Creating spaces to share ideas, discuss serious questions and network across industries is imperative for technological advancement, especially as Canadian tech organizations and startups tackle COVID-19. That’s why we take such pride in working with Elevate, Communitech and Collision, among others.
Dubbed Collision from Home, the Collision conference went virtual this year. However, its goal of bringing together the people and organizations redefining the global tech industry didn’t change. Speakers tackled hard questions and big ideas – rebuilding the retail sector, payments disruption, the future of work, smart cities and more.
We used our time at Collision from Home to highlight our open positions, facilitate a roundtable on Consumer Directed Finance with Kashmera Self, AVP, Strategy and Emerging Solutions and recognize our teams and partners. This year, we gave 150 complimentary tickets to Interac employees, startups, small businesses, non-profit organizations and diversity and inclusion leaders to learn, network, and inspire big ideas.
Did you miss Collision From Home? Read some key takeaways from attendees below.
“When preparing for the future, be prepared for change. The tech world will never be stagnant. The payment world is always evolving. It’s important to be ready to adapt to new innovations and challenges.” – Edine Boujan, Specialist, Compliance and Enforcement, Interac
“Collision from Home showed me how important it is to stay informed about what is happening in the Tech/Fin fields today. For T&Co as a company, I’ve learned how we can pitch our brand to this market and how we can possibly expand our offerings to meet what is needed during this pandemic. At T&Co we pride ourselves in being a one-stop creative shop, so attending and networking at conferences like this open up opportunities to work with companies in industries we may not have yet broken into.” – Joycelyn Tran, Events & Brand Partnership Manager, T&Co. Creative Agency
“The best companies achieve high velocity and iterate fast on the ideas, products, and features they introduce. It is crucial to develop the internal capabilities that enable us to move faster such as Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment, end-user experience design, data sharing and privacy. This understanding helps me to recognize the importance of such initiatives and ensure that we keep in mind our long-term goals when we make day-to-day decisions.” – Victor Lavrentyev, Sr. Product Manager, Interac
“I learned that inclusive marketing campaigns have to truly understand the struggle, needs, emotion, heart and mind of Black, Latinx, Asian, and other specific diverse groups of consumers. Lessons I can apply to my work at Interac are to connect minorities, specifically Black professionals who are disproportionately underrepresented in tech, with positions in the industry or at Interac; and to hold Interac accountable to actively move forward with bringing about a strong and just community.” – Gabrielle Sinclair, Lead, Stakeholder Engagement, Interac
“I enjoyed the discussion that asked the question ‘in the wake of mass unemployment and a looming recession, what steps can be taken to preserve the dynamic startup ecosystem across Canada?’ It was great to hear local entrepreneurs share their perspectives on this pressing issue.” – Daniel Francavilla, Founder, Now Creative Group
“We are in a time of change – COVID-19 breeds a need for innovation and we need to evolve our products and services as the needs of our customers change.” Edwin Lam, Director, International Product Development, Interac
“Technology is a continuously evolving tool and committed and adaptable people remain the driving force for sustainable success in all disciplines.” – Yasir Shah, Manager, Incident Response, Interac
“At Interac, we work hard to educate Canadians about how to protect themselves when they transact digitally. Collision from Home reinforced the need to continue our efforts to help Canadians improve their digital literacy, raise awareness about their digital identities and the value of having more control over their digital footprint.” Adrienne Vaughan, Senior Manager, External Communications, Interac
“Given that technology companies, startups and established businesses are a core population we work with, conferences (face-to-face and virtual), are a great platform to learn from industry leaders, understand growth challenges and make initial connections. It starts with curiosity.” – Joachim Koch, CEO, Aspiration Marketing
“Crises lead to faster adoption of emerging technologies. With COVID-19, we had to quickly adapt to a new reality. Though we didn’t ask for the crisis, we can make the best of it. As Professor Scott Galloway states, ‘Things won’t change as much as they will accelerate. While other crises reshaped the future, COVID-19 is making the future happen faster.’” – Claudio Oriani, WordPress Developer, Interac
“Expecting the unexpected remains of utmost importance in any industry. While the pandemic was highly talked about throughout the conference, everything related back to being able to adjust when something unexpected happens, as well as to learn from unpreparedness.” – Brooke Reyes-Marini, HR Coordinator, Interac
