Community, and the Ability to Predict the Future: SROI

Technology Alberta‘s focus has been “Companies helping companies” for years, and how we express this is seen in our tagline “Building Community”. Companies need Community and the Visibility that brings them. “It is not only who you know – but who knows you”.. this helps people get jobs, and companies get business.

So not only does Community help companies grow – it makes their founders want to stay. Our interviews with company founders have mentioned over and over again – that they stay in Alberta because of the value of Community. Their families and their employees want to stay here. Certainly there will be tempting business opportunities outside of Alberta, but there is something that we can all do to keep companies here – show up, and support them: be their customer, investor, good neighbour – and come out to events to cheer them on.

In reviewing the 35 Years of Innovation in Alberta companies from the ASTech Awards Archives – it is inspiring to see so many past winners that are still building their companies and our community here:
– Cody Slater: 1990 ASTech Award Winner – B & W Technologies; Now CEO of Blackline Safety, Calgary
– Nizar Somji: 2000 ASTech Award Winner – Matrikon; Now University of Alberta Chancellor
– Myrna and Dean Bittner: 2023 ASTech Award Winner – RUNWITHIT now celebrating their 10th Anniversary – modelling best practices in planning via Synthetic Edmonton and Synthetic Calgary.

Their social media all show how community has made a difference – it is this SROI that helps predict our future. Community provides resilience, support and sustainability. Thank you all for supporting our companies across the province and beyond – at PIe Day, at Tech Nights, at SXSW, at GovHacks, atUnbound, atInventures, and at theASTech Awards!

Yours in Community,

Gail
Gail J. Powley, P.Eng
President, Technology Alberta