A Summit On Atlantic Canada’s Tech Ecosystem For Leaders, Disruptors, Employees And Students
Technology is driving change in companies and organizations across the region, and it’s important to understand what makes the region a world leader and how its tech ecosystem can be strengthened – the theme of the Atlantic Technology Summit 2021 on November 17.
Summit founder Calvino Anderson says everyone is critical to strengthening the regional network of people, companies and institutions – tech leaders, industry disruptors, employees and students – and they’ve designed the virtual summit to cater to a diverse cross-section of participants.
It will include a choice of 27 moderated sessions on subjects like the war for talent and the role of tech in traditional industries; interactive Q&A sessions with speakers and panelists; a virtual exhibition hall where participants can meet sponsors and the region’s top tech startups; and a virtual career fair, which will showcase job opportunities for those looking to break into a sector or find their next big opportunity.
“If you’re looking to learn or dig deep into the industry and find out where to go next, or if you just want to geek out on a topic, there’s truly something for everybody,” says Anderson.
The summit will be anchored by keynote speeches – Kevin Peesker, President of Microsoft Canada, in the morning and Carrie Forbes, CEO of League Data, in the afternoon.
Through Microsoft’s partner ecosystem, citizenship efforts and employee engagement programs, Peesker, a 28-year industry veteran who has worked in 70 countries, empowers every person and organization across Canada to achieve more.
League Data, a Halifax-based cooperative owned by 46 credit unions in Atlantic Canada, is responsible for the technology supporting all of them. Forbes joined League Data from the Province of Nova Scotia, where she was a Director of Strategic Relations in the Chief Information Office. Prior to her work in the public sector, she held various positions for a decade at Scotiabank within its Electronic Banking centre.
“Their IT services and solutions are very core to local communities across the region, and we’re lucky to have both of them,” said Anderson.
This year’s summit will also feature the Chief Information Officer (CIO) panel, its flagship event, where top tech leaders from homegrown companies in the region will provide industry insights.
This year, those leaders will include representatives from Nova Scotia Power, Sobeys Inc. and Horizon Health Network.
Anderson said the Atlantic Canadian tech ecosystem is already “blooming and blossoming and putting parts of the region on the map, globally.”
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement,” he says.
Anderson said he hopes the summit will help tech movers and shakers evaluate what’s worked for them as the economy emerges from the pandemic – and identify areas for improvement.
“There are obviously big challenges today for many organizations – finding the right talent, keeping the right talent and developing the right talent through education,” said Anderson.
“The event will touch on recruitment and the culture of your organization – a lot of the different areas for an organization.”
Anderson said the tech industry is truly an ecosystem, as it touches businesses, small and large, throughout the region.
“From mom-and-pop-shops to big conglomerate multinationals coming out here and creating hundreds and thousands of job opportunities, technology is a very broad topic,” he said. “If you’re a small retailer or a big manufacturing company or an insurance company, you’re heavily involved in tech today – you have to be.”
Proportionate to that broad reach, the summit will feature multiple sessions from local startups doing great things on both a local and global scale. These sessions span industries such as the automotive sector and cryptocurrency technology.
“There are a number of opportunities that come with the adoption of technology. It gives you accessibility, which means you can be anywhere when you use it. Technology has grown and scaled so fast, it’s competitive even for small organizations, no matter where they are,” Anderson said.
“It’s no longer the case that the biggest companies only can benefit from these tools – there’s a lot available to any company.”
Best of all, participants can join from anywhere in the region, and not worry about having to take a few days out of their busy weeks to travel for an on-site event.
“You can be anywhere, from Halifax to Fredericton, at home or at your cottage,” he says. “You can log in, join the fun and be part of the community.”
The tickets for the event cost $49.99, which provides full access to the virtual summit networking platform through an app available on any device. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.atlantictechsummit.com/