Victoria – Page 2

The Frosty Pop Corps

June 3, 2016 by Tectoria

Our Tectorian of the Week is: The Frosty Pop Corps!

The Frosty Pop Corps just became a VIATEC Member AND they just launched their new game Walls & Balls! That’s a pretty good week if you ask us.

Their game is a golf-pinball-pong hybrid with a Swiss design aesthetic, available only on the Apple App Store. This is The Frosty Pop Corps’s 10th feature on the App Store, and the first from their new home in Victoria, BC.

“It’s exciting to be living in such a vibrant gaming community here in Victoria, ” said founder Faisal Sethi. “Although I am new on the scene, at some point I hope to represent the Victoria gaming community on a global level with same creative reputation as Kano Apps, Tiny Mob, Codename, and many, many others.”

Walls & Balls can be downloaded at: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/walls-balls/id1083708143

Vecima Networks

May 20, 2016 by Tectoria

Our Tectorian of the Week is: Vecima Networks!

Vecima Networks is a Victoria-based company which manufactures products for broadband access to cable and wireless networks. They were mentioned in the Times Colonist this week for having a solid third quarter with a profit of nearly $6 million!!!

To read more click here.

Vecima Networks is also the Entertainment Sponsor at the upcoming 2016 VIATEC Technology Awards. Make sure you congratulate them at the gala!

Girls Learning Code

March 18, 2016 by Tectoria

Our Tectorian of the Week is: GIRLS Learning Code!

You may have heard of Ladies Learning Code, which is a monthly meet up with rotating topics to help improve Digital Literacy for Women. It’s a national event and has become very popular in Victoria with continuously sold out events at Fort Tectoria and UVic.

Well, they also want to improve Digital Literacy in girls ages 9-13. On April 9th at St. Margaret’s School, girls will get to learn programming with Ruby. The workshop is designed to introduce beginners to coding in a fun, interactive way. They’ll play code-based games, solves puzzles and complete online activities to help them learn all about the language.

Ladies Learning Code also has a Ruby session this Saturday at UVic.

Click here for the April 9th Girls Learning Code session

Click here for the March 19th Ladies Learning Code session.

FIRST Robotics

March 4, 2016 by Tectoria

Our Tectorian of the Week is: FIRST Robotics!

FIRST Robotics engages kids in kindergarten through high school in exciting, mentor-based, research and robotics programs that help them become science and technology leaders, as well as well-rounded contributors to society.

They are hosting an information session tomorrow (Saturday) from 1pm to 3pm about FIRST Robotics and how a school might go about putting together a team for FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC).

FTC high school teams design, build and program robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams!

For more information please click here.

Video Game Lounge exhibitors!

January 15, 2016 by Tectoria

Our Tectorian of the Week is an entire force! The following will be exhibiting in Discover Tectoria‘s Video Game Lounge at Crystal Garden on February 19th, 11am to 6pm.

PLUS, the following partners: School District 61, Loading Ready Run, Camosun Graphic Novel Program, IGDA, UVIC Game Dev Club, Agog Labs

Check out the video below for a glimpse into the excitement these companies will bring to this event!

Discover Tectoria 2013 from VIATeC on Vimeo.

Ian Barrodale

December 4, 2015 by Tectoria

This Tectorian of the Week’s recognition is approximately 2,808 weeks overdue. Ian Barrodale has been a professor, successfully started and grown his own business, inspired many future Tectorians, and sees no end to loving his work, or this city.

Beginning in academia…

Ian has been involved with the University of Victoria (UVic) since the beginning. “I graduated in the UK with a B.Sc. in Mathematics in 1960, and immigrated to Canada in 1961 to begin work at Victoria College as an Instructor in Mathematics. The University of Victoria was established in July 1963, so I took leave for a year at UBC where I first began programming in order to complete my thesis for a M.A. in Mathematics. This extra degree was still not sufficient to maintain my position at UVic, so I took leave again and enrolled at the University of Liverpool, where I graduated with a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1967. I have been a faculty member (of some type) continuously since 1961; my current appointment as an (unpaid) Adjunct Professor expires in 2017 – which will then be 56 years in total.”

Venturing into business…

Fuelled by an effortless and enduring interest in mathematics and computing, and the excitement of interacting with almost every student, Ian has successfully earned a living by pursuing his interests. When he began feeling that he lacked relevant “real-world” experience (having been in academia since high school), Ian set out to rectify this situation by forming a consulting company in 1978 with his wife Sheila. “This entity slowly blossomed, and eventually I was faced with the significant challenge of choosing between full-time work in our company or continuing on full-time at UVic. The Computer Science department came into being in 1980 (I was the founding Chair) and I was then able to work there half-time for two years, quarter time for two years, and finally I went off salary at UVic in 1984; by this time our company had a dozen staff. So, ironically, my decision to acquire real-world experience in order to enhance my effectiveness as a professor eventually led to leaving my employment at UVic (albeit remaining as an Adjunct Professor).”

His academic and real-world experiences have made Ian and his company Barrodale Computing Services known world experts in numerical analysis. “Barrodale Computing Services has completed more than 450 projects for many different customers and application areas; almost all these projects required novel software development. The ready availability of bright and well educated personnel from UVic as staff members was crucial to the success of our company. We started primarily as a defence contractor involved with submarine and naval mine detection (during the Cold War), ventured into applications in hydrography, forestry, seismic processing, astronomy, and materials science, and eventually into geospatial database applications involving BC watershed mapping, fast delivery of mission-critical customized weather forecasts around the world, timber supply modelling including the effects of mountain pine beetle infestation, and development of an integrated digital electoral atlas used in managing BC provincial elections.”

Victoria keeps getting better…

Ian’s appreciation for the lifestyle Victoria can offer has increased year by year, and surely as he is reflecting on some of his past successes or obstacles overcome (be it while golfing, sampling local craft beer or exercising his new power washer), no achievement must make him prouder than the fact that he survived teaching a young, loud, rebellious and bratty Rob Bennett of VIATEC ;).

His journey has woven through academia, business, and even involved taming the most unruly student in UVic history – and throughout it all Victoria remained the primary backdrop. “When I arrived here in 1961 Victoria had very few restaurants, pubs, bookstores, or shopping centres, but it did have good weather and golf courses … Back then UVic was expanding rapidly (it experienced a few growing pains too), and professional collaboration with others usually involved travel on and off Vancouver Island. The internet, email and cheap telephone communication has now largely eliminated Victoria’s former isolation, so professionals and many types of businesses (particularly software companies) can thrive here as never before. Why would anyone who enjoys their work want to completely retire with all that Victoria now offers?”

Ian’s contributions to Tectoria have spanned decades and look set to continue, which makes him a true Tectorian, and our Tectorian of the Week.

James DeGreef

September 10, 2015 by Tessa Bousfield

James DeGreef is Founder and CEO of ChatterBlock, Founder of GenoLogics (Acquired by Illumina last month), he’s setting up a school in Uganda, he just turned 40 and bungee jumped for the first time, and he’s speaking on an upcoming Experience Tectoria panel…

We think he may have the “finger-in-many-pies” syndrome, but it seems to be working for him!

James getting over his fear of heights on his 40th birthday

James grew up in Victoria and went to the University of Victoria for Commerce and Computer Science. While he was attending UVic, he was also launching GenoLogics (again, that syndrome we spoke of).

GenoLogics was formed in 2002 with the simple goal of building a flexible and adaptable Lab Information Management System (LIMS) for the burgeoning proteomics industry. GenoLogics sold Genomics Informatics Systems to over 120 leading edge research customers including hospitals, large pharma companies, biotechs, and university genomics centres across the US and Europe. Illumina, the leader in Human Genome Sequencing, just acquired GenoLogics one month ago, making James very happy.

James is currently focused on rapidly growing his new company, ChatterBlock, and investing in local tech companies. ChatterBlock is a hyper local social networking and content site targeting the unique requirements of families and their supporting communities. It’s currently in 25 major regions across Canada and the USA. Their focus now is launching in more US cities as most of Canada is now covered (They’re working on Boston right now).

“Working with awesome people, and also seeing young people grow in their careers really inspires me,” commented James. “Most of my ChatterBlock crew take 12pm to 2pm off for lunch and hitting the gym. I like a smart and fit team – emphasizing the body and mind connection.”

James is also working with a friend to set up a school 1 hour north of Kampala, Uganda. He’s planning on travelling back there in 2016 and working on even more projects.

Visiting School Kids in Northern Uganda

But before he leaves the country again, he will be participating in next week’s Experience Tectoria event. He will be speaking on a panel called “So you want to be acquired?” on Thursday, Sept 17 at 4:30pm.

“I’m really looking forward to the Experience Tectoria event for the networking with local tech entrepreneurs, angel investors, and also the out of town venture capitalists. And, I get to share a bit about GenoLogics being acquired, as much as I can and am allowed to say.”

James is planning on doing a lot more angel investing and is excited for bringing a few “kewl” ideas to life.

Kicking back with a beer and proofing his bio on experiencetectoria.ca

Josh Elsdon

June 11, 2015 by Tessa Bousfield

Josh Elsdon was recently named the 2015 VIATEC Awards’ Education Champion for his innovative teaching skills at Monterey Middle School. He accepts his robot trophy on June 26, 2015 at the Victoria Conference Centre, one night before his wedding day!

Josh began teaching in Victoria in 2006, and he’s spent the last 3 school years experimenting with tech programs with his students.

“I was excited at how enthusiastically my students responded, and when I talked to my friends who work in programming, they all said ‘I would have killed to do that in middle school!’” commented Mr. Elsdon. “I felt like I was on to something, so last year I asked my administration if I could expand the scope into a class dedicated to tech exploration.”

Mr. Elsdon followed through and started the first tech-based program at Monterey Middle School where students now learn programming, app design, robotics and 3D design.

They recently received a grant to buy a 3D printer, so his students are working furiously on designing stuff on TinkerCad and Blender.

“I am in awe sometimes. I love how meaningful the learning is to them… so solution-focused and relevant to what they are trying to accomplish.It gives them such a sense of independence and self-reliance.”

When Mr. Elsdon isn’t busy shaping minds, he enjoys Victoria’s art and music scenes and going up island to surf.

Congrats on your marriage Josh!
Love,

Tectoria.

Zach Sousa

May 28, 2015 by Tessa Bousfield

Zach Sousa just finished designing a low cost 3D printer called “Edge 3D”. And he’s 13 years old…

The printer will be sold as a kit or preassembled and Zach hopes it will be available for sale this summer for roughly $250 (so look out for it on crowdfunding sites).

To keep his creative juices and mechanical hands working, he likes to make projects for instructables.com. His latest “instructable” was instructions on how to make your own 3D printer for under $250 (you can view that here).

Victoria Makerspace (located at the Vancouver Island Technology Park), is a second home to Zach. He started frequenting the space when his family moved to Victoria in spring 2013. Since then, he’s learned about soldering electronics, micro controllers, 3D printing, laser cutting and biotech. And most recently, he teaches the Arduino class at makerspace! This class is aimed at makers with little to no experience with the Arduino. Makerspace-owned Arduino kits are available for use during the class.

“Everyone is helpful [at Victoria Makerspace] and share the interest of making things,” commented Zach. “You can share tools and ideas there, and everyone has a good sense of humour!”

Zach demoing to a full house at TedX Victoria 2014.

When Zach isn’t teaching, he’s attending Royal Oak Middle School. ” My favourite subject is tech ed.” commented Zach. “I really like hands on learning instead of the traditional type of learning which in my opinion, is outdated.”

As for what Zach would like to be when he grows up?

“I would like to own my own 3D printer company (Edge 3D Printers) and make low cost, high quality 3D printers.”

Ya, just your run-of-the-mill goal for a kid… 😉

Zach knows what he wants and is making it all happen, which is why he’s our Tectorian of the Week!

Stocksy United

May 21, 2015 by Tessa Bousfield

The stock photo industry has made a huge pivot thanks to local co-operative, Stocksy United, and they just became a finalist for the Innovative Excellence VIATEC Technology Award because of it.

The galleries on stocksy are jaw-dropping. The images are all unique, colourful, full of imagination and something you might rather hang on your wall then put in a brochure.

There are many differences between Stocksy and other stock image companies, one of which is Stocksy’s photographers are invited and curated into the collection. This means you don’t have to search through endless pages of images to find something good, they do that for you.

Stocksy also doesn’t stop at photography.

They feature one-on-one interview pieces, travel stories and even food recipes. All with stunning photos to back-up the well written content, of course. You can spend hours on this website.

To top it all off, Stocksy United is a multi-stakeholder co-operative, which means all of their photographers are also co-owners of the company.

“Almost every single person who works for Stocksy is also a photographer, from client relations to our lawyer,” commented Brianna Wettlaufer, CEO/Co-Founder. “When we say we love photography, it’s very personal to us.”

They’re collectively driven by their shared vision for creative integrity and sustainable business practices. The community behind Stocksy gains its strength through the open collaboration and support of ideas, experience, and artistic vision.

The Stocksy team (united)

“Share the wealth” could also be their motto. Their financial structure is designed to pay out the majority of profits, with 50% of the initial royalty ($5-$50) and 75% of every extended license going directly into the photographer’s pockets. At the end of each year, the co-operative’s profits are distributed back to its members, with their membership growing by 500 every year.

“We’ve worked really hard to be where we are today,” commented Breanna. “It’s been two years of grit and sacrifice while being crammed into a small office with workstations on top of each other. We’re just finally coming up for air and are making time for fun together.”

At the end of last year they moved into their new, custom-renovated office in Market Square.

“The transparency of being a co-op definitely shows in our day-to-day business,” commented Breanna. “We have an open floor plan, collaborative workspace, and a fairly flat hierarchy. Everyone knows what every department is doing, and we are accountable to each other and respect each other. And one day soon maybe we’ll get a ping pong table.”

The team is incredibly proud that Stocksy is based in Victoria, BC and they are really excited to see the tech scene taking off here.

“Stocksy isn’t the most ‘out there’ socially, but we are here to support the tech scene any way we can. If you need photos, let us know! Or even stop by Fridays after 3:30 pm to come say hi and have a beer.”

Their office is located in Market Square and their photographers are… everywhere!

www.stocksy.com