Digital Journal

Calgary is going “all in” on tech, and the numbers are turning heads. In the past five years, Calgary’s tech workforce has grown by an impressive 78%, while the city’s innovation ecosystem is attracting global attention as a model for tech growth and collaboration. Innovation Week YYC is just around the corner, showcasing how Calgary’s tech community is coming together to support innovators and founders with resources, funding, and mentorship. Whether you’re an investor, founder, or simply curious about the future of tech in Calgary, this is a moment to tune in. Check out the latest piece from Terry Rock, President & CEO of Platform Calgary, to see how the city is setting the stage for a new era in tech: https://lnkd.in/gU4Rxa-d #CalgaryTech #DigitalTransformation #InnovationWeekYYC

Imagine cutting months of complex energy modelling down to hours — what could that mean for the energy transition? As Digital Journal learned in a recent interview with John Mortimer of Computer Modelling Group (CMG) and Nefeli Moridis, Ph.D. of NVIDIA, the companies are collaborating to rapidly accelerate energy modelling. For those outside the tech world, here’s why this matters: As the energy industry shifts focus towards sustainability, companies face growing pressure to accurately model complex underground reservoirs for carbon capture and renewable resource management. This collaboration pairs CMG’s simulation expertise with NVIDIA’s advanced Grace Hopper Superchip to tackle that challenge head-on, transforming the speed and accuracy of reservoir simulations. Faster simulations mean quicker, more informed decisions for storing CO2 and transitioning energy resources — two essential steps for reducing emissions and reaching climate goals. The takeaway? This tech is helping the energy sector innovate, allowing for faster progress in the transition to sustainable energy. Learn more about the potential impact of this collaboration in this exclusive story by Chris Hogg: https://lnkd.in/gBms8Dmj

In a world where tech is no longer just the “engine” but the vision itself, how should we redefine technology leadership? Keith Daser, founder of Deliver Digital Inc., took a deep dive into the changing definitions behind technology leadership. Here are some of his takeaways: ▶ From support to strategy: IT’s role is shifting from mere support to a strategic force, connecting and amplifying organizational goals. ▶ Beyond tech for tech’s sake: The real impact comes from integrating tech with a human-centric approach, empowering people and driving meaningful outcomes. ▶ Collaboration is key: Technology initiatives now require a unified vision from all stakeholders, aligning on a reimagined path forward. Curious about how leaders are reshaping this narrative? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gjpmvVHe #Leadership #Innovation #DigitalTransformation

Guess the cat’s officially out of the bag… Thanks to David's little “announcement,” (this was it: https://lnkd.in/gg6rdFyM) everyone knows about The Directors’ Table, our new, no-BS newsletter. Think of it as a peek into the boardroom, but with zero filters and a lot more sass. SaaS? See what we did there? Every week, our directors from Marketing, HR, Sales, Ops, and IT drop some brutally honest takes on the latest headlines, industry insights, and the occasional office mishap. If you’re looking for a newsletter that’s actually fun to read (and won’t put you to sleep), The Directors’ Table might just be your new go-to. 👉 Check it out and subscribe: https://lnkd.in/gT-y69vE

Should you interact with AI as if it was a human? Are big tech companies good at regulating AI in an ethical way? These were some of the big questions explored by the last panel at #meshcon today, (produced in partnership with Mia AI), which included experts on AI ethics, Rose Genele, Ivey Chiu, Charitarth Bharti and Anne-Marie Enns. The answer to both questions, FYI, was a pretty resounding no. AI is not intelligent, “it’s not actually responding to you, it’s just statistics at the end of the day,” says Chiu. Bharti agrees, noting that we don’t know how AI systems will behave, and thus have to caution and protect people from interacting with AI as if it were human —  because we don’t know what negative actions AI might encourage a person to take.   Genele recommends applying three key principles when trying to practically implement an AI ethics policy in organizations and systems: fairness, accountability and transparency. But neither she, nor the other panelists seemed confident that big tech companies can be trusted to create and implement such policies. “A lot of communities are coming together to make sure that [AI] isn't regulated by Meta, by OpenAI,” noted Enns.  AI ethics needs to be embedded within the culture of the data scientists, of the practitioners of AI, says Chiu. It’s important for us to use tools like regulation to address concerns about AI ethics, Genele says. #innovation #digitaltransformation

If you want to put a number on how disruptive tech has been in construction and real-estate in recent years, Stephanie Wood, Vice President at Alate Partners has a couple for you: “Back in the early 2000s and 2010 era, there was only about $1 billion or $2 billion a year that was invested across the world in the PropTech [property technology] industry. And so when you think about change over the next decade, by 2021, $30 billion a year was being invested,” she explains. Wood joined Hamid Alemohammad, PhD, Founder at Brickeye on the #meshcon stage for a chat hosted by Elena Yunusov Executive Director, Human Feedback Foundation. What’s that investment leading to? Architects, engineers and those in construction are increasingly turning to tech like IoT and AI to make sense of data collected from construction sites in order to improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability — for instance, reducing waste and carbon footprints, says Alemohammad. His advice to entrepreneurs who want to join the PropTech boom: Keep in mind the importance of understanding the problem, build an MVP, test it with customers and refine your solution based on feedback. #innovation #digitaltransformation

Many schools and affordable housing designs are starting to look a lot like prisons do, says Ibrahim Greenidge, co-founder of BOLT Architecture, PLLC speaking to Sarah C. at mesh. His point: many design ideas are simply regurgitated over and over again. And they often are more focused on the bottom line, than creating a sustainable, user-friendly space. Which is why Greenidge encourages an evolution of the architect's role, to become a modern version of a “master builder” (historically, this was the person who oversaw a construction project end-to-end). The modern master builder integrates digital tools like BIM and 3D tech, as well as AI and automation to blend the functions of architecture, engineering and construction into a more cohesive, collaborative process. And in turn uses this tech and more collaborative process to build spaces that meet an “Inhabitant Bill of Rights,” says Greenidge. By which he means ecosystems that support clean water, clean air, live food, co-generative housing, universal spaces, green spaces and energy conservation —  while also addressing waste. What if the market isn’t ready for spaces like these, asks a mesh audience member? “I don’t care if the market is ready,” Greenidge says. It’s the architect — or master builder’s — responsibility to educate clients and the general public on the value of sustainable design in a way that they understand and can relate to, he says. #meshcon #innovation #digitaltransformation

If you have a smart idea, bounce it off as many people as possible and make sure there is a customer base for your product, says CEO & Founder at Structa Co, Richard Baugh, MBA talking about his experience as a founder with Alicia Kalozdi MacMillan at the #meshcon innovation showcase. Also, he says, don’t take on investors too soon — because you do have to answer to them. So push your business as far as you can yourself, then go to the market and find investors, employing as much leverage as possible so you can keep control of your business. #innovation #digitaltransformation

“There’s no magic pill to building a new culture of work,” says Amanda Schneider, LEED AP, MBA 🤓 from ThinkLab in conversation with Chris Hogg of Digital Journal Group (DJG) Group at #meshcon. But the future of work will be all about the entanglement of IT, HR and design, she says. And the best companies are aligning across these functions. So your people goals shouldn’t be different from IT goals, for instance. When it comes to designing successful physical work places specifically, focus on the human motivation for going to an office and what incentivizes people to stay or engage in these spaces, says Schneider. Especially as more and more work takes place virtually and remotely, there’s actually extra pressure on physical work spaces to be environments that are worth visiting, she says. So get to truly know your workforce and what they want from an office space. When considering generational differences in the workplace, for example, approach the study of generational groups as prototypes not stereotypes — that will give you insight into their varying perceptions on work environments. Some key trends in workplace design that Schneider has noted lately? 1. As there’s an increase in anxiety and risk-aversion amongst workers, they’re seeking comfort and nostalgia in physical environments. 2. There is a merging of all things — think: the entanglement she referenced above — from designers shifting to different verticals than the ones they specialize in (bringing different perspectives to projects) to cross-pollination of creativity from outside traditional design bubbles, and even outside the industry. #innovation #digitaltransformation

“It’s a matter of do or die at this point,” says Kamales Lardi, globally recognized thought leader in digital business transformation at #meshcon in Toronto, in conversation with David Potter. She’s talking about the need to build a work environment that is resilient and adaptable — or risk the future success of your business. Lardi recommends offering your team a “motivation triangle” that includes: ✅ Autonomy: giving people the choice of where they work. Be it at an office or at home. And if they do come into a physical environment, offering hyper-personalized workspace options — say quiet, sound-proofed spaces as well as more social environments.   ✅ Mastery: having virtual and/or physical spaces where people can learn and build different skill-sets, as well as easy access to their leadership teams.  ✅ Purpose: ensuring your work environment reflects your purpose as an organization. So, for example, if sustainability is important to you, make sure your physical spaces are environmentally-friendly. But, a crowd member asked, if your workforce is remote, how do teams grow their emotional intelligence? “We need human interaction, but we don’t need it 100 per cent of the time for work,” says Lardi. Teach your team to a) build resilience and b) invest in adaptive learning (for example: she encourages junior staff to actually engage with a human person every day to exercise their “social brain”). Lardi also suggests investing in virtual immersive offices, which can be accessed by laptop — though are more immersive if you have a virtual headset — and encourage digital communal engagement. “Once a week, our team members get into this office space, and it allows us to interact in an almost personal space. It helps us build stronger relationships with one another, but it also allows people to have flexibility.”