#startupedmonton

For our next meetup profile, we connected with Mark Bennett - host of Exchange:js: Edmonton’s JavaScript Meetup. 

Exchange:js is a welcoming environment, especially for first-time developers. Join Mark for the next meetup on Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 PM. The group also maintains excellent notes on past meetups at exchangejs.com.

Q: Why did you start Exchange.js: Edmonton's JavaScript meetup?

A: Credit for starting the JavaScript meetup has to go to Sean Ouimet. At the time it began I was very involved with running the Ruby meetup, but when Sean moved away last year I felt I had a responsibility to step up and join the exec.

Together with Jeff Marvin, Sean Healy, and Abram Hindle we work each month to connect the local JavaScript community together by sharing stories, personalities, and successes in a fun and accessible meetup.

Q: What is JavaScript?

A: JavaScript is the programming language of the web. It's what allows websites from Facebook to Google Maps to create engaging experiences in our web browsers. Increasingly it's also used on web servers and apps on mobile and desktop. If you own a computing device of any sort, then chances are you use JavaScript everyday.

Q: What are the benefits of having an active JavaScript Community?

A: Edmonton is a great place to make things, and if you want to make things for the web then you need to know JavaScript. Right there that should be reason enough to come out.

What I really enjoy about JavaScript is the way it connects developers, designers, and creative people of all backgrounds together through the web. It doesn't matter what programming language or direction you come from, everyone is making things for the web right now and using JavaScript to do it. It makes for an exciting community with lots of new ideas and perspectives, and I like to think that's reflected in our events.

Q: Who would you encourage to come to future events?

A: We'd love to see more women and first time developers come out to the meetup. We've already got a great group, but there's always room for more!

We host more than 200 community events at the Startup Edmonton campus each year. Many of these events are organized by community leaders that volunteer their time to bring people together around a specific tech or startup topic, from Ruby to robotics. 

Lunchalytics is one of the most active meetups groups. Hosted by Dark Horse Analytics, the group explores the use of data and analysis to improve the performance of an individual, organization or industry.  

We asked Daniel Haight, Co-founder Dark Horse Analytics, a few questions about their involvement in the startup community: 

Q: Why did you start the Lunchalytics meetup? 

A: We were involved in a group called the Canadian Operations Research Society that was looking to connect practitioners and academics on the topic of analytics. Lunchalytics seemed like a reasonable vehicle to do so and it has succeeded beyond our expectations. We typically have about 60 people attending, but have had to resort to waiting lists from time to time.

Photo: Edmonton Startup Week 2014 - Mega Meetup Night. 

Q: What are some of the uses, trends or concerns around analytics explored at past meetups?

A: We've had very interesting talks about photo radar and commuter safety, the causes of the current energy royalty crunch, how AGLC manages access to gambling, and how water quality varies across the province. Our events are typically "themed" - predictive analytics, data visualization, energy sector analytics, education analytics, transportation analytics, etc..

Kit Chen will be a keynote speaker at HackLab Student Developer Conference, March 21 at the Shaw Conference Centre. She is a great example of putting your skills into practice while still pursing formal education. She embodies our "don't wait, start now" mindset. Alieo Games launched at Edmonton Startup Week 2014 and supports creative learning through play. 

Q: What do you do & how did you get here?

A: I'm a PhD candidate in Computing Science at the University of Alberta and my research is in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. Originally, I'm from the U.S. and my masters advisor told me about the AICML and how great the UofA was for Machine Learning research. My supervisor here, Mike Bowling, was a big draw and frankly so was a chance to live in Canada. I moved to Edmonton in 2009 and I've never looked back since.

Describing a typical work week is difficult. Since we're such a new company, none of us are working full-time yet on Alieo (though that will change soon). Each of us spends at least a couple days a week working on other projects -- I'm a teaching assistant for a first year computing course at the UofA. Joel is a professional photographer. Chris is a children's book author. Neesha is about to defend her thesis.

As two longstanding Startup Edmonton member companies grow into new spaces, Ken reflects on the entrepreneurial journey and the role of founders.  

Last week, we celebrated as four founders and two longstanding companies left the nest to grow in their new offices. 

The best part of my job is watching first-time founders grow and develop as entrepreneurial leaders during their time with us. I get to see them go through the range of emotions that come with the highs and lows of first customers, sluggish sales, building a team, raising capital, and the crushing stress watching the cash run out. Through it all, I get to join their journey as mentor, peer, pitch coach, hard-ass, and friend. 

Level up your software development skills with this full-day intensive

We're thrilled to announce our first HackLab Student Developer Conference, March 21, 2015 at the Shaw Conference Centre. $35 - includes coffee/snacks, lunch and an all-ages evening social. studentdevcon.com

Join us for talks, workshops and hands-on projects. Developers from some of the top tech-enabled companies in the world will share how they build software and encourage participants to level up their programming abilities in the fields of mobile development, machine learning and building at scale.

Workshops:  

Design for Developers

Machine Learning 

Building Web Systems

Confirmed Speakers: 

Andrew Vilcsak: AirBnB, AirBnB Mobile Lead

Timo Ewalds: Google.org, Founder of nexopia.com, now engineering at Google.org

Kit Chen: Alieo Games, Founder of Alieo Games, PhD Candidate AICML

Mike Deering: Mitre Media, CTO of MitreMedia

Randy Marsden: Apple, Creator of Swype and Dryft (acquired by Apple) 

HackLab Student Developer Conference is for university-level developers, including high school students* with a prerequisite of Comp Sci 20 or equivalent. 

studentdevcon.com

Teachers, educators & parents: please contact Startup Edmonton if you have any questions or requests regarding high school student participation. We look forward to hearing from you! [email protected]