#TechInTheCity Podcast techinthecity

Whether its humanoids like Sophia, Domino's autonomous pizza delivery robot Nuro R2, or supercomputer like Watson, the rise of automation is showing no signs of slowing down. According to McKinsey, 88% of businesses worldwide plan to adopt robotic automation into their infrastructure. 
The subject of robots in the workplace is a divisive one; but it's not all doom and gloom. Robots have and will continue to play an important role as we approach the future of work. In fact, robots have played an important role in fighting COVID-19. 
As Windsor-Essex looks to diversify and compete on the world stage, STEM education, training and inspiration will be critical. Lucky for us, Windsor-Essex FIRST Robotics has spent nearly decade preparing and inspiring our future innovators and STEM leaders. 
It was March 2019 since we last witnessed the energy that once filled the University of Windsor's St. Dennis Centre with 1000s of FIRST student and enthusiasts. As Frank Merrick said perfectly in his Miss You Blog Post, "there’s something magical about being around the energy of a FIRST team working on their robot or getting ready to go into the Chairman’s Award interview room. It’s precious and irreplaceable."
In this episode, we talk with members of the Windsor-Essex FIRST community on how FIRST has continued to shine despite the pandemic, what they miss most, on how FIRST® continues to push the limits of student success in STEM and beyond. 
Episode Co-host: Adrianno Fallone, grade 11 student at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, FIRST student & Tech Connect High School Ambassador at WEtech Alliance.
Episode Guest: Windsor-Essex FIRST Coordinator, Sherri Lynn Koscielski and Windsor-Essex FIRST Alumni & Mentor, Jaeleen Koscielski

COVID-19 has brought many changes including a big remote work shift and athleisure boom. As location becomes irrelevant, cities across North America are now eyeing those who left and looking to attract those who are new.

This podcast is the first of a new podcast series called “Tech Homecoming” where we will be bringing Windsor-area expats back to reconnect with the place they once called home and join in on a discussion centered around the city's revitalization.

Episode Guest: Windsor-area expat, Tyler Lesperance (Class of 2012 - University of Windsor, Bachelor of Arts). Tyler has spent close to a decade working in tech including careers with tech giants Dropbox (San Francisco, CA) and now, Google (California). Follow Tyler on Twitter at @tylerama9 or visit iamtyler.ca

Without a doubt, 2020 has been a year like no other. Despite the challenges that the world and this community have faced, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment to highlight the regional stories of resilience and expose the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the tech community coming together to make 3D printed face shields, to seeing our clients pivot, grow and innovate, to supporting the future proofing of Mainstreet through digital transformation, listen in to hear the WEtech Alliance's annual end-of-year retrospective and year-ahead predictions.
Episode Guests: John-Marc Vachon, "The Adams", Michelle Teno-Wachter, Noah Campbell, Kate Tomen, and Michael Seguin

Every year, young entrepreneurs from across the globe unite at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs' Alliance (YEA) Summit to share insights, learnings, expertise focused on entrepreneurship and more importantly, unite their voices in an urgent call to action for the G20 Leaders.
This year, 48 of the nation’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs were selected to represent Canada at the first-ever digital summit hosted by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Among the Canadian delegates included two Windsorites, Saameer Mansoor, Founder of The Prototype, and Yvonne Pilon, President & CEO of WEtech Alliance. Read Futurpreneur G20 YEA Delegate Media Release. 
DYK: SMEs and entrepreneurs are the main job creators in the G20 economies, employing more than two-thirds of the private sector workforce and providing more than 80 percent of net job growth.
DYK: According to a recent report commissioned by Monsha’at, 50 percent of working-age Saudi women and 30 percent of men are launching or running businesses that are less than 42 months old.
In this episode of #TechInTheCity, Yvonne talks with G20 YEA Canadian Delegate and new resident to Windsor, Saameer Mansoor and G20 YEA Canadian Sherpa, Mégane Visette. We talk about G20 YEA's mission and global network, key takeaways from this year’s summit in Saudia Arabia, and key recommendations that will be presented to G20 leaders at the G20 Summit.
Episode Guests: Saamer Mansoor, Founder of The First Prototype and a 2020 G20 YEA Canadian Delegate and Mégane Visette, Bilingual Government Relations Specialist at Futurpreneur & Sherpa, Canada – G20 YEA. 
Follow Futurpreneur and G20 YEA on Social Media at @Futurpreneur & @G20YEA. 
Links to Other Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Futurpreneur: https://futurpreneur.ca/G20 YEA Communiqué: https://g20yea.com G20 YEA Recruitment: https://www.futurpreneur.ca/en/g20-yea-recruitment-2020/  
 
 
 

Despite its size and steady growth, Canada’s technology sector has a disappointing track record on workforce inclusion. Research by the Brookfield Institute revealed substantial gaps in terms of who works in, who benefits from and who makes decisions in the tech sector.
South of our border, Black tech workers make up only 9.3 per cent of the industry. At major organizations like Google, black employees comprise around 4 percent to 5 percent of the workforce. In 2018, a U.S. study found just 1 per cent of venture-backed founders were black. 
In this episode of #TechInTheCity, Yvonne talks with Black Boys Code, a technology start-up that introduces young Black boys to the STEM disciplines with a focus on computer science. We talk about Black Boys Code's mission and national reach including their newest Chapter in Windsor, ON, how they hope to change the face of the tech world and ways that we can create a more colorful and diverse national and local tech community. Read Windsor Star article published on June 29, 2020. 
Episode Guest: Claudius Thomas, Tech Entrepreneur and Chapter Lead for the newly launched Windsor Chapter of Black Boys Code and Colin McClean, Program Manager at Black Boys Code.
Follow Black Boys Code on Social Media at @BlackBoysCode. 
Links to Other Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Black Boys Code Website: https://blackboyscode.ca/Black Boys Code Volunteer Information: https://blackboyscode.com/volunteer/Rocket Innovation Studio Careers: https://www.myrocketcareer.com/Who Are Canada's Tech Workers (Brookfield Institute): https://brookfieldinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-Tech-Workers-ONLINE.pdf Windsor Research Project: Racial Data https://gingerpolitics.com/2020/06/16/windsor-research-project-racial-data/
 
 
 
 
 

In this episode of #TechInTheCity, Yvonne talks with mortgage industry leader, Bekim Merdita of Edison Financial, a new digital mortgage startup proudly based in Windsor, Ontario. We talk about Edison's partnership with Rock Holdings Inc., the parent company of Quicken Loans®, its mission to transform the Canadian Mortgage industry, COVID-19 impacts, job opportunities, and discuss the company’s "for-more-than profit impact” plan.
Episode Guest: Bekim Merdita, VP of Market Development at Edison Financial. As a digital mortgage startup, Edison provides excellent customer service and a streamlined, modern experience to defy expectations of the Canadian mortgage industry. Using Lendesk Spotlight – a search platform that compiles all lender rates and policies into one place and updates it daily - Edison has industry-leading technology along with extensive knowledge of the Canadian mortgage process. Edison Financial will be located on the second floor of Rock Holdings’ Rocket Innovation Studio in downtown Windsor (156 Chatham St. W), formerly the Loop/Fish Market building. 
Follow Edison Financial on Social Media at @EdisonFinancial. 
Links to Other Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Quicken Loans (Windsor Office) Photos and History: https://bit.ly/3fox5Rw Edison Financial Careers: https://edisonfinancial.ca/Rocket Innovation Studio Careers: https://www.myrocketcareer.com/