Finding Great Talent: Event Wrap-up

“The challenge in finding and retaining great sales and marketing talent” was one of the hot discussion topics at the STIRR Canada Founders’ Table held on July 3rd, at the Tribune Restaurant in Calgary.

A group of 10 emerging and established tech startup founders and funders were invited to the dinner, hosted by STIRR Canada’s Patrick Lor and Claudia Moore. Among the companies represented were Acceleware, Calgary Scientific, VoodooPC (HP), Userful, and Evoco, as well as the evening’s sponsor Macleod Dixon.

Discussions covered a range of other topics including: best practices in working with international partners and resellers, startup culture, the ins and outs of tax credits and government funding, when to outsource, and more … talk continued on past dessert.

Some of the attendee feedback included:

• “It’s nice to have exposure to raw entrepreneurial spirit/DNA …”
• “I lost track of the time owing to the terrific conversation.”
• “I appreciated the small format discussion - and the ability to ask questions and share experiences.”
• “It was interesting hearing about the common issues all our companies suffer …”

More Founders’ Tables are planned for this summer, with a larger Tech Mixer planned for the fall. Stay tuned for dates, locations and times.

BarCamp Edmonton - July 19

Another Western Canadian tech community event is planned for July. Sign up for BarCamp Edmonton - to be held on July 19th, 10:00 am at the Edmonton World Trade Center, Floor 6. Sponsors for the event are Nexopia and TEC Edmonton.

Interested in learning more about new tech or meeting peers from the Edmonton tech community in a casual and friendly setting? Think about which topic you’d be interested in leading a 20-minute interactive discussion about. MORE INFO HERE .. including beer and food details!! Thanks to Cam Linke for the heads up.

July Founders’ Table (Calgary)

A Founder’s Table dinner is planned for Thursday July 3rd, 5 pm in Calgary [revised date]

Following the success of our kick-off May 2008 STIRR Canada event (which hosted 50 Alberta-based guests) this July 2008 invitation-only dinner will return to the classic STIRR single-table gathering comprised of 10-12 founders of tech-driven companies.

FOR MORE DETAILS, please email: Info{at}stirr{dot}ca

If you’re not already a member of STIRR Canada, please complete the APPLICATION FORM.

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A range of Calgary-based events are planned for the coming year:

• A Founder’s Table will be held each month.
• Pitch Labs are planned for August, October, December, January, and February.
• Popular Tech Mixer main events will be held in September and February.
• STIRR Canada will also hold on-campus events for Calgary students this fall, as well as participating in various BarCamp and DemoCamp activities.

BarCamp Calgary breaks for lunch (left) and Nexopia Founder Timo Ewalds (right) chats with BarCamp attendees.

West Coast F&F event

If you’ll be in the Vancouver area in mid June, there’s a tech entrepreneur community event of interest. Following successful Founders & Funders events in Toronto and Montreal, Vancouver is primed to host the first West Coast Founders & Funders event in Vancouver on June 17th.

Vancouver’s Boris Mann (right) from Bootup Labs has been working with David Crow, Jevon MacDonald and Austin Hill to get this first West Coast event ramped up. After the June F&F dinner, their next Western Canada event will likely be in October. Stay tuned.

In addition to organizing Vancouver DemoCamp and BarCamp events with the local tech community, Boris also collaborates with Maura Rodgers at Strutta on Vancouver LaunchParty socials. Lots happening on the West Coast to link up the tech community!

Hear all about it!

Kudos to STIRR Canada alumni James Hildebrandt of Psyko Audio Labs Inc. who attended the inaugural STIRR Canada event in May. James appears on the cover of the June 2008 issue of Calgary Inc. Magazine, sporting his innovative surround-sound headphones, targeted at the gaming market.

From the Calgary Inc. Magazine article:

“Testing the headphones put a wide grin on one avid gamer. “You won’t believe what just happened. I heard this sound,” he exclaimed to friends, ignoring an anxious Hildebrandt . Snapping his fingers [the gamer] added, “And I got him in one shot .” [...] “The hair on the back of my neck went up,” says Hildebrandt.” “And I thought, ‘Now I have something. There is something here to this.’”

The article also profiles other Calgary-based innovative companies in a “celebration of the city’s five latest and greatest bright ideas.”