There’s more to Alberta than oil
By Mack Male (@MasterMaq), Software and Social Media Expert & Entrepreneur – Edmonton, Albertabuy cheap cialis
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Thanks to massive investment in the energy sector, Alberta will lead all other provinces in economic growth this year. Some fear that growth could lead to a labour shortage, but thankfully Alberta also boasts the fastest growing population in Canada. Alberta is full of opportunity and certainly has momentum, but can it last?
Or perhaps a better question, what else in Alberta besides oil looks promising right now? The answer, is technology. Some estimates put the ICT sector (“Information Computing Technology”) at $10 billion in annual revenue, third behind energy and agriculture. While that is certainly impressive for a sector that doesn’t get talked about very much here in Alberta, it doesn’t paint the whole picture. The really exciting stuff is happening because of the incredible entrepreneurs and startups gaining momentum across the province.
A couple of weeks ago Edmonton hosted AccelerateAB, a one-day conference that brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders from across the province. I was at the event and would describe the mood of those in attendance as “upbeat”. Startups were keen to show off their products, and I’m sure a few deals were struck too. It’s the kind of event that would not have happened even five years ago. It seems we’ve turned a corner in Alberta!
There are many reasons for that. One is that individuals who have found success in the past are now engaging with the next generation of entrepreneurs. Evan Chrapko, one of the brothers who created and sold DocSpace for more than $800 million during the dot-com boom, kicked the event off with a keynote titled “Swinging Big”. Randy Marsden, founder of Swype and Cleankeys Inc., was part of a panel of trailblazers and he told the audience that “Alberta has all the ingredients” – we just need to put them together the right way.
Another reason for the momentum we’re seeing now is the success of events like DemoCamp, which have provided a platform to startups to share ideas and gather feedback. Those events bring the community together, and have also led to the creation of organizations like Startup Edmonton, which is working to connect entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and others who can help take their ideas from prototypes to successful products and companies. They hosted a pre-conference Startup University day for young entrepreneurs that was very successful.
My favorite session at AccelerateAB was Gary Ziegler’s. He’s the CEO of eThor, recently named the most innovative startup on the planet at the Global Technology Symposium in Silicon Valley. Gary shared some of the lessons he has learned and offered advice to the entrepreneurs in the audience who are in the same position now that he once was. Before he finished, he gave two of them the opportunity to come up on stage to deliver an elevator pitch. It was a classy move, but also one that reflects that unique quality of Edmonton and Alberta that sets us apart. We work together.
Alberta’s tech sector seems to be on the right track. We’ve had some successes, and we have more tech startups now than ever before. There’s lots of room for improvement, but keeping the momentum going could prove to be the biggest challenge yet. After all, most people still associate Alberta with energy, so tech startups have to fight hard for attention. That’s not likely to change, but maybe if we play our cards right, people will also think technology when they think Alberta!
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By Mack Male (@MasterMaq), Software and Social Media Expert & Entrepreneur – Edmonton, Alberta
Thanks to massive investment in the energy sector, Alberta will lead all other provinces in economic growth this year. Some fear that growth could lead to a labour shortage, but thankfully Alberta also boasts the fastest growing population in Canada. Alberta is full of opportunity and certainly has momentum, but can it last?
Or perhaps a better question, what else in Alberta besides oil looks promising right now? The answer, is technology. Some estimates put the ICT sector (“Information Computing Technology”) at $10 billion in annual revenue, third behind energy and agriculture. While that is certainly impressive for a sector that doesn’t get talked about very much here in Alberta, it doesn’t paint the whole picture. The really exciting stuff is happening because of the incredible entrepreneurs and startups gaining momentum across the province.
A couple of weeks ago Edmonton hosted AccelerateAB, a one-day conference that brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders from across the province. I was at the event and would describe the mood of those in attendance as “upbeat”. Startups were keen to show off their products, and I’m sure a few deals were struck too. It’s the kind of event that would not have happened even five years ago. It seems we’ve turned a corner in Alberta!
There are many reasons for that. One is that individuals who have found success in the past are now engaging with the next generation of entrepreneurs. Evan Chrapko, one of the brothers who created and sold DocSpace for more than $800 million during the dot-com boom, kicked the event off with a keynote titled “Swinging Big”. Randy Marsden, founder of Swype and Cleankeys Inc., was part of a panel of trailblazers and he told the audience that “Alberta has all the ingredients” – we just need to put them together the right way.
Another reason for the momentum we’re seeing now is the success of events like DemoCamp, which have provided a platform to startups to share ideas and gather feedback. Those events bring the community together, and have also led to the creation of organizations like Startup Edmonton, which is working to connect entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and others who can help take their ideas from prototypes to successful products and companies. They hosted a pre-conference Startup University day for young entrepreneurs that was very successful.
My favorite session at AccelerateAB was Gary Ziegler’s. He’s the CEO of eThor, recently named the most innovative startup on the planet at the Global Technology Symposium in Silicon Valley. Gary shared some of the lessons he has learned and offered advice to the entrepreneurs in the audience who are in the same position now that he once was. Before he finished, he gave two of them the opportunity to come up on stage to deliver an elevator pitch. It was a classy move, but also one that reflects that unique quality of Edmonton and Alberta that sets us apart. We work together.
Alberta’s tech sector seems to be on the right track. We’ve had some successes, and we have more tech startups now than ever before. There’s lots of room for improvement, but keeping the momentum going could prove to be the biggest challenge yet. After all, most people still associate Alberta with energy, so tech startups have to fight hard for attention. That’s not likely to change, but maybe if we play our cards right, people will also think technology when they think Alberta!
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