Collisions YYC

Calgary-based FinTech company Helcim is a true success story, going from bootstrapped to big funding. In this talk, Nic shares his insights on growing a bootstrapped business, and how it can be beneficial to figure out your company’s identity before seeking outside investment. You’ll also learn about Helcim’s approach to hiring, and how they’ve assembled a team of key talent to help them reach their ambitious growth goals.

No matter what business you’re in, people are the most critical component. And, in today’s modern world of work, pairing purpose with your business is no longer optional. Muni Boga is an entrepreneurial culture smith who can help you understand the importance of the ‘right’ behaviour at work, along with how to identify and foster it. Because ultimately, if you’re driving an organization through purpose, you’re going to experience better outcomes — faster.

Albertans are big believers in supporting local businesses — especially when it comes to produce. That’s why Jim was able to take advantage of this opportunity for West Grow Farms. Not only is it better for the environment, but their fresh leafy green produce can last up to three weeks in the fridge. Find out how West Grow Farms has implemented new agricultural technology to create a more environmentally-friendly way to get local produce.

Fifteen years ago, Calgary wasn’t known as Canada’s tech hub, but Jay Gohill didn’t know that then. He just knew that mid-sized enterprise organizations need help translating their spreadsheets and half-baked processes with technology. To meet this demand, Jay and Joel - Director of Talent Growth and Development - recruited talented, collaborative workers who wanted to prove themselves and have an eye on the end goal. This allowed Arcurve to grow over those 15+ years into a successful enterprise IT company.

Attracting investors to Alberta hasn’t been easy. With Toronto and Vancouver, it’s not always the first choice for key investments. That’s why the government of Alberta created Invest Alberta - a Crown corporation. From hydrogen to agriculture, aerospace to FinTech, Invest Alberta has brought billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to our province. Find out how they are working to attract new jobs and industries in Alberta that can not only keep us competitive but how they’ll keep us ahead.

Far from the one-trick-pony some may consider Calgary to be, Brad will help demonstrate just how innovative, competitive and collaborative Calgary is. From our glory days as a top energy producer, our workforce has the capital and the know-how to get things done. Our city is working hard to transform its global reputation with thoughtful storytelling and brand architecture to continue to support and drive the entrepreneurs that make Calgary the best place in the world to own and operate a business.

With over 9 funds, $6BN of capital and 180+ investments, ARC Financial knows plenty about investing in the energy sector. Brian recognizes that what has historically worked needs to be tweaked to greet the new future of energy. Get up to speed on where Alberta can create significant change (hint: carbon capture and low carbon are going to be huge), Brian’s take on deal flow, and how traditional oil and gas businesses will be the backbone of our energy transition plans now and in the future.

While working on her Master’s Thesis on the topic of legislating gender parity on corporate board of directors, Amber realized that gender parity is a slow burn to advancement. She has dedicated her professional career to advancing women and the role of Executive Director at Axis Connects was a natural next step. There, she has the opportunity to connect organizations working in the space to take more meaningful steps to solving gender parity issues. Tune in to learn about their annual awards honouring women and male allies and how Axis Connects is transforming corporate Calgary one initiative at a time.

Whether you wonder what the future of work looks like for you or the next generations, Futurist Sabrina Sullivan will help you get excited and inspired by the changes coming. What is a Futurist? They help systematically explore predictions and possibilities for the future and how they can emerge. She’ll help explain how digital transformation in education ensures students understand what markets they will need to fill and then match their future of learning to those markets. Sabrina also knows that risk and dystopian concepts are necessary ingredients when thinking through the different future scenarios we might greet.

At marquee events in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Zack and Tim have helped hundreds of Prairie start-ups have fun, make connections and build companies. Their Investment Summit allow local start-ups to get in front of investors, while simultaneously training and introducing new investors to the ecosystem. Their combined knowledge will give you a snapshot into the Prairie start-up and investment opportunities, and their optimistic outlook will have you itching to get involved.