Digital Alberta
Digital Alberta is the interactive and digital media industry association for Alberta. We are a member-supported, non-profit organization at the intersection of technology and art, that represents the following industries: digital media, martech, video game development, eLearning, visual effects, animation, AI and VR/AR industries. Our members embrace technology as entrepreneurs, artists, developers, designers, educators and students.
We believe that digital in Alberta will thrive with the right support. To accomplish this, our mandate is to:
- Listen to and be a single, cohesive voice for local companies as we represent business interests and drive engagement at all levels of government.
- Accelerate the growth and commercialization of Alberta’s interactive digital media community within our province, country and globally.
- Celebrate and promote individuals and organizations that foster innovation, technology and digital media in Alberta.
- Encourage students and talent to stay in Alberta in order to increase capacity and productivity within the industry.
- Promote innovation and collaboration between individuals and organizations, acting as the conduit and connector for our community.
- Connect entrepreneurs and talent with industry information, funding, training and related entrepreneurship programs, to guide and support industry professionals.
Our Purpose
To support, connect and promote our digital community.
Our Vision
To make Alberta the logical choice for investing in or starting and growing a digital company.
Our Mission
By supporting the creation of world-class work, we will shine a spotlight on the talent, products and potential of our digital backyard.
Become a member
Alecia Peters
Executive Director
Alecia is a passionate ecosystem builder and purpose driven leader that fosters shared value relationships and brings strategy to life. She’s fuelled by creating meaningful partnerships and mobilizing communities to achieve impact. Alecia engages with a wide range of stakeholders (creators, builders, investors, government, academic institutions, students, corporate) who are passionate about advancing Alberta’s digital community making the ecosystem inclusive and accessible. Formerly Alecia led Calgary Economic Development’s innovation strategy team where she collaborated with community leaders to advance innovation and entrepreneurship in Calgary. Alecia curated opportunities working with clients to address gaps leveraging mechanisms like the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund to deliver game changing projects. She recently joined the board of the Centre for Sexuality and is committed to creating healthy cultures where everyone can thrive. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary and completed a global marketing and communications program in the UK through Boston University International programs.
Paisley Churchill
Program Manager
Paisley is passionate about growing Alberta's digital industries and supporting the growth of tech companies. In her previous role as Manager of Client Experience at Vog App Developers, one of Calgary largest custom software shops, she worked with entrepreneurs and established companies to build and implement new products. Paisley also previously worked at Calgary Economic Development as part of the core team that founded the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, and evaluated over 200 funding applications before moving to the Talent Attraction team to support the strategy for growing and attracting tech talent to Calgary. Paisley holds a BBA from Mount Royal University as well as a diploma in international business from the Forum for International Trade Training.
Board of Directors
Scott Nye
Chair
COO, Inflexion Games (Edmonton)
In addition to his CPA, CMA, and MBA, Scott brings over 20 years of professional experience to the Board in traditional finance & accounting positions as well as corporate strategy, business operations, marketing, and service development roles. His career has spanned a variety of sectors including interactive entertainment, telecommunications, biotechnology, and cultural industries. He currently supports the finance and operations activities at Inflexion Games, an Edmonton-based game studio working on its first title Nightingale. Prior to this, Scott spent several years at Electronic Arts – supporting BioWare locally as well as other EA Studios across North America.
Nick Facey
Vice Chair | Advocacy, Policy and Research Committee Chair
Lead - Industry Solutions, Unity Technologies (Calgary)
Nick Facey also serves as a board director for DigiBC - The Interactive & Digital Media Industry Association of British Columbia. He is a former Chief of Staff for the BC Minister of Innovation, Technology & Citizens' Services and the BC Ministry of Education.
Jennifer Chan
Treasurer
Manager (Tax), PwC Canada (Edmonton)
Jennifer is a Chartered Accountant with over eight years of experience in public practice and completed her Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) at the University of Saskatchewan in 2014. She is a tax specialist experienced in providing accounting and tax services to private corporations; with a focus on industries including Technology and Emerging Company Services. As part of the Edmonton technology group, Jennifer works directly with start-ups of all sizes by connecting them with the right resources they need both locally and globally to help them achieve their goals..
Carly Baker
Corporate Secretary
Barrister & Solicitor, Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer (Calgary)
Carly is a Calgary lawyer practicing commercial litigation at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP. Throughout her time in university, Carly was involved in various committees and student groups where she developed an interest in, as well as skills transferable to, corporate governance. Outside of her professional life, Carly has a subject matter interest in technology and innovation. She hopes to foster and encourage the growth of the technology and innovation industry in Alberta, which she sees as vital for the Province’s future commercial interests.
Robert Andruchow
Community Outreach & Partnerships Committee Chair
Chair, Department of Art and Design; Assistant Professor, Digital Experience Design, MacEwan University (Edmonton)
Robert plays a leadership role in the design community through his teaching, work and research. He recently led the creation of a new and innovative Bachelor of Design degree at MacEwan University, which places social science theory and methods at the core of the designer’s education in addition to traditional art and craft training (macewan.ca/design). Within this degree, he also developed the first UX/IX design program in the Prairie provinces (https://youtu.be/DZrmoTrSg6M). In the industry, Robert worked for the federal government for six years as a UX designer and then created his own digital company, Big Pixel Creative in 2007. He is currently a co-chair for UX Edmonton (which runs the largest annual UX conference in the Prairies) and last year served as a member of the Government of Alberta’s Talent Advisory Council on Technology, and the ICTC Advisory Committee on Digital Talent Needs in Canada.
Dani Finch
Communications Committee Co-Chair
Director, Marketing & Communications, Arcurve (Calgary)
Dani has more than a decade of diverse experience in Marketing & Communications and small business management in both the arts and tech. She is passionate about contributing to the growth of Alberta’s tech and innovation ecosystem. She has a knack for using storytelling to build community and is especially skilled at creating brand stories that bring people together. She gets to put this into practice daily in her role as Arcurve’s Marketing & Communications Director, helping to build the Arcurve brand and connect with Alberta’s tech community.
Chad Fournier
Foundational Member
Director, Product Design & Research, ATB Financial (Calgary)
At ATB, Chad leads a thriving team in the strategic, collaborative crafting of intuitive, data-driven digital product experiences founded on a deep understanding of client needs and aligned to ATB’s brand vision and business objectives. Since graduating from the Alberta University of the Arts, Chad has spent over 20 years leading and developing user experience teams, working with cross-functional partners, establishing and evangelizing production processes and design systems, and delivering business results for brands like Coca-Cola, Lego, Facebook, and Mercedes-Benz. Chad is driven by opportunities to take on new challenges and for pursuing continuous personal and team development. He is passionate about empowering his team and inspiring them to reach their highest creative potential through the practiced application of user-centred Design Thinking principles. In 2009, Chad co-founded Calgary UX, an inclusive, interdisciplinary design community dedicated to the development of meaningful interactions and more human connections, now with over 3,000 members. This is but one of the avenues through which Chad is able to coach and mentor members of the larger design community across Alberta.
Chelsea Hallick
Sustainability Committee Co-Chair
Business Development Manager, Interactive Digital Media, Calgary Economic Development
Chelsea is an award-winning digital media professional, who is engaged in building economic success and a strong community for the interactive and digital media sector. She works with industry, government and community partners to position Calgary as the location of choice for the purpose of attracting investment, championing local success, strengthening access to global markets and growing the talent pool. Chelsea is the lead for both the Calgary Digital Media Strategy and Calgary’s Video Game & Immersive Technology Strategy at Calgary Economic Development. Over the last decade, she has worked in a variety of industries with a focus on digital-first experiences.
Patrick Hohol
Web & Tech Committee Co-Chair
Software Dev Team Lead, BIS Safety Software (Sherwood Park)
Patrick is a software development team lead for BIS Safety Software, a rapidly growing Health and Safety Management Software company based in Sherwood Park. He has over 10 years experience as a freelance web developer, and hopes to help contribute to the growth of Alberta’s Digital industry to provide opportunities for other developers.
Jamie Humble
Web & Tech Committee Co-Chair
Account Manager, Vision Creative Inc (Edmonton)
A proud alumni of MacEwan University’s BComm program and strong community advocate, Jamie’s role with Vision Creative - an Edmonton based marketing communications agency - has exposed her to a multitude of organizations representing a variety of industries in Alberta. She works to analyze a client’s strategic and reputational needs, then collaboratively develops compelling creative solutions targeting business strategy, brand positioning and stakeholder engagement. Managing multiple vendors and individuals involved in the successful execution of a project, she is known for taking charge of a situation and demonstrating valuable leadership qualities. Jamie is keen on staying on top of new communication technologies and digital resources and strongly believes that support and advocacy for the tech industry in Alberta will be integral to the future of our economy.
James Konopka
Finance & Governance Committee Chair
Associate, Dentons Canada LLP (Edmonton)
James is a lawyer practicing in tax planning and litigation. While attending law school, he worked with the Alberta Ministry of Labour. Prior to joining Dentons, James finished his articles as a clerk at the Tax Court of Canada in Ottawa. He has experience working with committees and boards from his time as a board member and treasurer of the Alberta Law Review, and from his previous career as a peace officer with Alberta Health Services where he sat on numerous management committees.
Jim Lamoureux
Director
Sr. Director, Public Policy & Govt. Affairs, Electronic Arts
Jim develops, manages, and advocates EA’s public policy positions with policymakers and within the industry in North America, LatAm, and APAC. Jim has been a regulatory and public policy professional focusing on tech, telecom, internet, and media issues for nearly 25 years. Prior to joining EA, Jim was head of public policy and government affairs at Roku. Before that, he was at Microsoft, addressing global communications and media regulatory and policy issues for various Microsoft business groups. Prior to that, he was at AT&T, where he held various positions as a state and federal regulatory attorney. Before joining AT&T, he was with the law firm of McKenna & Cuneo in Washington, D.C., handling general civil and administrative litigation matters. Jim has an undergrad degree from Northwestern and his law degree from UCLA. He has also taught as a law school adjunct at George Washington University, St. Mary’s, and George Mason.
Shawn Mahoney
Director
Manager, Digital innovation Labs, Suncor
In the last 5 years, Shawn has delivered more than $200M in value through his Digital Strategy and Innovation work across the energy value chain (sub-surface to retail). Shawn is known for bringing new & creative methods to bear on business problems that traditional methods have not been able to solve. Using a human-centric approach, he has led teams to develop high-value, innovative products over the asset lifecycle.
Vince O'Gorman
Director
Founder and CEO, Vog App Developers (Calgary)
Vince is the Founder and CEO of Vog App Developers, one Canada’s leading custom software development firms. Over the past 10 years, Vince and the team at Vog have supported the growth of Alberta’s technology industry through the development of the software behind hundreds of Albertan startups and by helping established businesses adapt to the digital economy through the design and implementation of custom applications. A firm believer that technology and talent are key to Alberta’s future, Vince is also the founder of LaunchPad, a software development continuing education program designed to close the gap between the classroom and industry needs with real-world project-based learning.
James Sartor
Director
Digital Strategist, Microsoft
James is a digital strategist with nearly two decades of experience in technology serving the retail and energy sectors. His background is rooted in digital architecture and he currently works at Microsoft, leading relationships with some of the most influential companies in western Canada. James is passionate about the democratization of technology and skilling programs to ensure everyone has equal and equitable access to it.