FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 6, 2017

Women leading in a male dominated industry

Saskatoon Conference starts a conversation with leaders in the YXE tech industry

Saskatoon, SK — Women working in the tech industry has become a hot topic thanks to a couple of leading global tech companies making news for all the wrong reasons.

Saskatoon’s tech industry is blooming right now, and many of the city’s leading tech firms have shown impressive growth and attracted large capital investments. 7Shifts, as an example, has tripled revenues in the past year and recently announced $4.5 million in new venture capital funding.

Next Tuesday, the Women in Tech Conference Saskatoon (WITCONYXE) will provide a glimpse into this world and the women leading teams in this exciting sector.

“WITCONYXE will bring together a diverse group of business leaders with a range of experience with the tech industry,” said Audra Krueger, Executive Director of sponsor organization, Co-operatives First. “The conference aims to bring a variety of perspectives and create an engaging conversation with these talented women.”

The event’s keynote speaker is Stocksy United CEO, Brianna Wettlaufer. Wettlaufer is well known in the platform co-op world for the innovative business structure Stocksy uses, and how she’s harnessed it to elevate the stock photography industry.

Joining Wettlaufer on a panel is Federated Co-operatives Ltd.’s Associate Vice President of IT, Natalie Pikouliak, 7Shift’s Vice President of Operations, Andrée Carpentier, and Principal of Stephanie Yong Consulting, Stephanie Yong. The panel will be moderated by Brittany Melnyk, Saskatoon Chapter Lead of the Ladies Learning Code organization.

“The topic is relevant and important to growth in this sector,” said Krueger. “We feel Saskatoon’s burgeoning tech sector is a great environment for this conversation.”

Hosted by Co-operatives First, the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the U of S, and the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association, the event is free of charge and will be held in Broadway Theatre at 7pm on September 12th. Tickets can be reserved at Picatic.com/WITCONYXE.

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Co-operatives First is a non-profit business development firm promoting the benefits and versatility of the co-operative business model in rural and Indigenous communities across western Canada.

The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, at the University of Saskatchewan, has studied the co-operative model since 1984.

The Saskatchewan Co-operative Association is a provincial coalition of co-operatives that promotes the co-operative model for community and economic development through Saskatchewan.

For additional information and presenter bios, please visit:

https://www.cooperativesfirst.com/witconyxe

Please direct media inquiries to:

Audra Krueger

Executive Director, Co-operatives First

306.382.4410