Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue, learn about which minister will be the best point of contact for Victoria startups, which two local companies have the best corporate culture, and the impact of a rogue wave off Ucluelet.

Now on to today’s briefing. It’s 620 words: a three-minute read.

-Kate, [email protected] 

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Victoria MLA becomes new minister for jobs, economic development, and innovation

This week, the newly elected B.C. NDP party revealed its new cabinet.

Diana Gibson will be taking on the top job of minister for jobs, economic development, and innovation (JEDI) — a post previously held by Brenda Bailey, who has now transitioned to the finance file. As well as her new cabinet position, Gibson is the current MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

Gibson is an award winning community leader and entrepreneur. Prior to her election, she served as the executive director of the Greater Victoria Community Social Planning Council, where she founded multiple regional services and programs including the Greater Victoria Rent Bank. She is also a successful entrepreneur and CEO who co-founded multiple businesses, including Canada’s largest Indigenous-owned consulting firm. Prior to that, she directed a university research institute.

Gibson may be a rookie in the NDP party, winning her first election this year, but her dual standing as a representative for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and the JEDI ministry may be promising for Victoria’s tech scene. As an entrepreneur who has operated from the local ecosystem, Gibson’s familiarity with Island-based companies could help inform the policies she’ll present to the party.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🏄 Surf’s up: On November 17, in the middle of a storm, MarineLabs — a real-time weather data and forecasting startup — measured the most extreme rogue wave it’s ever recorded: a 17.6 meter giant off the coast of Ucluelet.

⭐ To be loved and admired: Victoria companies Accent Inns and StarFish Medical took home awards for being two of Canada’s most admired corporate cultures in the growth category.

👋 Turn it up to five: Freedom Mobile this week upgraded its 5G wireless network in southern Ontario, Alberta and B.C. The Victoria and Colwood areas will now enjoy higher speeds and better coverage.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Senior Event Technology Strategist & Project Manager at Atlassian

• Portfolio Leader at Island Health — Vancouver Island Health Authority

• Principal Engineer, Growth Engineering at Hims & Hers Health

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

December 11 | Victoria ProductBC: Connect, Play & Grow!

When: Wednesday, December 11, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Board with Friends, 705 Johnson St, Victoria
What: Join fellow product professionals for an evening of meaningful connections over board games and shop talk. Limited to just 20 seats to ensure genuine conversations that matter. What makes this different? No presentations, no pitches — just real conversations with other product leaders in a relaxed setting.

December 11 | How to Conduct a Pay Equity Analysis Using Diversity Data

Does your organization collect diversity data? If so, how does your data compare to the wider Canadian tech community? If not, how do you get started in collecting diversity data? And once you have data collected, how do you conduct a pay equity analysis to identify pay gaps and create action plans to close these gaps?

Join TAP Network for a special tech community webinar where they’ll be:

• Sharing data from TAP Network’s 2024 Diversity Dashboard

• Connecting you with free diversity benchmarking resources

• Hearing from compensation experts on how to conduct a pay equity analysis

​December 19 | Tech Nachos: Holiday edition

Victoria Tech Nachos… a covert group at the intersection of Nachos and Technology. A no-speaker, social-only, no-sponsor, nacho-friendly event. 

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

🙋 I need a…

We at Victoria Tech Journal know you, our community, pretty well. Are you searching for someone in your field to have coffee with, a hiring hookup, a lead on local investors, or suggestion for a great Victoria tech tool? Whatever you’re hunting for, let us know. We’ll post it in this section and make it happen.

Email your requests to [email protected].

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.