Pioneering Innovation Panel – Small Business Week

From self-sufficient green homes and state-of-the-art power generation, to world renowned gaming experiences and air compression inventions: the participants in our Pioneering Innovation Panel represent a trio of Edmonton companies at the very forefront of product, science and technology innovation.

Moderated by Todd Tougas, Vice President, Financing & Consulting, BDC.

ATCO

From its relatively humble beginnings as a mobile trailer provider to Alberta’s booming industry to its present day position as a global group of companies representing approximately 7,000 employees with assets of $20 billion, the ATCO story is filled with tales of pioneering innovations – innovations that continue to this day with the sustainable solar community – Drake Landing.

Panelist: Nathan Carter, Vice President, Edmonton Region Operations, ATCO

Bioware

Baldur's Gate™, Star Wars ™: Knights of the Old Republic™, Mass Effect™: the titles read like a ‘who’s who’ of the most critically acclaimed video games in the world – a testament to the pioneering innovation that occurs within the design studios of Edmonton’s own Bioware. An unlikely amalgam of medical and computer science, the Bioware story is a tale of a world class company coalescing around a common vision and love for computer games, animation and comics. The ability to tell a good story is the thread that unites all three. So what’s the Bioware secret for pioneering innovation? The answer may surprise you.

Panelist: Aaryn Flynn, Former General Manager, Bioware

Airworks

Arriving on the scene in 2007, the list of innovations achieved by Edmonton’s own AirWorks Compressors Corp. in one scant decade is truly impressive. Starting the journey with a prestigious NovaNAIT Award for Innovative Technology and continuing to the present day with the planned X90X expedition to become the first team to traverse Antarctica in a hybrid vehicle, AirWorks truly embraces the spirit of ‘pioneering innovation’ exemplified by this dynamic and visionary panel.

Panelist: Sheila Stang, VP Operations, Airworks Compressors Corp

DIRTT Environmental Solutions

At DIRTT, innovation begins with the effort to create a positive shift in the construction industry by placing as much value on the environment and people as they do on beautiful and functional design. By giving customers complete design freedom, the realized space looks, feels and functions not only how it was imagined, but even better than originally thought possible. The end result of this 'pioneering innovation' is construction you can feel good about.

Panelist: Alyssa Lefaivre, DIRTTbag, DIRTT Environmental Solutions

1. Three pillars of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and extended business community.
2. Three visionary businesses that are pioneering innovation to lead their businesses to global recognition and success.
3. Three reasons to attend this year’s Pioneering Innovation Panel at BDC Small Business Week™ 2017.