The Abbotsford Innovation Network (AIN) held its first event, Abby Innovates: Connecting Minds, Sparking Ideas, with a sold-out house.
More than 50 attendees showed up on Feb. 28 at Trading Post in Abbotsford, including innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives.
The event featured a keynote speech by Dr. Jon Thomas, director of the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of the Fraser Valley. Thomas emphasized that invention and innovation are not limited to big cities. Drawing on US patent grant data, he showed that the number of patents from firms in Abbotsford has risen consistently over the decades.
“Abbotsford has a history of invention and innovation going back several decades,” he said. “We now need to connect and leverage the strengths of inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the valley to build an innovative and sustainable community.”
Those involved with AIN are excited about what the network offers Abbotsford for the future.
“We believe in the potential of Abbotsford to be a place where things can happen,” said Gavin Dew of Abbotsford Tech District, one of the event’s sponsors. Dew is also one of the three founders of AIN.
The AIN team will continue to host events and partnering with organizations to foster collaboration and support among entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders.
The other highlight of this inaugural event was a World Café. For this, there were six rotating tables discussing various topics related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and community building. Attendees shared their insights and ideas, which the AIN team will analyze and share with the community.
The topics they discussed at the tables including designing spaces for innovation and creativity; bringing ideas to the market with incubators, accelerators, venture studios; building a sustainable innovation ecosystem; the intersection of innovation and social impact; and, how a network like AIN can help entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators.
“Collision helped create AIN, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next,” said AIN co-founder and Abbotsford-based entrepreneur Jon Morrison.
“There is no need to always look elsewhere. If we believe we can make things happen here in the city, we can,” added Dr. Johann Roduit, AIN co-founder, and co-founder of TEDxAbbotsford.
For more information about the AIN and future events, visit abbyinnovates.com or email hello@abbyinnovates.com.