In this exclusive CanadianSME Small Business Magazine interview, Dan Lawrence, CEO of Atlis AI, shares how his journey from scaling SaaS startups to leading global travel platforms inspired a groundbreaking shift toward technology‑driven disaster response. A growth strategist with over 15 years of experience in building and exiting high‑impact ventures, Dan now leads Atlis in transforming emergency relocation and insurance operations through intelligent automation—bridging innovation, empathy, and real‑world problem‑solving to redefine how communities recover and rebuild after catastrophic events.
RemoteCasa was founded to make work-and-travel seamless for digital nomads and remote professionals. What inspired the development of your new AI platform, and how did your own remote work experiences reshape the business vision?
RemoteCasa started with a mission to support global remote workers and digital nomads—our team travelled and built technology for seamless relocation. But while on the road, we witnessed firsthand the fragmented, slow response to emergency CAT (Catastrophic) events in North America. We realized our knowledge of digital logistics could transform catastrophe response at scale, and that’s how Atlis AI was born: from helping travelers to solving urgent problems for insurers and displaced families. Our vision now centers on using AI to automate and simplify emergency relocation, bringing speed and transparency where it’s needed most.
Your platform’s initial offering was vetted, work-ready stays and AI-powered itinerary planning. How do these features address the unique challenges faced by the emergency and Catastrophic industry today?
We originally built RemoteCasa to handle complex relocation logistics for remote workers, integrating bookings, verification, and personalized matching. These features and our learnings seamlessly adapted to the emergency space via Atlis AI: our AI matches Emergency service vendors instantly, automates bookings, and prevents delays—whether for common basement floodings or a large-scale wildfire. By automating end-to-end logistics and providing real-time visibility, Atlis tackles both the unpredictability and the urgent needs of catastrophe claims for insurance carriers and their customers.
RemoteCasa recently partnered with several organizations worldwide. How have strategic partnerships expanded your reach in your new mission through Atlis AI, and what impact have you observed on local communities and the sustainability impact?
Our partnerships taught us how digital platforms can boost local economies and connect suppliers to new communities. Though Atlis and our focus on emergency response, the same collaborative model has allowed us to onboard vendors quickly—helping local businesses participate in disaster recovery while still supporting sustainable, responsible growth. Strategic partnerships remain essential, enabling us to scale rapidly to serve insurers, adjusters, and policyholders nationwide.
As an immigrant-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned business, what have been the most significant hurdles and key learnings while growing RemoteCasa, now Atlis AI, in the competitive technology space?
Building RemoteCasa and, now, Atlis AI, has taught us to embrace grit, empathy, and resourcefulness. Being a minority-led team opened doors to unique networks but also required perseverance to earn industry trust. We learned to draw on diverse life experiences—both in travel and crisis situations—which is helping shape our platform’s ability to simplify complex logistics for all users. The shift to emergency tech reaffirmed how diversity drives real-world innovation, especially in overlooked sectors.
To conclude, what final thoughts or advice would you share with Canadian small and medium-sized businesses striving to innovate and adapt in the ever-evolving landscape of technology?
Don’t be afraid to pivot—or to let real-world problems reshape your core mission. The Atlis story proves that technology built for convenience can deliver even greater impact in spaces where speed, empathy, and resilience matter most. Focus on your users’ most urgent needs, be open to collaboration, and never stop learning from changing landscapes.
