Who: you, and anyone else who is into tech, entrepreneurship, creating stuff, or just making Vernon more awesome. What: geek beers! We get together around a table, chat, hang out, eat, and drink. When: Thursday, March 30th, from 5pm-8pm Where: Station BBQ, Vernon, private room to the right Optional: let us know you’re coming on […]
Ratio Coffee is offering a private party for Geek Beers next Thurs (5pm-8pm). They have three amazing beers on tap, plus some incredible cocktails (also availabe as virgin drinks). PLUS: Chef Laurie is creating a special tapas menu for us. It includes: spanakapitas, spiced nuts, croquettes, mango chicken triangles, bacon wrapped dates with blue cheese, […]
Come join us for #geekbeers! I’ve been getting this question a lot: You better believe it! We’re back for 2017! Who: you, and anyone else who is into tech, entrepreneurship, creating stuff, or just making Vernon more awesome. What: geek beers! We get together around a table, chat, hang out, eat, and drink. When: Thursday, […]
Are you a remote worker, independent consultant, small business owner, or retired geek looking for a Christmas party to attend? Startup Vernon + Cowork Vernon are getting together tomorrow night for a little Christmas gathering. This will be our “Geek Beers” for December! Who: You, your spouse, your friends What: A little Christmas cheer (get […]
Tonight is a Mega Geek Beers in Kelowna at BNA: 5pm-8pm. Can’t make it to Kelowna? A few of us will get together at Marten Brewpub tonight at 5pm (regular table) if you want to hang out. Also: looking for a Christmas party to go to? On Dec. 14th, 7:30pm-9:30pm, Cowork Vernon and Startup Vernon […]
On Thursday (October 27th, 2016), from 6pm-9pm we’ll be hanging out at Morgan’s place for a Halloween themed Geek Beers. Costumes are encouraged! Doesn’t have to be crazy (if you have a wig, put it on). (If this is your first event: normally we go to Marten Brewpub, but every once in a while we’ll […]
Finding and validating product ideas (Sept 21). I’m speaking at the Okanagan Project Managers group, from 5:30pm-7:30pm on Weds, Sept. 21. Register here >> (free) Tech Brew (Sept 21, 5pm-7pm). Big event in Kamloops! Some folks are carpooling out. Register here >> BizCamp (Sept 26-30). This conference looks awesome. It’s being put on by Shane Austin at co+Lab. […]
Geek Beers is back on for Thursday, June 30th, 2016.5pm-8pm, at Marten Brewpub. Also: Daryl Chymko is joining me as another Startup Vernon “host.” I think “host” is a good description for what we do: we host Geek Beers, and we’ll be hosting some other types of events in the future. (Here’s a message Daryl just […]
Just bought Amistad’s new EP: “Talk Peace to Wolf.” Love seeing great music come out of Vernon, BC. Give these fellas a listen! Buy it on iTunes →
Join us at Marten Brewery tonight from 5pm to 8pm for Geek Beers. We use the word “geek” very loosely. 😉 If you’re interested in making Vernon awesome, talking tech, or just hanging out, you should come. Here’s a message from Pearl and Stefan (the owners of Marten): We now have Happy hour till 6:00 […]
Note: you can download this fact sheet as a PDF. Fact #1: The City of Vernon currently promotes skateboarding as “green transportation” on their website. In 2015 the city’s Long Range Planner, Cleo Corbett, made this comment on the vernon.ca website: “[We] want to help people get to destinations… self-propelled, like biking or skateboarding.” Fact […]
In 2015, the City of Vernon posted this on their website: [We] want to help people get to destinations… self-propelled, like biking or skateboarding,” said Cleo Corbett, Long Range Planner and project coordinator. Under the new slogan “Activate life” Vernon, like many other municipalities, wants to encourage more people to take green modes of transportation. […]
Linda just reminded me that Geek Beers is early this month. Thursday, March 24 is Geek Beers! We’ll be at the new Marten Brewery (right next to the Naked Pig). We’ll be sitting at that long table in the middle. The 411: Who: entrepreneurs, IT people, developers, designers, and creatives who want to make Vernon […]
Update: Wow. It looks like there could be quite a crowd tonight. A big group of tech folks (nerds, makers, IT people, developers, designers, creatives) are converging at Marten Brewing in Vernon, BC. This Thursday, Feb 25th, people from Kelowna, Kamloops, and Vernon are getting together for MEGA GEEK BEERS. Marten Brewing is going to be super […]
Tomorrow, Weds Feb 17th, 7pm I’ll be speaking at the MAD (Marketing and Design) event in Kelowna (at Cheeky Monkey Media). I’ll be talking about building and launching your own digital product. I’d love to have you come! You can RSVP here → On Saturday, Feb 20th, at 10am at Ratio Coffee James Love is having […]
Tomorrow (Jan 28) is Geek Beers! We’ll be at the new Marten Brewery (right next to the Naked Pig). We’ll be sitting at that long table in the middle. Stefan and Pearl (the owners of the Pig) are doing some Geek Beers specials: mugs of MBC (Marten Brewing Co.) beer for $4.75! The 411: Who: […]
Hello Vernon / Okaganan friends, The MegaMaker burrito is coming to Vernon, BC on January 22nd. The story: This week I’m doing a collaboration with Station BBQ for my new podcast (MegaMaker). The goal of the podcast is to explore people who make stuff and the stories behind what they make. So this week Eric (the chef) […]
The new Marten Brewery is open! We’re all going: tomorrow’s Geek Beers is in the private Brewmaster Room at Marten Brewery. Just go in the main doors, and the room is on the bottom floor near the back corner. Stefan and Pearl (the owners of the Pig) are doing some Geek Beers specials: 1/2 rack of baby […]
Care about the future of tech in Vernon? You can give your input on the local technology scene (and Startup Vernon) here: mijustin.typeform.com/to/vow3hT I was just looking through my records, and it’s been 3 years since our last poll. A lot has happened since then – those were the days where only 5-6 people would show […]
Dear Vernon City Council, If Vernon’s economy is going to thrive, we need to attract young families, professionals, and skilled technology workers to our city. People relocating to the Okanagan are coming from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. They’re moving here for the lifestyle: beautiful lakes and mountains, great weather, and outdoor activities. However, they’re also looking for a […]
Geek Beers is tomorrow at the Naked Pig! Who: entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and creatives who want to make Vernon awesome What: Beer, BBQ, and good conversation (everything from design, to hardware hacking, to business, to programming in VIM) When: Thursday, October 29th, 2015, 5pm-8pm (and even later sometimes!) Where: The Naked Pig, 2933-30TH Ave, Vernon, BC You can find us at the big […]
There are a great number of people who don’t navigate a mobile device. Option A has a broader appeal. – Coun. Scott Anderson The challenge with building a new website is that every stakeholder has an opinion. We all have ideas on what makes a website good. Recently, the Vernon Morning Star reported on council’s review […]
Geek Beers is next week at the Naked Pig. The challenge? Bring someone new! Who: Anyone who’s interested in technology, making stuff, geek stuff, blogging, etc… What: Beer, BBQ, and good conversation (everything from design, to hardware hacking, to business, to programming in VIM) When: Thursday, September 24th, 2015, 5pm-8pm (and even later sometimes!) Where: The Naked Pig, 2933-30TH […]
One year ago we held Geek Beers at Morgan’s place… This Thursday (June 25th, 2015) we’re going back! It’s a regular Geek Beers, just not at the pub. Join us from 6pm-9pm, hang out, eat some snacks, and drink some good beer. Morgan says: “I’ll make pulled pork, and there will be enough beer for […]
This Thursday (May 28th) is Geek Beers! Important note: we were unable to get Okanagan Spirits for this month, so it’s a regular Geek Beers. So this week we’ll be going back to a crowd favorite: The Naked Pig (2933 30th Ave, Vernon BC. The corner of 30th St and 30th Ave). Pearl and Stefan (the […]
Geek Beers in Vernon will be at Sir Winston’s, Thursday (April 30th) between 5pm and 8pm. We’ll meet upstairs by the bar (there’s a number of circular tables up there). If it’s nice outside, we’ll sneak out to the patio. 😉
Downtown Vernon doesn’t really have a take-out food scene. Want a slice of pizza? You’re out of luck. Gourmet hot dog? Sorry. You can order “to go” from some of the local restaurants, but there’s nothing like the food cart culture that’s developed in Portland, Oregon. The opportunity Since March, the Vernon Art Gallery has been running a […]
Geek Beers is tonight at the Naked Pig. Once again, Pearl and Stefan (the owners) are giving us some special “geek only” deals: German Night!!! Bratwurst on a Bun, with a Marzen Lager from Red Collar Brewing for $9.95 !!!! And we will offer our Marzen Lager for you guys for $4.75. If you’re like me, […]
There’s a lot of interest in attracting tech talent and companies to Vernon. Truthfully, every municipality in the world is trying to do this right now. If Vernon wants to be successful, we have to focus on our uniqueness. Vernon is a city of makers. We’re do-it-yourselfers, we’re people that create things from the ground up. […]
Great quote from Caleb Wojcik: Where you live has a bigger impact on things then I ever thought it could. People you’re close to, things you go do, the speed of the locals, weather, food, and more. Don’t hate where you live. Love it. Vernon, BC (and the Okanagan) is where Canadians vacation. It’s also a […]
Hey, Join us for Geek Beers on Thursday, Feb 26, 2015! We’re going back to the Naked Pig, and Pearl and Stefan (the owners) are giving us some special “geek only” deals: 1/2 price on all wings, spinach dip, poutine and Chili cheese fries! If you’re like me, you’ll also be taking advantage of the […]
When I arrived in Vernon, BC in 2012, my biggest concern was that there wouldn’t be a tech community to connect with. I’d been working as a Product Manager for an Edmonton-based software company which was located in the heart of Edmonton’s burgeoning startup community. Down the block from our office was Startup Edmonton: a “community hub […]
Stefan and Pearl (of the Naked Pig) gave me a secret tour of the soon to be opened Marten Brewing Co. (coming in early 2015). Folks: this place is going to unreal. It’s WAY bigger than you imagine, and their attention to detail is amazing. You’ll be able to watch them brew the beer (the brewery […]
“Coworking is about making the personal choice to work along side other people instead of in isolation.” – Seattle Collaborative Space Alliance “Coworking Spaces are places that can facilitate the act of coworking. I like to think of coworking as a kind of club, and a coworking space as the clubhouse. Without a club that people want to […]
James and Justin attended the Metabridge finale party. There was a Great Gatsby 1920’s theme, and it was held at the Hotel Eldorado. The evening included champagne on arrival, entertainment, appies and lots of great conversations with people in tech here the Okanagan (and investors from other places who had flown in). If you’re able to […]
On May 20th, we decided to have a big group co-working session at Triumph Coffee (3401-A 30th Ave) downtown Vernon. Industry Mailout generously sponsored the meeting room, food and drinks. We had about 12-13 people show up throughout the day. We worked, we had a great lunch, and we demoed different projects that we’ve been […]
Are you a freelancer? Remote worker? Interested in co-working? Come for our “Big Co-Working Day Out” at Triumph Coffee, Tuesday, May 20th, from 10am-2pm. We’ve done other co-working meetups before, but this one will be bigger: to help celebrate the grand opening of Triumph Coffee (3401-A 30th Ave) we’ve booked their gorgeous meeting room: it […]
Every Monday (except for holidays) join us upstairs at the Bean Scene, 2923-30th Avenue. Between 10am-2pm a bunch of us drop in and have an informal co-working session. This is a great opportunity for anyone who works from home, or works remotely: you get to see some human faces! The purpose is to bring your laptop, […]
Photo by Heath Fletcher Written by Kyle Newton On Tuesday I was part of a panel on remote working moderated by Kazia Mullin and sponsored by Sproing Creative. I’m not big on public speaking and wasn’t sure I would have much to contribute to the discussion, especially since for the last month I’ve been a regular old employee […]
You might not realize it, but a growing number of people moving to the Okanagan (and Vernon, BC) are working remotely for companies nowhere near here. In Vernon alone we have folks working for head offices in San Francisco, New York, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto. Remote work, or telecommuting, offers its own unique set of perks and […]
Ryan Holmes (originally of Vernon) recently disclosed that he’s received many invitations (with incentives) to move his Vancouver based company (Hootsuite): It became clear to me then that cities were pursuing me as eagerly as I was pursuing new clients for my own business. And, if you look closer, this makes a lot of sense.There […]
Are you awesome? Do you live in the North Okanagan? Do you dig tech? Then you need to be at Startup Weekend Okanagan, March 14, 2014! For those who aren’t familiar with the event, Startup Weekend is a global movement of active entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of creating and launching successful startups. All Startup […]
“It’s time to rebrand the Chicago startup scene, focusing on passionate bootstrappers rather than small firms looking to get huge.” – Adrian Holovaty via the Chicago Tribune This Chicago Tribune article, and the comments from Adrian Holovaty are worth reading. I think there are a lot of parallels to BC’s burgeoning tech startup scene. Here’s the […]
When I’m out around town, I listen. I listen to what people are talking about at coffee shops, at the gym, and at the barbershop. One recurring complaint is: “Why isn’t Vernon investing in an industrial zone? Why don’t we bring manufacturing back to the area? It’s all going to Salmon Arm, Armstrong, Kamloops and […]
My approach is based on the belief that a startup ecosystem succeeds first and foremost as a result of successful startups. Ben Yoskovitz, Building Startup Ecosystems Outside of Silicon Valley I couldn’t agree more.
Hootsuite, a 4-year-old social media dashboard for businesses, has closed a $165 million round of funding at an undisclosed valuation. The round was led by Insight Venture Partners, a seasoned New York-based firm that pumped late-stage money into Tumblr and still holds a substantial stake in Twitter. via Hootsuite scores $165M from top Twitter investor […]
The town of Olds, Alberta (8,500 residents) has a community owned ISP called O-Net. This week, O-Net made an announcement: On Thursday, the board of O-Net gave approval for residents to get access to a full gigabit or 1,000 megabits per second of bandwidth for the same price that they currently pay for a guaranteed […]
Looks like Magmic is launching a new fund for video game startups in Canada: Ottawa-based gaming developer Magmic is launching a $4 million fund targeted at local startups.The Canadian company, which was founded in 2002, made the announcement at the Ottawa International Games Conference this week. via Canadian Game Developer Magmic Launches $4 Million Fund […]
Startup Vernon is the place to connect with geeks, creatives, and entrepreneurs that love technology Visit our website here. View upcoming events. We’re on Twitter here: @startupvernon. We’re on Facebook here.
Hey friends, This Tuesday, May 21st @ 7:30pm (at the Bike Shop Cafe, Kelowna), I’ll be presenting a talk at OKDG called: Product People: build, launch and sell your own stuff. Here’s the summary: If you like to create, you have the potential to build and launch your own products. Come and learn how developers, designers, […]
Interesting story in the Financial Post: Everyone wants to create the next Facebook, Instagram, or whatever the next big thing is, and a glut of startup incubators and accelerators of every shape and size have cropped up to meet that demand. But some are beginning to wonder if the resulting startups — or even the programs […]
Kevin Poole, Vernon’s Director of Economic Development, had a great feature article in the pull-out section of the Vernon Morning Star. Here’s an excerpt: While it’s long been thought that Vernon’s economy will only prosper if large manufacturers set up shop here, economic development manager Kevin Poole is counting on grassroot, technological start-ups Kevin goes on to […]
Team Vernon 2013 was Marco Ariano, Jason Peters, Linda Mork, Bettina Berger, Hunter Le Blanc, Kyle Newton, Teresa Deak & Lorinda Jackson Startup Weekend Okanagan began on Friday at 6pm with pizza, beer and some ice breaker games to get the attendee’s energy up. When asked, about 70% of the room raised their hands to […]
Dennis Powers has a great rundown of everything that took place this past weekend: This was the 2nd year for Startup Weekend Okanagan and it continues to grow and get better. Follow along as I witnessed talented entrepreneurs, business professionals, marketers, designers and developers team-up and work together to build businesses in a weekend! Big […]
Your city is probably considered a “thriving startup community.”Your mayor and news station can confirm this is true. It sounds good. It feels good.However, what proof do you have that you live in a thriving startup community? You might point to the increasing number of startups or growth in incubator space, but these measures do […]
But clearly something is going on in the Interior, as large technology company buyers are finding budding technology companies grown in places I thought were remote, like Kelowna and Trail. The question is: Have blossoming technology companies in the region put the Interior on the map? Since the Club Penguin sale, the Interior has churned […]
This is huge news for the BC and Canadian tech scenes: The influential TED Conference is coming to Vancouver starting in 2014, conference organizers and the City of Vancouver announced on Monday morning. via TED Conference Moving To Vancouver, Whistler In 2014.
CANADIAN ENTREPRENEUR OF 2012 WINNER: Ryan Holmes (HootSuite) Runners up: Jevon MacDonald (GoInstant), Tobias Lutke (Shopify) via Announcing the Winners of the 2012 Canadian Startup Awards! – Techvibes.com.
Photo: “Building Storms Over Vernon BC ” taken by erwlas As far as I know, I was the only Vernonite at Startup Weekend Okanagan last year. And that was not right. Yes, we are the smaller, yet much better looking, sister to the north of the main hub, Kelowna. But we are stashing some amazing techie […]
hacks & experiments – @richardjpope.
“Our new startup visa will help make Canada the destination of choice for the world’s best and brightest to launch their companies,” Mr. Kenney said. “Recruiting dynamic entrepreneurs from around the world will help Canada remain competitive in the global economy.” via Startup visa program to launch April 1 with participation of CVCA and NACO […]
Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur? The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success? Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs […]
So what does all of this mean for Canadian entrepreneurs? It means more local capital to better support the most innovative and promising opportunities across the country. It means giving emerging tech category leaders the resources to grow well beyond $100 million in revenue while remaining in our own backyard. It means having the ability […]
The Canadian government is hoping to increase the funding of young entrepreneurs; and keep them in Canada: The government’s Venture Capital Action Plan, which was announced in the last federal budget, is making $400 million available to help increase private-sector investments in the next seven to 10 years. via Global News | Harper outlines plan […]
Great profile on Vernon-born entrepreneur, Ryan Holmes, on Canadian Business: But for Canadians, what’s perhaps most interesting is Holmes’s unique pledge for a startup entrepreneur: he’s gone on the record vowing to build a billion-dollar company north of the 49th parallel. Canada’s tech industry is plagued with problems, not the least of which is a […]
If you want to do something, just do it. Don’t worry about the right way to do it. There is no right way. Don’t let your inexperience stop you from trying. You’ll write sloppy code. You’ll paint sloppy pictures. You’ll write sloppy stories. Whatever it is you aspire to do, do it, and expect to […]
At least one Canadian company has made the grade [for Y Combinator]. Waterloo’s Thalmic Labs was founded 8 months ago by three uWaterloo mechatronics grads (Aaron Grant, Matthew Bailey, and Stephen Lake) and is now 9 employees strong. Including this new Y Combinator investment they have raised a seed round totalling $1.1 million which includes […]
When: Thursday, January 24th, 5:00pm until 7:00pm Where: Sir Winston’s Pub, 2705-32 Street, Vernon, BC Geek Beers is back for 2013! Come on out, have a beer, meet other people who like tech and beer. Also, Thursday is wing night at Sir Winston’s! Wings! And pints of Guinness and Strongbow are also on special. Geeks, Beer/Hard Cider, Wings. What […]
How Long Does it Take to Build an App? infographic by Angelina.
Procera Networks, the publicly-traded Fremont, CA-based provider of policy enforcement services to carriers, is buying Vineyard Networks, a Canada-based specialist in deep-packet inspection, for 28 million Canadian dollars, C$15.4 million in Procera common stock and C$12.6 million in cash. via Procera Networks Buys Vineyard Networks For $28M To Beef Up Its Deep Packet Inspection Capabilities […]
The technology industry is obsessed with making things better: make it faster, create a better design, add more features, give the user more power. So it’s confusing to us when we build something “better” but customers don’t buy it. How many times have we heard: “I’m building a better Basecamp” or “I’m building a better […]
Sims said that for start-ups, it’s all about the talent, “where the talent’s going and where the talent’s getting trained.” And she says that today’s talented young graduates and recent graduates prefer to work in start-ups more than older companies. Local universities also play a big role in whether a city will become a successful […]
Overall, Canadas tech sector has just finished an excellent year and the prospects for 2013 look at least as good. via A phenomenal year for Canadas young tech companies – Technology & Science – CBC News.
Personally, I think that we have a talent challenge. Not in the sense that we don’t have enough smart people up here, we do. Our universities are first class and I would put up any engineering grad from Canada against their counterparts from the top schools in the US. However, the talent is raw and […]
When people talk about a “Bubble”, they are usually referring to an “Economic bubble” “Speculative bubble” or “price bubble” all of which roughly mean the same thing: when the prices of products, assets, securities etc. rise very rapidly above their “true value” with little fundamental reason for this and keep doing this until prices eventually and suddenly go […]
My father said, “You should just come back to America and get a good job.” “No, no, this will work. I’m going to invest one video game worth of money in it, so $60, and I will start selling it a week from now.” My dad, who has been in business for 15 years by […]
Startup Weekend is March 8, 2013. Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur? The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success? Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is […]
If you came last night: it was great to see you! We had the idea to have publishing a roll of folks at Geek Beers who have blogs. Here are the blogs from the folks who attended last night: n3wt0n! by Kyle Newton Trademark Okanagan by Mike Poznanski KaziaMullin.com by Kazia Hands on Gratitude by Teresa Deak Code […]
..duo is essentially an inexpensive, simple and entirely customizable alternative to QR codes, making digital addresses easier to say, write, spread and remember. Companies can switch up the content linked to their ..duo, simplifying promotional campaigns and helping them maintain consistent branding. It has many applications, both online and offline, and can be used nearly […]
Are you a developer who wants to cut down the amount of time it takes to build a prototype? Are you a product person who can’t code? Do you have a product idea that you want to validate quickly? If any of those describe you, you’re going to love this 2-part interview Justin had with Daelan […]
When: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 5:00pm – 7:00pm Where: Sir Winston’s Pub, 2705-32 Street, Vernon, BC Come on out, have a beer, meet other people who like tech and beer. Also, Thursday is wing night at Sir Winston’s! Wings! This event is not just for geeks, anyone interested in beer and/or tech is welcome! Note: […]
“Attracting entrepreneurs to this city is a very tough job,” said Wertz. The process has to start very early in schools, with role models and a recognition of entrepreneurial endeavours as worthwhile and a career choice worthy of respect. “In the end, it’s all about the entrepreneur,” said Wertz. “If you have a mediocre entrepreneur, […]
After my son was born, I started getting involved with Girls In Tech. It’s hard to jump from being a professional and working a lot to staying home with the kids. I needed to do something. That first year when you’re at home is a huge transitional time – it is for many women I think. […]
Citing safety concerns, the Government of BC has effectively blocked Uber from operating in the province by enforcing a $75 per-trip minimum: Uber is using rates below those required by the Passenger Transportation Board. We are working with this company, which is providing a new service. However, we must ensure it is fair and that […]
On Tuesday, November 27, Startup Canada in partnership with community partners across Canada will announce findings from its six-month National Tour and unveil its way forward for 2013. (Link) The Vancouver conference is sold out, but will be streamed live. You can follow #startupblueprints for more information
Love this video from the folks at Startup Edmonton. They definitely have a vision for their city! The Startup City Project from Startup Edmonton on Vimeo.
We had a great turnout for Geek Beers tonight at Sir. Winston’s in Vernon. Thanks to everyone who came out. Be sure to sign-up for future events!
Last Monday afternoon I spent some time on the UBCO campus with Jon Wolske. Jon is what is referred to as a Culture Evangelist by the good people of Zappos Insights. Essentially his job is to help people understand how the culture at Zappos made them an enormous success, and how other businesses can benefit from better […]
When: November 8, 2012, 5:30pm until 7:30pm Where: Sir Winston’s Pub, 2705-32 Street, Vernon, BC The popular Kelowna tech social, Geek Beers, has made its way to Vernon! Come on out, have a beer, meet other people who like tech and beer. Thursday is also wings night at Sir Winston’s. This event is not just for geeks, anyone interested in […]