TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo, brought to you by COAST. In this issue, read about digital literacy skills, the potential power of fungi, and a survey from the City of Victoria.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 723 words, a three-minute read.

Victoria represents at Youth Entrepreneur of the Year

They say youth is wasted on the young, but these entrepreneurs are making the most of it. 

Presented by League of Innovators, the national charity founded by Ryan Holmes (of Hootsuite fame), the first annual Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards recognizes and celebrates Canada’s young innovators. 

The inaugural awards honour 28 young minds whose work reflects what League of Innovators calls the key values of “real Canadian entrepreneurship stories”: leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, impact, and innovation.

The Victoria innovators on this year’s list are:

Justin Tse, founder and CEO, Feature Media

Digital advertising agency Feature Media started as a YouTube channel, motivated by then-13-year-old Justin Tse’s hope to be gifted the latest iPod Touch. Flash forward another 13 years and the agency’s brand partnerships include Apple, Mercedes Benz, the Four Seasons, Formula One, and Wimbledon.

Maxwell Nicholson, co-founder and CEO, Blossom Social

University of Victoria graduate Maxwell Nicholson has never been one to rest on his laurels. During his studies at UVic, Maxwell was the student society’s director of external relations, an instructor (during his undergrad), and even managed to pen an economics textbook. After some time spent in the tech and management consulting world, Maxwell decided to dip his toe into entrepreneurship and co-founded Blossom Social, a social investing platform. Blossom helps Canadian investors learn, share knowledge, and change the culture of investing.

SPONSORED

How do we harness the power of data to gain deeper insight into various aspects of Canada's ocean realm?

COAST recently took part in the seventh Ocean of Data Challenge to address this question.

By leveraging ocean data, participants were encouraged to explore and uncover valuable information related to Canada's ocean health and ocean economy.

The Data Challenge aimed to highlight the significance of data-driven insights in addressing complex issues related to ocean sustainability, conservation, and economic development. Participants were encouraged to apply their analytical and creative skills to discover innovative solutions and contribute to a more informed and sustainable future for Canada's oceans.

Watch the kickoff presentation here.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

👩‍💻 In your hands: At TEDxRoyalRoadsU, Canadian technologist Shauna Begley explained how to avoid getting lost in the tech world with digital literacy.

🍄 Mushroom magic: Kapoose Creek Bio uses AI to explore the potential of fungi for medical treatment.

⚡ Plug it in: City of Victoria is surveying residents on EV charging infrastructure and the future of sustainable transportation.

SPONSORED

Make a difference in your community.

Calling all millennials and Gen X’ers: Start your philanthropic journey with the Gadsden Initiative.  

This Victoria Foundation program helps community-minded citizens build relationships with local organizations through a series of learning sessions, community activities and networking opportunities. 

Create a meaningful legacy. Make a lasting difference in your community. 

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Electronic Assembler at Rimex

• Project Manager at Zetron

• Digital Marketing Specialist at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa

• Accounting Technician at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa

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

📅 Upcoming events

Nov 8 | Ask Us Anything: Salary Negotiation: Ready to elevate your career and boost your salary? Don't miss this opportunity to dive deep into the art of salary negotiation with compensation experts from The Thoughtful Co.

Nov 17 | Biomedical Engineering and Health Technology Showcase: Industry partners, researchers, health professionals, government officials, funding agencies, startups, faculty, and students are invited to this free event. Display tables and poster boards are available for individuals, teams, and companies who wish to showcase their research and/or products and services.

⭐ Nov 30 | Victoria Tech Morning Coffee, presented by VicTJ and Ink LLP

You’re invited to join Ink LLP and Victoria Tech Journal at Fort Tectoria to connect with the Victoria tech community in an informal atmosphere. ​Check out the space, discover a new career, find your next co-founder, or learn something new – you can do it all at our upcoming coffee meetup.

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 a 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.

This week:

 🤝 Technical partners and investors: A local systems integrator, hardware assembler, and distributor of clustering servers and data storage subsystems is looking for technical partners and investors. Reach out if that’s you!

Email your requests to [email protected].