As we start the New Year, I am reminded of the Margaret Mead’s quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

With only a few weeks under our belt, it is clear that 2022 will bring with it its fair share of challenges. As we continue to navigate a global pandemic and face weather disruptions, I hope that we can face 2022 with optimism knowing that we will all emerge at the end of 2022 even stronger. When looking back at 2021, we certainly saw what is possible when we come together as a community.

In November, amidst catastrophic flooding and extreme weather in across the Province, our BC Tech community banded together. Spearheaded by the Chair of the BC Tech Social Impact C-Council, Eva Taylor from Hootsuite, there was a groundswell of support and call for donations to support the flood relief efforts of the Canadian Red Cross. And while on stage at the BC Tech Association’s annual Technology Impact Awards on November 18th, CEO Jill Tipping called on the entire tech community to help.

The results were astonishing, with a collective donation of $1Mil donated to the Canadian Red Cross from the coalition of companies brought together through the campaign. We were so proud to see our BC Tech members contribute so generously including Absolute Software, Allocadia, Deloitte, CDW Canada, Copperleaf, Hootsuite, Weir Motion Metrics, Traction on Demand, Thinkific and Unbounce.

“I’m so proud of BC’s tech sector for contributing with speed and generosity to the essential emergency response work being done on the ground. It’s testament to the sense of shared purpose and community that we have here in BC,” said Jill Tipping, CEO, BC Tech.

And in a tremendous showing of solidarity on Dec 6^th, BC Tech member Amazon Canada stepped up to provide a direct donation of $500,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, further increasing the tremendous impact of the campaign.

“The generous support of Amazon Canada during this critical time will help the Canadian Red Cross provide services and resources to those impacted by the floods and extreme weather in British Columbia. The Red Cross is on the ground to evaluate and address the immediate and emerging needs of people impacted by floods and will continue to be there to help with the long recovery ahead,” said Conrad Sauvé, president and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross

With gratitude to our BC Tech community, we will embark on 2022 optimistic for what we can achieve together in the year ahead.

Erika Borgerson, VP – Marketing, BC Tech

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Special thanks to Coalition companies: Herschel Supply Co, Nexii, BlueShore Financial, tentree, Purdys Chocolatier, Coconut Software, Anthem Properties, DNEG, lululemon, Rennie, Earls Restaurant Group, Smash + Tess, Bosa Properties, Colliers, INDOCHINO, G&W Distilling Inc | Distillery and Cocktail Co, Smash + Tess,  lululemon, Arc’teryx, Aritzia, Nexii Building Solutions, Native Shoes, Best Buy Canada, Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CSE), Aquilini Development, Later, MLA Canada, BakerWest Real Estate Inc, Rennie Group, ITIQ, Alida, Plenty of Fish, DUER.