Join us on Tuesday, March 18th 2025 at Wave Tech Centre in Calgary, Alberta for an insight-packed event to launch ICTC’s latest report, Alberta’s Digital Economy: Outlook 2030.
📅 Date: Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT
📍 Location: Wave Tech Centre, 133, 6th Ave SE, Calgary, AB, T2G 4Z1
Alberta’s ICT sector is projected to contribute over $13 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2030.
ICTC's new report presents a six-year outlook on Alberta’s digital economy, predicting substantial growth in the information, communications, and technology (ICT) sector and the creation of 13,600 new jobs.
With a digital economy driving innovation, job creation, and economic progress, Alberta is a vital contributor to economic activity in Canada. As Canada’s productivity lags behind other countries, Alberta has outpaced national productivity rates by 18%, and its ICT sector ranks among the top five most productive.
Looking ahead to 2030, continued growth is expected to result in significant expansion of the ICT sector in Alberta.
Business startups in Alberta’s ICT sector consistently outperform the rest of Canada, and growing digital adoption means ICT is increasingly integrated with traditional industries like oil and gas, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Investments in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and cleantech, combined with provincial incentives, are accelerating the sector in Alberta.
This growth is driving demand for technology workers. ICTC finds that many employers struggle to recruit and retain mid-career technology talent despite the province’s low cost of living, affordable housing, and lower taxes.
Register now on Eventbrite to secure your spot.
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Registration and Breakfast
9:30 AM – 9:40 AM: Opening Remarks
9:40 AM – 10:10 AM: Launch and Presentation of Report: Alberta’s Digital Economy: Outlook 2030
10:10 AM – 10:30 AM: Q&A
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Panel: From Insights to Action: Driving Alberta's Digital Economy Forward
11:15 AM – 11:20AM: Closing Remarks
11:20 AM – 12:00 PM: Networking
Moderator: Chelsea Hallick, Director of Business Development, Calgary Economic Development
As the Director, Business Development at Calgary Economic Development, Chelsea works with business, government, and community partners to position Calgary as a location of choice to invest and do business. As a passionate ecosystem builder, with a strong belief in the power of entrepreneurship and economic diversification, she’s focused on supporting the economic growth of Calgary's innovation ecosystem. In the past three years, she’s led the attraction and expansion of more than 30 technology companies, a projected impact of nearly 3,000 new jobs in Calgary over the next three years and an estimated $950 million in investment dollars.
Panelist: Paisley Churchill, Executive Director, Calgary Innovation Coalition
Paisley Churchill is an experienced leader at the intersection of economic development and technology. As the Executive Director of the Calgary Innovation Coalition, she works to support Alberta’s startup ecosystem, helping founders access the resources they need to grow and scale. With a background spanning economic development, industry associations, and product management, Paisley has worked with hundreds of businesses—ranging from early-stage startups to scaling tech companies—helping them navigate funding, innovation, and commercialization. Passionate about bridging the gap between business and technology, she brings a practical, founder-focused approach to supporting Alberta’s growing digital economy.
Panelist: Stephanie Enders, Chief Delivery Officer, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
Stephanie Enders is a recognized leader in AI adoption and commercialization, serving as the Chief Delivery Officer at Amii. With a focus on responsible AI and open-source strategies, Steph drives the transformation of advanced AI research into practical, ethical applications across various industries. She leads initiatives that enhance AI literacy, promote industry adoption, and nurture talent development, all while ensuring that AI technologies are accessible and beneficial to society. Steph’s unique ability to translate complex AI concepts into actionable strategies has made her a prominent voice in discussions on AI’s role in the future.
Panelist: Alexis Pappas, CIO, GuildOne and Executive Team Member, Canadian Blockchain Consortium
GuildOne Chief Innovation Officer, Alexis Pappas has spent 15 years in clean technology and the blockchain sector and is a frequent writer and international speaker on digital adoption and sustainability. Alexis is an ecosystem leader in the blockchain community and is a member of the Canadian Blockchain Consortium’s Executive Team, the Chair of its Sustainability Committee, and has led numerous research initiatives and whitepaper publications. Passionate about education, she is also a blockchain lecturer and course developer at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Emcee: Dave Murray, Outreach Coordinator (Western Canada), ICTC
Dave is responsible for outreach for ICTC’s capacity building programs across Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, and MB). His journey with work-integrated learning began when he started as an engineering co-op at the University of Waterloo. Since then, he has been involved in hiring students as a senior leader at a large corporation in Canada’s energy sector. Dave is dedicated to advancing Canada’s digital economy and recently completed a micro-credential in Product Management with a Specialty in Digital Marketing through ICTC’s EDGE UP 2.0 program.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Dave is passionate about Canada’s energy industry, sustainable food and agriculture practices, and improving Canada’s economic productivity. As a frustrated sports enthusiast, he cheers for both the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Raptors. When he’s not working, you might find him exploring mountain trails in Banff or Kananaskis country.
Jason Cameron, Program Manager, Storytelling, Engagement & Experimentation, The City of Calgary
As the Smart City Program Manager for Storytelling, Engagement and Experimentation, Jason and his team have established a culture of municipal innovation, whether it’s through Wave’s sandbox environment or by opening the door to City assets for industry and academia to conduct real world experiments.
Anne Patterson, Chief Research and Communications Officer, ICTC
Anne Patterson leads research, policy, and strategic communications at the Information and Communications Technology Council of Canada (ICTC), where she works to shape Canada’s digital advantage in the global economy.
An executive leader, strategist, brand builder and facilitator with experience across 25 countries, Anne’s work has spanned international development, movement-building, social enterprise, labour, research, partnerships, and fundraising. Her work has taken her to the UN and the World Economic Forum, and she has been featured in the Guardian, CBC, Globe and Mail, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and other high-profile outlets around the world. She sits on the Canadian Preparatory Committee for Canada’s engagements with the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D), which fosters international cooperation to improve access to ICTs for underserved communities worldwide, as well as the Community Foundations of Canada Wisdom Council on AI for Social Impact.
Prior to joining ICTC, Anne served as acting executive director and director of communications at Canada’s Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) and as director of communications at Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), an international NGO focused on digital skills development. She is an alumna of the University of Waterloo.
Maryna Ivus, Manager of Economics, ICTC
Maryna Ivus leads the Economics team at ICTC. With over a decade of dedicated research experience, she enjoys approaching complex research challenges with a blend of qualitative and quantitative lenses. Her passion lies in leveraging research to strengthen Canada's digital advantage in a global inclusive economy. Maryna was involved in researching and writing a number of reports for ICTC, covering topics like the impact of emerging technologies on the labour market and the economy, the advancement of gender diversity in tech professions and many others.
Motivated by technology's potential benefits for society and concerns of fairness, accountability, and inclusivity, she seeks to continue contributing to critical conversations surrounding the development of Canada’s growing digital economy.
Maryna holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of New Brunswick.
Wave is committed to driving The City's digital transformation and enhancing the lives of Calgarians through innovative technology. Wave is designed for City teams to experiment and rapidly prototype solutions to improve service delivery for Calgarians.
Wave is more than just a safe place to experiment. We build capabilities with partners like post-secondary institutions, non-profits, and other government agencies to create a research pipeline that addresses municipal technology opportunities.
We would like to acknowledge that Calgary is situated on the traditional territories of the Treaty 7 signatories which includes the Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, Kainai Nation, the Îethka Stoney Nakoda Nation, consisting of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Good Stoney Bands, and the people of the Tsuut’ina Nation. We also recognize the Métis people of Alberta Region 3 who call Treaty 7 their home.
The Province of Alberta is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and services.
