This is the first year that Collision, North America’s fastest growing tech conference, is being held in Toronto, Canada. The 3-day event is expected to attract over 25,000 people. The York Link team is excited to bring the #YRtech Experience Pavilion to #CollisionConf 2019 in Toronto! Eight companies and four major innovation partners, plus a few innovation startups from across the Region will be showcasing their technology and even recruiting tech talent along the way. York Region has a thriving tech community with over 4,300 tech companies, the second largest tech cluster in the Toronto area and Canada.
In our lead-up to Collision we asked a few questions to Chris Dudley, Director of Entrepreneurship at Seneca College. We asked about their presence at Collision and the startups joining them, what they are looking to accomplish at the conference, plus what it’s like to participate in York Region’s largest collaboration of tech companies and innovation partners. Here’s what they had to say
Can you talk a little about how Seneca supports the local tech start-up community in York Region? And the type of start-ups and technology you see coming through your programs?
Seneca’s on-campus incubation and acceleration centre, HELIX, is dedicated to supporting the development of creative ideas and launching sustainable ventures with the potential for growth. The training at HELIX focuses on entrepreneurship programming, networking events, international exposure, mentoring, pitch support and engagement with the local community.
The York Region start-up community benefits from Seneca’s applied research support and also, the pool of talented graduates who are ready and eager to apply their knowledge. We are seeing app development across all sectors, including health, fintech, and customer service. We are also experiencing an increase in social entrepreneurship.
This is the first year that Collision Conference – North America’s fastest growing tech conference – is being held in Toronto, Canada. What are Seneca’s main objectives for participating at Collision? Who do you hope to connect with and why?
Our goal at the Collision Conference will be to promote Seneca and the on-campus incubator HELIX. Through engaging with partner organizations, networking and making new connections, we hope to showcase the strong ventures and stories that have come out of HELIX. We also hope to hear from presenters and industry leaders about new trends and things to watch for in the tech sector, so we can keep our training current and updated.
Seneca is bringing a number of exciting startup clients to Collision to help them showcase their technologies. Can you talk about some of your start-up clients participating at Collision and how you are helping them at the conference?
Seneca will have three HELIX ventures within the York Region Pavilion at Collision. All of them are supported by Seneca through mentorship, space sharing and experiential opportunities.
InStage is a VR training simulation where you can give your talk in front of a virtual audience and get instant feedback. It’s a great tool for practicing and polishing your presentation skills, or for those afraid of public speaking, it’s a way to get in front of a virtual crowd.
Imaginix is a streaming startup focused on gaming where you can play to get paid through its DreamPlay platform.
VSETA is working towards creating smart buildings by providing wireless facility monitoring sensors that don’t need a WiFi connection.
Seneca is one of 15 selected partners within York Region’s #YRtech Experience Pavilion. Why is collective collaboration like this important in supporting the tech local community?
We have a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem in the York Region. Collective collaboration within this ecosystem is important because it is here that ideas can be developed and supported as they grow to a larger scale impacting more people. The stronger the community, the farther its reach and impact.
Haven’t purchased your tickets to Collision Conference yet? Head to our #YRtech Experience Pavilion page to find out how you can save on your ticket purchase!
For more Collision Conference details: www.collisionconf.com