Spotlight on Innovation Week 2024 and techfest
Over the past number of years, local companies like Nasdaq Verafin, CoLab, Mysa, Avalon Holographics, Spellbook, Virtual Marine and Genoa Design have been making a splash while helping the province build a reputation for innovation.
Our tech sector especially has been growing by leaps and bounds, and the many contributions of our local arts community have long been celebrated. Here, we understand that innovation and creativity go hand in hand. And when people are free to pursue and grow their creative passions, it benefits other industries immensely.
As the voice of the province's tech sector for over three decades, the team at techNL knows this well. That's why they're shining the spotlight on musicians involved with the local tech sector during their inaugural techfest concert.
The event is part of Innovation Week 2024, which runs from October 1-3 at the St. John’s Convention Centre, with techfest taking place on October 1 from 6-9pm at the Co. Innovation Centre at 710 Torbay Road.
Newfoundland and Labrador's largest annual tech conference, the 11th Innovation Week will feature exhibits, demos, networking events and more, as well as expert keynotes from Scott Stevenson, Co-Founder and CEO of Spellbook (which provides lawyers with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool for reviewing and drafting contracts); Lily Spiglazovaite, Client Partner at Meta (who will be speaking on AI and creativity); and Dan Chuparkoff, former technology leader at Google.
The greenhouse at the Co. Innovation Centre in St. John's as seen during the centre's official launch this past summer.
techfest (which will be held outside at the Co. Innovation Centre's greenhouse, weather permitting) was conceived as a way to have a fun, unique and innovative social event, says Hayley Perry, Tech Sector Promotion Coordinator with techNL.
"A lot of individuals in the tech sector are extremely creative and extremely talented, and so many of them have their own side hustles and their own endeavours and ventures that they partake in outside of the regular nine to five...I think that's where a lot of the creativity and innovation sparks from in Newfoundland and Labrador," she says.
"The opportunity to have an outlet in front of an audience of both tech and non-tech individuals is a great opportunity." (While techfest is open to everyone, not just tech workers, it is a 19+ event.)
The event will feature four acts with ties to the local tech sector, including Lucas Eldem, Communications and Programs Coordinator at the Co. Innovation Centre.
"Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, whether it's playing, listening, sharing, or enjoying live music with friends. Music can act as an escape, as a comfort, and as a strong social element to bring people together. I'm so excited for this opportunity to share some of my favourite songs with the tech community," he says.
Jenny Mallard, Green Career Development Coordinator at econext, who will also be performing, says “I think when you work in the entrepreneurial space, whether you are in tech, a small business, not for profit, or in the music business, there are common traits and experiences that we share. We’re hard working, passionate people who love doing what we love!”
From left: Spencer FitzGerald, Sarah Newell, Matthew Cadigan and Pete of WITH VIOLET.
Rounding out the roster of techfest performers is the band WITH VIOLET and Chris Harnett (a5tral8og performing with ImprovDirector, an AI-powered web app that guides musicians through real-time creative decisions).
Matthew Cadigan, guitarist of WITH VIOLET, says music has had a great impact on both his personal and professional life.
"Music brings joy and an outlet for creativity and expression. It's also provided amazing opportunities and experiences such as playing Iceberg Alley or George Street Festival, getting to open for artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Walk Off the Earth, Down With Webster, and more," he says.
"From a business perspective, my music experience has a great amount of tie over to my work as a Startup Development Coordinator at the Genesis Centre. I use my music business experience to give real world examples of what I teach in the Evolution program."
The Co. Innovation Centre at 710 Torbay Road is the new home of techNL.
For Chris Harnett, a computer programmer with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), there are many parallels between his tech work and life as a musician.
"It’s easy to lose yourself in the practice of music. It’s one of my favourite things about being a musician, and I think that’s a big part of what drew me into software development. Programming feels a lot like musical practice to me. In both, hours are spent honing our craft, whether it’s mastering an instrument or developing proficiency with a tech stack. But this skill is ultimately in service to something bigger — a creative expression or solution," he says.
"Just as music is about more than playing notes, tech is about more than writing code. Both involve creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. My tech practice is an extension of my musical one, exploring how technology can enhance creativity. Through my app, ImprovDirector, I get to experiment at the intersection of tech and art, watching how technology inspires improvisation and becomes part of the creative process."
The province, Harnett adds, is the perfect place to flex those creative muscles, collaborate, and try new things.
"Newfoundland and Labrador is an incredibly supportive place to work in arts and technology. In addition to wonderful communities of people in both industries, groups like ArtsNL, Business & Arts NL, and MusicNL provide essential support for the creation of art. I’m delighted that techNL continues to create space to showcase the ways that tech lives here in Newfoundland and Labrador."