Diversity at the Core of AccelerateAB 2016

07 Apr Diversity at the Core of AccelerateAB 2016

Diversity – it’s a hot topic for the tech industry, especially in Alberta.

AccelerateAB, Alberta’s flagship technology event, will showcase both diversity and diversification in Edmonton on April 27. The annual event gives Alberta’s tech players a chance to gather and meet the up-and-comers in the province’s startup community.

The conference is an important event for Alberta-based technology companies. Based on feedback from previous years, organizers The A100 have shifted both the format and the focus for this year. The content at Accelerate AB 2016 will move past the early stage of startup development and instead examine how companies can excel in the growth phase. This year’s event is a half-day and features keynote speeches from Google and Benevity as well as panel discussions from notable Alberta tech figures.

AccelerateAB’s support for diversity in the industry shows in their chosen keynote speaker, Katie McLean, Western Canada Territory Manager of Google. McLean has worked extensively in the tech industry with Xerox, HP, and Oracle. She has also worked closely with startups throughout her career.

“Through my work with Google I have been able to see first-hand the growth of Alberta’s technology industry,” said McLean in AccelerateAB’s release. “Events like AccelerateAB are essential to enabling the community to seed future partnerships, innovations, and successes that would not have been possible without the opportunity to engage with each other. Also, as a woman in tech, I am excited to participate in a conference that has made diversity a part of its goals.”

The event’s closing keynote speaker is a nod to the goal of diversifying Alberta’s economy. Bryan de Lottinville is the CEO of Benevity, a social enterprise that experienced exponential growth in 2015. Benevity raised $38 million, more than doubled their workforce, and added close to 100 enterprise clients.

“There are a ton of factors to be considered in growing global companies quickly and efficiently,” said Lottinville in the release. “Ultimately, none are more important that attracting, retaining, and developing great people.”

AccelerateAB is also known for their roundtable sessions, where they choose up and coming Alberta startups to meet with mentors from across the province. This year’s selection of startups are: Beep for Service, Beyond Reality Technologies Inc., FREDsense Technologies, Hobblit, InVistaWare, Jump On Flyaways, MaxFleet Solutions, Otto, Scarf, Snap Projections, Systolik Digital Health, TikTiks, TLink Golf Inc., Torch Motorcycles Inc., and Varafy.

The invite-only sessions will be held in the morning, with the public event starting at 1:30 pm at the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton. Tickets are still available at AccelerateAB.com.

SOURCE