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Kelowna tech professionals Al Hildebrandt, CEO of QHR, and Steve Wandler welcomed Jeff Cates, vice-president at Hewlett Packard and Punit Minocha, vice-president at Trend Micro, to the tech conference Metabridge. (photo contributed)
By Shelley Nicholl
Fresh from the Silicon Valley, a Kelowna tech entrepreneur decided the local burgeoning tech community could use a shot of the Silicon expertise. So, on June 11 and 12, Steve Wandler, founder of YourTechOnline.com, helped round up 10 top-ranked executives of some of the leading technology firms in North America and brought them to Kelowna to meet some of the local up-and-coming tech firm owners.
The result was Metabridge: an exchange of ideas and possibilities.
“People came from the Bay area (San Francisco) and were surprised at what we actually have,” said Wandler. “They saw the quality here. They were surprised.”
CEOs and executives from companies across North America, such as Trend Micro, AVG Antivirus, Blackberry, Hewlett Packard and Mitel, attended the event, which was sponsored by the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (EDC) and the Okanagan Science and Technology Council.
Attendee Ethan Anderson, co-founder of Red Beacon and former product manager at Google said, “The metabridge event introduced me to a tech community I never knew existed. I was impressed with the enthusiasm and ingenuity of the entrepreneurs I met, and I’m looking forward to maintaining the connections I made in Kelowna over the coming months and years.”
EDC executive director Robert Fine said this is the beginning of an initiative to develop the tech industry in Kelowna and noted that three companies have already started doing business with the guest companies. As well, there are plans for three similar forums in the next year at different locations to keep developing connections.
The tech trade is a natural fit for Kelowna, since tech businesses can be located almost anywhere and Kelowna has the draw of being a desirable location to live. As well, they add to the economy.
“It’s value-added,” said Fine. “The wages are good and it attracts younger people.”
Wandler, who moved back to Kelowna for the lifestyle, describes many of the local tech firms as being at the stage where they could use the alliance of bigger companies to grow. He helped set up a few specific exchanges with people at the Metabridge conference that are already blossoming into business relationships.
“There’s a lot of stuff happening here,” said Wandler. “The problem is getting out of the Okanagan bubble. It’s very difficult to be successful in technology in just the Okanagan. It’s really kind of secluded. They need to get exposure out of Kelowna.”
Instead of having them all go to Silicon Valley, Wandler essentially brought Silicon Valley to Kelowna.
Wandler saw the potential for such an exchange after working in the San Francisco area amongst other tech companies. He bought YourTechOnline.com, a tech support company in 2000 and then sold it in December 2008. He moved back to the Okanagan in January. With his insider knowledge of the key tech companies, he figured some of the local smaller tech companies could benefit from making some connections.
“The purpose was not to connect anyone with just anyone. It was connecting with the right people, the CEOs and executives that can make decisions,” Wandler explained.
Many of the smaller local companies may feel intimidated approaching some of the executives at the well-established firms, so he helped show them that they are approachable and the benefit of making those connections. He sees local company owners may either want to stick with their product and expand or grow their company until it is a marketable entity to sell.
Estimates put the number of tech firms in the Okanagan at about 200, inclusive of all tech aspects. Most companies have two to three employees, with the average overall being nine employees. Their potential to grow in numbers is strong, but Wandler sees it more important to grow within.
“Growth will come, but I think there has to be a maturity that needs to happen,” he said. “It’s not about creating more companies, but maturing the ones we have to develop.”
Local entrepreneur Peter Matejcek, founder and CEO of Kelowna-based Huestream, said, “As an entrepreneur, the most valuable resources one can gain is access to experience and great connections. Without these fundamentals, getting an idea off the ground is almost impossible.”
Tags: tech firms
