The Pulse: May 5, 2022

A free program at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) is teaching women and gender-diverse individuals about artificial intelligence and how to build a network within the province's technology ecosystem.

The Kickstart Program, which is running for the second year, is meant to diversify the pool of entry-level AI talent by providing exposure to companies, awareness of crucial technical knowledge, and access to mentors working in STEM-related organizations.

"Reducing bias and improving fairness in AI systems are benefits generated from more robust diversity in the field. So we want to continue investing in that area," said Warren Johnston, who manages Amii's talent team.

The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report for 2021 found that 32% of those who work in data and AI were women, a slight decrease from 2018. Amii itself does not yet have gender parity among its researchers.

Sacha Davis took part in the first iteration of the program, which began in early 2020. At that time it was called AlbertaWomen.ai and offered mentorship to female students to connect them with opportunities, companies, and industries specializing in AI and technology across Alberta.

During their undergraduate degree in biological sciences at the University of Alberta, Davis took a few courses in computing science, which was the catalyst for their interest in artificial intelligence and technology.

"I was really excited to learn more about what the field generally had to offer. As someone who felt a bit out of place to start off with, given that my background was not in computer science, I found it to be a phenomenal opportunity to make new connections, learn a bit more about the industry, and generally just situate myself in the field," they told Taproot.

One of the most important elements of the program was being able to learn alongside a cohort that Davis "was immediately comfortable with." They had attended various tech events in the past but often felt intimidated.

"It's hard not to think about, 'If I ask a dumb question, are 30% of the people in this room going to assume it's because I'm a female?' Those anxieties do creep in there. So to access those spaces and be welcomed with open arms within a group that you know you're not going to be judged by, that was the most important part for me," Davis said.

• Edmonton police investigated 23 hate-motivated crimes in the first quarter of this year, up from 13 during the same period last year. "It is critically important that the public report any and all instances of hate, and we are very thankful to those who came forward as witnesses in these files," Sgt. Gary Willits of the hate crimes unit said in a release outlining charges laid in six incidents. "We want our diverse communities to know they are valued, and we take these reports very seriously." Data from last September suggests that the number of hate crimes reported to police may account for less than 1% of such incidents.
• Infill development is key to Edmonton's most recent City Plan as it offers a way to prepare for population growth, but lessons from Vancouver show that upzoning land for higher density doesn't always increase affordability. Patrick Condon, a professor of urban design at UBC, told Postmedia that Edmonton must build affordability into land regulations and focus on "disciplining the land market," or else the city's recently revealed plans to rezone the entire city for more infill development could decrease affordability.
• When the Oilers hit the road to continue their playoff series against the L.A. Kings, fans in Edmonton will be able to attend watch parties at Rogers Place. Tickets to watch the game on the Jumbotron will be $5, and the concessions will be open.
• The City of Edmonton received an award from the American Planning Association for its work in developing the Edmonton Carbon Budget, a municipal first in North America that integrates greenhouse gas emissions into the budgeting and prioritization process.
• EPCOR's controversial solar farm in the river valley has been named kīsikāw pīsim, Cree for "daylight sun." Chief Billy Morin on the Enoch Cree Nation said the name was determined during a pipe ceremony earlier this year. The Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition has long opposed the solar farm near the E.L. Smith water treatment plant; in April, a judge ordered the coalition to pay some of EPCOR's legal costs.
• NAIT and the University of Alberta have announced honorary degree recipients for their upcoming 2022 convocations. Recipients from NAIT are Olympic cyclist Kelsey Mitchell, business leader Angela Armstrong, AHS interim CEO Mauro Chies, and CBC radio personality Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe. Recipients from the U of A include comedian Rick Mercer, Métis leader Lorne Gladu, and two Supreme Court judges.
• Three organizations were recognized at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce's Chamber Ball at the Edmonton Convention Centre on April 30. The 2020 Northern Lights Award of Distinction was given to DynaLIFE, the 2021 Northern Lights Award of Distinction was given to Edmonton's Food Bank, and the inaugural Community Impact Award was given to Unbelts.
• The City of Edmonton's compost giveaway starts May 8. The compost, which is suitable for landscaping, gardening, and top dressing, is made from collected yard waste and can be picked up for free at the Ambleside and Kennedale Eco Stations. The service, launched in 2021, is possible because Edmontonians have been participating in the curbside collection program and separating their waste, the city said in a release.
• Soccer star Alphonso Davies spoke to Bayern Munich News about his upbringing in Edmonton. "Edmonton is my home and always will be," said Davies. "All of my childhood friends are there, as well as the local soccer and community programs I regularly visit and support when I can."

In Episode 14 of Bloom, co-hosts Emily Rendell-Watson and Faaiza Ramji interview Nicole Sanchez, co-founder of Ruth, which makes sustainable menstrual pads, and Gillian Thomson, the founder of Skipper, which makes shower caps.

Both entrepreneurs are building companies in an innovation ecosystem that tends to be dominated by tech startups. They are also both reinventing products that people use every day.

"We obviously want to provide something that's sustainable, but we still want to provide a product that's the same quality as the ones that people would get in the market," Sanchez explained. "I think there are certain expectations from a consumer perspective as to how the product should work already, and so keeping that in mind while you're making the product better is the challenging part."

Faaiza and Rendell-Watson also talk about The51, a financial feminist platform that is expanding from Calgary to Edmonton this month. The organization provides access to women-led capital for women-led businesses. Nicole Janssen of AltaML, Kristina Milke of Sprout Fund, and Sharleen Oborowsky of Yogapedia are hosting a launch event in Edmonton on May 12.

Sprout Fund was also on Bloom's radar this week, as it announced the first close of its second fund. The fund hit its $10 million goal and will begin investing in business-to-business software startups across Western Canada.

In our sponsor spot, you'll hear from Dawn Newton, the head of Accelerate Edmonton. She and Taproot's Mack Male discuss Alberta Catalyzer, the new provincial pre-accelerator program for Alberta founders.

Bloom is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and everywhere else you get your podcasts.