CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Innovation Centre (CIC) held its second InnoTalk at the Nav Centre on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
The guest speaker at the event was Ryan Androsoff, co-founder of the Canadian Digital Service (CDS) and former public servant specializing in the integration of digital technology in the public sector.
Androsoff was invited to the event to talk to local entrepreneurs about how they can use digital technology to influence the public sector. Androsoff gave the example of his own company, the CDS.
“The CDS is focused on improving digital service for citizens,” he said. “The CDS partners with other federal departments to help them bring in and launch new services. We serve as in house experts and policy hackers. We go in and work with a prototype and build a new and easy to use service.”
Androsoff explained how municipal governments, like the City of Cornwall, could encourage innovation in their own communities.
“Open data,” he said. “By governments moving more of their data online and making it machine readable creates opportunities to build industry and entrepreneurs can take advantange.”
He gave an example of how he created an app based on the City of Ottawa’s public data on their bus routes. The app informed the user the exact time when the next bus would arrive at their stop.
The CIC had more than 50 people show up to hear Androsoff speak on Tuesday night.
In addition to the talk by Androsoff, the CIC also introduced their Premier and Founding Sponsors including the Royal Bank of Canada, The Benson Group, McDonald Duncan LLP, The Community Futures Development Corporation and the Nav Centre.
The CIC’s Lead to Win entrepreneurs were also at the InnoTalk, which not only gave them the opportunity to be exposed to Ryan Androsoff, but also allowed them to network with the greater community in attendance.
Lead to Win members present included Fan Saves, EVO WEIGH, Daydream Development, Brazen Bytes Inc. and Orange Neurosceinces.
Orange Neurosciences are the creators of ReadON, an app to help those with learning differences.
Dr. Vinay Signh, one of the co-founders of Orange Neurosciences said that the CIC has offered the best kinds of help to his business.
“We’re loving it, the CIC really gave us a home,” he said.
Before they were a part of the Lead to Win program, Dr. Singh and his partner Ingrid Poupart ran Orange Neurosciences as an online business.
“The CIC has offered us free space, free internet and a great ecosystem and community,” Singh said.
