On May 14 to 16, 2018 in Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia and the BC Innovation Council hosted the third annual #BCTECH Summit. It is the largest technology conference in Western Canada, showcasing B.C.’s vibrant tech and innovation sectors. I was there, representing Pique Ventures and the investor community and portfolio of Pique Fund.
(L to R: Bonnie Foley-Wong – Pique Ventures, Mary-Kate Mahoney – HP, Angela Robert – Conquer Experience, Martina Welkhoff – WXR Fund at the #BCTECH Summit opening party)
I had the opportunity to connect with the broader community around Pique including investors, partners, and entrepreneurs. The highlights were:
- Day 1 plenary talk by Anthony Salcito, VP of Education, Microsoft, talking not only about the role of and advances in technology supporting education, but also a focus on purpose and impact. I agree – education is the cornerstone of innovation and is also a key essential resource for creating greater equality in our societies and economies.
Character. The sixth C (along with creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, computational thinking) – critical skills/traits that people need ~ @AnthonySalcito #ethics #impinv #BCTECHSummit
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 15, 2018
“Think about the role technology can play in making the world a better place.” @AnthonySalcito closes his opening plenary talk with _this_. Resonates strongly with me, @Pique_V, #PiqueFund and #IntegratedInvesting. #BCTECHSummit
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 15, 2018
- Day 2 plenary talk by Brent Bushnell, computer engineer, professional clown, and CEO Two Bit Circus. His dynamic talk demonstrated the power of creativity and a poignant reminder of how technology can (and in my opinion, should) be people-focused.
“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” @brentbushnell @TwoBitCircus referencing @MadeleineLEngle. Further support for #juststarting something, IMO. #BCTECHSummit
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 16, 2018
“Specialization is for insects.” @brentbushnell @TwoBitCircus quoting Robert Henlein. Advocating for diversity of experiences and skill sets. ????? #polymath #BCTECHSummit
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 16, 2018
“Go crash conferences,” @brentbushnell @TwoBitCircus. Reminds me of the @planetmoney podcast about the person who crashed a different, random event or meetup every week. #BCTECHSummit #bctech #randominput
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 16, 2018
I can’t keep up with what @brentbushnell is saying. Too much awesomeness. Take notes – write it down, manually, you don’t have to look at it ever again. ????? Distilling ideas – engages frontal lobe. #BCTECHSummit #bctech #WowWednesday
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 16, 2018
Cross-disciplinary. Diversity. You want a lot of different voices at the table as you build something. ~ @brentbushnell @TwoBitCircus #BCTECHSummit #leadershipdiversity #piquefund #PiqueVentures
— Bonnie Foley-Wong (@BonnieOWong) May 16, 2018
- Innovation isn’t just about technology, gadgets, and robots – although these might be the most visible and tangible things that people see. Innovation is about people, talent, and socio-economic factors. In conversations about growing and scaling technology-focused businesses and ecosystems, the topic of affordable housing came up several times.
(L to R: Cascadia Innovation Corridor: The Next Global Tech Cluster panel featuring Peter Payne – BC Innovation Council, Christine Gregoire – CEO and Former Governor of the State of Washington | Challenge Seattle, Alan Winter – Innovation Commissioner | Government of British Columbia)
For Pique, the #BCTECH Summit was a great place to build upon existing relationships to grow the impact and outcomes of our investing activities and make connections for other people that I bumped into. I met new people and heard some startup venture pitches – let’s see if those entrepreneurs follow-through!
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