We once again sponsored families holiday wishes through Presents of Peace, by providing gifts and grocery gift cards. We also took part in the Startups Care program with other Vancouver companies raising a collective $41,932.12 and 3,360 pounds of food for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

While companies focus on growing their businesses, BC Tech takes the lead in tackling the gaps and leveraging the strengths of our ecosystem. Allocadia is excited to be a part of advocating for policies, delivering impactful programming, promoting corporate innovation and technology adoption, and educating and connecting the tech community.

Allocadians worked as a team to run the restaurant by cooking and serving a 3-course meal table-side to people in poverty who rarely get the sit-down restaurant experience we often take for granted. The night was full of learning about Vancouver’s Downtown-Eastside, hearing stories from patrons, and building relationships with our community.

In the past year we continue to see Allocadians participate in fundraising events that are close to their hearts including the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Mental Health Association, Family Services of Greater Vancouver, BC SPCA, and many more!

As winners of the BC Tech Association’s Technology Impact Awards for the Community Engagement category over the last several years, Allocadia (2017), Left (2016, 2015) and Traction (2014) shared the ins and outs of their community programs, how they engage staff and the Why behind their giving initiatives.

With our largest showing yet of Allocadians and their families this is an event we love sponsoring and taking part in. We’re looking forward to continuing to support science fair programs in BC.

We challenged our team to give back to their community and planet in ways big and small, including park clean ups, energy efficient projects, tree planting or anything else to take care of our planet. We’re excited to continue to grow this program annually.

Teams at Allocadia chose different ways to support causes close to their hearts. Organizations we supported through February included Dress For Success, Greater Vancouver Food Bank, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and more. We look forward to making this an annual event at Allocadia.

In this session of Vancouver’s first Women in Tech Regatta, leaders came together to talk of different leadership styles and finding your own.

Taking on a larger commitment than previous years, our team was quick to get the perfect gifts and grocery gift cards to make the holidays a litter easier for a family in Vancouver.

The team served up hot meals and learnt about the many programs and resources the Good Shepherd Centre provides to those in need. With our growing Toronto team we look forward to more programs and volunteer days on the East Coast!

This year our fiercely competitive teams battled through multiple rounds of play but were knocked out of the tournament just as the finals were in our sights! A great night nonetheless and we were thrilled to raise over $2,000 for Canadian’s Learning Code!

This year our CPO and co-founder Katherine Berry joined Startup Skool as a dragon for one of their afternoon pitch competitions. This was an event full of innovative thinking and young minds who are set to be Canada’s next entrepreneurs.

We’re excited to welcome the Neighbourhood and Appfabriqa teams to our space! Both companies are local female founded startups looking to make an impact in their space. Jen from Appfabriqa is also an Allocadia alumni who we’re thrilled to have back in the office. We’re always on the lookout for the next Vancouver startup looking for space where they can create.

Allocadia was up against tough competition with Traction on Demand (a program run by our co-founders sister!) and Appnovation but were honoured to be recognized for this program that is core to our culture. Learn more about our program and the award here.

Allocadia made their Tech’s Got Talent debut this year with an outstanding performance and finishing as one of the top fundraising teams! With a lot of sparkles and a loud cheering section, Allocadians definitely left their mark. Our fundraising efforts all went towards supporting StartUp Skool in their mission to send kids to their amazing camps this summer.

This great event brings together Allocadians and their families as we #RunHealthy in support of science fair programs in BC. This event continues to be a favourite of the team and we look forward to seeing it grow even more next year!

The conversation spanned how we build an ecosystem of category-leading companies who are the best at what they do in the world, promote diversity, and double-down on innovation within a thriving technology industry in BC. The discussion left her energized for growing tech in BC and Canada!

As part of Allocadia’s fund for Women in Tech with SFU, we sent 5 inspiring students to attend the weekend conference and explore opportunities in tech. Our CEO Kristine Steuart participated in the opening panel discussion to share ideas on disrupting gender bias and breaking the masculine stereotype of leadership.

Thanks to Marketing Director Amanda Ovenden, this fun event for a fantastic cause is always on Allocadia’s Spring calendar. This year’s wicked team raised $785 for Big Brothers – a huge achievement! The team also won the competition but who’s counting?

In support of Directions Youth Services Geoff and Tracy took part in this “eye-opening and humbling” overnight experience that aimed to raise money to buy a much needed new van for the program.

Allocadia will provide an annual grant for this program over the course of three years, covering the costs of both travel and admission to events including the Grace Hopper Conference, Vancouver Start Up Week, Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing, and more.

Hosted by Allocadia’s Marketing Manager and PWN member, Brona O’Connor, this intimate gathering brought together entrepreneurs excited about leadership, culture, and growth!

This year with greater interest in our office we doubled our support from 2015 and sponsored three families holiday wish lists. Allocadians teamed up to find the perfect gifts and supply grocery gift cards to make the holidays a little more special.

This year Allocadia fundraised over $3,000 for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and sent three teams to compete in this epic tournament of tech. Making it to the semi-finals Allocadia faced fierce competition, we didn’t win the title but were a top contender for best cheering squad!

Our CEO Kristine spoke with these women in an interactive panel on finding your start in BC’s Tech Industry what it takes to make your mark in BC’s booming tech sector.

In this fireside chat, Kristine shared her journey in building a team and developing your leadership style and philosophy. We look forward to working with Launch Academy again on these fun and interactive discussions.

From May to September the code:mobile took a journey across Canada on a mission to teach over 10,000 kids to code. Allocadia was a proud sponsor of this journey, partnering with Ladies Learning Code to host pop-up coding days in Vancouver.

These programs teach young leaders how to think with an entrepreneurial mind, so that one day they can tackle our society’s most difficult social and environmental problems – and make real change.

At Allocadia we believe in inspiring girls and boys to pursue a career in technology. That’s why we love sponsoring this event that enables future Science Fairs in BC and allows youth to gain the skills they need to succeed in a fast-paced, knowledge-based world. Allocadia is proud to be a sponsor of this event and look forward to running again next year!

This year’s event was a perfect strike as always! Allocadians took to the lanes at Commodore Bowling & Billiards for an afternoon of good competitive fun with other Vancouver companies. The team raised $910 for Big Brothers of Vancouver, a mentoring program that enables kids to make healthy decisions, and build self-esteem.

Our team believes in staying healthy so we can be our best selves, so participating in the Sun Run was a great opportunity for the team to join together and get active. Leading up to race day the treadmill in our office was often in use to sneak in some extra training time. When the big day came, our team hit the course and proved that we don’t only #RunMarketing, we also run for fun and fitness!

The Allocadia team being a kindhearted bunch was more than ready to stand behind this cause and rock anything pink they could find in their closets. Our team is committed to making sure our office is a bully-free zone and extending this practice as far as we can to schools, homes, offices and online. #PinkItForward.

This celebration and discussion was put on the by The Vinetta Project, an influential ecosystem that supports high growth female founders in taking their businesses to the next level. This event brought together an engaged community of actionable entrepreneurs, venture influencers, young professionals and service providers who all see the massive growth potential for investing in female founders.

Among them, Allocadia’s CEO Kristine Steuart joined Premier Christy Clark and Brian Wong, CEO of Kiip in an interactive session on “Finding your career in tech” with high school students across BC. Kristine shared her own story and offered insights on finding inspiration, getting a start in the industry, and addressing the gender gap we currently see in tech companies. This session was meant to inspire and engage students with the sector and we hope to see some in the future as Allocadians.

Our CEO Kristine joined the judging panel on the final day of the event to give feedback and help choose the winner. Although there lots of great ideas and strategies, Ohm Wearables took home the win with their innovative smart belt idea and strong business plan. Kristine continues to work with the Ohm team as they develop their business further.

Partnering with the YWCA’s Presents of Peace holiday hamper program and Covenant House’s Christmas backpacks we worked together to gather gifts for youth and expecting moms in Vancouver. The collection bins at our office quickly overflowed with everyday essentials, baby goods and toys, warm clothes, and sought-after gifts. With so much enthusiasm for these programs we look forward to expanding our holiday giving next year. Happy holidays to all!

A series of fundraising events in the weeks leading up to the big day raised over $2,500 for our chosen charity, the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) – a community-based, non-profit organization serving immigrant and refugee women and their young children.

Our highly skilled participants Michal Hynek, Robert McDonnell, and Austin Nguyen were ready for battle and fought fearlessly. We didn’t win the title but the Allocadian cheering squad sure did make our presence known!It was incredible to see the Vancouver tech community coming together and contributing in such a meaningful way. Looking forward to a big year of training and getting our hands on the trophy next year!

Not only did we get a better sense of the Food Bank’s mission, but also got to experience firsthand their operations and the tremendous amount of food and goods they are able to distribute. It was fantastic to see the progression of this organization and how they continue to evolve to support their community.

The girls, aged 8-13, completed an Introduction to Ruby course that enables them to solve puzzles in a fun and engaging way, while generating endless opportunities to use a computer as a creative outlet. We love to see girls excited about technology and look forward to having them back at our office in the future.

It was a beautiful morning to run, and great to see so many families supporting such a great cause. The run ensures the success of future Science Fairs in BC and allows girls and boys to explore their interest in science and technology. The Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia is a not-for-profit charitable society committed to the promotion and development of Science Fair Programs in the province.

She was joined by Angela Robert, CEO and Co-Founder of Conquer Mobile to discuss “The 5 Year Plan: Myth or Must? Strategically Act to Create your Career”. It was a great session that allowed Kristine to share her story from the beginning, starting with her education, to choosing an industry that was the right fit, and how she eventually co-founded Allocadia. She encouraged participants to create guiding principles that would allow them to make clear, conscious, and thoughtful choices at certain junctions in their career and life that would set them on their path. Each choice is a learning experience that can be taken to the next phase of their career.

Creating Connections 4.0 brought together people of all genders and backgrounds for two days to discuss issues of personal and professional development, networking, and inspiration. This is the first time that SFU hosted Creating Connections and created an opportunity for a meaningful dialogue about the participation of women in Engineering, Science, and Technology.

For months, Michelle and Megan worked either independently at home or together at a local JJ Bean coffee shop.  As the company began to gel and grow, the two entrepreneurs recognized they needed full time office space in order to focus and take the company through to a successful launch. Committed to bootstrapping the business as long as they could, Michelle and Megan began to actively search for cost-effective space to collaborate.

Megan’s former colleague Kristine Steuart, CEO and co-founder of Allocadia, offered them office space at Allocadia’s new offices in downtown Vancouver, to work out of and build their company, without the burden of rent or extra costs.  For Michelle and Megan, this sponsorship has provided them a centralized workspace to collaborate and focus their attention on growing and building the business, without the financial burden of rent and office infrastructure.

Our team was led by one of our own, Jennifer Ferguson, Education Consultant, who has participated in the walk for the past 5 years. It’s an event that is near and dear to her heart as she was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis in 2011. It was important for us as a group to show our support, and participate in the walk with Jennifer’s friends and family. Jennifer had this to say about the walk “Doing the MS Walk every year is very important to me as it’s a cause that effects so many people, not just those of who have MS. It meant the world to me to have my friends, family and co-workers (aka. extended family) walking beside me. It feels amazing to have such a caring and supportive group of people in my life.” As a group we raised $2,740.00 for the cause, which will benefit research and support for those affected by this disease.

Team Allocadia raised $555.00 for Big Brothers, a mentoring program that enables kids to make healthy decisions, and build self-esteem. We had great support from our superhero staff, and had an excellent night out rolling strikes and spares with other local teams. Our Director of Strategy, Amanda Ovenden, has been participating in this event for a number of years, and was thrilled to have Allocadia participate.

As part of our community engagement initiative, Allocadia hosted a bake-sale with an abundance of delicious treats available to staff by donation. From Cupcakes, to cookies, cinnamon rolls to  gluten-free options there was something for everyone, and we raised $585.00!

It was an exciting night, with over 20 tech companies gathering to battle it out with Ping Pong paddles at #TechPong. Our participants, Richard Sharp, Mike Squance, and Jennifer Ferguson practiced on a make-shift Ping Pong table in our lounge prior to the big day, and with a cheering squad in tow, they ventured into battle. We may not have taken home the trophy, but we sure had fun cheering on all the players, and our team raised over $1500!

It was a rough start through the stubble stage, to the mysterious fuzzy phase, and finally to the full-on Moustache phase. We persevered to the end and raised a whopping $3690.00 for a fantastic cause. We can’t wait to do it again next year!

On June 25, 2014 a group of 10 volunteers visited Crabtree Corner and helped prepare the kitchen and pantry for their weekly programs. Some of us were responsible for deep cleaning the kitchen, while others cleaned the lounge areas, and helped sort clothing donations.  It’s a valuable resource centre in the Downtown Eastside, and we’re so glad we were able to help.