We wanted to take a moment and express our heartfelt gratitude for attending our Open House earlier this month in the heart of downtown Edmonton! We’re still buzzing– you truly made the unboxing of our new space a huge success, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to celebrate Edmonton’s newest innovation destination and our city’s diverse innovation communities.
The morning opened with our VIP media event, where we welcomed city council members, stakeholders, founders, and community partners to officially kick off the day and hear passionate remarks from Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, our CEO, Catherine Warren and our new Board Chair, Lindsey Dodd. Elder Carola Cunningham shared her sacred blessing, and community leaders Morẹ́nikẹ́ Ẹniọlá Ọláòṣebìkan, CEO & Founder, Kemet Group, and our awesome compass partners, MNP and Dentons, spoke to the importance of community-building, limitless potential for innovation in Edmonton.
Mayor Sohi, Councilor Stevenson, and city council members presented Edmonton Unlimited with a proclamation plaque, announcing May 23, 2023, as Edmonton Unlimited Day. How cool is that?! Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said during the event, “I see people in this room who are creating communities. I see community coming together to build a place that turns ideas into growing businesses in Edmonton. And I’m excited.” And we couldn’t agree more!
To wrap up the morning event, we unboxed custom gift boxes curated by Indigenous Box, full of goodies from local Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses. Special thanks to our sponsor, Humanis Talent Acquisition & Advisory, for making our moment of unboxing possible.
Just before noon, the Open House officially kicked off, and we invited the community to join the celebration! Attendees explored our Founders Market, full of local entrepreneurs showcasing their innovations, and our 100-seat Pitch Deck participated in program workshops, gathered in the Community Café, and more – all guided by the Open House passport.
We’d like to thank everyone that helped make the open house a success, including the local digital marketing agency, Amplomedia, stationed at the event interviewing local founders and sharing their stories, local designers Reimagine and Vignettes who brought our innovation gallery experience to life, and local artist Rahmaan Hameed, who painted the beautiful Edmonton Unlimited mural just outside of our Community Café. The mural was inspired by the local innovation communities that represent the tech, innovation, and art scene of Edmonton.
Photo credit: Ampersand Grey
For those who missed our Open House, fret not! Many events and programs are happening in our space where you can connect with our team and the innovation community! We invite you to join us for our Community Coffee, held every Wednesday from 9-11 AM. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, and learn more about innovation in Edmonton.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the highly anticipated Northern Alberta Velocity Showcase on June 22nd. The previous Velocity Showcase was a blast, so you won’t want to miss this one. This year’s showcase is hosted at Edmonton Unlimited and will include pitches from the cohort’s startups followed by a reception. Come on down and chat with the Alberta Catalyzer team, meet the founders, and hear about all the amazing work the latest cohort’s been doing in the Velocity over the past 8 weeks.
To get a full scope of all events happening in and around Edmonton this summer, visit our events page here and register for an event today!
We’re beyond excited to be hosting upcoming events and workshops in our new space! Our space is more than just a place, it’s a community of innovators, builders, and their teams. It’s a place where ideas come to life and collaborations flourish, and we welcome everyone, to unlock their inner entrepreneur and get started. Learn more about our space and how you can be a part of it, here.
Once again, thank you for being a part of the Edmonton Unlimited Open House. We’re riding the wave of excitement and endless possibilities, and we are grateful to have you on this remarkable journey with us as we open Edmonton’s newest innovation destination. We can’t wait to see you again at upcoming events and in-person programs. Stay tuned, stay connected, and let’s continue to create a vibrant and prosperous future for the innovation community!
Check out the open house recap video to see how the day unfolded!