Still riding the wave of inspiration from an unforgettable week at Web Summit in Vancouver šš”
The energy, the ideas, the peopleāit was a masterclass in innovation, connection, and the power of community.
š„ Things kicked off with Swing into Success hosted by the WAKE Collective, bringing female founders into the room with investors. So much brilliance in one roomāpitching, networking, and cheering each other on. These are the rooms that change lives.
š¤ Opening night blew me away.
Mayor Ken Sim reminded us how important it is to shine a light on Vancouverās thriving tech ecosystem.
Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky Social, spoke about building a decentralized social network that returns choice and control to the user.
Renowned AI expert, Gary Marcus, shed light on one of the biggest challenges in todayās AI landscape: hallucinations šµāš«
He offered a powerful reality check, describing AI as āautocomplete on steroids,ā highlighting its tendency to produce convincing but inaccurate responses due to a lack of true understanding or fact-checking ā ļø
While AI is a powerful tool, it’s clear that judgment and emotional intelligence remain uniquely human. The future of AI must be collaborative, not just computational.
š Day 2 opened with the brilliant Tanis Jorge, serial founder and author of The Cofounderās Handbook.
Her insights on what makes co-founderships thrive were š„:
ā
Shared vision and values
ā
Clear roles and responsibilities
ā
Deep, consistent communication
She reminded us that entrepreneurs arenāt just building companiesātheyāre shaping our future.
š©āš» The women in tech community showed up strong. I had so many amazing conversations with powerhouse women building bold, values-driven companies. It was especially special to meet people in person I had only known online. I left every conversation feeling inspired and recharged.
As a single mom, I had my kids with me this weekāso I traded evening events for track meets and baseball practice ā¾ But the magic wasnāt lost: my kids even took the bus downtown from school to meet me at Waterfront Station each day, so I could catch more of the Web Summit experience ā¤ļø
š„¾ Yesterday, I took the morning off to hike the Grouse Grind at Grouse Mountaināanother summit that gives me clarity and inspiration. With each step, I processed the week, the stories, and the possibilities ahead.
We rise faster when we rise together š
Thank you to everyone who made this week unforgettable.
See you next year!
-Anna
