Putting Winnipeg on the global map is a top priority for Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) and if you’re interested in Winnipeg’s tech space—from business to people—getting connected to real opportunities just got a lot easier.
EDW’s business development team, YES! Winnipeg along with North Forge Technology Exchange, New Media Manitoba, the Manitoba Technology Accelerator, Startup TNT, Tech Winnipeg and Tech Manitoba are now supporting a weekly networking event, Tech Thursdays. It always features a keynote speaker and networking event.
“I think it’s really important to have this. The ability to have startups, businesses and investors all in one place is great. There is such a mix of people there—with a lot of different ideas. It’s awesome,” says Steven Maxted, owner of Type Eh Bikes, who recently spoke at Tech Thursdays on building a modern rental platform.
Maxted also recently joined forces with Jordan Smith, Dennis Cheong and Dany Cheong of Renterii—an app where people or businesses can rent out items. You can rent out everything from kayaks, bikes and drones to experiences and spaces for reasonable rates but has the potential to be so much more.
“I see this changing the economy. We can create a completely circular economy—with interest rates and prices going up and then bringing that back into what we’re doing. If you’re in cabin country and there are no rental options, you can create your own business using this idea and have a franchise,” says Maxted.
Getting more exposure to investors and valuable connections to help build his business and others is welcome news.
“As a startup, you need to network and get better access to experts from finance to law and marketing. This could be the start of something so much bigger that will help future companies just starting out.”
Established tech companies like NEO Financial see the event as a good way to showcase new ideas across the industry but also meet or introduce newcomers to Winnipeg’s tech ecosystem.
"Winnipeg has a tech community that's always been able to punch above its weight. The goals of Tech Thursdays are twofold: uplift Winnipeg's collective technical knowledge through collaborative discussions and pool our resources to boost Winnipeg startups and entrepreneurs,” says Paul Card, Vice President of Technology for NEO Financial, who is also supporting the initiative
For Economic Development Winnipeg, leveraging its connections across a wide network also presents short-term and long-term benefits for the city’s growth.
“In the short term, it’s an opportunity for us to network with existing businesses to see if we can support them with scaling operations or showcase exciting new startups on the global stage. In the long term, it helps us position Winnipeg to outside companies as a growing tech hub, that’s active, diverse and connected,” says Amanda Macdonald, EDW’s Director of Business Development.
Upcoming Winnipeg Tech Thursdays events
Tech Thursdays occur every week at locations around the city.
For more information on Tech Thursdays and to register for events, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/winnipeg-tech-thursdays-1500409?just_published=true