By Avvey Peters, CDMN’s Vice President of External Relations
After working largely in the background for CDMN over the last five years, I had the opportunity this week to participate in one of the semi-annual Hub meetings, where representatives from 28 network partners gather to share insights and best practices with one another. Over the course of two days in Sault Ste. Marie, network members shared strategies for accelerating the growth of Canada’s early-stage companies, through programs like Innovation Factory’s LiFT, Traction at Accelerate Okanagan, and Next Level from the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre.
The conversation turned often to how best to provide stage-specific resources to companies, with offerings like Startup Edmonton’s Pre-flight education program for “pre-entrepreneurs”, or WeTech Alliance’s use of the FIRST Robotics program to encourage greater participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines for young people in Windsor.
What struck me was how quickly this peer group has grown from a handful of like-minded organizations working regionally, to a robust network of innovation brokers – all providing similar entrepreneurial resources, coaching, mentorship, and incubation space to support Canada’s digital and ICT industries, while also cultivating specialized regional and sectoral expertise. The breadth of specialized expertise across the network is striking: from the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, which runs a Community Geomatics Centre to the Generator at one, which has a full-service motion capture studio. And there’s a considerable willingness to pool assets and expertise when it will make a difference to the success of a Canadian company.
Notwithstanding the earnest discussions of talent recruitment and retention strategies, performance measurement, and achieving financial sustainability, the highlight of this particular Hub meeting was the opportunity to spend an evening with Sault Ste. Marie’s very own Olympic curling champions: Team Jacobs. The gold medallists shared a glimpse of what it was like to win gold for Canada, including how they balance teamwork, competition and collaboration. Team Jacobs’ members bring unique skillsets and mindsets to each competition, but they elevate the team above all else when they’re playing to win. Good lessons for our young network. (The insider stories of the Sochi games were pretty cool too, but we’re sworn to secrecy on those.)
Brimming with new ideas and ready to go back to the front lines of working with companies for the next six months, the Canadian Digital Media Network will set its sights on Vancouver for the next Hub gathering, which will be hosted by Wavefront next fall.