What I’ve heard

Over my first 120 days as CEO, I’ve spent most of my time listening over coffee, in boardrooms, at events and in hallway chats. I’ve heard pride in what Communitech has meant to Waterloo Region. I’ve also heard frustration and some hard truths. That the magic isn’t what it used to be, and people aren’t sure what we stand for anymore.

  • Since COVID, the community hasn’t felt the same.
  • Roles and mandates for organizations like ours have blurred.
  • And yet, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries at lightning speed.
  • Communitech needs a reset.

The good news is that the demand for us to succeed is real. People want to see us at our best, and that’s a great place to start.

Where we’re going

Our vision is to make Waterloo Region a globally competitive tech ecosystem anchored by homegrown companies that start here, scale here, and stay here.

We want to rebuild a connected, founder-led community where people open doors for each other, share wins (and lessons), and take pride in growing together.

We’ll bring this to life by doubling down on what’s in our name: community and tech.

This means:

  • Serving local startups, scale-ups, and established tech companies. Different challenges, shared community.
  • Partnering with governments, corporates, and other players, but keeping the needs of local tech companies front and centre.

What's next

For community, we aim to reconnect people across stages and sectors, and collaborate with other organizations in the region, not compete with them. In the weeks ahead, we’ll reboot peer and advisory groups to share ideas and open doors, and collaborate with other organizations to execute events and initiatives that bring people together.

For tech, we’ll prioritize the disruptive shifts shaping the future by focusing on AI adoption today, while laying foundations to support Waterloo’s world-leading quantum ecosystem.

How we’ll work

We’re going to operate Communitech more like the companies we serve: leaner, scrappier, experimental, and grounded in member needs. That’s how we’ll stay credible and relevant in a fast-moving ecosystem.

This is a significant reset, but not a total reinvention. It's a return to what worked, adapted for what’s next. We’re looking forward to the next chapter.

Want to get involved? Connect with our community

- Sheldon