Tapping into Calgary's Tech Community
Want to tap into Calgary's tech community? Find out what YYC has to offer for the technically inclined. Check out some great organizations in Calgary and see which suit you best.
For the past few months, I've been working with Lighthouse Labs to launch their first full-time web bootcamp in Calgary. Here's a shortened version of the blog I wrote to share what #YYC has to offer for the technically inclined!
Want to Connect with Calgary's Tech Community?
Chic Geek - a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging women to be makers, builders and creators leveraging technology to explore entrepreneurship. They host a Mentorship program as well as beginner-friendly workshops to get women (and men) up to speed on tech tools and to build confidence.
Startup Calgary - a nonprofit organization dedicated to entrepreneurs and technology-focused startups. They host a number of events throughout the year, with the largest being Launch Party, a 500-person event that brings the entire innovation community together to celebrate entrepreneurship in Calgary and recognize the top 10 startups.
Pixels & Pints - a monthly Meetup lead by Tony Grimes that is ideal for designers and developers. The format is extremely simple: Bring people together once a month and drink beer. There is an opportunity to do a ‘call out’ that you’re looking to hire, seeking work, or just announcing an upcoming event that is relevant for developers and designers.
YYCjs - a monthly Meetup lead by Eric Kryski for JavaScript developers. The Meetup has grown rapidly over the past 5 years. So much so, that they needed to change up the venue to the Last Best Brewery so they could accommodate at least 65 people each month.
Assembly Coworking Space - an affordable coworking space in Kensington targeted at tech startups and social enterprises. They offer a complimentary community space on the fourth floor for Meetups and are instrumental in bringing people together. Plus, they're hosting the first Lighthouse Labs Calgary Bootcamp cohort!
The A100 - spanning Calgary (and Edmonton), the A100 is a group of seasoned technology executives in Alberta. Their members regularly help others expand networks, connect people experiences, and share their experiences in order to help the next generation of entrepreneurs in Alberta. I'm currently helping them plan AccelerateAB, Alberta's large tech conference taking place in Edmonton on April 27, 2016.
Innovate Calgary - an innovation and commercialization hub for technology companies. They offer a number of programs for entrepreneurs and host the New Tech Meetup to highlight a couple local tech startups every month.
Digital Alberta - the voice of the digital industry in Alberta. They connect people through a membership network and host an annual Gala to highlight the best of the digital sector in our province.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but was created to highlight the many awesome organizations and community groups thriving in Calgary.
Want to learn more about Calgary's tech community? Send me a note and let's grab coffee.
The Story Behind the Name
The story behind our company name and why we focus on experiential marketing.
Welcome to the world, Catalystica! This is the beginning of something new and as the founding Principal, I'm excited to share it with you.
What's Catalystica?
Catalystica focuses on community engagement through experiential marketing. For folks unfamiliar with the term, it basically means that we specialize in creating events such as conferences, tradeshows, and meetups, on behalf of companies so that they can connect with their stakeholders face-to-face.
We're brand-first marketers + event strategists + community connectors who are passionate about bringing brands to life to meet their business objectives. Our work is grounded in the small details that make the biggest difference.
What’s the story behind the name Catalystica?
Sure, the name is long and you’re probably considering the various ways to pronounce it. (It’s /'kaet-e-list-ih-kah/.) But, it’s based on one of my favourite words: catalyst.
“A catalyst (/ˈkætəlɪst/) is a person or thing that causes a change.”
At Catalystica, we believe all human experiences have the potential to be catalysts for change. Experiences connect people, trigger conversations, inspire novel ideas, and create deeper and more meaningful connections than online interactions are capable of.
The Meaning Within Our Logo
Why is our logo comprised of three triangles? The triangle represents the uppercase delta letter that means 'change.' There are three corners and three sides on every triangle. Three is the universal triad for the past, present and the future.
You'll also notice the snow-capped mountain within the triangle. We love mountains (that's where you'll find us in our spare time!) and there are many metaphors used to describe mountains. This is one of our favourites:
“Life is a mountain, and we are all climbing to reach the summit.”
Why focus on experiential marketing?
I’m drawn to people and I love facilitating meaningful social connections among them. The way I see it, the easiest way to connect is for people to get together, in person, and see what happens when conversation sparks and ideas transpire. Experiential marketing provides a space for companies and organizations to interact, share ideas, and expand their network.
Well there you have it; the story behind the intriguing name and why we do what we do.
Questions? Comments? Leave them below or reach out and connect!
Until next time,
Jenn