We will be live blogging the TEDx Conference from Edmonton today here on TechVibes and at TEDxEdmonton's site. To watch live click this link. The event starts at 10:00 AM (MST).
Jaclyn Konzellman's been hard at work. Most people would consider fourth-year Mechanical Engineering hard enough, especially if it was under the auspices of as competitive an institution as the University of Waterloo, but in-between work and university life she's managed to squeeze in a little bit of time for a few remarkable achievements.
She recently planned and organized the TEDxWaterloo conference, for which she headed a team of nine socialpreneurs, and she also found some time to slip into the recent Ignite Waterloo conference held last week in Waterloo and deliver one of the event's notorious 5-minute presentations.
And just before she could slip away again, I managed to fire some questions at her. Here's what she had to say.
You were a members of the TEDxWaterloo organizing committee, and were recently featured as speaker/presenter at the Ignite Waterloo conference that took place last Wednesday. How did you make the wide transition from Waterloo student to "socialpreneur" in such a short amount of time?
Throughout my years as a UW student I have always tried to get involved in different activities outside of the classroom. From organizing faculty events to being a Campus Rec instructor, these outside interests have helped make the student experience even better. Eventually I got involved in a student run conference and this past summer I co-founded a student organization called EPIC. These outside interests led me to meeting some of the amazing people who are also involved in TEDxWaterloo, Ignite and a variety of other initiatives. As I got more and more involved I realized how much I loved it and how fun it was.
Could you name perhaps one or two key events in your life so far that have led you to where you are now?
One of the biggest events for me happened during my first co-op work term in which I worked in a factory in a small town. At the time it was a very difficult situation for me as I was entirely out of my element both in terms of the small community as well as the workplace. Looking back, however this experience made me realize how badly I wanted to get involved in things and meet new people. Since then, I have always tried to make the most of situations and have fun with things. It is the reason I have taken on the things that I have and I couldn't be happier about it!
As a Waterloo student, where do you see the University of Waterloo going in the next few years in terms of social change and social leadership? Where do you see the Kitchener-Waterloo region going in the next few years? Do you have any advice to share with current university students who harbour ambitions of being the social leaders of tomorrow?
I think that the University has some great things going for it and I am excited to see it grow. There are a lot of really cool things going on such as the start-up incubator Velocity and I even have a course on Technical Entrepreneurship this year. It is awesome to see the University expanding into offering things such as this. At the same time, I still think that the University has a long way to go. I know plenty of students who have never heard of the Accelerator Centre and don't know that as a UW student you can get free admission into many events run by Communitech. These are awesome resources in the Waterloo region but I don't think enough students know about them right now.
I think that the region in general is only going to get better and better. From the continuous innovation coming out of the Universities and the Accelerator Centre to the research being done at PI and the recent announcement that UW is going to be the hub for diabetes research, these are all clear indications of the amazing things that we can expect in the near future.
What do you plan to conquer next on your horizon? Are there any particular events that you would like to see come to the Kitchener-Waterloo area? Perhaps some that are long overdue?
Next on the horizon for me is graduating from Mechatronics Engineering at UW (fingers crossed). In the meantime I will also continue to do work with the non-profit I co-founded this summer EPIC and work away on planning TEDxWaterloo 2011 which I recently received the license to once again co-host (and am super excited about). I have also accepted a PM job at Microsoft so I will be moving to Seattle later this year, but plan on still staying actively involved in the Waterloo region!
In terms of coming events, I was really excited to be able to introduce TEDx to this region and can't wait for next year’s event. I think that Waterloo is fairly up to date on the hot events right now, from Startup Drinks to Demo Camp and, well, all the other Camps, to Ignite and even some of our own "local" ones such as Canada 3.0 - I personally love the scene here.
I can't help but throw in a classic interview question, but where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years? 10 years might I ask?
As I mentioned, I will be moving to Seattle later this year to start work at Microsoft full-time. Having said this, I am still not sure where I see myself in 3-5 years. If I love it at Microsoft I could see myself staying there for a couple years. Then again, I may decide to venture off from the corporate world and try something on my own. As long as I can look back in 3, 5 or 10 years from now and not have any regrets I will be happy. What I do know is that I plan on making the most of every opportunity and can't wait to continue to get involved in exciting things!
If you could name one thing that coaxes you to wake up on a daily basis, gives you your drive throughout the day and makes you passionate enough to view sleep as an unwelcome interruption, what would it be?
The people I meet. Hands down, everything comes down to the amazing people and fun times that I have had and continue to have. I absolutely love everyone on all of the teams I am a part of and they make things so much more fun and exciting. I look forward to meetings and group work sessions because it is not only a way of being productive but also a reason to hand out with people I enjoy working with.
On March 22nd, the Canada Trade Commissioner Service is hosting the first of a new speaker series called Insights from the Silicon Valley in Vancouver. In their inaugural presentation, Clint Chao of Formative Ventures will talk about Building Revenue and Market Mindshare from the Ground Up.
Clint Chao is a founding general partner at Formative Ventures. Clint invests in emerging technologies start-ups in areas, most recently focusing on web infrastructure and services. Clint is an experienced technology executive who brings more than 20 years of start-up operating experience including marketing, sales and business development to Formative Ventures. His investments and board leadership include Mashery, Marketocracy, Silicon Clocks, Smalltown, SOASTA, and Zyray Wireless (acquired by Broadcom in 2004).
This FREE event takes place on Monday, March 22nd from 1:30pm - 3:30pm at the Bootup Entrepreneurial Society at 163 West Hastings Street. This event is intended for technology companies and local venture capital and angel investors. Snacks and refreshments will be served and you can register online.
Insights from the Silicon Valley is an initiative of the Trade Commissioner Service and is BC partners - Bootup Entrepreneurial Society, BCIC, BCTIA and NRC-IRAP.
What is Chevrolet doing at South by Southwest (#sxsw)? They're not showing off their new 2020 concept cars.
The music, film and interactive conference in Austin, Texas will be introduced to three emerging technologies that Chevrolet is looking to promote and test: location-based social networking, quick response codes, and augmented reality.
Jim Campbell is the Chevrolet general manager:
For Chevrolet, South by Southwest provides an invaluable opportunity to learn how best to communicate with customers in by leveraging these technologies.
Location-based social networking
Chevrolet has partnered with Foursquare Austin-based Gowalla. When Gowalla users check in at locations throughout Austin, they will receive messages and SXSW offers from Chevrolet.
For example, a select number who “check in” at Austin airport will also receive a message that reads:
Welcome and Congratulations: Chevy is here for SXSW, and we want to offer you a free ride in a new Equinox if you’re going downtown. Just show this message to the person holding the Chevy @ SXSW sign in baggage claim, and leave the rest to us.
Quick Response (QR) codes
When a Chevy vehicle is photographed using a camera phone, the QR codes will launch a dedicated microsite with key features of the vehicle. For example, a QR code on the hood will take attendees to a micro-site to learn more about the 1.4-liter Ecotec turbocharged engine in the Cruze, which will detail the vehicle's class-leading mileage.
Augmented reality
The Chevrolet iReveal application (still in Beta testing) will be able to unlock three-dimensional models of Chevrolet vehicles. The application will provide specifics of the vehicles, and users will also be able to insert the virtual image of the car over the actual streetscape viewed through the smart phone camera lens.
Christopher Barger is the Director of Global Communications and Technology for GM:
The potential of these technologies is incredible. Imagine using Quick Response Codes to download the price and options for a vehicle on a dealer lot right to your cell phone. Or, imagine using augmented reality to virtually preview different colors of the Camaro in your own driveway. We are just scratching the surface of what’s possible with mobile technologies and social media applications.
What are your thoughts on Chevrolet being at SXSW?
Thanks to the Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's recent Budget announcement on Section 116, this year's CVCA Annual Conference in Ottawa on May 26-28th should have a celebratory feel to it. And no doubt Conference headliner Rick Mercer will have plenty of new material ready for the audience after questioning Flaherty's Euromoney Finance Minister of the Year award on the Rick Mercer Report last year.
CVCA's Annual Conference is the premiere networking and professional development event for Canada’s venture industry and should attract 550+ attendees again this year.
The conference will kick off with a welcome cocktail event on the Wednesday evening and include a Gala dinner on the Thursday featuring the CVCA’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award presentation and entertainment by Rick Mercer followed by our popular scotch-tasting networking event. We will also offer attendees an optional golf day on Wednesday at The Marshes, one of Ottawa's premiere courses.
The conference program features timely topics on both venture capital and buyout and includes the following speakers:
Register online if you're interested in taking in the festivities.
The CVCA – Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association – represents the majority of private equity companies in Canada, with over... [more]
Almost a month ago to the day Doritos launched its a nation-wide initiative that asks Canadians to name the newest Doritos unidentified flavour.
However, this is not just any initiative. There is $250,000 at stake. 
As many of you may know by now, Doritos is asking Canadians to create a video that has the potential to go viral. The video with the most "viralocity" has the chance to win the jackpot. There will also be random prizes for over 300 contestants as well.
Tony Matta is the Vice President of Marketing at Frito Lay Canada:
At Doritos, we're constantly looking for bigger and better, a new and exciting way to break ground, that puts the consumer in control. This contest is an opportunity for Canadians to tap into the viral nature of videos, use their creativity and create a digital footprint that will give them the chance to walk away with some serious cash. The Doritos brand was built by the consumer, so we've decided to hand over our brand yet again and let the consumer keep calling the shots with the Doritos Viralocity Contest.
The Doritos Viralocity Contest is supported with a slew of online tools such as a custom website, a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account, and a YouTube channel.
For more information please visit www.doritosviralocity.ca.
By the way, here is our favourite video:
Northern Voice Blogging Conference in Vancouver on May 7th and 8th is offering six travel bursaries of $500 each and the organizing committee will be awarding these bursaries based on a number of criteria, including:
To apply for a bursary, they would like you to write a blog post, or record a podcast or video blog post describing why you want to come to Northern Voice.
Once you’ve published your post, let them know by pasting the URL in the comments field of this blog post.
The deadline for submissions is April 1st.
Last week the Financial Post's Garry Marr pointed out How To Lose Money On Real Estate Moves and pegged hefty transaction costs as the reason Canadians don't move more often.
Canadian homeowners will be happy to know that the Competition Bureau lodged a complaint last month challenging the rules imposed by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The Bureau called CREA anti-competitive and believes that they limit consumer choice and prevent innovation in the residential real estate market.
The Bureau’s challenge is against rules imposed by CREA on agents who list properties on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. The overwhelming majority of real estate transactions in Canada make use of the MLS system, which includes important information available only to CREA members. Before listing a property on MLS, agents must agree to comply with CREA's restrictions on the service options they provide to Canadian consumers.
Under CREA's rules, agents are prohibited from offering consumers the option of simply paying a fee for an agent to list a home on the MLS system. Instead, all consumers looking to list a property on MLS must purchase a pre-determined set of additional services from a real estate agent, such as the presentation of offers and negotiation of a final deal.
CREA's counter to the Competition Bureau's offensive has been to forward Internet traffic from their MLS website over to REALTOR.ca. Why would they do that? The CREA is assuming that the government will argue by definition that the Multiple Listing Service is not multiple but actually singular in nature as non-realtors cannot post there, only realtors can. And protecting MLS as a trademark would most definitely prove more difficult than protecting REALTOR.ca.
In the United States the opening up of MLS data has resulted in greater competition and lower fees thanks to sites like like Zillow and Redfin that offer enhanced real estate listings. While we're likely a couple years away from the Canadian real estate cartel being broken up, the next generation of young realtors is using the web to compete with old-school yard sign marketing tactics.
Vancouver's Ian Watt is one such realtor. Watt's social media strategy has made him the go-to guy in the downtown Vancouver condo market and has even garnered him a nomination at the North American Inman Conference for the Most Innovative Blog.
Watt is a real estate maverick and believes the younger web-enabled guard will take the reins from the old guard if the Competition Bureau is successful.
Seeing that change on the horizon, Watt has established CondoGo.com which offers 'Discounted Real Estate Commissions with Full Service Marketing'. Watt's unique CondoGo system is for sellers of condominium real estate only and is more than just a condo marketing strategy that leverage the web.
Watt's system go so far as to assign a "Client Concierge" to each seller that is dedicated to selling your condo only. And get this, the concierge is not paid a commission but rather a base salary with incentives for client satisfaction, timeliness of the sale and other factors – none of which are correlated to the final sale price. What a novel idea.
Watt is fully aware that cutting commissions on the buyer's side would only reduce the number of realtors willing to show their clients CondoGo properties, so the system keeps purchasing realtors happy with full commissions ensuring maximum exposure for CondoGo properties.
Only time will tell if opening up MLS will lower prices and provide more choice to consumers. Either way Watt believes there is a better way and his innovation will likely keep him on top of the market for some time.
CondoGo.com is a new way of selling your Vancouver condo for less. CondoGo.com which was established by Ian Watt (who is in the Top 1% of the over... [more]
With all the recent problems happening at Toyota, it seems that the domestic car makers can do no wrong. Case in point: Ford Motor Company.
Ford Motor Company has introduced an innovative new technology – called MyKey. MyKey is designed to help parents encourage their teenagers to drive safer, use less gas and even wear seatbelts.
The special MyKey program allows the owner to limit the vehicle’s top speed as well as the volume of the audio system. The program (via a series of beeps) also encourages safety belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 75, 90 and 105 km per hour.
Susan Cischke is the Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering:
Ford not only offers industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems, we also are committed to developing new technologies such as MyKey that encourage safer driving behavior. MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging seat belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions.
For more information check out the Ford website.
PaidContent is reporting this morning that Twitter social media dashboard HootSuite has now made an acquisition, buying up Android app developer Swift App. Swift App was the developer behind HootSuite’s Android app, which was released last week.
Swift App is located in New York and run by Sebastian Delmont.
Smart move by HootSuite, as this will no doubt result in quicker development for the growing Android market.
Interesting fact: According to Twitstat, HootSuite is responsible for over 4% of Twitter Client usage.
HootSuite helps organizations use the social web to launch marketing campaigns, identify and grow audience, and distribute targeted messages across... [more]
