People
Alex Sanford
Alex is a software developer, musician, coffee enthusiast, and space geek. He was born and raised here in the Valley, and has a long time passion for science, technology, and lifelong learning. Currently, Alex is a Code Wrangler for Automattic, the creators of WordPress.com. Automattic has close ties with the WordPress open source project, which powers 33% of the websites on the internet. Automattic’s mission is to make the web a better place by advocating openness, freedom, diversity, and inclusivity.
Andrew Button
After a 15 year career with various businesses and economic development organizations, Andrew felt it was about time to move from being a ‘cheerleader’ and ‘curator’ of entrepreneurship to doing something that actually produced more entrepreneurs in rural communities. In 2014 he founded Mashup Lab; a for-more-than-profit company that activates rural ideas. That same year he launched a chapter of the Awesome Foundation in his community. Andrew has since gone on to launch another social enterprise - CO3 , a fresh new coworking space for Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Independents located in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
Anita Kirkbride
She’s on a mission to help small businesses understand how to use social media to serve their clients and grow sales. Trying to keep up with ever-changing social media trends is exhausting, even for the most caffeinated among us. But Twirp Communications founder Anita Kirkbride is here to help you save all that coffee money. Anita’s social media experience extends all the way back to the 90s, when she joined the first generation of bloggers, launching a crafting blog in a flurry of cardstock, buttons, and fabric swatches.
Aristides Milios
Aristides is a highly motivated university student passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and web development. CTO MicroCent Technologies and Co-Founder of Hoist Halifax, Aristides is full stack web developer who loves public speaking and is a natural leader. Smokin.
Barry Gander
For 25 years Barry Gander has helped jump-start the development of advanced technology organizations in Canada and abroad. Working with companies, associations, the public sector and academia, Barry has established a network of leaders who thrive on leading-edge initiatives. As EVP of Canada’s largest high-tech association, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) Barry has helped showcase the best of Canadian innovation to global markets. The i-CANADA program, which he co-founded, aims to create an “Intelligent Nation” by establishing a grass-roots movement of communities that network at ultra-fast speed.
Cassie Josephine
With “a voice that sits between Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton,” Cassie Josephine provides a vintage sound to her deeply personal narratives (Jeff Liberty - CBC). Her latest collection of songs, Only Half Blue, is one she thinks of fondly as a fairytale of middle-aged proportions. With her backing band, The Cry If I Want To’s, Cassie’s dreamy anthems are brought to life with soaring harmonies, violin, piano, and electric guitar.
Catherine Vardy
Catherine Vardy joined the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) in 2015. As a Business Development Officer for the Atlantic Region, Catherine enjoys working with people to identify and highlight the value of IP. As the Network Liaison and Program Manager at Springboard Atlantic, Catherine worked closely with innovative SMEs, universities and colleges. Catherine also worked in Atlantic Canada as a Research and Innovation Development Officer with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
Charlie Greene
Charlie is a senior software developer at The REDspace. He is alumni from Colibri Software where he worked for two years, ever since graduating from Acadia University with a Honors degree in Computer Science with Co-Op option. Charlie’s profile picture was created by a robot inspired by the work of Ruby the painting elephant. True story.
Chris Jordan
Chris is a software developer with 16+ years experience with Henry Schein. Not to be pigeonholed, he’s got his hand in all sorts of things: Top tier support for an installation base spanning 2000+ customers, Brand development, Application planning and development, Database design, Documentation, Testing, Training, Training material development: web, print and video, Customer support, Installer creation, Phone system programming. Chris’ profile pic is a mashup of a picture of his swiped from Facebook and R2D2.
Cindy Trudel
Cindy Trudel is an Instructor in Acadia University’s Departments of Computer Science, Business and Mathematics. Her primary research interest is in developing retention programs for students who have self-selected Computer Science as an area of study.