May 2022 Volume 4 Issue 9

Volume 4 Issue 9 • May 2022

published by ZX Media Corporation

Clean Resources

Agriculture, Forestry & Food

Emerging Technologies

Health Innovation

EXPLORING NEW FRONTIERS Innovation is building Alberta’s technological capacity and capability.

Alberta Innovates is constantly assessing the technology landscape. Our goal is to grow Alberta’s economy and knowledge workforce through the development and application of emerging technologies, from smart agriculture and clean tech, to artificial intelligence.

We work with clients and partners to explore and capitalize on cross-sectoral opportunities, technologies that span industries, and innovative ways to operationalize emerging technology solutions.

Learn how albertainnovates.ca

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“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

- Albert Einstein

Innovation is defined as a new or improved method, product or idea.

INNOVATION AND COMMUNITY COLLIDE Thank you to everyone who contributed VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9: INNOVATION Blaise Hunter Jennifer Hadley Al Del Degan Gus Lu Faisal Karmali Jill Drader Sarah Hawco Joanne Neweduk Kimberley Dawn Shawn Webber Krista Malden Kenzie Webber Brittany Fraser Karl Mome Jon Hagan Jade Alberts, with guests: Brennan Lewis

Events Alberta Technology Symposium Axis Connects: CIWB Awards California Wine Tours Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo Calgary International Beerfest Fabulous @50: Little Black Dress Affair

Businesses Hawco Peters Karmali Exchange Gusto Law Peerspective Consulting Alberta Innovates School of Rock Key-Angels Deloris Walker Fabulous @50 Nomina Wellness The Doorway Harley-Davidson Fierce Mom Momentum Sports

Images * Al Del Degan Jade Alberts Blaise Hunter Krista Malden Jennifer Hadley Joanne Neweduk Nicole Langton Shawn Webber Unsplash Pixabay Pexel

Subscribe for your free issue of Community Now! at www.communitynowmagazine.com Copyright 2019 ZX Media Corporation, Calgary Alberta Canada Community Now! Magazine Copyright 2018, published by ZX Media Corporation.

Volume 4 Issue 9 | May 2022 All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer.

This grassroots magazine is a platform for, about and by the community.

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STORY TELLER & COMMUNITY CONNECTOR: Krista Malden CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kenzie Webber

“Innovation is the future” Honourble Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation

Community \\ 5

Congratulations Calgary Flames & Edmonton Oilers

THE BATTLE OF

ALBERTA Photo by Gerry Thomas via www.nhl.com

Community \\ 7

Our Need To Innovate

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Al Del Degan

P

eople are naturally curious. Children will often ask, what seems like a hundred questions per minute, with a brain like a sponge and a need to understand the world around them. Curiosity combined with creativity leads to discovery and invention. Invention leads to innovation and innovation is often perpetual. The invention of the wheel led to carts and wagons and eventually waterwheels and windmills. In the 1700s the invention of the steam engine was a large catalyst to the industrial revolution. The invention of the transistor in 1947 catapulted the invention of computers and other electronics at an exponential scale. Creation of a new technology stimulates further innovation.

People often associate innovation with technology, however innovation is creating something new, or improving on something that already existed before. If a person comes up with a new way of teaching young children that helps them understand better, that is an innovative way of learning. If a chef comes up with a new way of cooking or using ingredients in a way that is different from how things are normally done, that is innovation.

The key to innovation is the human need to improve our world and make our lives better.

To each person that may mean something different, and that is a good thing. Everyone sees the world in a unique way, and has their own values. Some people see things that they don’t like and they expect someone else to fix them.

Other people see things that need to change and they set out to change them. In Alberta we have a lot of people in the second category, and as a result we have a thriving innovation ecosystem.

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As with all things, there can be negative sides to innovation too. The industrial revolution created an exceptional amount of pollution that slowly began to destroy our atmosphere.

The introduction of lead in gasoline was an innovation that improved the efficiency of engines and made them quieter, but also killed millions of people and further damaged our planet. We must also consider the innovation that has come in response to these problems.

Incredible carbon capture technologies and further innovation in automobiles have set us on a path to offset and even reverse damage done. Problems also lead to further innovation.

As we humans continue to drive towards a better future, mistakes will be made, and further innovation will continue to improve and 10 // Community Now!

correct as necessary. As long as the overall net result remains positive then humankind will have an exciting future with incredible advancements in almost every aspect of our lives. It will take many people who want to see change, but are also willing to set out and cause change, in order to lead us through to a better future. We call those people entrepreneurs, and in Alberta we are in the right place at the right time to encourage, support and grow entrepreneurship. Got an idea?

Don’t wait for someone else, get out there and change the world. Just try and do it in a way that also makes a positive impact on our planet so future generations can be around to honor your contribution.

New Idea Machine https://NewIdeaMachine.com

Innovate Yourself

Sarah Hawco

I

nnovation. It all sounds so shiny and new, or even better, something we have never seen before. Companies, firms and industries are constantly in search of the next best thing to get that edge. Done well, the innovators are filling a market need, improving upon a shortcoming. Maybe it is something the general public readily recognizes is needed, or maybe it is something we didn’t know we needed until someone told us we did.

Technology is often top of mind when thinking of innovation. Bits and bytes and codes.

Cold, metal, sleek. But that needn’t be the 12 // Community Now!

case. At its heart, innovation is improvement, it is creation, it is exploration. True research and development. Ultimately, innovation is discovery.

My early career as an accountant was in corporate tax. In or around 2000 the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) introduced a new incentive program called SR&ED (Scientific Research and Development). At that time, given that it was a tax program, the accountants, myself included, prepared these returns and did the analysis. Nowadays, by and large it is more in the realm of engineers and consultants.

In any event, then and now, I marvelled at

what a wide net could be considered research and development. Qualifying criteria can include: basic research undertaken for the advancement of scientific knowledge, with or without a practical application; or experimental development for the purpose of creating new, or improving upon existing materials, products, or processes, including incremental improvements. The type of work which qualifies is equally broad, including engineering, design, research, analysis, programming, data collection, testing, and psychological research.

So why am I talking about tax credits in an article about innovating one’s self? Because it caused me to ask, what if we applied this criteria, not to a product, but to ourselves? Not reinvention, rather a fostering and recognition of what already is. Improving upon what we already have, changing our sails as required, becoming more of who we already are. Even if only taken in incremental steps.

This can apply across all areas of our lives, and surely it will as work, and friends, and family are all intertwined; we bring our same selves to each of them.

CRA states that in order to be eligible for the SR&ED tax credit, one must meet two requirements: the WHY and the HOW the research and development is conducted. According to CRA, the “why” requirement is met when work is done for the purpose of advancement, the key being the generation or discovery of knowledge. This knowledge can be conceptual and theoretical and need not be purely factual. An attempt to resolve an uncertainty is a perfect starting point for the why. CRA advises that the “how” requirement must be met through systematic investigation by means of experiment or analysis. Ideally this approach beings first with a known set of facts, an idea or hypothesis – which may evolve and change

through testing, and them developing conclusions.

I must say, CRA’s approach seems rather logical and transferable to real life. When manifesting our own personal innovation, we must also address those requirements. Our “why” will be our anchor. Depending on the goal or desired outcome it may be very personal. It will be what reminds us to keep going when things get hard. Our “how” is simply our plan, our to do list that will inevitably need to be adjusted as we progress. The why needs to be true. The how needs to be realistic, well defined, and achievable.

Prior to embarking on what may be a radical innovation we need to take an honest inventory. Of ourselves. Our own personal set of “known facts”. This is not an exercise in beating ourselves up for our perceived shortcomings. Rather it is recognition of the many things we are good at, where we find value and purpose, what or who may inspire us, our drivers, our deal breakers. We must be equally honest about those things we are not good at, do not enjoy, do not have the time, desire, or aptitude to learn or improve upon to a sufficient degree. What are we able to bring to the table? Why is it valuable? And do we need other resources to help us achieve our goals?

This inventory should include an assessment of ourselves in relation to our peers, who are we surrounding ourselves with? This may be outside of one’s control in a current work environment, but should be well within our control outside of that. Do they both challenge and support you? Do they hold the same values you claim to hold? Ultimately, are you living in alignment with who you believe yourself to be, who you know you can be?

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This inventory can be overwhelming, possibly defeating. You may conclude that you are in an unfulfilling job, dead end relationship, surrounded by uninspiring friends. Yikes.

Take a deep breathe. Chances are good that things are not so dim, cut yourself a break, reach for the lessons. No hardship comes without growth. So write down what you have learned. Write down where you want to be, and where you never want to be again.

Make it real. Don’t be afraid to start small. Incremental advancements still count.

Many years ago I had to start again. From nothing. Well it felt like nothing, I hadn’t taken my inventory yet. I didn’t have time to take an inventory per se or think about my dream job. You know what I needed? A safe place to live, a means to support my family, and stability. I didn’t have the luxury to draw Venn diagrams of my skills, expertise, goals, or work life balance desires. I get it. There is a time and a place for innovation, survival comes first. But that is where we build our toolbox. That is where we stay in jobs we do not love and try to learn as much as possible, build connections, take courses as available, and slowly discover, not this, but that….

Once I had my bearings again, and my confidence was rediscovered, I also came into a knowing. A knowing that I needed to do more, to aim higher. Towards what? I didn’t have that answer. Apparently section 248(1) of the Income Tax Act still would have considered this as research and development, “work undertaken for the advancement of science without a specific practical application in view”.

In the workplace (and perhaps all places?), innovation comes from identifying a need, a

gap, a pain point that requires a solution. In my industry, I believed that there was a better way to help people and businesses experiencing financial distress. Like many an evangelist, I was excited about my “discovery” and pitched it to my firm. They were less excited.

So there I was, winds taken out of my sails.

What to do? I could stay at the firm, I liked it; the work was interesting, the people were great, it allowed for work life balance, the pay was good. But it was no longer enough. I no longer felt like I was doing the right thing. So I took an inventory of myself. Did I have the skills, experience, connections, support network, confidence, and financial wherewithal, to take the leap and go out on my own? What if I failed?

I spent the better part of 4 months on my inventory exercise, it was a business plan, yes, but it was also a life plan. My why included a specific client focused outcome. My how was methodical, systematic, and well-defined.

Thank goodness accountants love lists and spreadsheets. I had thought my innovation was purely business and career focused. That was all I had set out to do. But it was more than that. Bringing my work life into full alignment with my values and principals also forced the rest of my life into alignment. Time is our most precious commodity, how we use it matters and cannot be replaced. Inevitably my friendship and peer circle also had some tweaking to be done. I didn’t reinvent myself, rather I made incremental improvements upon an existing “materials, products and processes”.

The ability to innovate is within all of us. We are all in constant evolution with the ability to improve, discover, experiment, not to reinvent, but to remember who we are. I wonder if CRA will accept a SR&ED claim for it?

Innovation \\ 15

Evolution of Stuff.

W

hen we look around today – most people have their phones in their hands and those small devices we carry around with us all the time have now become a multi-purpose form of communication and SO much more.

They act as mini computers, telephones, cameras. They play music, you can read books on them, look up or “Google” just about anything, stay up to date on current news….do your banking, order food, keep track of your kids, and your schedule.

There is no longer a need to buy various devices, when we now have the capability to do almost everything from the device we hold in our hand. (continued on next page) Innovation \\ 17

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Innovation \\ 19

The Loss of Stuff Although technology has made our lives easier, created new ways to do things, new and faster ways to connect and learn, we have lost some of the greatest activities due to the evolution of technology and stuff.

Renting Movies: Before Netflix, Prime, Crave...On Demand you would head to the movie rental store, in hopes to find the new release of the week or to search for an old favourite or to discover something new. The excitement of going to search for movies, has been lost. A family tradition evolved(?) from a trip to the store to get movies and snacks to just turning on the tv.

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Buying Music Albums: going to buy a new album (record, CD, cassette tape) was exciting. You didn’t get the opportunity to listen to the full album beforehand, you didn’t get to just pick and choose what song you bought.

The excitement of picking up a new album, opening it, reading the lyrics as you listened along, and just being able to listen to the full album front to back was the joy of shopping for albums, (along with collecting them).

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Listening to Music: The way we listen to music has also changed.

From record players and the radio, to 8 tracks and cassettes, to disc man, iPod’s and now music is available on our phones, and is accessible where ever we are. This is a bonus because music can go with you anywhere and playlists can be customized.

But still nothing beats playing a record from being to end.

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Taking Photos: One of the things that is missing is photos, print copies of photos. Remember taking pictures and then going to the photoshop to hand in your film to get it developed....

There was NO seeing the pictures beforehand, there were no filters and you didn’t have the option to delete the photo. The joy was picking up the photos and laughing at all the great faces and poses people made.

Now you can take a selfie with your phone – delete and retake it, add filters, stickers, or just keep retaking it until you have the exact image you want... no developing film, no surprise images, and you can photoshop, touch up and redo the photo completely right from your phone.

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Playing Games: Gaming has evolved from arcades to consoles we plug into our tv’s, to hand held devices to virtual reality.

Gaming has also evolved from the arcade to a thriving diverse industry.

The gaming industry has created multiple job opportunities within the industry including: creative work, coding, programming, business development, writing, voice actor positions, music creation. You can also get paid to play games by competing, hosting a show (pod casts, blogs, Utube channel), or testing out games.

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Tyler Hornby

Tyler Hornby

Danny Turkitch

The Evolution of the Drum

The innovation and evolution behind the epitome of rock & roll and jazz.

Krista Malden

Brian Cymbaluk

Scot William Dean Herdman

Innovation \\ 25

T

he drum is one of the oldest instruments in human history (aside from the voice). And Rhythm is the one thing in music that stands on its own.

“Rhythm is a part of all of us.” – Krista Malden.

Drums and rhythm have shaped and defined how people around the world communicate and express themselves. But how did the drum evolve into the drum set we all know so well today?

The answer to this question is simple: by accident!

Drumming started on the continent of Africa, using a variety of percussion instruments.

Multiple percussion instruments played by multiple people, like you would see in a marching band and or orchestra: Snare drums, wood blocks, cymbals, tom toms, cowbells.

Soon percussionists started to put the instruments together and took on the role of ‘double

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Krista Rea-Anne Malden

THE MALDEN’S BEAT GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON… David Thomas Tavis Malden David Michael Malden

Innovation \\ 27

Low Boy

High-Hat

(continued from page 26...) drumming’, which meant the percussionists would play two percussion instruments at once, a snare and a cymbal or a bass drum and snare drum… which led to the creation of what was called the first ‘Trap Set’ (drum set/ drum kit). This way one percussionist (now drummer) could play multiple percussion parts at one time.

A drummer – on a kit, plays with both feet and both hands at once… not only to keep time, but also to build and create a rhythmic music master piece, enhance the other players and music.

The earliest surviving examples of drums date back to 6th century B.C. But the drum set as we know it today is just over 100 years old. In 1918, the Chicago-based Ludwig Drum Company debuted the Jazz-Er-Up, an all-inone set.

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The first kit (drum set/trap set) was put together with a snare and bass drum along with cymbals that could be controlled with a foot pedal – called the ‘low boy’ which influenced the creation of the high hat!

If you look at a drum set today, you will still see multiple companies who played a roll in the creation of the drum set still around today.

Including Ludwig and Gretsch who make amazing kits and hard ware, Zildjian Cymbals, and the best sticks around – Vic Firth.

Making it electric: From a single percussion instrument played by multiple people to a full kit played by one person (to sound like multiple people playing at once) and like everything else – the “trap kit” was also turned made into an electric version and the sounds of the drum set and various percussion instruments were put on the computer… this is beneficial when writing a song. BUT drum tracks from the computer and electric kits will never compare to the sound or feel of a real trap kit!

GETS STUDENTS PERFORMING LIVE

TEACHES STUDENTS SONGS THEY LOVE

MAKES PRACTICING FUN

MAKES TECHNIQUE ACCESSIBLE

SCHOOL OF ROCK | Calgary 2707-17th AVE SW, Calgary, AB (587) 353-7625 calgary.schoolofrock.com

The Evolution of the Guitar Jon Hagan

The origin of the acoustic guitar – can you turn me up?

Humans have been plucking, striking, picking and otherwise cajoling melody out of stringed instruments for centuries. Arguably, lutes, violins, and banjos inspired the first acoustic guitars, which used so-called catgut strings made from sheep intestines—eww, think rudimentary nylon string classical guitars, but stinkier—to strum. These wouldn’t have been too loud.

Borne out of the desire to make the instrument project more as well as to appeal to the banjo players of early country music, Christian Frederick Martin—a German immigrant to the United States—created a guitar that used steel strings. These types of strings made it easier for banjo players to switch over without 30 // Community Now!

any discomfort, and they were much louder.

Steel strings, however, put a lot more tension on the instrument. This meant a redesign was in order. Martin got to work and created a completely new inner structure that could withstand the increased tension. The acoustic as we know it was born.

Martin’s new acoustic guitar was great. It fulfilled a function and attracted many new players, but as popular music evolved, it was found to still be too quiet for certain applications.

The birth of swing – can you turn me up again?

The birth of swing music in the 1930s brought with it the opportunity for individual instruments to be put in the spotlight. Soloists, primarily trumpets and saxophones, had the opportunity to build on the melody of the

song to increase its length and its exposure to dancers, which stimulated liquor sales. In business parlance it was good for the bottom line.

To be a soloist you needed to stand out from the crowd. You needed to be louder than the guy beside you and the guy beside him. An acoustic guitar, however, could hardly be counted on to stand above the crowd during a solo, so they were typically thought of as a rhythm instrument. They just didn’t have the volume that was needed to stand out.

Yet. Enter the guitar pickup One of the prime pickers of the 1930s was a young man from Bonham, Texas named Charlie Christian. History tells us that his first performance was in 1930 when, at the age of 14, he sat in with the Don Redman Orchestra at a club in Oklahoma City. The young Christian, the story goes, took solos holding his acoustic guitar up to a microphone. Christian was a hit, and the time was ripe for innovation.

Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd., founded in 1902, began amplifying lap steels and acoustics using piezo pickups and amplifiers. They were also experimenting with a new design for a guitar. They called it the ES150. ES for Electric Spanish and 150 because the guitar and amp together cost $150.

In 1935 a guitar player named Eddie Durham recorded the song Hittin’ the bottle for Decca records using an electrically amplified guitar for the first time. It was probably an ES-150.

This drew Christian’s attention and, in his hands, playing in the Benny Goodman orchestra, the ES-150 soon became generally recognized as the world's first commercially successful semi-hollow body electric guitar.

Gibson – logs are for more than starting a fire Semi-hollow body guitars are great, but they can be prone to feeding back if the volume gets too loud. Something needed to be done.

It was the end of the 1930s that arguably saw the first functional solid-body electric guitar as we know it come to life.

The Log as its builder Les Paul dubbed it was quite literally that: a wood post with a Gibson neck attached to the top and two hollow-body halves attached to the sides strictly for looks.

Les Paul had wound two pickups himself and fashioned a rudimentary bridge to hold the strings in place at the bottom running the length of the body and the neck to the tuning pegs on the headstock. Since the guitar was solid it didn’t feedback as easily as its brethren. Victory! Problem solved.

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Les Paul recorded and gigged with the instrument and presented it to Gibson guitars as the future of the instrument only to be laughed out the door. The iconic solid-body Gibson Les Paul first introduced in 1952 only became a reality because another iconic builder recognized the potential for a slid body guitar.

Fender In the early 1950s radio repariman Leo Fender was making waves on the scene with the introduction of his Broadcaster guitar, a solidbody instrument with two-pickups, a bolt-on neck with an adjustable truss rod, a volume and tone pot and a pickup selector. This was Les Paul’s log idea in a more refined state.

Unlike the log, the Broadcaster caught on.

The solid wood body construction meant you didn’t have the same feedback problems that plagued semi-hollows like the ES-150, and its simple construction meant it was easy to manufacture and easy to maintain.

There was a small glitch in the plan, though.

Gretsch had the rights to the name BroadKaster. No problem. Fender just clipped the name Broadcaster off the existing decals and these guitars became known as the highly col-

lectible Nocasters. Shortly thereafter Fender renamed the instrument the Telecaster. He also introduced the Stratocaster and many others in his lifetime.

Fast forward over 90 years. Gibson semi hollow bodies like the ES-150 are still around but have been refined and improved and are made by a variety of builders with a host of shapes and finishes. Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters are as iconic and awesome as they ever were.

How much louder can we get?

Once the unique domain of giants like Fender and Gibson, boutique guitar builders now dot the ecosystem and challenge the heavies.

Companies like PRS, Knaggs, and many more are building innovative and beautiful instruments. Some like Aristides use resins injected into molds to make their guitars. Many others are building seven- and eight-string guitars, baritones, fanned frets and extended-range guitars.

Whatever the formulation, humans continue to pluck, strike, pick and otherwise cajole melody out of guitars at any volume they desire, and I hope they continue to do so for centuries more to come.

Innovation \\ 33

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Reserve your pass now for three incredible days of discovery, inspiration and creative collisions, June 1-3, at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre.

Be there!

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For tickets and more information visit inventurescanada.com

Alberta Technology Symposium www.canadablockchain.ca/

“The Alberta Technology Symposium was created to support, grow but more importantly, provide collisions to bring our tech ecosystem even closer. We want to be one of the top places to start your business.”

- Jade Alberts Founder Peer Guidance

rene Yew

rts and Se

Jade Albe

“We are proud to have been able to unite our technology ecosystem through an inspiring multi-day event to showcase how Alberta is on track to become the Silicon Valley of Canada.”

- Koleya Karringten, Ecosystem Leader

Koleya Karringten

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“The Canadian Blockchain Consortium has done an amazing job at bringing awareness and education around Blockchain to the forefront. The Alberta Technology Symposium is all about education & building awareness in the ecosystem, it was an amazing event to attend and be apart of.”

- Adam O’Brien, CEO, Bitcoin Well https://bitcoinwell.com/

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" Technology is the reason we have made it this far in evolution, and opportunities like this can spark new ideas."

- Vladimir Grinfelds

n neratio e G t x e , The N rs with e e Careers t n u l Vo le Student and Honourab sen r Dan Ole hweitze c S g u o D “Volunteering at the Alberta Tech Symposium hosted by the Canadian Blockchain Consortium was a thrilling experience for me and the others. Volunteering with Kevin, Vladimir, and Papa was a great experience at and I hope to work with them again. The event was such a success and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it along with the team. I learned so much about the tech industry in Alberta that I didn’t previously know and talked to a great deal of industry leaders who are working hard to a positive difference in the tech industry in Alberta.

I’m thankful for the people who sat down with Kevin, Papa, Vladimir, and I, and gave us advice on moving forward, explained what they do, and explained aspects of the tech industry we didn’t quite understand yet. I’m so grateful to have been in a room with so many amazing people and I’m incredibly thankful for the wonderful opportunity I had to volunteer with the event. I would like to thank Koleya Karringten for the opportunity as well, and thank her for helping grow my understanding of technology and putting the event together. I really enjoyed my time volunteering and thank you to CAREERS: The Next Generation and the Canadian Blockchain Consortium once again for the amazing opportunity to be a part of the team.”

- Annette Omo

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The Superpower Project:

Risky Business 40 // Community Now!

Blaise Hunter | Human Rights Consultant | Heroine

“The riskiest thing we can do is just maintain the status quo.” Bob Iger

I

f we want to grow our businesses and enrich our lives, onward risk is the secret ingredient. What’s that? We all wager on our lives each day, but we often bet backwards rather than forwards. Like Iger said, it’s risky just going through the motions of life and staying in our comfort zones, but we will never win with that kind of bet. Instead, the status quo becomes a losing bet. We encourage people to be courageous, creative, and innovative but we don’t always highlight their sidekick—risking forward. Whether it be in business or in our personal lives, to reach for innovation we must be committed to wagering for progression. We are in a world where risky decisions are praised when we win but criticized when we lose. The fear of losing is causing us to bet badly. Let me be clear, we risk something every day whether we know it or not. So why continue placing blind bets with no clear strategy to advance in life?

The Superpower Project is about highlighting various challenges or “kryptonites” facing people and helping us neutralize their effect on us. A deadly kyrptonite facing us these days is we all want innovation but are too afraid to really put some skin in the game.

Let’s face it. It’s not fun to go all in and lose.

It’s very humbling to put yourself out there and fall flat on your face. But we can’t be revolutionary if we don’t embody the “Risky Business” mentality. I would rather lose while (continued on next page) Community \\ 41

(continued from page 41...)

2.

betting boldly than being a slave to my fear.

No one wins all the time. Even the most successful people in this world have lost more than they’ve ever won. But they chose innovation over insecurity. Personal and professional innovation are built on the foundation of strategic defying choices all in an effort to expand and leave our mark on this world.

Don’t let fear stunt your growth. Our potential is only as good as we are willing to evolve.

Risk it all for the sake of growth. Our destiny is not found within the confines of comfort.

Trendsetters fall forwards. We are going to fail and fall thousands of times but each time we do, we make advancements. We need to look at risk through a different lens and challenge ourselves to switch the direction in which our risky decisions are taking us. Here are some tips to help us be innovative in our lives and up the ante: 1.

Commit to Personal Growth. We can’t uplevel or advance our lives/careers without the resolve to go there. Our success in life is solely dependent on us as humans risking exposure, being triggered, healing traumas, forgiveness, loss of control, and getting to the root of who we are and why we act the way we do. Personal development is a benefit in all realms. Our super identity is forged in this place. It’s hard as hell but the biggest risks have the greatest rewards. This is about turning the mirror on ourselves and having a different perspective and takeaway. Every step you take in this direction is a risk that is secure.

You can’t lose when you bet on yourself.

Advance your purpose and provoke inner and outer world transformation.

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The Fun Factor. In order to be a pioneer, we have to be creative. To be imaginative, one must play. We must hold the line on allowing playfulness, fun, laughter, and pleasure to fill our lives. Creative thought comes from the inspired heart. Examining how a child plays is the epitome of the human spirit in creation mode. Childlike play is the model. Every day is an opportunity to explore their world and make it loaded with happiness. They build blocks just to tear them down. They laugh at nothing, and they love with all their hearts. Children show us the way of how risk is safe. Risk leads to new ways. Risk stirs enjoyment which fuels vision. Test with moxie and joy. Let your inner child shine in your life and dare to play. When we can tap into that energy, our business life will follow the leader.

3.

Master the Art of the Pause. We need to give ourselves opportunities to rest.

We can’t recharge if we don’t disconnect and plug in. This means we must put a priority on the pause. This high-paced work/life culture isn’t healthy, and it isn’t helping us be more innovative. The risk of pushing through is costing us far more than what we can afford. When we aren’t functioning at 80 to 100 percent capacity, creativity plummets. It’s a balance between growth and burnout. If we take regular rest breaks, we decrease cortisol levels and thus increase brain power.

When we are in rest and digest mode, we enter a creative thought process and optimal critical thinking. It’s not a coincidence a lot of our genius ideas come when we are walking, driving, or even falling asleep. In those moments we are in a positive rest mode and our creative pistons are firing. If we ignore the breaks and power through the pause, we risk

sickness, mental health issues, exhaustion, and a potential breakdown. If that happens, the rest period is far longer than the intermittent pauses. Onward risk not backwards. Pause for progression.

4.

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable. We can’t push boundaries and discover the unknowns without being stretched and going beyond what we think we can do or handle. This is where passion collides with hunger. When you want it bad enough, you are willing to break through the boundaries of the comfort zone and enter a new portal. Innovation, imagination, and originality exist in this space. You can’t attain it until you find security in the difficult, awkward, scary, and uneasy. Don’t be reckless with your risks. Be so confident in yourself to make calculated and strategic choices that even if you lose, you’re ok with the outcome. The setback is just a set up.

5.

Authenticity and Vulnerability ARE King. We can’t transform the world if we are approaching our ideas from an ingenuine place. Revolutionizing concepts only come from our own uniqueness.

Get to know the distinctive talents you possess and unleash them into the world.

Capitalize on your qualities and let your originality be the heartbeat of your ideas, designs, dreams, and resourcefulness.

When we arrive at the intersect where vulnerability meets authenticity, magic happens. There’s limitless potential when we risk forward in our zone of genius.

Wagering forward is definitely risky business but the odds are in our favour. Success isn’t found in mediocrity. Innovation comes from cultivating the courage to let go of who you think you are and instead morph into the best

possible version of yourself. Play the chips by taking gallant steps; not checking and folding.

Be open to the loss. Buy yourself back in the game and keep on the path of onward risking. Gamble on the course to creativity and take action into innovation. In the words of Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Go all in on your life. Be a relentless risk-taker. Be resilient. Revolutionize the world. For more information about the Heroine Movement visit www.blaisehunter.com

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This Issue of Telling It Like It Is features Brennan Lewis; Founder of my e-force

What is your startup story?

The idea behind eForce came in 2018 when I was working for Canada’s largest independent record label and touring with some of Canada’s most prominent musicians. We had a terrible week where two of the bands we were working with had their vehicles stolen while on the road, leaving them without their gear, transportation and in one occasion, passports.

Telling It Like It is www.PeerGuidance.ca 44 // Community Now!

The plan was to use GPS techn to connect any person’s physical assets/belongings to any law enforcement agency without changing their standard operating procedures for dealing with these types of incidents. Technology meets law enforcement, or, e-Force. At this point, we consulted a family friend who had 37 years with the RCMP in order to validate our desired workflow. But, once we figured out how to accomplish a direct ‘client-to-first responder’ connection at scale, we realized there was something much more important at stake than guitars – human lives. With this newfound motivation, we shifted our focus at the formative stage to make saving lives the impetus for our technology & process.

Today, ‘my-eForce’ has evolved to being the

first and only total employee protection platform, representing a first-of-its-kind collision of remote worker, personal safety and emergency response technology. By collecting and connecting life-critical data via our proprietary wristband, we can organize and protect vulnerable employees and civilians with one solution, with privacy, integrity and respect at the forefront of everything we do.

How does your device work? my-eforce has developed a health and safety platform providing organizations of all types with actionable, lifesaving information, long before everyday incidents become life-changing tragedies. my-eforce provides a unique combination of real-time GPS location and automated biometric feedback through its innovative and discreet wearable wristband technology. This automation ensures the story of a life-critical event is instantly told – crucial for when the wearer is unable to tell it themselves. The my-eforce platform also provides a proprietary connection to emergency dispatch to enhance the speed and safety of emergency response times. my-eforce is pushing the boundaries of what it means to protect your most valuable assets - your people. Connect, organize and protect your employees with my-eforce, the next minimum standard of corporate-employee responsibility. my-eforce is the next generation of high-tech employee safety solutions.

You have been crushing it in that past year.

Please share some of your progress and your experience in raising capital?

Raising capital has been an eye opening, trial by fire experience. There has been one one glaring issue that we encountered that seems to cause most of the problems through the industry; labeling minimum traction for investment. I think there is an opportunity

Watch the Full Episode here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=d-sqw82OtSo

to make this process easier on both founder and investor by relabelling what ‘early-stage’ truly means. Instead of esoteric names of funding rounds, clearly stating what is required as a minimum for early stage buckets would make all the difference. If pre-revenue versus post-revenue is the only metric that matters, why isn’t it used? Early stage, Angel, pre-seed, seed... they don’t mean anything unless both parties are working from the same dictionary, which seems to be a rarity.

This disconnect wastes time and energy in an already expensive process. We can do better!

What is next for my-eforce?

We have just opened our second round of pre-revenue financing and have received an overwhelmingly positive response. We’re confident this round will close quickly, allowing us to finish our enterprise platform, execute client Pilots, secure revenue and grow from there.

If you had one piece of advice for a startup or entrepreneur, what would that be?

This isn’t an easy path and will test every ounce of your being, over and over. However, win or lose, you will not be the same person as you were when you started.. SO JUST GET STARTED!

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Looking to build accessible, affordable internet in Alberta?

Take inspiration from our community innovation from the past.

Graham Sucha - Public Affairs Specialist

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he Government of Alberta has announced its Broadband Strategy, which commits to connect almost every Albertan to high-speed internet by 2026. It’s no coincidence that this comes after two years of a pandemic that has forced many Canadians to work and learn from home. The economic and social case for connectivity has never been more evident. The focus for the provincial and federal government is now on how best to provide high-speed, affordable internet to everyone, no matter how rural or remote their living conditions.

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For the community and technology leaders tackling this issue on the ground, this battle has been waging for over a quarter century. For decades, we’ve seen announcement after announcement — from governments and large telecom providers — promising improvements, but failing to completely deliver. Meanwhile, children had to bring their laptops to the local Tim Hortons’ parking lot to download their homework, businesses pulled out of smaller communities because they lacked adequate digital infrastructure, and many towns saw a flight of residents to larger cities.

With these commitments by both the provincial and federal government to improve broadband connectivity, I want them to take inspiration from the past, to see how Albertans responded to similar problems that were hindering our economic and social development.

Today, we face the issue of large telecom companies not providing high-speed internet to rural areas, because there’s no economic incentive. A hundred years ago, we faced similar challenges getting phone services installed across Alberta. At the time, the largest player in the market, Bell, would not invest in smaller communities because it was unprofitable for them to do so. To overcome this, the provincial government created the Alberta Government Telephone (AGT) in 1907. Through the AGT, all communities received reliable phone service, regardless of their size and location.

This principle would later inspire the creation of the Alberta SuperNet in the early 2000s.

Forseeing the importance of the internet to Alberta’s economy, the government began the largest provincial fibre build in the country in 2001, and by 2005, had successfully connected all public buildings (schools, libraries, town

halls, etc) in the province. Unfortunately, the full potential of this service has not been leveraged, as many individual homes and businesses (aka the last mile) remain unconnected.

Another major hurdle we face today is the lack of enabling policies by the federal government and CRTC. Currently, Canada’s regulations benefit large telecom providers and disincentivize smaller providers — the ones who are more likely to operate in rural and remote areas — to compete.

Alberta has faced challenging federal policies before: in the 1930’s, the provincial government disagreed with national regulations on how banks should loan money to farmers, and provide capital to rural communities.

The Social Credit Party government, under William Aberhart, took action by launching the Alberta Treasury Branch (ATB) to make it easier for rural communities to access funding.

This organization alone supported thousands of Albertans through the Great Depression.

It is now an independent crown corporation, earning the province a net income of $274.6 million in 2018 alone. It has also provided billions in financial support to small-to-medium sized corporations in Alberta to scale up their operations. These same supports could potentially be used for organizations looking to access low interest capital for high speed internet builds.

Policies aside, it’s also difficult today to find a company that is willing or able to lay broadband fibre, without charging very high fees.

We had a similar problem in the mid-20th Century when Alberta looked to provide electricity and natural gas to remote communities.

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This issue led to the development of Rural Electrification Associations and gas co-ops in the province. From the 1930s to 1960s, farmers and rural residents worked cooperatively to organize the building of this vital infrastructure. By using a co-operative model, residents were able to reduce costs, reinvest income into upgrades, and return the savings to the members.

This model is similar to that followed by the town of Olds, Alberta, when residents established their own internet service provider in the early 2010s. They worked together to lay fibre to almost every home and business in the community and helping them further

the town’s economic development. Currently, communities like Foothills County are working to emulate this using the electricity and gas co-op model, which can future-proof these projects by removing the political component.

The examples don’t end there. Many of the initiatives mentioned above evolved and shifted with the times, and continue to exist today. ATB now operates arms-length from the government, with a stronger corporate structure and mandate to finance Alberta-based entrepreneurs, and has played a key role in many of the province's tech innovation success stories. Some of the gas and electric co-ops were privately sold to companies like Fortis, with the goal of better overall management, while others continue to successfully operate as community-owned entities. The AGT was sold to what is now Telus, helping it become one of the largest telecommunications companies in Canada.

I don’t believe there is a silver bullet to solve this connectivity issue, and am glad to see the Alberta Broadband Strategy acknowledge the need for a multi-prong approach. But I can’t help but be inspired by these past initiatives, which helped build this prosperous province.

Many of these approaches will be covered in the upcoming Rural Connectivity Forum happening May 17 & 18 in Sylvan Lake.

If we hope to be as successful in this century — and beyond — we’re going to need some of that Alberta ingenuity and collaborative community spirit. So, as our communities roll up their sleeves to solve this problem, let’s remember how our province has always pulled together to get the job done, and bring that spirit to the table.

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CN! Steps Out…Into The Community: Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo California Wine Experience CIWB Awards Calgary International Beerfest (Part 1) Fabulous at 50 Little Black Dress Affair

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Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo

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California Wine Experience

In support of Safe Haven - www.calwine.ca

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CIWB Awards “The Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards black-tie gala was an incredible evening to celebrate the six local leaders with over 1,200 people from 120+ different companies Calgary’s business community and beyond – our largest event yet! Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors, National Bank Financial and TransAlta for their support, and for (hilariously) hosting the event. The support from corporate Calgary and the positive energy was felt from every part of the room - thank you to everyone who sponsored! We cannot wait to do it all again in 2023” - Brenna Hardy, Director of Operations, Axis Connects

“The CIWB Awards was a remarkable display of community coming together to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of 6 local leaders in Calgary. It was a night filled with celebration, music, great food and networking. Axis Connects has done an amazing job of celebrating Influential Women in Business!”

- Krista Malden, Founder of Community Now! Magazine 52 // Community Now!

Jim Dewald Dean and Professor, Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary – Male Champion Award presented by CIBC Jim Dewald is a former real estate developer-turned-professor, long-time entrepreneur, and the current dean and professor of the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Jim has worked tirelessly to build the profile, brand and strategic direction of the Haskayne School of Business since 2013 which is now ranked in the top 10 business schools in Canada.

The School has graduated thousands of career-ready business leaders and entrepreneurs into the city, region and globally during Jim’s tenure. Jim has two books, two book chapters, and several articles to his credit.

Jim’s work has contributed to the constructs of cognitive resilience, entrepreneurial thinking and strategic response to disruptive innovations, most specifically business model innovations. Uplifting women has been a mission of Jim’s throughout his career, not just in academia, but in his prior industries (building and development and engineering) as well, even at a time when developing and supporting women was not as prevalent as it is now.

Kim Ruse CEO, Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter – Social Enterprise Award Presented by PwC CANADA Kim Ruse has been the CEO of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter (CWES) since 2014. In this role, she led the evolution of the services at the CWES – more than doubling the revenue of the organization in seven years and prioritizing Indigenous and racialized women and their families. Kim is passionate about innovating and creating new and effective ways of supporting those impacted by family violence and preventing it from happening in the first place. In 2017 she led the Shelter 2.0 initiative that re-imagined the role of women’s shelters that included better supporting children and families and transforming safety assessments and services. Kim also led the development of a Shelter Link App – a real time tech tool to help those fleeing violence connect with emergency resources more quickly. More recently, Kim partnered in developing an innovative digital resource for men called Men & (https://menand.ca) that provides trusted, engaging support to men at risk of perpetrating violence.

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Cheryl Sandercock Managing Director and Co-Head Energy A&D Advisory, BMO Capital Markets – Professional Services Award presented by Nutrien Cheryl Sandercock is one of the industry’s most experienced and highly recognizable practitioners in the field of Canadian Energy Advisory services since 2003. She is a trusted advisor to clients completing over $75 billion of transactions in over 100 mandates for domestic and international public and private energy companies and state-owned enterprises. As a professional engineer (APEGA) she is active as a Responsible Member for the practice of the advisory services group which she leads, as well being active with her alma mater, the University of Calgary. She has a diverse set of professional industry memberships including the Petroleum Acquisition & Divestiture Association, Canadian Heavy Oil Association, Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Energy Council and Women in Capital Markets. She is a regular industry guest speaker and panelist, as well as facilitating the participation of other industry colleagues to present and contribute to PADA, CHOA, SPE and CSUR.

Jana Mosley President, ENMAX Power – Large Enterprise Award presented by RBC Jana Mosley was the first and only female Director at ENMAX Power when she left her utility consulting practice, became ENMAX Power’s first female Vice President, and is now President. She has executive accountability for the reliable operation of the City of Calgary’s electricity system, managing over $2.6B in assets and 850 employees. Her 25 years of experience as a woman in male-dominated industries and steady rise to the top of her profession has made Jana a passionate advocate for women and under-represented groups across the utility industry, using her seat at the executive table to influence diverse succession planning and guide future leaders in fulfilling their potential and reaching their professional goals. Jana is a Registered Professional Engineer with APEGA, holds a Project Management Professional designation with the Project Management Institute, and is a graduate of the Rotman-ICD Directors Education Program. In addition to her role at ENMAX, she serves on the board of the Western Energy Institute, Women+Power, and Women in Communication and Technology and is a mom of 3 girls who inspire her to enable a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive.

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Eleanor Chiu Chief Financial Officer, The Trico Group/ Trico Homes – Small/Medium Enterprise Award Presented by TC Energy Eleanor Chiu joined Trico Homes over 2 decades ago where she became the Chief Financial Officer. Eleanor helped to build Trico Homes from a small, 15-person organization to employing over 150 people and now recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies – since 2004 on a continuous basis. Trico is also considered one of the top five builders in Calgary. Under Eleanor’s leadership, Trico was also named as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces for Women (2015) and one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures (2019).

Eleanor guided Trico into this social enterprise space as a co-founder of the Trico Charitable Foundation (TCF) in 2008. The TCF is dedicated to “provoking and building capacity in social entrepreneurship” through funding of the Social EnterPrize biannual awards, and several local and national programs. In 2018, Eleanor was named a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants.

Dawn Farrell Independent Director and Chancellor at Mount Royal University - Lifetime Achievement Award presented by TD Bank Group Dawn L. Farrell retired as CEO and President of TransAlta Corporation in March 2021 after serving in the role for over 9 years. Dawn led the transformation of the company to competitive power focused on low cost, low-emission and reliable solutions for large commercial and industrial customers and led multiple complex M&A transactions including creating TransAlta Renewables Inc. She has made enormous contributions to electricity and environmental policy development in Alberta, British Columbia and on a federal level in Canada. Currently, she holds the position of Chancellor at Mount Royal University and is a member of the Trilateral Commission. She is also the lead director for The Chemours Company, an independent board director for Canadian Natural Resources Limited as well as Portland General Electric. Dawn is known for her deep policy work in electricity, the environment and ESG. She is a co-founder of the Alberta Business Council, has worked with the Canadian government on a roadmap for advancing renewable wind technology, and was a member of the Canada-U.S. Council for the Advancement of Women.

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Calgary International Beerfest 2022 Part 1 - Calgary

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Shawn Webber

Ever wanted to listen to a brew master tell you their secrets? (spoiler: it’s always planning, hard work and perseverance), or how about taking a seminar on how to use beer in your cooking? With special presentations, Cooking with Beer Classes and hundreds of exhibitors offering everything from beer, wine and spirits to authentic BBQ, Pizza and gourmet popcorn, add in supplying comfortable places to have a seat and soak it all in, the Calgary International Beerfest on May 6 and 7, 2022 provided the venue and the entertainment and the craft brewing and distilling community came out and enjoyed a great event.

The amazing turnout at this event and the growth in the number of exhibitors is a clear sign that while the last couple years have been challenging, those willing to put their heart into making their dream a reality are always going to find opportunity, even if it seems like the sky is falling. For a homebrewer having the knowledge that the product they are making has been created through countless hours of planning, preparing, testing and repeating, gives them the confidence to share their creations with their friends and family. As every homebrewer will tell you, those that wish to do something more than homebrew always have one important consideration: Everyone thinks your beer is great when you give it to them for free, but will they still want it when you ask them to pay for it… The pursuit of this answer for new breweries highlights the importance of events such as beer festivals, as they provide an opportunity to meet their target audience to get instant feedback “The Beerfest in October and this one have been huge for meeting customers, and other people in the community and allowing us to get the word out about Solutions Brewing” explains Rob Kowalchuk of Solutions Brewing.

Imagine having to first be confident enough that your friends and family (and hopefully a lot more people) will buy your beer, but then having a global pandemic change the rules just as you’re ready to get into the game. That was the reality faced by Atlas Brewing and Solutions Brewing of Airdrie, AB and Four Dogs Brewing and You’re Welcome Brewing of Calgary AB, for all four of these companies a long-term love of beer and homebrewing brought enough compliments from friends and family to convince the brewers to jump into the craft beer market, the global pandemic gave them a lot of quick survival lessons necessary for growing and adapting during uncertain times.

For Vince Schaeffer of Four Dogs Brewing the global pandemic changed the rules at the worst possible time having been a brewer for many years Vince was eagerly looking forward to releasing his beers to the local community to help support AARCS and the local dog community. With the brewery set to begin delivering product to bars and restaurants on March 13, 2020, the announcement from the provincial government that bars and restaurants would be closed for dine-in service within the same week, became an immediate concern and an imposing obstacle for the success of his brewery. Needing to rethink his original plan, Vince was able to convert the kegs full of beer that should have been going to local restaurants into cans in order to have them delivered to local liquor stores.

In spite of some trying times, Vince has now been able to release each his four-dog inspired beers and is donating 25 cents from each can sold to AARCS to support their efforts with dogs in the community.

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A common theme amongst many of the new breweries that are attending the Beerfest is their reliance on contract brewing, this means renting space form an established brewery to create your product in their facility. For the smaller breweries this offers them the opportunity to prepare their product in large enough quantities for commercial sale, but not be required to own all the means of production and rent on a space large enough to house them. This also creates an opportunity to get to know other brewers and to gather and share tips and advice. All the brewers we spoke to talked about how amazing the craft brewing community has been for them and how important it is to give back when they can. When a new brewery is able to open during a pandemic an immediate connection with its community is imperative, “local businesses and even stores like Sobeys and Co-op are always eager to bring in new local products and the community has really been amazing for us, we even had we had the mayor out for the ribbon cutting ceremony to open our brewery and taproom” says Mike Phipps of Atlas Brewing in Airdrie AB

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Among the silver linings to the global pandemic, with restrictions easing and people are attending social gatherings and public events in larger numbers, more people are eager to get out and try new flavours and get new experiences. As Aaron Wills of You’re Welcome Brewing in Calgary AB explains, “When the bars and restaurants shut down, people went into their local beer stores and they didn’t just buy their old favorites, they tried new things.”

For the craft alcohol industry, having people eager to sample new flavours has ensured a community wide obsession with development and innovation of new flavours and techniques, events like the Calgary International Beerfest provide an opportunity for the brewing community to get together to share their new creations with each other and the craft brewing audience. In a sentiment shared by all the brewers we spoke with Aaron Wills explained “We want to make our beer a perfect as possible, so we can say: Here we made this for you, You’re Welcome!”

If you missed the Calgary Craft Beer Festival but want to check out some excellent wines, beers, spirits or any of the excellent food and entertainment options Alberta Beer Festivals will be hosting the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival on June 3, 2022 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.

Alberta Beer Festivals https://albertabeerfestivals.com @ABBeerFestivals Atlas Brewing https://www.atlasbrewing.ca @atlas_brewing Four Dogs Brewing https://fourdogs.ca @four_dogs_brewing Solutions Brewing https://www.solutionsbrewing.com @solutionsbrewingco You’re Welcome Brewing @yourewelcomeyyc Community \\ 59

Fabulous @ 50: Little Black Dress Affair

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Next month we will be showcasing: Alberta Bike Swap Edmonton Craft Beer Festival (Part 2) Inventures Canada 2022 And much more...

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Innovation: Giving Yourself Permission Jill Drader

What’s one of the most innovative things you can do?

Give yourself permission to pivot.

How do you let innovation and change into your life?

Give yourself permission to change your mind and take action towards what you want.

What is spiritual innovation?

Being in better alignment with your life and calling.

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P

arker J. Palmer wrote in Let Your Life Speak that as a society, we seem to have forgotten how to align with our calling, and instead have gone after jobs and work that are on the linear path of others and we just copy them. He challenges that the notion of ‘vocation’ is not about finding a linear career path, going from high school to college and getting that degree and maybe a Master’s right after and then into a line of work where you’re ‘supposed’ to spend your next 20-30 years. He argues that we couldn’t possibly know ‘who we are’ at this point of our life to make the decisions that best align with our calling, our true vocation. Palmer argues the ‘shoulds’ do not work as they run crosswise to one’s true soul calling.

I had to remember that I wanted it and how it arrives isn’t always that I imagined (like a lottery win to fast retirement), rather a new path on the journey to wayfinding where I am to shine.

Wednesday Lupypciw through just this.

(they/them)

went

After years of working as an astrophysics researcher for the National Council of Canada at the remote White Lake facility, Wednesday couldn’t stop thinking about things they were passionate about - fabric and textiles.

This wasn’t random, Wednesday has woven a couple degrees into their life, one in astrophysics and one in weaving from ACAD (now AUA Alberta University of the Arts).

I like to say that sometimes when we are thinking about change but don’t take the leap, the universe has a way of giving us a two-hand-shove into the direction we need to go. And for Wednesday and many others like them, COVID did just that.

Ever feel stuck in the path of ‘supposed to’ and so far from a creative and innovative life of expression and calling?

I have. Many times.

When my life has made significant pivots and changes without me being on board, it’s usually some answered prayer that I wasn't ready to receive in the time I was thinking it would as a result of pleading not praying and asking for change to my situation. I was usually miserable, disconnected, resentful, and aloof

In May 2021 Wednesday caught the Delta variant and it was a doozy of a crash. Not only that, the long-haul symptoms made iterative calculus and problems solving too much to think about with the brain fog that never seems to have left.

to daily tasks at hand. I didn’t know what I wanted or needed, I just knew it was change.

In that downtime taking a leave from the day to day - Wednesday’s true vocation calling came to them, just like Parker J. Palmer wrote it would, during a period of questioning vocation as a career and feeling the calling of something you just cannot not do even though you cannot explain it, it makes it compelling and desirable.

At that time I was usually unable to remember that every closed door behind me was actually an opening to the entire world in front of me. When the opportunity for change enters,

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Wednesday started Wild Rose Beds, all natural organic handmade mattresses. The kind they wanted to sleep on and couldn’t find.

The kind without all of the chemicals sprayed on traditional mattresses. The kind that was stitched with love. The kind they dreamt of during their weaving degree but didn’t think it was a ‘career’ choice. The funny thing is that it blends skills and qualities from both studies - the design and creation of the beds requires

fire retardants and formaldehyde, common ingredients in everyday mattresses and pillows. Wednesday makes their beds with a lot of natural wool, a natural fire retardant itself. While they try to make them ‘as natural and Canadian’ as possible, the natural rubber latex comes from India, Sri Lanka or Indonesia as we just can’t grow rubber trees this far north in our climate. Cotton is the same, the closest place to source it in its all natural state is grown in the Southern United States.

a lot of mechanical problem solving and blending of fibers and fabrics. Wednesday says, ‘people often don’t think of these two worlds blending, but the reality is it makes me a great designer and constructor. Making beds kind of combines my love and way-tooin-depth knowledge of fabric and fibres, and basic mechanics physics-y stuff.”.

Wednesday’s passion for as close to zero waste as possible is part of their business design, which is why there is no showroom and only custom orders. Mattresses usually take 4-6 weeks to finish from the date of order. Wednesday’s products are comparable to others, here are some of their latest product line and pricing:

Wild Rose Beds is now a custom-order business operating out of a shop in Forest Lawn in Calgary. Any kind and size of mattress can be made - from one to fill a bassinet up to those that are used in hospice for one’s final sleep. The materials are non-offgassing and all natural. What are off-gassing materials? Think

A Certified Organic plaid full-size standard crib mattress stuffed with natural Canadian wool, GOTS Certified Organic Texas cotton, and Canadian steel coils sells for $875.

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Mental health support for caregivers and youth. I offer a FREE drop-in group for caregivers as well as fee-based one on one and group coaching options for both youth and adults.

Book a FREE 30 minute coaching session: https://calendly.com/christinapeerspectiveconsulting/ free-coaching-session Peerspectivesconsulting.ca Community \\ 65

A Certified Organic plain navy wool crib with the same filling goes for $675.

Certified organic wool shell, natural Canadian wool, GOTS Texas cotton, and pesticide-free flax filled bassinet mattresses are $350.

Full Stokke Sleepi crib mattress, all organic stuff, is $875 Stokke bassinet is $400 Certified Organic millet hull toddler pillow with GOTS organic, machine washable cover is $132 ______ What are Wednesday’s goals for the next year? They say,

“To design and make lots of deliberately gorgeous mattresses.

The way things look is so important to me. I also want to get the word out about my heatwave-busting-stick-the-insert-in-the-freezerstay-cold-all-night pillows, they were so good for my partner last summer. I've just started my business and I totally know firsthand and believe in the life-altering positive effects of good sleeping stuff. I just want to let people know about it! Being a nerd, I'd also like to connect with local sleep researchers to see if they have any need for mattress design/prototyping.”

Wednesday is what innovation of self and calling is all about. Taking the leap and finding the light in a dark situation, like so many have experienced in the last year.

Pay attention to what’s calling you in your dreams, meditations, when out walking or hiking, when reading, or listening to the radio. Messages to guide us to what’s really for us are all around us but we have to listen and observe carefully.

We have to remember that in that downtime and darkness is where we are called to listen a little closer. Have a journal and pen, or notes section on an app on your phone open to capture those messages. While they might not make sense at the time, like Wednesday, you may just find that a blend of two totally separate degrees is just what you needed to innovate that product the world needs more of, products crafted with love and attention.

My hope in your reading this is that you find that innovation can come through anything if you listen carefully enough.

Interested in a bed or learning more?

Website: www.wildrosebeds.com Email: wednesdayl@gmail.com

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“When you’re starting a business, your accountant and lawyer should work together hand-in- hand to figure out the ideal ownership and financing structure.

When it comes to running the business, I would work with your lawyer to discuss how what kind of documents, policies, procedures and contracts you will use within the company (among your staff, employees or contractors) and with the outside world (your customer and vendor contracts, your terms and conditions, etc.). You don’t have to do everything at once, but it would be great to have a roadmap and wishlist of all of the things you’ll need. Target what needs to get done right away, and build up your governing documents as you go.”

- Gus Lu, Gusto Law

Gus Lu, Barrister & Solicitor Suite 300, 239 10th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 0V9 Canada Cell: 403.604.1977 https://gustolaw.ca

T

he birth of Momentum Sports Analytics brought forth the results of the relentless thirst for knowledge and far-reaching ideas of four friends. Being weighed down by student loans and limited access to early funding has not affected our ambition or work ethic. If anything, we have become more creative and resourceful. “Be Scrappy” — Hai H. Our daily motto has led us to leverage each other's unique skill sets, approaches and networks to work around the challenges we face. I believe our collective sum is our greatest asset as a startup.

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“Our trust and confidence in one another’s capabilities and more importantly character, has laid the foundation for Momentum and fuels the engine for this journey.” – Karl Mome “The Momentum directors are a few of my closest friends and friendly rivals.” Karl Mome .Our Team in Clockwise order from the top left: Anton Bellot, Hai Huynhlam, Jason Lewis, Karl Mome “As CEO my job is to create a global community for Momentum and find solutions to the barriers we have and will encounter.”

- Karl Mome Originally born in Neuilly-Sur-Seine just outside Paris, France. Karl’s parents (from Doula, Cameroon) moved to North America in 1993 in pursuit of a better life for their children.

Karl spent his youth growing up in Montreal QC, Toronto ON, Oakland CA, and Lathrop CA. After high school, he headed back north to Canada, to the city of Edmonton, Alberta, where he graduated from the University of

Alberta with a degree in Geophysics. While in school, Karl played football, spending time with both the Golden Bears and Edmonton Wildcats. Now Currently living in Calgary, Alberta.

Q & A with the Founder of Momentum, Karl Mome Why did you create a platform for high performance athletes to train online?

As a former varsity athlete and current HS coach, I know all too well that athletes who want to participate in varsity sports are racing against the clock to maximize their athletic performance. Athletes who participate in varsity sports are often provided with enriching educational and community opportunities and life experiences, but young varsity athletes have a lot on their plates outside sports, for example, school, and social life. The larger

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doing business development and running customer discovery meetings the next evening you're doing code development. Striking a healthy balance of building and learning has allowed us to learn how to better deploy our resources in a way that allows us to manage our run room and find early traction.

What is the biggest success so far?

In the spring of 2021, we launched our MVP and ran our first pilot program, the First10.

Focused on return to play we hosted participants from the CJFL's Edmonton Wildcats football program as they returned to the field last fall. We've successfully run two more pilots since then allowing us to continue to develop Sidekick. This year's First10 program will return this summer and will be accessible to even more athletes, reach out to learn more! (continued from page 69...) programs and schools can afford to pay for coaches and trainers to help facilitate an athlete's training journey. This leaves athletes at smaller programs at a competitive disadvantage. Momentum is looking to create a simple way for every athlete to access performance training regardless of their location.

What challenges did you face launching your business?

Like most founders, funding is always a challenge early in the journey. Still, keeping a lean approach forced us to find scrappy ways to learn. We've also had great support from the Calgary startup community. Getting out there and meeting people has definitively been a help in identifying funding opportunities.

Apart from fundraising, the balance of working on, versus working in your business has been challenging to balance find. Our entire team has had to wear multiple hats at various times to get the job done. One day you're 70 // Community Now!

How has innovation changed sports and training?

Access to wearable technology is making it easier to monitor your athletes regardless of location all while giving you access to a wider range of insights about an athlete's performance. When you turn on the sports game in the evenings it's common to hear about fast an athlete is running or skating or what the likelihood of success a shot had. These are examples of how technology is also making it easier to articulate an athlete's journey.

Through data and analytics, we are making working towards making athletes healthier and sports more accessible.

What benefits does your platform offer?

Through Sidekick athletes are able to connect to high-quality performance trainers and training programs they can trust. At the

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We are a community instilling hope and connection in the lives of young people, exiting street life.

Change is Possible. www.thedoorway.ca - CRA 13140 1226 RR0001 W O R D S

O F

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Y O U N G

P E O P L E

A T

T H E

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If you know what you need then take it, don’t say tomorrow; tomorrow never comes.

Don’t be quick to dismiss help when you are struggling.

Always set goals for yourself even if you are comfortable in the life you live.

Don’t let other people’s negative insight put you down.

It’s never too late to be things you want to be.

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B A Y

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F R I E N D S @ T H E D O O R W A Y . C A

Your platform is a new innovative way for both Trainers and Athletes to Connect, train

How does someone analyze their training?

Sidekick is a web app that integrates with existing wearable technologies to make receiving feedback simple and actionable for athletes and their coaches. As an athlete executes their training program their training journey is monitored from the fitness data they record. Data such as training load, sleep and heart rate helps us create a feedback loop with an athlete's coach, allowing them to make effective decisions about their athlete's

and analyze …

programming.

Why is it important to analyze?

Assessing progress allows trainers to identify and articulate an athlete's needs and the actions needed to address them. The communication between an athlete and coach initiated from assessments can promote a better trainer-to-athlete relationship. As athletes have a finite amount of time to play getting on the same page about their training is imperative.

Getting your training wrong can leave you undertrained as an athlete and more susceptible to injury. As our lead Performance Coach, Tylor Henry says, "the best don't guess they assess!"

How does someone analyze their progress?

Sidekick helps coaches and athletes keep in touch and stay in tune with their training by measuring an athlete's training performance relative to their training goals. Athletes receive real-time insights as well as automated weekly feedback reports which allow them to see where they are along their journey.

Coaches can also schedule virtual connect sessions so that they can easily communicate and assess their athletes from anywhere.

(continued from page 70...) same time allowing performance trainers to effectively grow and differentiate their businesses online. Through our marketplace, we are leveling the playing field for athletes at smaller budget schools and programs.

Allowing them to access the training they need to maximize their athletic potential.

RE/MAX IREALTY INNOVATIONS// Deloris Walker

Helping you find the perfect community.

518 9 Ave SE Calgary T2G 0S1 phone: 403.815.0429 email: dwalker1@remax.net

Call today and let us find your dream home in the perfect community.

72 // Community Now!

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Constant change is the new normal… the innovation behind embracing the unknown

74 // Community Now!

Pivot… Pivot… Pivot!

Jennifer Hadley

D

oes anyone else picture the scene of Ross Geller moving his couch in that episode of Friends? That’s what comes to mind for me every time someone says “pivot!” The chaos in his voice, the stress on Rachel and Chandler who were trying to help and the feeling like that couch is just not going to make it up the stairs in one piece. Can you relate to that feeling in your life? It’s been a rough few years and things have changed drastically in every way we do things. We’ve pivoted in all areas from how we work to how we shop and eat – we’re seeing that constant change is becoming the new normal. And we have to get with the times and change as the world does.

I sometimes wonder about how we got here.

To a place where we can order every little thing, we need (and don’t need!) online. How even the delivery system has changed where you don’t even have to talk to anyone or exchange money anymore. Grocery shopping, going to a restaurant, the education system, the legal system… all of it is changing so fast!

How do we cope with these constant changes?

How do we see this movement as innovative instead of intrusive? How can we see the positive pieces of the world’s new normal?

It’s all in our perspective. Let’s face it, change is hard. If any of you experienced at-home learning when the pandemic started, you’ll understand what I mean. Overnight the world seemed to shut down. Kids' sports were cancelled, school and work went online and we were supposed to figure out how to share our workspace with our kids who had to log in,

participate and learn something with all of the distractions of our work, our pets, bad connectivity and technical issues! And let’s not forget the never-ending need for snacks all day long!

I learned a new appreciation for teachers for sure. And also, for our resilience as a society as we moved through so many changes over and over again with new information, misinformation, a lot of confusion and a turn on societal values. People siding with one another against one another in a polarizing shift of humanity unfolding before us as we watched the latest news updates, held on to our own beliefs and dismissed those who disagreed with us.

How can we stay positive in a world where we don’t even know what’s coming tomorrow? Businesses have shut down, inflation is out of control, people are angry – and it’s all understandable. But we have to stay positive. We have to keep our heads up and keep moving forward. I’ve read in many places that having problems is a good thing as our problems force us to grow. Problems and obstacles create a need for innovative thinking, outsidethe-box ideas and solutions that we otherwise wouldn't have needed to create if life wasn’t changing. Change, as difficult as it may feel sometimes, is a gift.

If we didn’t have change, if we didn’t face obstacles, we would be in a state of “same old same old” and wouldn’t see the benefits of all this change. Again, it’s all how you choose to see it. You could hate the change or you could embrace it. I get excited about not having to (continued on next page) Community \\ 75

(continued from page 75...) fight for a parking spot at the mall or being at home with my dog as I work away in my sweat pants with him next to me instead of in a kennel all day. I prefer to have less driving time and more quality time with my kids. I love that I can now work from anywhere and take a day to the mountains or a lake, get my work done and enjoy the scenery while maintaining my productivity. Sure, there are a lot of things I don’t enjoy about change – staying up on the latest rules and restrictions can be annoying, feeling disconnected from people has had a major impact on mental health and a lot of other random things that have stopped us from regular living have impeded our enjoyment. But all in all, those things have been opportunities for creative innovation as well.

When school and sports shut down, we were forced to get creative in how we would help our kids expend their endless energy stores- so we went out hiking and on walks and spent time being active together because we couldn’t rely on their teachers or coaches to do that – win for them and for us! When we weren’t able to travel internationally, we ended up spending our holidays closer to home, spending money locally and supporting our own communities – win for them and 76 // Community Now!

for us! When we weren’t able to visit with our friends and community members, we went online having online game nights, zoom parties and spent less money going out – some of us even cancelled our car insurance saving hundreds! Win for us at least :) Change is inevitable. The one thing you can count on with change is that it’s going to happen. You may not know how or when, but if we live in a state of preparedness, have an obstacle coping plan and look positively at change as it comes, we can turn the tables on the negative feelings that come with them. We can embrace innovation, embrace the creative opportunities and embrace the change that has become the new normal.

How are you handling changes as they come?

Do you need some support in seeing the silver lining? It’s a hard thing to do! Changing your mindset and seeing the positives are difficult, especially when it seems like there is so much change happening all around us all of the time. Let’s connect to chat about what you can do to make the mindset shift and see how innovation and change can actually be a good thing!

Schedule some time with me here: Calendly.com/fiercemom

One of the most important things you can accomplish is just being yourself.

Dwayne Johnson Community \\ 77

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