FutureCite

Build a Resilient Business with Automation and AI
2020-11-05 09:30 - 10:30 (America/Edmonton)
The time is NOW to Build a Resilient Business with Automation and AI
November 5, 2020 | 9:30 am – 10:30 am (MST)
Automation and AI together can augment your core strengths, supplement your weaknesses and empower your people to focus on what is important. Plus automation can provide immediate ROI including short term payback on costs.
Please join JWN Energy and our partner, IBM for this on-line event on November 5, 2020. Through real examples, this session will look at the power of AI, combined with automation of processes, workflows and digital worker to demonstrate how you can rethink your business and operations to accelerate your success.
PROGRAM OUTLINE | 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (MST)

Welcome Context Setting
Presentations and Discussions
Q&A

SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS

Benjamin Jacob
Partner
IBM Automation
A strategic and driven executive, Benjamin leads the IBM Automation Practice in Canada. He works with his high performing team across all industries and sectors to help clients scale their automation programs, manage them with confidence and optimize automation benefits to ensure a resilient business ready for growth opportunities.
Benjamin brings a vast range of IT industry and leadership experience with companies like Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Symantec and most recently IPsoft.

Wendy Ell
Director, Strategic Partnerships
& Industry Development
JWN Energy
(Moderator)
Having been a marketing strategist to Alberta businesses for over 25 years, Wendy’s had the opportunity to develop strategic business plans and event activities for over two hundred businesses. Her clients have come from the sectors of oil and gas, real estate, agriculture, food and beverage, consumer products, professional services and advanced technology. Wendy’s current role involves collaboration with corporations and associations; all for the purposes of helping industry overcome hurdles, mitigate risk, better communicate and improve productivity.
Currently, with respect to Alberta’s construction sector, she is working on rolling out a major industry program called The Alberta Project Improvement Network. The organizations involved in this network are sharing best practices, piloting new practices and communicating wins. The synergies and new activities created is fully intended to generate a dramatic movement for change. This program aims to have our sector be twice and safe and twice and productive by 2020.

TEDx: Break of Dawn
2020-11-14 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
TEDxUAlberta presents Up All Night : Break of Dawn, our sixth annual conference and second virtual conference.

About this Event

At the intersectionality of ideation, imagination and interdisciplinarity, this year’s conference themed, Break of Dawn, will share stories of dreamers and doers. Become inspired by short, powerful talks from across a plethora of human endeavour! We will be featuring local leaders and innovators to discuss innovation in Edmonton – whether this be in technology, entertainment, business, education, healthcare, arts, or global issues. In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading”, we hope to spark discussion and connection over shared passion for issues that face Edmonton.
The conference will be presented via Zoom free of cost!
Sat, November 14, 2020
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM MST

E&Y Strategic Growth Forum® 2020
2020-11-17 08:00 - 2020-11-19 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual Online
Strategic Growth Forum
November 17 – 19, 2020
In the never normal, is ingenuity the new currency? Join to hear luminaries and seasoned entrepreneurs virtually deliver the guidance and insight needed to design what’s next and beyond.
E&Y

Raising Your First Investment Startup - Good Lawyer
2020-11-17 15:30 - 16:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us to learn the secrets of Goodlawyer’s financing history, including legal & practical tips on how you can raise your first investment!

About this Event

Let’s face it; you have a million and one things to do to grow your business. Maybe you are looking for product-market fit, trying to attract investors for another round of funding, or still building your MVP. At any stage, you must keep yourself and your business protected. That is where your Lawyer in shining armour comes in; meet Goodlawyer.
So, take a breath and brew yourself a cup of coffee and virtually sit down with our special guest, CEO and former Lawyer, Brett Colvin, for a “Ask Me Anything” forum.
What to Expect:
To celebrate Innovation Week, we will be having a special appearance from our CEO , Brett Colvin, and lawyer Josh Weinberger, where they will give both a practical and legal perspective of raising your first startup investment. Raising your first round of funding as a new founder is a perplexing journey that can be a daunting, frustrating, and time-consuming experience. As innovative thinking becomes more and more critical during the uncertainty of COVID-19, we will explore the current Do’s and Dont’s of raising money and the strategies Brett has used over the past two years that have helped him create Goodlawyer.
More about Innovation Week:
Now more than ever, innovative thinking has become a necessity for navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. At Goodlawyer, we are reimaging what the landscape of law looks like in Canada through leveraging technology to make the practice of law better and more efficient. Too many people and businesses go without the legal help they need because they simply can’t afford it. By streamlining the customer experience, we’re helping everyone get access to quality, affordable and transparent legal services. Through ingenuity, creativity, persistence and a whole lot of teamwork, Goodlawyer is invested in building the small business and startup community. Join us November 16th-20th in recognizing and celebrating Canadian Innovation online and use #CanadianInnovationWeek.
What more information on Innovation Week? Check out Canadian Innovation Space for more details.

Deloitte 360 Session 3
2020-11-19 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us at 360 by Deloitte
360 by Deloitte (formerly known as Deloitte 360°) will take place as a live virtual experience on November 17, 18, and 19, 2020 from 11am to 1pm EST.
What to expect
Our complimentary flagship conference brings together public and private sector executives from all over Canada. You can expect conversations and panel discussions with progressive and innovative leaders covering a variety of industry issues, insights, and opportunities that hold the potential to help propel Canada into a thriving new-age economy.
Attendees joining the event in real time will also have the opportunity to interact directly with other participating executives across the country via our virtual platform’s chat capabilities.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Building the post-pandemic workplace with Julian Barling, Queens U
2020-11-26 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
WEBINAR: Building the post-pandemic workplace with Julian Barling
How will we redesign work and do so in a way that’s good for people and organizations while preparing us for the next societal crises, whether they be pandemics, recessions or something else we haven’t yet anticipated?
Led by Professor Julian Barling, this webinar will be based on hard lessons recently learned and the best of organizational science from decades of research.
Thursday Nov 26, 2020 1:00 PM EST – Register Now

Courses: Machine Learning Foundations 1
2020-12-03 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
ML Foundations 1 – December 3, 2020

When
Dec. 3, 2020 – Dec. 3, 2020
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Where

Online

Join us for a facilitated workshop designed to give you a high-level overview of applied machine learning using real-world cases.

Summary:
Amii’s Machine Learning Foundations 1 is a facilitated workshop designed to give the learners a high-level overview of applied machine learning using real-world cases.
We will discuss the machine learning process, how to define a machine learning problem and social and ethical concerns around AI.
Participants will examine the dimensions of data, people, strategy and tools through the AI lens. This session is recommended for all stakeholders from users to management, as well as technical staff, to ensure a common starting point for everyone.
Participant Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:

Understand the importance of strategy, data, people and technology in accessing the power of ML as a business tool
Have informed discussions about what business problems in their organization might be appropriate for applying ML
Think productively about a good ML question that relates to a business problem

Registration:

Registration closes November 26.
This session is $250 CDN and includes 3 hours of facilitated instruction and 3 hours of self-directed online learning.
Your $250 fee can be used as a credit for a future session of AI Strategy and Management!

Register Today!

Join us for 3 hours of facilitated class time over video, followed by 3 hours of self-directed learning. Proceed to the payment page to complete your registration.

Confirm your attendance

An Evening with a Nobel Laureate
2020-12-09 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
The University of Alberta’s celebration for Michael Houghton, Director, Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute, and recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Hosted by science journalist, television personality, and author
Distinguished Alumnus Dan Riskin
Visit ualberta.ca to watch at 7:00 p.m. (MST) on December 9, 2020

University of Alberta virologist Michael Houghton spent more than a decade hunting a virus responsible for causing cirrhosis and cancer of the liver in people around the world.
In recognition of his discovery of the hepatitis C virus, Houghton will be awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Join Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Brenda Hemmelgarn, Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, as we celebrate and honour Michael Houghton, Director, Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute.
7 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Houghton will talk about this momentous discovery and the hepatitis C virus vaccine he and his team at Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology have developed that is now in the late pre-clinical stage of testing. Houghton is also leading an effort to produce a vaccine for COVID-19.
Hosted by science journalist, television personality, and author
Distinguished Alumnus Dan Riskin
With special guest
Distinguished Alumnus D. Lorne Tyrrell, OC, AOE, Founding Director, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology

To view, visit u at 7 p.m. (MST) on Wednesday, December 9, 2020

What’s next? Managing your business’s finances in 2021 with BDC
2021-01-18 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
What’s next? Managing your business’s finances in 2021.
The road to recovery is filled with uncertainty. No matter how your business is weathering the storm, strong financial management has become more important than ever. Join BDC’s experts for a free, live webinar, where they will offer practical advice on optimizing cash flow, effectively controlling costs and positioning your business for the recovery.
Their advice will address businesses at all levels of activity, from those hardest hit to those managing rapid growth.

Courses: AI Strategy and Management - Winter 2021
2021-01-20 08:00 - 2021-03-10 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual Online
AI Strategy and Management – Winter 2021

When
Jan. 20, 2021 – March 10, 2021
Various

Where

Online

Secure your future with the knowledge, tools and confidence to launch AI projects and manage technical teams.

Details:
Modern businesses recognize the transformative power of artificial intelligence but are also facing a severe shortage of skilled workers. The demand for AI and machine learning (ML) expertise is growing across all industries, and it’s through the marriage of domain expertise with technical ML skills that companies can gain competitive advantages.
Our eight-week online course combines synchronous (collaborative) and asynchronous (independent) lectures, readings and discussions, as well as practical assignments and a final capstone project. In the final project, you will work in a group to complete a Machine Learning Project Charter for a specific ML project, and pitch your project to a panel of ML and business experts.
You’ll graduate from the course with the:

Skills to draft AI adoption strategy for your organization
Ability to identify ML projects, assemble teams, and execute related business tactics
Confidence to manage and interact with technical teams

What is the goal of this course?
The purpose of this course is to develop your knowledge and skills to define and manage a machine learning project that supports your organization’s business priorities. This isn’t a technical course, but we will get into enough technical details to empower you to have informed discussions with technical teams about the data needed for ML projects, appropriate approaches to the problem, and the evaluation of the results. You’ll also have an appreciation of the business, social and ethical impacts of ML and how they apply to your organization and project.
Learning Objectives

Understand the considerations required for selecting an appropriate machine learning project in the context of the organization’s capabilities and objectives
Implement some organizational processes to apply ethical thinking to machine learning projects
Intelligently discuss data issues with data professionals
Understand and discuss the uses, strengths and limitations of the three types of machine learning
Effectively apply the ML Project Charter to think through and pitch an ML project

We look forward to having you join us in January!

Are you curious if AI Strategy Management is the right fit for you? Our program Guide outlines all of the details including prerequisites, module overviews and FAQs.
Stephanie Husby, pictured above, will be one of your instructors. Passionate about translating difficult topics into easy-to-access concepts and terminology, she strives to bridge the gap between business and technical experts.

Download the Program Guide https://app.hubspot.com/documents/4771956/view/96053384?accessId=b978df

Ready to Apply?

Now more than ever, businesses recognize the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) but are also facing a severe shortage of skilled workers.
Course Fee is grant eligible. See Program Guide.
The demand for AI and machine learning (ML) expertise is growing across all industries, and it’s through the marriage of domain expertise with ML understanding that companies can gain competitive advantages.

Apply Today

Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH) Applications Open!
2021-01-26 09:00 - 2021-02-15 16:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Expressions of Interest are welcome now for Brightsquid & Health City’s Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH)!
Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH)
Health City and Brightsquid are pleased to announce the Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH), a new initiative aimed to better prepare small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reach commercialization of their products and service. The program increases entry and integration in the health system, allowing multiple companies to scale at once.
What is the Digital Health Integration Readiness Program?
The Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH) is a joint initiative between Health City and Brightsquid with funding support provided by Western Economic Diversification. This program aims to address existing gaps with clinical integration and provide SMEs with the fundamental understanding of technical readiness, ultimately preparing them for the ability to tackle the complex integration requirements that are critical to success. SMEs that complete the program can expect the following:

Help early-stage companies understand the health information regulatory requirements for their product to commercialize
Provide basic knowledge for software development practices to incorporate privacy and security principles to be successful in the health sector
Provide a clear overview of Canada’s healthcare delivery and health tech ecosystems
Provide resource options at the conclusion of the course to clarify the road to market and commercialization
Provide a 1:1 review session to assess business readiness and be provided with resources and direction to address identified gaps.

Important Deadlines
January 26, 2021: Application opens
February 15, 2021: Deadline for EoI submission
February 22, 2021: Selection process through industry panels
Week of March 1, 2021: Program sessions begin for successful companies

Session 1: Thursday March 4
Session 2: Thursday March 11
Session 3: Thursday March 18
Session 4: Thursday March 25

How do I apply?
Interested Alberta-based SMEs are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) to Health City by no later than February 15, 2021. For more information and to apply, click here.

Turn your expertise into a business - the first four steps
2021-01-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
If you’re thinking of turning your expertise into a business or you’re struggling to get off the ground, there are four steps that will help you decide what you can do and get you there faster.
Neville Chamberlain, the creator of the Tornado Method, will walk you through the first four milestones you have to reach to build a business based on your expertise. You will learn why it is so important to niche down and get super clear on what problem you’re solving, how recurring revenue can help you sell less and earn more, what a minimalist brand is, and the importance of designing a great customer journey.
This webinar is specifically for people who are thinking of starting a business based on their expertise, or have started and are struggling to get off the ground.

Using AI in Agriculture: REMI Program Info Session - Jan 29
2021-01-29 08:30 - 09:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Learn how you can leverage AI to support your agriculture business goals!

About this Event

It’s no secret that AI holds opportunities to increase revenue, improve operations and solve complex problems. At this info session, learn how Amii’s government-subsidized REMI (Reducing Emissions through Machine Intelligence) Program helps companies of all sizes begin their AI & ML adoption journey, starting with GHG reduction projects.
Join Amii’s Nella Brodett (Director Investment & Partnerships) and Shazan Jabbar (Machine Learning Scientist) as they explore the tangible opportunities that can be enabled using this technology.
Fri, January 29, 2021
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM MST

YEG AI/ML Business Meetup
2021-02-03 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
The Edmonton AI/ML Business Meetup (in conjunction with the Edmonton Data Science Meetup group) is pleased to announce its first meeting of 2021.
We are pleased to host an event that will explore AI/ML business applications and always we are striving to bring the Edmonton technical and business worlds together to spark interactions and innovation.
Our next event will be virtual on Remo plaform (thanks to Startup Edmonton) on February 3rd at 6:30 pm MST.
Signup through Meetup to get event reminders and to access the event on February 3rd go to:
https://live.remo.co/e/data-science-and-aiml-business-m
Our speakers will be:
Myrna Bittner, CEO Co-Founder, RUNWITHIT Synthetics Inc.
Talk: “Seeing things differently ”
RUNWITHIT Synthetics Inc is a Single Synthetic Environment company de-risking and optimizing complex systems and scenarios in energy, sustainability, digital media, health, mobility, climate, cyber, and defence.
Navaneeth Kottayil, Lead ML Developer @ AltaML
Talk: Building Trust in Computer Vision with Explainability –
This presentation will focus on computer vision explainability and its use as a tool for debugging and building trust when solving practical problems.

ML Foundations 1 - February 4, 2021
2021-02-04 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) increase in popularity, so does the public conversation — a mixture of information, misinformation, stories and speculation. This can make it difficult to build a knowledge base for these powerful tools.
Get a basic, high-level understanding of what’s important and relevant at Machine Learning Foundations 1.
What will I learn?
Build a foundational knowledge about AI & ML, including:

The definitions of AI, ML and data science, and how they all fit together
What automation is and where it’s effective
How a company arrives at an AI solution — whether you build it yourself, buy it from another company, or partner with an external expert — and the pros and cons of each

Walking through real-world examples of AI & ML applications, you will learn:

Where AI creates business value and competitive advantage
How to properly construct an ML question related to business problems and objectives
How to identify red flags as you are scoping or executing your AI project
How ML works and your role in making it work

In addition, contextual information will inform your view of AI & ML:

The evolution of AI and innovation
Ethical and societal considerations around the application of AI

Who should take this class?
You should take this class if:

You are interested in but don’t understand AI & ML
You want to tap into the language and have productive conversations around AI & ML
You and your team want a common starting point and vocabulary
You are a technical person who wants to understand the business role of AI & ML
You are a business user or manager who wants to understand the technical role of AI & ML

Class information
This class is $250 CDN and includes 3 hours of facilitated instruction and 3 hours of self-directed online learning.
This is the first step in your AI learning journey, which will set you up for a deeper understanding of more complex concepts and tools. Following the ML Foundations 1 class, you will be able to move onto:

The ML Foundations 2 class for a closer look at technical concepts
The AI Strategy & Management course to gain the knowledge, skills and tools you need as a business leader as you look to adopt AI

Scale up! How to use technology to boost your business’s efficiency
2021-02-09 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Looking to get more competitive and profitable? Leveraging technology should already be a top priority. But eager to cut costs, speed up processes and reduce errors, many entrepreneurs invest in tech solutions without realizing that investing is only half the battle.
Before you can reap the full benefits of technology, you’ll need operational efficiency and a team that supports digitization.
Join our free live webinar and let BDC experts show you the smart way to scale up with tech. They will cover how to boost your company’s productivity and revenues by implementing tech solutions effectively.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. BDC Chief Economist Pierre Cléroux will also give an economic update and talk about the importance of making the digital shift in your business.
Learn how to:

implement operational efficiency practices to prepare for digital investments

create a culture of continuous improvement

boost your company’s productivity, revenues and capacity to innovate

Perspectives on the Past, Present and Future of Civic Tech in Canada
2021-02-09 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us as technology veteran Jean-Marc La Flamme shares his perspectives on the past, present and future of Civic Tech in Canada. Jean-Marc has been on the front lines of innovation for 25 years, digitally transforming government, industries, startups, non-profits and rural communities using Canadian tech.
Jean-Marc will also discuss civic engagement platforms in Canada and share his view that we need to move away from big tech companies onto our own smart community platforms. He will present an overview of the landscape today and ask how Civic Tech can support its growth.
Jean-Marc La Flamme is the Managing Director of ReGen Villages Canada. ReGen Villages builds regenerative and resilient smart communities, with integrated life support systems of food, water, energy, education, economic, transportation and waste-to-resource management. Communities are connected to each other with a secure but open platform for real time innovation inside smart bioregions. Creator of civic tech teams, digital financing platforms and exciting intergenerational hackathons allowing all citizens to co-create communities and new business. Founder of co-working spaces, innovation centers and entrepreneurship programs that brings everyone into the future of work.
Find out more about CivicTechYYC and signup for our newsletter at https://civictechyyc.ca/
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM MST

Masterclass on Cleantech Investing
2021-02-11 08:30 - 09:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us for this masterclass on cleantech investing by some of Canada’s leading investors.

About this Event

Are you looking into investing in cleantech or building a cleantech company?
As part of the Alberta Cleantech Investment Summit event line-up, grab a cup of coffee and join our event partners and participating angels and ventures, for insight into how seasoned VCs assess cleantech ventures for investment. Join our expert panelists as they share lessons they have learned from their experience in putting capital to work building great companies in this sector. The two masterclass sessions will be held on Feb 11 and Feb 18, from 8:30am-9:30am MST.
We will cover topics such as:

How do you select viable cleantech ventures?
What is distinct about investing in cleantech companies?
What makes someone a ‘good’ angel investor

—
February 11th, 8:30am – 9:30am MST

Hosted by Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight

Featuring:

Juan Benitez, BDC Industrial Innovation Fund
Ha Nguyen, McRock Capital

—
February 18th, 8:30am – 9:30 MST

Hosted by Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight

Featuring:

Darren Bolding, Natural Products Canada
Marty Reed, Evok Innovations

—

ML Foundations 2 - February 11, 2021
2021-02-11 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
In ML Foundations 1, you cultivated a high-level understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Machine Learning Foundations 2 will continue to build on that base of knowledge by introducing you to tools, strategies and knowledge regarding data and ML.
What will I learn?
Continue to build your foundational knowledge of AI & ML, including:

The characteristics of data and big data
How the three categories of ML work
Applying different kinds of ML solutions based on the ML problem
What constraints are and how they’re used

Tools and techniques to help you plan, execute and evaluate ML projects:

The ML Process Lifecycle, a framework that leads you through the process of developing an ML solution for a specific problem
How to structure data and build a strong data strategy for your organization
How to build an interdisciplinary team with the necessary expertise

Who should take this class?
Please note that students must attend ML Foundations 1 before attending this class.
You should take this class if:

You want to reinforce and grow your base knowledge of AI & ML
You want a closer look at the technical aspect of AI & ML
You are thinking of taking the ML Technician course and want a taste of the curriculum
You and your team want to continue growing your vocabulary and understanding together
You are managing a technical team and want to develop your understanding of how technical users will work in this space

Class information
This class is $250 CDN and includes 3 hours of facilitated instruction and 3 hours of self-directed online learning.
This is the second step in your AI learning journey, which will set you up for a deeper understanding of more complex concepts and tools. Following the ML Foundations 2 class, you will be able to move onto:

The ML Technician Certificate course to develop your ML knowledge and skills in order to define and execute a machine learning project that supports your organization’s business priorities
The AI Strategy & Management course to gain the knowledge, skills and tools you need as a business leader as you look to adopt AI

You can be part of Alberta's tech ecosystem! Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or looking for a job in tech
2021-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Edmonton)
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or looking for a job in tech?
You can be part of Alberta’s tech ecosystem, even if you are not a programmer.
Last year Alberta’s tech community raised over $500 Million in funding, employed over 20,000 people in well-paying jobs, and it is anticipated to more than double in the next 10 years.
This Friday, there is a special lunch session open to anyone looking to get a job in tech and aspiring or first-time tech entrepreneurs.
Albertan’s can launch a tech company or be part of Alberta’s tech ecosystem, even if they are not a programmer!
Last year Alberta’s tech community raised over $500 Million in funding, employed over 20,000 people in well-paying jobs, and it is anticipated to more than double in the next 10 yearsJoin us for this free lunch and learn session hosted by Bow Valley College and Amazon Web Services to discover what is possible with cloud computing and how you can be part of Alberta’s tech ecosystem.
Our first Thursday night session is scheduled from 6PM to 8PM for February 25th and then the 2nd and 4th Thursday in March, April, May and then planning some sort of challenge for the June dates. Postings on these dates to follow soon!
Join us if you:

Want access to $1,000 in Amazon AWS credits
Crave to surround yourself with like-minded people
Yearn to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges
Want to know if there could be a career in tech for you
Struggle to launch an idea without a technical co-founder
Are searching for an entry point into Alberta’s tech community

DevCon 21 Student Startup
2021-02-16 08:00 - 2021-02-19 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Startup Edmonton’s biggest student event of the year is back, and bigger than ever!
Join more than 350 technical students from programs & schools across Western Canada for four amazing days of workshops, panels, games, skill-building, and more, all at your convenience.
Thrive beyond the classroom at DevCon 2021, as you explore an inspiring startup community and learn real-world practical skills, on your time. Whether it’s 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, our fully customizable experience gives you the opportunity to break through your studies, your way.
WHAT YOU GET…

Opportunities to listen and learn from expert panelists and inspiring tech leaders.

Beginner, intermediate, or advanced workshops in Machine Learning, Product Management, Data Analysis, and more.

Resources and skills needed to succeed in the tech and startup community.

Access to hiring companies actively seeking to meet and recruit talented students.

Connections to a supportive community of founders, developers, and designers.

Awesome swag.

WHO IS STUDENT DEVCON FOR?

Post-secondary students studying (or have an active interest in) computing science, computer engineering, or design with specialties in Web Design, User Experience, and Visual Communications.

Students with proficiency in computer programming or IT.

High school students with interest in computing science are also encouraged to attend – Comp Sci 20 or 30 required.

Ticket Options
On the registration form, there are multiple ticket options, PLEASE ONLY PICK ONE.

If you are outside of Edmonton, select the ‘Student Ticket’ option

If you are in Edmonton, select one of the swag options available (they say ‘YEG Only’)

Please only select one type of ticket option; you are welcome to add delivery if you’d like.
Swag Delivery & Pick Up – Edmonton Students
Edmonton students who would like swag items delivered will need to book by February 1, 2021. If you are picking up swag, you will need to book by February 11, 2021.
Access Links
You will be emailed information about accessing the week of events before February 16, 2021. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Inventures Unbound: Learn How Series: Small Nuclear Reactors 101
2021-02-16 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Small Modular Reactors
Feb. 16 – Small Modular Reactors 101
Feb. 23 – Bright Spots, Innovation and Provincial Collaboration
March 2 – Let’s Talk Tech – A Deep Dive on SMR Technologies
March 9 – Let’s Talk Community – and Connect with Stakeholders
Alberta Innovates is presenting the Small Modular Reactor Learning Series as an opportunity to learn about new nuclear technology, the national action plan, safety and regulations, innovation in Canada’s nuclear industry and to better understand the latest technology supply chain.
This four-part virtual webinar series is open to anyone who wants to learn about these topics. The event will take place over four consecutive Tuesdays

Masterclass on Cleantech Investing
2021-02-18 08:30 - 09:30 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us for this masterclass on cleantech investing by some of Canada’s leading investors.

About this Event

Are you looking into investing in cleantech or building a cleantech company?
As part of the Alberta Cleantech Investment Summit event line-up, grab a cup of coffee and join our event partners and participating angels and ventures, for insight into how seasoned VCs assess cleantech ventures for investment. Join our expert panelists as they share lessons they have learned from their experience in putting capital to work building great companies in this sector. The two masterclass sessions will be held on Feb 11 and Feb 18, from 8:30am-9:30am MST.
We will cover topics such as:

How do you select viable cleantech ventures?
What is distinct about investing in cleantech companies?
What makes someone a ‘good’ angel investor

February 11th, 8:30am – 9:30am MST

Hosted by Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight

Featuring:

Juan Benitez, BDC Industrial Innovation Fund
Ha Nguyen, McRock Capital

February 18th, 8:30am – 9:30 MST

Hosted by Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight

Featuring:

Darren Bolding, Natural Products Canada
Marty Reed, Evok Innovations

Setting up your New Small Business for Tax Season Success
2021-02-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Setting up your New Small Business for Tax Season Success

Congratulations on starting your business! You’ve registered your trade name, partnership or you’ve incorporated, now what? This introductory webinar will focus on all of your ‘what next’ questions when it comes to setting up your business for financial success.

Some of the topics to be covered include:

– What is a business number, and changes to how it is assigned after registration

– Choosing a Financial year-end (for incorporated companies)

– Electing either the quick method or regular method of GST reporting- the differences between both methods and how to choose the best one

– How to pay yourself and family members from your business

– Setting up a basic accounting tracking system

Join us to set your business up for tax season success!

Date: Feb 18 2021
Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Presented by:

Vivien Jonathan, Director, Key People Accounting

Register for free today!

Please note: By registering to attend this event you are authorizing us to share your contact information with our event partners.

This program may be recorded.

AMII AI Seminars: Two-player, Zero-sum games
2021-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Amii researcher at the University of Alberta Dustin Morrill presents “Hindsight Rationality and Efficient Deviation Types in Extensive-Form Games”. In this talk, he suggests to field learning algorithms that ensure strong performance in hindsight relative to “deviations” (pre-defined behaviour modifications) in two-player, zero-sum games.
Abstract: A successful approach to playing two-player, zero-sum games has been to deploy a static artifact resembling a Nash equilibrium, which has led work in artificial intelligence to focus on computing such artifacts. This approach is less sound and has been less successful in multi-player, general-sum games. We suggest instead to field learning algorithms that ensure strong performance in hindsight relative to “deviations”, i.e., pre-defined behavior modifications. A society of such “hindsight rational” agents converges toward mediated equilibrium, a traditional notion of equilibrium based on average correlated play rather than factored behavior, in contrast to Nash equilibrium. We re-examine deviation types and mediated equilibria in extensive-form games to gain a more complete understanding and resolve past misconceptions. We introduce a new deviation type that has implicitly formed the basis for the counterfactual regret minimization (CFR) algorithm. We generalize CFR to the extensive-form regret minimization (EFR) algorithm that is hindsight rational for any given deviation type within a broad and natural class. This class contains powerful new deviation types that are efficient to use in games with moderate lengths. We present an empirical analysis of EFR’s performance with different deviation types in common benchmark games, showing that stronger deviation types typically impart better performance, even in two-player, zero-sum games.
Presenter Bio: Dustin is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Alberta and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) working with Professor Michael Bowling. He works on multi-agent learning and scaleable, dependable learning algorithms. He is a coauthor of [DeepStack] and he created [Cepheus’s public match interface]. He completed a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in computing science at the University of Alberta where his M.Sc was also supervised by Michael Bowling. As an undergraduate, he worked with the Computer Poker Research Group (CPRG) to create an [open-source web interface to play against poker bots] and to develop the 1st-place 3-player Kuhn poker entry in the 2014 Annual Computer Poker Competition (ACPC).

Founder Fridays: Author Cory Bray
2021-04-09 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Event Information:
We’re giving away 100 copies of Cory Bray’s book at the April 9th kick-off of Founder Fridays. During the fireside chat, author and Alchemist Accelerator Sales Mentor Cory Bray will cover some of the key elements from his book Sales Playbooks: The Builder’s Toolkit Paperback and end with a 15 minute Q & A session with participants.Join us to learn how a sales playbook can create more consistent top performers faster, reduce the gap between your top performers and everyone else, develop sales teams that engage with more prospects, produce more pipeline, AND close more deals. Founder Fridays is a series of fireside chats with authors of books that are typically held on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month, the initiative is based on the success of a fireside chat with Ian Hathaway (Brad Feld’s co-author on their latest book) that had 300+ participants and gave away 100 copies of The Startup Community Way to attendees from across Alberta. Each month you can register for either or both of two sessions: A fireside chat with an author that shares a link where the last 15 minutes is a Q & A session with the participants and a link is provided so those from Alberta can request a free copy of the author’s book. Table discussions held two weeks later (sometimes with, sometimes without the author) to discuss the different ways the content from the fireside chat and the author’s book can be applied to Alberta’s Startup Community. Founder Fridays are designed to support Alberta’s entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, ecosystem builders and service providers by: Upskilling entrepreneurs, mentors, ecosystem builders and service providers

Developing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship support in and around post-secondary institutions. Helping startups grow faster and develop the expertise and traction required to attract capital.
Increasing the volume of startups and the velocity at which they progress through the Startup Commons stages
Working with existing entrepreneurship support organizations to expand their mentor networkFounder Fridays is a joint initiative of 150 Startups, Bow Valley College, Futurepreneur, Rainforest Alberta, and the Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta and are made possible by the generous support of Bow Valley College, RBC, The Hunter Family Foundation, Calgary Innovation Coalition, RINSA, and Women in STEM.

Alberta IoT Fast Track Program Cohort 3
2021-05-10 08:00 - 2021-07-05 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Apply to Enrol in the Fast Track Program

Alberta IoT is dedicated to establishing Alberta as a worldwide leader in the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Alberta IoT Fast Track is a technology ecosystem program to help established businesses (in Calgary and surrounding areas) in IoT (running IoT as a business or leveraging IoT for their growth) to scale up, gain access to resources, and increase collaboration between tech sector businesses, with the ultimate goal of creating new jobs, expand operations, and increasing revenue in Canada and abroad.
What’s Involved

Upcoming Program Dates:
Cohort 1 – January 4 – February 26, 2021
Cohort 2 – March 8 – May 3, 2021
Cohort 3 – May 10 – July 5, 2021

Training Areas

Business expansion modelling
Sales & Marketing
Systems and processes
Sourcing New Digital Technologies
R&D Process
PR & Positioning IoT Business Voice To Take Centre Stage
Strategic Funding and Resource Linking for Global Expansion
Business Collaboration Project Planning

Commitment
The Fast Track Program aims to provide the right support systems and education to increase revenue for IoT companies in Alberta and position these businesses to successfully expand globally.
This will be achieved through:

8-week live business training program
1 year mentorship with cohort
Weekly training sessions with key resource partners
1:1 coaching sessions over 1 year with quarterly check-ins

RainForest LWOL - Digital Intelligence
2021-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
About this Event
​Curious about what’s happening in the innovation ecosystem in Alberta?
​Join us at Lunch Without Lunch every Wednesday to hear about the players, events, and news that are making our innovation ecosystem thrive. This weekly meeting is a regular check on the pulse of the community, open to people of any age, wage, or stage of company.
​May 26- This week we will be joined by Jasmine Palardy and Lee Ackerman of The SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technology as they ask, “what does it mean to be digital?” and why not only nurturing – but also measuring – “Digital Intelligence” will accelerate our path to a thriving tech talent pool in Alberta.

Women in the New Economy: Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs
2021-06-10 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and ecosystem partners for an innovative virtual event

About this Event

Join the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and ecosystem partners for an innovative virtual event that showcases the opportunities for women in the emerging digital economy of crypto, NFTs, tokens and blockchain technology.
Canada stands at the brink of an unprecedented technological shift that will change all aspects of our economy, and diversity is the key its success.
The Canadian Blockchain Association for Women is hosting an event designed to build awareness of the opportunities for women in the digital economy and demystify participation in emerging growth areas like crypto, NFTs, and blockchain finance.

MLOps World - Machine Learning In Production
2021-06-14 08:00 - 2021-06-17 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Virtual Online
Join us for a virtual event dedicated exclusively to ML in Production. 4 days – Join when you can – all recordings provided
