What sacrifices should you make to become an entrepreneur?

Plus, don't fall foul of changes from the Bank of Canada.

Author

Emily Edwards
September 11, 2024

Welcome to the Midweek Memo: a weekly digest of the city’s top tech events, personnel moves, job openings, and industry opportunities.

Before we get into this, check out the results from our weekly poll!

On Sunday, we asked how many years you’d been working in Alberta’s tech sector. Over 40% of you said ten years!

Now, on to the events you can’t miss…

Startup TNT Happy Hour | September 12

  • Connect with local entrepreneurs and investors at Startup TNT’s weekly happy hour events every Thursday in Calgary and Edmonton.

  • Join to meet a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals, and engage in conversations about the latest trends and strategies.

  • Join a celebration of season two of Thin Air Labs' podcast, The Founder Mindset.

  • Leah Sarich — Thin Air Labs' head of story, veteran broadcaster, and host of the podcast — will chat with three founders.

  • Discover the answer to questions including what it’s actually like to be a founder. Why do it? What sacrifices does it require? Is it worth the challenge? Get a preview at this must-see event.

SPONSORED BY TOAST

Summit speakers

Join us for the 2nd Annual Toast Summit, a full-day event dedicated to uplifting and empowering women in the tech industry. Designed to celebrate and honour the achievements of women, this summit aims to provide a supportive environment where attendees can network, learn, and grow together.

RPAA Readiness for Payment Service Providers: Essential Steps to Compliance | September 16

  • In November 2024, all payment service providers offering services to the Canadian market must register with the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act.

  • Hosted by the Bank of Canada, this workshop will help payment service providers (PSPs) learn more about essential steps to compliance when registering.

  • Join this workshop and find out what PSPs need to know to prepare, and the Bank’s supervisory expectations. Following this update, engage with Bank experts at information stations to ask questions. This will be a great opportunity to connect with the Bank and network with industry peers gearing up for retail payments supervision.

  • Calgary Tech Thursdays is co-hosting an event with FinTech Cadence on how to build fintech champions. This event will be a fireside chat with Luge Capital and one of their portfolio companies. Luge Capital is a prominent fintech investor in Canada.

  • David Nault, general partner at Luge Capital, will be moderating the fireside chat. David has been building early stage technology companies as an investor, founder, or senior member of the executive team for over 20 years.

The Toast Summit | September 19

  • Join the second annual Women in Tech Summit hosted by Toast, a full-day event dedicated to uplifting and empowering women in the tech industry. Designed to celebrate and honour the achievements of women, this gathering aims to provide a supportive environment where attendees can network, learn, and grow together.

  • Featuring a lineup of industry leaders and inspiring speakers, the Women in Tech Summit will delve into essential topics such as venture capital, women entrepreneurs, and leadership in the tech sector.

  • Through insightful discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging panels, explore the unique experiences and challenges faced by women in this dynamic field.

Life Sciences Week 2024 | September 23-27

  • Life Sciences Week brings together the entire life sciences ecosystem in Alberta, while also attracting supporters and collaborators from across Canada, drawing global attention.

  • This week-long event stands as a testament to Alberta’s mark on global life sciences through the discoveries made here. From medical devices to pharmaceuticals and more, Life Sciences Week illuminates Alberta’s entrepreneurial spirit and contributions to the forefront of advancement.

qConnect 2024 | October 2-3

  • qConnect 2024 is a unique two-day summit in Calgary that connects quantum creators with prospective users of their technology.

  • Inspiring presenters and panels will explore potential applications of quantum technologies in health, energy, and sustainable cities.

  • The summit offers a dynamic platform for industry leaders, government representatives, and stakeholders from around the world to converge and explore the transformative potential of quantum applications, while engaging with quantum creators whose technologies will disrupt — and improve — industries in the years ahead.

  • SGIN’s Energy Innovation Forum is an annual collaboration event built to accelerate the path to Canada’s low-carbon energy future.

  • Every year, multi-sectoral delegates from across Canada (including leading utilities, vendors, regulators, communities, academia, and provincial and federal leaders representing all facets of the smart energy industry) gather under one roof.

  • They’ll address core challenges of policy, regulatory, business models, and technology advancement and integration.

  • Join Calgary’s signature economic forecast and networking event, the 2025 Economic Outlook.

  • In addition to providing local and national economic insights, this year’s event will also help chart a course for the outcome of the U.S. election and help you understand what this means for Canada and Alberta. 

  • Techstars Startup Weekend is like a hackathon for people excited about tech.

  • Over a fun-filled 54 hours, participants pitch ideas, team up, and bring a startup idea to life. It’s all about creativity, teamwork, and turning ideas into action!

  • You’ll make new connections, find mentors, or maybe even meet your future business partner. It’s like a crash course where you learn by doing, with seasoned pros showing you the ropes.

  • Deep Tech Canada is hosting an event to bring together industry, policy-makers, and experts in supporting standards development to showcase opportunities for Canada's leadership in clean, green, and sustainable technologies.

Banff Venture Forum | October 23-24

  • The Banff Venture Forum is a platform to showcase outstanding early and growth-stage ventures in the tech space.

  • It engages a North American audience of experts from private equity firms to corporate strategy makers and foreign trade and development agencies, among others.

  • The company showcase provides a highly focused networking opportunity for emerging outfits to display their products to strategic players for meaningful business development opportunities.

  • Limited live pitch spots are available. Once the live pitch spots have been filled, the remaining companies selected will be eligible to showcase on the event app powered by Swapcard.

💼 Calgary tech jobs

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