Feb. 20, 2019

The inaugural DRIVE conference begins Feb. 20 at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics in Waterloo. The conference, hosted by the premier data and software provider for the private market, Hockeystick, and the Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises, will welcome attendees and speakers from more than 20 countries to discuss best practices and present bold ideas on how to build scaleup ecosystems. DRIVE asks: How do you create domestic value in a global tech economy?

DRIVE opens with a spotlight on global and local innovation and the importance of fostering entrepreneurship around the world with tech advisor Deena Shakir. Shakir is a Partner at venture capital firm GV (formerly known as Google Ventures) and advisory board member for TechWadi. Shakir will highlight the work she does to build bridges between Silicon Valley and the MENA region.

Renowned urban theorist Richard Florida will take the stage on day two of the conference to share his insights into how the Creative Class are revolutionizing the global economy as regions become more specialized, companies continue to scale, and the global battle for talent heats up.

Techpreneur, changemaker and founder of e-commerce platform Chiswara, Catherine Mahugu will share the work she is doing to revolutionize how money and goods are exchanged between producers in the developing world and global consumers.

In a fireside chat, Maria Gotsch, President and CEO of Partnership for New York City, and Communitech’s President and CEO Iain Klugman, who is a Lazaridis MBA graduate, will discuss working closely with government, founders and other ecosystem players to create local value and global impact. Joanna Rees, Managing Partner at West, will share her deep expertise in defining markets and building powerful brands.

On the conference’s third and final day, entrepreneurship ecosystem pioneer Daniel Isenberg will explore how scaleup programs like Scale Up Milwaukee and Manizales-Mas are building ecosystems that focus on scaling businesses with proven business models, no matter the industry or age of the business.

DRIVE also includes thought-provoking breakout sessions with expert panels on topics such as the value of tech accelerators, the global shift to advanced manufacturing, immigration policies and the battle for talent, ecosystem boundaries, perspectives on capital, and the role of data in building scaleup ecosystems.

“DRIVE is where data, policy and practice meet in the world of scaleup ecosystems,” says Hockeystick’s Founder and CEO, Raymond Luk. “We’re bringing together leaders from global accelerators, policy-makers, academics, funders and founders to challenge each other and present bold new ideas on building scaleups.”

“We are delighted to host the conference at the Lazaridis Hall in Waterloo with our partner Hockeystick,” says the Lazaridis Institute’s Managing Director, Kim Morouney. “Waterloo’s reputation as a tech hub continues to expand. DRIVE will enable us to share our ecosystem’s energy and vision with global players — international hubs, founders and policy-makers — and to learn from their diverse perspectives on growth.”

Key Details

• DRIVE is co-hosted by Toronto data company Hockeystick and the Lazaridis Institute.
• In its inaugural year, DRIVE focuses on the creation of domestic value in a global tech economy.
• The conference is welcoming policy-makers, researchers, accelerators and successful tech CEOs from more than 20 countries around the world.
• #DRIVE19 sponsors include Marnie Walker, Global Affairs Canada, Amazon Web Services, ReMAP, Innovative Solutions Canada, Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS), Highline BETA, Silicon Valley Bank, LaBarge Weinstein, and Jim Wilson.