed Call to a Big Idea
For many founders, innovation starts with curiosity. For David Owasi, it began with frustration — the kind that built up, one missed phone call at a time.
While earning his computer science degree at the University of Manitoba, Owasi ran a painting franchise to help pay tuition. He spent his days up on ladders, juggling customers, crews, and calls. Despite being busy, he couldn’t capitalize on all the opportunities coming his way.
“Customers would call, and I’d miss those calls because I was busy. By the time I called back, they’d already talked to my competitors,” Owasi said.
That pain point — thousands of dollars lost simply because he couldn’t answer the phone — became the spark behind Outreach Genius, a Winnipeg startup building AI call answering software for home service businesses.
Created alongside co-founder Pasha Khoshkebari, the platform helps plumbers, roofers, and HVAC contractors ensure they never miss a sales opportunity again.
How AI Call Answering Software for Home Service Businesses Is Changing the Game
Outreach Genius’ AI voice agent answers calls instantly, qualifies leads, books appointments, follows up on unpaid invoices, and even re-engages cold leads.
It’s like having a 24/7 front-desk assistant that never takes a day off — and the results speak for themselves. One customer grew from $500,000 to $1.4 million in revenue per sales rep using the software. Another saw a 22 percent increase in revenue per appointment through AI-led engagement.
For Owasi, success isn’t about chasing shiny tech trends. It’s about solving a problem he knows firsthand — and doing it with focus and empathy.
“The home-services space isn’t flashy,” Owasi said. “The big AI companies aren’t thinking about helping plumbers. But there are 145 million homes in North America, and they all need service. Those businesses need better tools.”
From the Ladder to the National Stage
That practical approach recently earned Owasi national recognition.
At the Black Innovation Summit in Toronto — Canada’s largest gathering for Black founders and investors — Outreach Genius was named one of the top startups in the country, securing a $200,000 investment.
During a live demo that impressed judges, Owasi held a real-time conversation with his AI assistant, switching to French mid-call. Prospective clients can now test the same experience by visiting the Outreach Genius website.
“The demo made sense for them immediately,” Owasi said. “They could see how this tech could change everything for small businesses.”
This win gives Outreach Genius momentum to scale across North America — and adds another Manitoba startup to the growing list of Prairie innovators making global impact.
North Forge and the Power of Founder Support
Owasi credits the North Forge Founders Program as one of the catalysts in his early journey.
“It gave me access to advisors who helped refine our pitch deck and challenged me to think differently,” he said. “Programs like North Forge, Manitoba Innovates, and Futurpreneur are vital — we need more in the province.”
He also wants to see more investment flow into Manitoba’s innovation ecosystem. The timing might be right: Canada’s 2025 federal budget promises stronger national support for innovation — from SR&ED upgrades to AI compute and new capital — which could amplify Prairie results if those dollars reach local founders.
Building for Builders
For now, Owasi is focused on growth — not just for Outreach Genius, but for the thousands of small business owners who won’t have to miss another opportunity because they were too busy doing the work themselves.
Because sometimes, the best ideas don’t come from a boardroom. They come from a ladder, a paintbrush, and a missed call that turns into something genius.
About North Forge
North Forge is Manitoba’s leading innovation hub, offering a four-stage Founders Program that helps entrepreneurs move from idea to investment-ready at no cost.
Since mid-2020, North Forge has supported over 630 startups, and its publicly accessible Fabrication Lab houses more than $4 million in advanced prototyping equipment.
