Transforming Alberta's Economy: Issue 24
Tyler Chisholm
Endlessly Curious CEO | Marketing Leader | Podcast Host ??? | Philanthropist | Top 40 Under 40
Welcome to Issue 24 of Transforming Alberta’s Economy.
I can’t believe this monthly newsletter has been going on for two years! Thank you to the more than 1,700 of you who are subscribed to receive updates on an inclusive Western Canadian economy.
What you’ll find inside:
1?? Alberta News & Events
2?? Collisions YYC: May episodes
4?? Curious as Hell
Alberta News & Events
Calgary improved in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024.
The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024 (GSER 2024) is a comprehensive analysis of the current state of startup ecosystems worldwide.
Now in its 12th year, the GSER provides insights into the world’s leading startup ecosystems, emerging trends, and key challenges facing entrepreneurs. It is based on extensive research and analysis of data from 4.5 million startups across 300 global ecosystems and over a decade of independent research and providing policy advice to more than 160 economic and innovation ministries and public/private agencies in over 55 countries.
Calgary moved up to the 41–50 range from last year’s 51–60 range, demonstrating substantial improvement.
The report’s ecosystem spotlight on Calgary highlighted three key strengths: a low cost of living, access to global talent, and a high quality of life.
Levelling Up Alberta: Scaffold’s Power Play to Transform the Gaming Industry A brand new initiative wants to revolutionize Alberta’s gaming industry landscape with startups at the forefront. In partnership with Alberta Innovates and Prairies Economic Development Canada I Développement économique Canada pour les Prairies , Scaffold Digital aims to double the number of small and medium-sized businesses in the province’s gaming sector by fostering innovation and attracting investment for promising startups.
Edmonton Region Witnessing ‘Surge of Startup Activity,’ Ecosystem Analysis Finds
When people discuss Canada’s tech startup hubs, Calgary is increasingly mentioned but Edmonton still often remains out of the picture.
Edmonton’s innovation ecosystem is currently thriving thanks to a “broad spectrum of disciplines driven by a dynamic blend of technology advancement, research, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit.”
ResVR Secures $1.7 Million in Funding to Revolutionize Homebuilding Sales Visualization
Calgary’s ResVR announced that they have completed a series of financings totalling $1.7 million, including $1.43 million in pre-seed and seed funding and $270,000 in non-dilutive capital.
ResVR is a fast-growing proptech startup that enables homebuilders and developers to sell more upgrades through a visualization platform.
The funding was led by Inverted Ventures and Weave VC , with participation from Bluesky Equity, InRoad Ventures, ThresholdImpact, Startup TNT , and a Canadian-based group of angels, including Improbable Games CEO Aaryn Flynn .
Toyota Taps Rain Cage Carbon to Make Next-Gen Cars with ‘Revolutionary’ Materials
A Calgary company focused on carbon capture and reuse technology is poised to work with the world’s best-known consumer auto brand.
Rain Cage Carbon Inc. unveiled this week a collaboration with Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc. , part of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation Group.
Under the agreement, Rain Cage Carbon will leverage its proprietary EDENTM Carbon Capture and Reuse System to supply Toyota with Advanced Carbon products, according to a statement from the Alberta-based firm.
Collisions YYC: May Episodes
Crystal Phillips , Venture Capitalist at Thin Air Labs and Co-Founder of Branch Out Neurological Foundation
Crystal unpacks the dynamics of venture capital, the resilience and optimism required in entrepreneurship, the strategic growth of Alberta's innovative ecosystem, and the transformative impact of new technologies and collaborations in healthcare and research.
Jamie L. Smith , Co-Founder of Amplify Advisors
Jamie explores the critical need for small- to medium-growth businesses to embrace proactive financial strategies and the benefits of fractional leadership to navigate cash flow challenges, the complexities of scaling, and the importance of aligning financial strategy with marketing efforts for sustainable expansion.
Dan Balaban , Co-Founder and CEO of Greengate
Dan discusses the complex challenges and opportunities in Alberta's renewable energy sector, emphasizing the importance of pragmatic policymaking, the need for a balanced energy mix, and the role of business leaders in achieving meaningful progress on environmental and societal issues while urging a more harmonious approach to navigating political and economic landscapes.
领英推荐
Kevin Crowe , Founder of Give A Mile
Kevin shares his inspiring journey of overcoming a serious illness diagnosis, embarking on ambitious endurance adventures, and his dedication to his charity Give A Mile to provide end-of-life flights for families in need.
Aleia Robin , Managing Director at Branch Out Neurological Foundation
Aleia showcases the importance of alternative, non-pharmaceutical approaches to neurological disorders and the role of the Branch Out Neurological Foundation in funding innovative research and raising awareness through community-engaging events like their annual bike tour.
Colleen Pound, MBA, ICD.D , Founder and CEO of Proxure
Colleen explores the pivotal role of non-technical founders in bridging business logic with tech development, the importance of customer journey mapping, and the significant sacrifices and rewards of entrepreneurship, particularly in levelling the playing field in professional services through data and networking.
Jennifer Lussier , COO of Platform Calgary
Jen discusses the critical role of fostering connections and collaborative spaces for entrepreneurs, the journey of scaling entrepreneurial support in Calgary's tech sector, and addressing the challenges of inclusivity and financial sustainability within the innovation ecosystem.
Jennifer underscores the significance of fostering diversity, emotional authenticity, and community-oriented engineering practices. She also delves into the importance of understanding community needs, building consensus, and creating supportive environments that align with organizational values to attract and retain passionate staff.
Curious as Hell
When does thinking become overthinking? ?
Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves if all this thinking was good for us?
I recently had a growth conversation about leadership with a close friend, and he shared something that made me pause:
“As I grow as a leader, I often reflect on all that overthinking I did. And you know what? I’ve realized it only helped about 5% of the time. The rest of the time, it just made me unhappy.”
His words struck me powerfully. I'm curious if we ever pause to ask ourselves if all that thinking is helping.
As a leader who believes deeply in the benefits of curiosity, I think it’s important to differentiate between a curious mind and one that runs you ragged, harming your mental health, causing you to lose sleep, and deteriorating your relationships.
And before I go any further, I want to clarify that I’m speaking about a mind free of any medically diagnosed conditions. In our world and organizations, especially in recent years, we’ve made significant progress toward understanding and destigmatizing mental health challenges. Please take my thoughts with their written intent—to help and elevate, never to judge or oversimplify.
As we’ve discussed at length, curiosity is the endless pursuit of what could be or what lies just beyond the next question. When we find out, it opens another door to explore even further. In that way, curiosity can appear to be a gateway drug to overthinking. For me, the difference lies in the direction you are heading—are you moving forward or spinning in circles?
In the context of leadership, I’ve found that the most successful people use curiosity to propel themselves and their teams forward. They use it as a lever to open up the next idea. Curiosity may not be a straight line, but it always opens up paths to advance an idea, an initiative, or simply a new way of looking at a challenge or opportunity.
With that as context, let’s think about overthinking. It has been my experience that this practice does not have the same positive force to move us ahead. It is often tied to a negative or stress-based response that causes one to dwell on an event, idea, or concept, unleashing a negative mindset.
If we think about this from the perspective of how we reference time, are we thinking about a future event or something that has already happened? I have read that thinking about the past can be tied to a depressive state while over-thinking about the future can cause anxiety. I make no claims to be an expert in these concepts, but from my personal experience, I wholeheartedly agree.
Spinning Your Wheels and the 5 Whys
Let’s say you interacted with a team member early that day that did not go as planned. You might be left believing they might have felt less than inspired or even upset. And now, you are replaying the conversation in your mind, over and over, until you are ineffective in any other tasks. This kind of thinking is not helpful. What if you approached this situation with curiosity instead? What if you asked yourself the 5 Whys to better understand why you acted the way you did instead of simply reliving it? One approach moves you forward, while the other keeps you stuck. Curiosity may be the faster–and better–way forward.
Doom Planning, What-Ifs, and Other Hallucinations
Have you ever woken up at 3 a.m. thinking about an upcoming presentation or a difficult conversation? I am curious: was it to plan your approach, or was it about what could go wrong? While some may argue they are just planning ahead, my past coach once shared a simple truth:
If it hasn’t happened yet, anything you think could happen—positive or negative—is nothing more than a hallucination, your mind jumping to conclusions.?
This powerful reset helps me shift from spinning in circles to getting curious about my thoughts—what might be reliable predictions combined with genuine interest in what I know to be true or what is simply a feeling.
Facts vs. Feelings
Another powerful process I have learned is to separate facts from feelings when thinking about the past, the future, or the present. When you step back from an issue or gather more information, you often realize that what you perceived as a fact was simply a feeling.?
For example, regarding the interaction with a team member that left you thinking they were upset, did you know that they were upset, or was it simply a feeling? You need to speak to the individual and be truly curious about their thoughts to save energy from overthinking what you perceived as a fact when it was only a feeling. The individual in question may have been dealing with a separate issue unrelated to your interaction. When you’re in doubt (which should happen frequently), run your thoughts through the filter of “fact” versus “feeling,” and you might be surprised.?
It’s also important to note that overthinking can erode trust within teams. When leaders constantly question decisions or delay action, it creates an atmosphere of doubt and insecurity. Team members may feel their contributions aren’t valued or worry that their decisions will be constantly scrutinized, dampening initiative and innovation.
Mitigating Overthinking: Strategies for Balanced Decision-Making
The key lies in fostering a balanced approach to decision-making that emphasizes efficiency and mindfulness–while keeping curiosity at the forefront. Here are a few strategies that can help:
While critical thinking and deep analysis are invaluable skills in the modern workplace, leaders must recognize when thoughtful deliberation turns into counterproductive overthinking. By adopting strategies that promote efficient decision-making and support mental health, organizations can harness the best of their analytical talents without falling prey to the paralysis of overthinking.
Stay Curious!
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Chief Marketing Officer ★ Transformative Marketing Leader ★ Innovative Growth Hacker ★ Data-Driven Market Disruptor ★ Published Public Speaker ★ Marketing Mentor & Coach
5 个月Innovative insights fostering progress. Curiosity sparks thoughtful growth, doesn't it? Embracing change energizes communities. Tyler Chisholm
Founder & Managing Director @ allied.vc | Entrepreneur turned investor | MBA
5 个月YYC moving on up ?? ??