East Village: Innovation happens here
East Village was born out of lofty, imaginative ideas and has evolved into a model of disruptive thinking and relentless forward momentum. With all the necessary infrastructure and amenities now in place to support numerous businesses and their employees, EV is a magnet for big, bold boundary-pushers.
EV’s ever-growing collection of start-ups, tech companies and entrepreneurs—and the essential businesses and community features that support its burgeoning population—mean it is perfectly poised to welcome the next generation of innovators.
Dozens of ventures and businesses are breaking ground and taking charge here every day. And their creators, founders and employees are bringing fresh ideas and new people at every turn.
The folks settling in EV’s burgeoning tech corridor are not only dedicated to helping Alberta startups grow, succeed, and go global, they’re also active community members, and residents, who animate EV’s shops, cafes and restaurants.
Meet the East Village startups
Harvest Builders
Harvest Builders is a talent studio that works with tech startups to support their growth by helping build and scale talent. Started in 2020 by Skip the Dishes co-founder Chris Simair, Harvest is on a mission to help entrepreneurs develop globally competitive companies here in the Prairies.
Focused on fintech (financial technology), Harvest’s three partner companies are Neo Financial, a high-tech financial management startup; Propra, a tech-based property management company; and One Wealth, a wealth and investment management firm.
“East Village has created a neighbourhood for people to live and work in and really become part of the area. There’s residential, offices and amenities and it feels like a community,” says Chris Simair, Managing Director of Harvest Builders. “Calgary has the ability to attract top tech talent and East Village has created a place for creatives and innovation companies to move to. It serves as an Innovation Corridor between Inglewood and Stephen Avenue.”
Since setting up shop in EV two years ago, the Harvest team has grown to more than 250 people and now occupies more than 30,000 sq ft of EV office space.
Platform Calgary: Calgary’s home for innovators
Located in the newly opened Platform Innovation Centre, Platform Calgary offers resources, supports, programming and events to help entrepreneurs successfully launch and grow their businesses. It’s a place where visionaries, startups and established ventures are nurtured, mentored and empowered. Platform’s ecosystem of partners includes more than 75 accelerators, educators, venture builders, community builders and investors working together to help companies succeed on the world stage.
“Connections and collaboration matter when developing and growing a startup, finding a high potential tech investment, or when engaging innovators to drive corporate transformation. This is what the Platform Innovation Centre will facilitate,” says Terry Rock, President and CEO of Platform Calgary. “East Village is a neighbourhood that fosters collisions and connections and serves as a node for people to flow between downtown and East Village. At Platform, and in East Village, we’re creating a place where things happen and you can get it all in one place.”
Platform delivers innovative programs such as Alberta Catalyzer and their many partners include Innovate Calgary, Lift Accelerator, Startup TNT, Valhalla Private Capital, Beakerhead, Calgary UX, TEDxCalgary, and THRIVE by SVG Ventures.
Alberta Catalyzer, a collaboration between Platform Calgary, Innovate Edmonton and Innovate Alberta, provides education, mentorship, programming and resources to help innovation-driven startup founders prepare for their next phase of growth. In May 2022, Alberta Catalyzer launched the first round of its Traction learning stream, comprising a cohort of 25 founders from across Alberta. (Alberta Catalyzer’s three learning streams support startups at different phases of their journeys, and all three are offered throughout the year.)
THRIVE by SVG Ventures is a world-leading agrifood investment and innovation platform whose community includes more than 5,000 startups from 100 countries. The THRIVE platform invests, accelerates and creates access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges of the food and agriculture industries.
Slideshow images courtesy of Avenue Calgary.