Get Our Email Newsletter Local news about the companies, people and issues that impact business in Ottawa and beyond delivered to your email inbox.
Business leaders are prepping for a week of networking and events as the city kicks off its first Ottawa Innovation Week, which officially launched on Monday.
Business leaders are prepping for a week of networking and events as the city kicks off its first Ottawa Innovation Week, which officially launched on Monday. “We came together with a number of community leaders and champions a few months ago and we were talking about how we continue to build up Ottawa, celebrate our innovation, and the global impact we’ve achieved,” Sonya Shorey, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa, told OBJ at the launch. “Not enough citizens actually know about (what we’ve achieved) … With the global economy, the uncertainty, we wanted to bring our community together in a way that we had never done before.”The initiative soft-launched last week, with notable local events such as Taste For Hope, Tech Tuesday, Doors Open, and the first Ottawa Day celebration all running under the Ottawa Innovation Week banner. But Monday marked the official start, with more than 80 events from across local sectors like business, tech, arts, sports and education scheduled over the next few days. On Monday, innovation enthusiasts gathered at Bayview Yards to network while enjoying charcuterie boxes from local business Pretty Eats by Hanan. Vendors from the most recent cohort of Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada’s program were set up around the space. Members of parliament Jenna Sudds, Marie-France Lalonde, Mona Fortier and Giovanna Mingarelli attended. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe was at the launch to officially proclaim June 9-13 as Ottawa Innovation Week.“The innovation happening in this city is truly amazing,” said Sutcliffe. “It’s something we should really be proud of as a community … This is really about the innovators, the people who have chosen the path of entrepreneurship, who have chosen to take a risk to advance an idea. It’s such an incredible creative act. This week is a celebration of you.”The week was organized by Ottawa Unlimited, a partnership between Invest Ottawa, the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Tourism that was announced last December. “The stronger a city’s brand is, the stronger a city’s reputation, the more likely people are going to want to invest in that city,” said Michael Crockatt, president and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “This is our first shot at an Innovation Week and what an incredible success it is so far. It’s something we really want to see continue to grow and attract people to our community. We want to grow this thing into a must-attend event.”Michael Crockatt of Ottawa Tourism speaks at the launch of Ottawa Innovation Week at Bayview Yards on Monday. Photo by Mia JensenFrom left: Sueling Ching (Ottawa Board of Trade), Sonya Shorey (Invest Ottawa, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Michael Crockatt (Ottawa Tourism) at the launch of Ottawa Innovation Week at Bayview Yards on Monday. Photo by Mia JensenMayor Mark Sutcliffe speaks at the launch of Ottawa Innovation Week at Bayview Yards on Monday. Photo by Mia JensenIt will be a busy week for many, including Shorey, who was on her third event of the day by the time the launch rolled around. She told OBJ that she herself is scheduled to attend 20 events over the course of the week, which is only a fraction of those on the list. “The choice is so difficult,” she said. “How do you decide which ones you’re going to attend?”She said there’s been plenty going on behind the scenes to get everything organized, with the help of dozens of local collaborators and supporters. But now that the week has started, she’s able to step back and enjoy. “I’m just incredibly proud. This was a huge community effort,” she told OBJ. “Logistically – touch wood – if there were any logistical snags, I didn’t learn about them. My team would have managed them very well.”The format for the week, with dozens of events gathered under one banner over a short period of time, was inspired by similar initiatives in other major cities, according to Shorey. Calgary, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco all host similar events and Toronto will be hosting its tech week later this month, with more than 200 events. “They’re five times the size of our population,” Shorey said. “We punch well above our weight.”Shorey said the goal is to put innovation-minded leaders from across the city's sectors in the same rooms throughout the week to foster creative solutions and collaborations. It’s also an initiative that she said will become a new annual tradition.“That to me is where there’s really powerful opportunities,” she said. “That’s where we’re going to find some of our greatest solutions that will change our world and our economy.”
