Why startup star stays put

Hint: Edmonton is open for business, says James Cumming

Ashif Mawji

Its time to put

liver and onions

back on the menu

NAITs best-kept

secret hangout
How to write your twesume, p. 20

ways to build your network

CAREERS IN ENGINEERING, RESEARCh AND OpERATIONS

85
careers.slb.com

Who are we?

We are the worlds largest oilfield services company1. Working globallyoften in remote and challenging locationswe invent, design, engineer, and apply technology to help our customers find and produce oil and gas safely.

Who are we looking for?

Were looking for high-energy, motivated individuals who want to begin careers as Field Specialists or Maintenance Technicians. In these positions, youll apply your technical expertise and troubleshooting skills to ensure quality service delivery. n Do you want a high level of responsibility early and the opportunity to make a real difference on the job? n Are you interested in an unusual career with a sense of adventure? n Do you hold an associates degree or diploma in a relevant technical discipline or have equivalent formal military training? If the answer is yes, apply for a position as a Maintenance Technician or Field Specialist.

innovation
>120,000 employees >140 nationalities ~ 85 countries of operation

years of

Apply at careers.slb.com
Go to Students and Recent Graduates, Engineering, Research, and Operations. Then select the Maintenance Technician or Field Specialist option to make your application.

What will you be?

1Based on Fortune 500 ranking 2011. Copyright 2013 Schlumberger. All rights reserved.

ESSENTIAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS

Imperial Oil Foundation Supports NAIT Chemistry on Campus
Since 2008, the Imperial Oil Foundation has provided junior and senior high school students with hands-on learning through NAITs Chemistry on Campus Program Sponsored by the Imperial Oil Foundation. To date, the Program has delivered 200 workshops to over 3,400 students. Sessions take place in NAITs state-of-the-art chemistry labs. Chemistry on Campus aims to increase student awareness of chemistry in science, technology and society, while promoting careers within the eld. Young people gain valuable chemistry experience in a cutting-edge learning environment that may not be available in their own school labs.

A LEADING POLYTECHNIC COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

nait.ca

table of contents

63

techlife > contents

on the cover
20 How to Write Your
Twesume

technofile
19
Personal Communication
Gido and grandson are brought closer together by shared, decade-spanning careers

innovate
26 For the Love of the Game
The Ooks are at the top of their game. Can their conference keep up?

PEOPLE
43 Best in Class
We present the NAIT contingent to WorldSkills including our first-ever gold medalist

32 Why Ashif Mawji Stays Put 46 Hint: Edmonton is Open

for Business, Says James Cumming

20 How to Make the Most

of Social Media in Your Job Hunt
Time to learn how to write a twesume

32

Build an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Five Easy Steps

Startup expert Ashif Mawji shows how its done

46 Ceiling Unlimited
The new CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce James Cumming weighs in on the citys future

48 9 Ways to Build Your

Network

51

Its Time to Put Liver and Onions Back on the Menu Hangout

22

40 Blood Hounds
Edmonton Police Service backs up a vital canine blood donation program

Head Games
A NAIT-developed video game pushes the limits of the mind

58 NAITs Best-Kept Secret 23

CULINAIT
51
No Guts, No Glory
Hokanson Chef in Residence Chris Cosentino encourages the next generation of chefs to face and embrace cooking with the whole animal

Buried Treasures
A time capsule so fancy, its almost a shame to bury it

25

Online Support
Richelle Skrilec gets online shoppers and stores giving back

56 Recipe
Chris Cosentinos ham hock and lentil soup

Cover photo By Blaise van Malsen

tech life mag.ca

46 43

26
departments
6 7 8 9 11
The Latest from techlifemag.ca Contributors Editors Note Feedback Connections with the President
Construction begins on NAITs largest-ever capital project

56
alumni featured in this issue
48 Ask an Expert
The fine art of schmoozing
Dan Bassett, Instrument Mechanic 97 Rosario Caputo, Culinary Arts 05 Daniel Costa, Culinary Arts 05 Grant Craplewe, Sheet Metal Worker 98 James Cumming, Construction Engineering Technology 81 Kai Dan, Management 13 Sean Donnan, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic 12 Bob Dunford, Civil Engineering Technology 78 Robert Easton, Management 82 Joanne Geisinger, Marketing 89 Edward Gutsche, Management 90 Bruce Hagstrom, Civil Engineering Technology 71 Lawrence Jacobs, Communication Electrician 66 Brayden Kozak, Culinary Arts 02 Blair Lebsack, Cook 98 Shauna Lesick, Animal Health Technology 86 Tiffany Linke-Boyko, Management 07 Kevin Martin, Petroleum Engineering Technology 87 Gord Matthew, Management 87, Finance 88 Ashif Mawji, Computer Systems Technology 92 Keven McGhan, Finance 89 Corey Meyer, Retail Meatcutting 96 Rose Naqvi-Parasynchuk, Accounting 99, Bachelor of Applied Business Administration 03 Mathew Petruk, Wireless Systems Engineering Technology 13 Colin Polanski, Communication Electrician 87 Dan Radovanovic, Machinist 11 Jim Ripley, Sheet Metal Mechanic 81 Tracey Scarlett, Medical Laboratory Technology 87 Genevieve Simms, Architectural Technology 12 Richelle Skrilec, Management 94 Fred Thompson, Management 12 Lance Torgerson, Management 95 Dan Westgeest, Computer Network Administration 02, Retail Meatcutting 05, Culinary Arts 07

50 Contest
Sign up for the techlifemag.ca newsletter for your chance to win

58 Spaces
The best place on campus to watch the world go by eight floors below

61

12

Newsbytes
Recent news from the institute

5 Ways to Get Involved With NAIT

Your commute wouldnt be the same without Bob Dunford

63 Job Description

13

Preview
An inside look at emerging innovations

15

65 Acclaim
Award-winning grads, staff and friends

3 Questions
Leadership tips from the trenches

16

66 Rewind
A treasure chest of memories and, uh, condoms

Reading Room
An alum reinvigorates Canadian classics

v7.1 2013

techlifemag.ca

the latest from

techlifemag.ca
Badmintons Best
How did Kai Dan get so good with a racquet? The story of the most decorated athlete in the history of NAIT.

Between print issues of techlife magazine, we post new stories online at techlifemag.ca. Below, youll find a sample of whats available. To stay in the know and regularly receive great content, including recipes and how-to stories sign up for our e-newsletter at techlifemag.ca/subscribe.htm (see p. 50 for our subscription contest).

Household Hazard Pop goes the restaurant

Now you eat it, now you dont. Mithalee Rawat explains the pop-up. Once, asbestos was to buildings what butter is to bread, which is why it may be in your home. If so, we have recommendations.

techlifemag.ca/dan-kai-badminton.htm

techlifemag.ca/pop-up-restaurants.htm

techlifemag.ca/asbestos-in-the-home.htm

Sweet Somethings Never Regret a Reno

Our guide to helping you get the most from the relationship with your contractor.

Hot Stuff
Warming up to the idea of a new furnace? We know a few things you should know, too.

Move over cupcakes, Amy Nachtigalls bringing back the cookie in a big way. Heres why, how and a recipe.

techlifemag.ca/home-renovationscontractors.htm

techlifemag.ca/furnace-replacement.htm

techlifemag.ca/sugared-and-spicedcookies.htm

Wired for Sound

For those about to rock, an alum has launched a line of reasonably priced, high-end speakers made right in Edmonton.

Retire on Time and on Budget

Sounds like a tough job? It doesnt have to be, if you follow the right advice.

Gardner on the Roof

NAIT and the Enjoy Centre partner to elevate urban agriculture.

techlifemag.ca/adsum-audio.htm

techlifemag.ca/retirement-planning-tips.htm

techlifemag.ca/enjoy-centre-living-roof.htm

tech life mag.ca

Photos by NAIT staff photographers, iStockphoto.com

CONTRIBUTORS

techlife
v7.1 2013

people technology innovation

techlifemag.ca

editor

Sherri Krastel

managing and online editor

Scott Messenger Kristen Vernon

PAGE f 51

As a little girl, Dru Davids sat at the side of her mothers aerobics class and created fridge masterpieces for everyone. Today, she spends her days as a graphic designer at NAIT and her evenings teaching Zumba classes. An avid cook and food lover, Davids was excited when Chris Cosentino was named NAITs 2013 Hokanson Chef in Residence. In addition to designing the feature about his visit, she attended a luncheon prepared by Cosentino and the culinary students. The food had heart and soul, she says, and was beautifully presented everything I strive to deliver with my design.

associate editor art director

Derek Lue

designers

Dru Davids, Trina Koscielnuk, Jennifer Lubrin, Andy Oviatt, Tina Tomljenovic

copy editor

Ruth Grenville

circulation manager
Lynn Ryan

Nicole Rose (Marketing 08)

advertising manager contributing writers

Eliza Barlow, Fiona Bensler, Jennifer Cockrall-King, Heather Gray, Michael Hingston, Linda Hoang (Radio and Television 11), Ruth Juliebo, Frank Landry, Nancy McGuire

PAGE f 20

contributing photographers

John Book (Photographic Technology 87), Leigh Frey (Photographic Technology 01), Jeanette Janzen (Photographic Technology 10), Blaise van Malsen, Roth and Ramberg Photography (Photographic Technology 87)

Linda Hoang thinks its amazing her hobby has become her job. Before joining NAIT this year as a digital communications specialist, Hoang handled web and social media for CTV Edmonton. Now she posts to NAIT social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. She also writes stories for techlife, including this issues guide to using social media in your job hunt. The NAIT Radio and Television grad (class of 11) has a journalism diploma from MacEwan University and has written for several local publications. When not tweeting, pinning and so on, Hoang loves food, cats and exploring Edmonton.

subscriptions

Send changes of address to circulation@techlifemag.ca. Sign up for the techlifemag.ca e-newsletter at techlifemag.ca/subscribe.htm.

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editor@techlifemag.ca

Send queries to editor@techlifemag.ca. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

advertising and circulation inquiries

circulation@techlifemag.ca

Techlife magazine is published twice a year by NAIT Marketing and Communications. Online features are published regularly at techlifemag.ca. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of NAIT or the editorial team. Techlife is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, abiding by the national magazine advertising/editorial guidelines (albertamagazines.com).

PAGE f 61

You may not see her byline, but Nicole Rose plays a key role in techlife and in nurturing the link between NAIT and its 179,000 graduates. As an advancement relations officer, she brings their stories to the editorial team and pens 5 Ways to connect alumni with the institute. Once you graduate from NAIT, says Rose, youre a member of the community for the rest of your life. Shes one of them: Marketing 07. In her spare time, Rose is an accomplished hula hoop dancer. Catch a Rosehip Hoop class on campus and elsewhere.

Web Extra
Learn a few hula hoop tricks from Nicole Rose at techlifemag.ca/hula-hoop.htm.

PAGE f 25

Roth and Ramberg Photography was established in 1993 after Dale Roth and Michele Ramberg graduated from the NAIT Photographic Technology program in 1987. They formed a business plan one evening over beer and pizza. The plan was simple: work as hard as they could and have a lot of fun doing it like they did shooting social entrepreneur Richelle Skrilec for this issue of techlife. Over the years, theyve established an impressive roster of clients including Bechtel, Bell, Calgary Zoo, CN Rail, Enbridge, McDonalds, Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism, Pratt & Whitney, Rona, Syncrude, Transalta and Travel Alberta.

v7.1 2013

EDITORS NOTE

the city will soon be known more as a hotbed for startups than a government town or mere gateway to the oil and gas industry.
new chamber of commerce boss James Cumming believes Edmonton is a great place for business. So does entrepreneur Ashif Mawji. And if the two of them have anything to do with it, the city will soon be known more as a hotbed for startups than a government town or mere gateway to the oil and gas industry. Mawji is a serial entrepreneur with a keen eye for opportunity. He sold watches in Nairobi as a kid, and today is the CEO of NPO Zero, providing services to non-profits that help them reduce costs. An Edmonton success story, he is committed to helping create more of the same, working with NAITs JR Shaw School of Business on a plan to make entrepreneurship training available to students of all programs across the institute (p. 32). From his vantage point in downtown Edmonton, Cumming is focused on recruiting skilled labour and helping the citys entrepreneurs find global markets for their services and products (p. 46). He agrees the citys post-secondaries have an important role to play in providing the education to prepare them. Both he and Mawji are determined to build confidence in the citys future as a go-to place for the enterprise-minded. This issue looks at business large and small. Richelle Skrilec has built a unique home-based business combining charitable giving with online shopping (p. 25) and, in her role as CEO of Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Tracey Scarlett is working to build economic value and increase the success rate of startups by creating mututally beneficial relationships with big business and government (p. 37). If youre interested in business leadership, Fountain Tires Brent Hesje, Sureway Constructions Bruce Hagstrom and Rose Naqvi-Parasynchuk of Cameron Homes have spent time in the trenches and the boardrooms and share their insights and challenges (p. 15). Finally, we cant talk about the business of building Edmonton without mentioning Bob Dunford. Hes built a career looking after the citys roads keeping us safe, removing snow and yes, fixing potholes (p. 63).

Take our survey

Following each issue of techlife, we survey our readers to make sure we are delivering what you want to read. Your feedback is important to us. Take our short survey and help us make techlife the best technology lifestyle magazine in the country. Invest less than 10 minutes today for a better techlife tomorrow! Visit techlifemag.ca/ survey.htm.

tech life mag.ca

Photo by Blaise van malsen

Sherri Krastel Editor editor@techlifemag.ca

feedback

Connect with us through social media

Share your comments with us on social media. We post photos, videos, news and tips from NAIT experts across several social media platforms daily and we want to hear from you. Use the hashtag #NAIT.
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YOUR GIFT CAN

CHANGE THE FUTURE

A bequest is a thoughtful, practical way to make a real impact. Its a lasting contribution that allows you to give beyond your lifetime. Bequests to NAIT support students and have enabled hundreds to receive the nancial support they need to complete their studies. Your bequest could: establish a student scholarship in your name purchase equipment that enables hands-on learning fund applied research

For more information: Department of Advancement 780.471.8800

A LEADING POLYTECHNIC COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

nait.ca
Charitable Registration Number: 10778 1205 RR0001

v7.1 2013

nait golf tournament sponsored by

CMYK colours:

PMS 2756 PMS 7545

cATfIsh coffee roAsTers INc. | The fAIrmoNT jAsper pArk lodge sorreNTINos resTAurANT | supreme group | sysco edmoNToN

Thanks to the generosity of our golf tournament sponsors, NAIT student athletes will benefit from funding that supports their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence.

A leAding polytechnic coMMitted to StUdent SUcceSS

10 tech life mag.ca

ph 780.471.6248 | www.nait.ca

CONNECTIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT

Built on a promise
we are thrilled! Construction of the largest capital project in NAITs history is underway. Its going to take about three years to complete the five-storey, 51,000-square-metre Centre for Applied Technologies. With state-of-the-art classrooms and simulation labs and a 135-seat lecture theatre, the project will be truly transformative for NAIT, Edmonton and Alberta. This is growth that NAIT and Alberta needs. It will allow us to increase enrolment by 50 per cent in health, business, engineering technologies, and sustainable building and environmental management programs areas in which the province needs skilled workers now and into the foreseeable future. Whats more, the centre will let NAIT build on what it does best: hands-on, practical education. Already, were known as experts in teaching using simulation, allowing students to hone real-world skills in safe, controlled environments. Now were taking that a step further. Simulation is the centres raison dtre; it will be one of the largest simulation-based education facilities in Canada. NAIT is essential to Alberta. It was created to serve this province. This centre will bring us to a new chapter in that relationship by better enabling us to deliver on our four guiding promises. We promise to meet the current and emerging needs for polytechnic education in Alberta; to prepare students for meaningful careers; to produce an exceptional skilled workforce aligned with industry needs; and to provide an outstanding workplace for our staff. In short, the centre is absolutely vital to our long-term vision to be the most relevant and responsive post-secondary institute in Canada and one of the worlds leading polytechnics. We couldnt be happier that the Government of Alberta has chosen to support this. It has committed $200 million in funding for the centre and, this summer, even helped us break ground for the project (Premier Alison Redford, incidentally, operated the excavator herself). For five decades, NAIT has grown with Alberta. Im pleased to say that it looks like much more of the same in the decades to come.

Web Extra
See footage of the first official day of construction of NAITs largest-ever capital project at techlifemag.ca/ groundbreaking.htm.

Photo by blaise van malsen

Glenn Feltham, PhD President and CEO glennf@nait.ca

v7.1 2013

11

newsbytes

Construction begins!
this august, construction of the Centre for Applied Technologies the largest capital project in NAITs history officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Main Campus. Among attendees were Premier Alison Redford and Thomas Lukaszuk, deputy premier and minister of enterprise and advanced education. Reflecting the scale of the 51,000-square-metre project, Redford broke ground with an excavator, operating it herself. The reason well be successful in this province is because we continue to build the infrastructure and the capacity to ensure that skilled people will be able to continue to participate in the economy, she said afterward. NAIT has always responded to that. To be completed in 2016, the centre will accommodate 5,000 students in health, business, engineering technologies, and sustainable building and environmental management programs. Scott Messenger

New provost
dr. neil fassina is NAITs new provost and vice-president academic. Previously dean of the JR Shaw School of Business and School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Fassina says he will champion and represent NAIT with pride, dedication, innovation, energy and spirit. Along with a PhD in organizational behaviour and human resources management, Fassina brings a focus on strategy and people to the role, where hes responsible for leading NAITs academic mission. Prior to joining the institute in 2011 and becoming provost this May, he was the department head of business administration with the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. Frank Landry

NAIT in Mexico
in june, the institute completed its first year of training for maintenance workers at the Mulatos gold mine in Sonora, Mexico, for Toronto-based Alamos Gold Inc. Ignacio Garcia, a senior account manager with NAIT Corporate and International Training, describes the program as a customized apprenticeship in which 36 heavy equipment technicians, 20 electricians and 36 millwrights divided their time between their jobs at the mine and classes at a newly built, NAIT-designed school in Hermosillo, 220 kilometres west, staffed by NAIT instructors. You walk in there and you almost think youre in a NAIT lab, says Garcia. S.M.

Badmintons

best

Cheese

please
Photos by NAIT Staff Photographers

canadas best college badminton players will compete at NAIT this winter. The Ooks host the 2014 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Badminton National Championship from Feb. 27 to March 1 the fifth time the tournament has been held at NAIT since 1987. The championship is expected to draw players from Alberta, B.C., Ontario and the Maritimes. NAIT earned two gold medals and one silver at the 2012 championship. F.L.

artisanal cheeses made from scratch at NAIT are headed into household kitchens. This fall, the Retail Meat Store on Main Campus began selling small batches of feta, mozzarella, brie and cottage cheese crafted by first-semester Culinary Arts students. A new variety will be brought into the store every couple of weeks, says Allan Roote, the Culinary Arts instructor leading this initiative and a self-described cheese enthusiast. The store is open to the public. F.L.

12 tech life mag.ca

preview

mister EFFICIENCY
Ross Taylor reinvents the internal combustion engine.

few of us are truly efficient. Not when compared to Ross Taylor, at least. Besides being a full-time Computer Engineering Technology instructor, hes a farmer, pastor, new grandfather, a self-learner of mechanical engineering, and the chaser of a dream to invent a machine designed surprise, surprise to achieve greater efficiency. Its just go, go, go, he says. I dont ever stop until I go to bed. With grants from novaNAIT (which facilitates applied research across NAIT) and the School of Information Communication and Engineering Technologies, Taylors drive has produced what could prove a major advancement for the transportation industry: a prototype for an internal combustion engine roughly 125 per cent more efficient than a current V8 engine. The key to his design is a circular configuration of pistons that allows for more energy per stroke with less wear. With electric cars (roughly 300 per cent more efficient) and hybrids (about 35 per cent better) on the rise, the question is, why bother? From Taylors vantage point, the internal combustion engine, a technology with roots in the mid-17th century, can achieve the same goal of saving

fuel and even do it better for the foreseeable future. In particular, he believes electrics cost too much to build, and are slow to win over consumers who dont want to be tied to an extension cord or are seeking real sustainability. After all, more than 40 per cent of Albertas electricity comes from coal. Even if we come up with other means of powering things, I think were going to have internal combustion engines for quite a while, says Taylor. This winter, NAIT automotive technologists and millwrights will help him test a special gear system he designed. The next step will be to build and test a full-size engine. In the years to come, when his engine is ready for market, Taylor would like to see it in larger vehicles, including small aircraft and trains. To get there, hed rather partner with a manufacturer than head up a company. Its not because he couldnt find a way to squeeze it in. Taylor happily sees himself staying behind the scenes. He may be many things, but Im certainly not an entrepreneur. Scott Messenger

v7.1 2013

13

preview

this might just

save your life

Above, student Alisha Lewis presents the medical prototype she helped develop.

Frank Landry

Quick
detector
14 tech life mag.ca

silver

a group of students has developed a potential solution to the worldwide problem of silver counterfeiting. Built for novice coin collector Robert Faltin, the Silver Hound is the size of a smartphone and measures electrical conductivity to determine if coins are authentic silver or fakes, many of which originate from China. To use the Silver Hound, one simply holds a coin against a sensor. Results are available in seconds. The prototype was developed in less than eight months as the students Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management capstone project, which requires that participants address real industry challenges. This spring, it tied for first place in the BTech Capstone Symposium, NAITs annual innovation showdown. After incorporating a company under the name AgMatics, Faltin now hopes to license the Silver Hound, but first must secure a patent and then work to reduce manufacturing costs to under $100 from the current $250. F.L.

Photos by NAIT Staff Photographers; photos of Brent Hesje and rose naqvi-parasynchuk supplied

a prototype created by four Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management students may lead to a new lifesaving medical device. Its an important step in the development of a clip used to close potentially fatal chest wounds, says Kelly Mottet, product support specialist with Innovative Trauma Care, the client for the students capstone project. The students developed the iTClip as the next in Innovative Trauma Cares product line that already contains the iTClamp 50, a temporary wound-closure device that instantly controls severe bleeding. The Edmonton-based company wanted a new product that could be applied with one hand, close various wounds and fit under body armour for use in military situations. The students met each requirement and also included a venting mechanism to clear lungs of excess air once a wound has been sealed. The prototype, a revised version of which is slated for pre-clinical trials this fall, was fabricated at the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre on a 3D plastic printer. For their efforts, the students tied for first place in the 2013 Capstone Symposium, an event where Bachelor of Technology students showcase their projects.

3 questions

FOLLOW THE LEADER

an internet search on leadership produces pages of book titles on everything from the 21 laws and five levels of leadership and how the best leaders make everyone smarter, to how to take your company from good to great and make extraordinary things happen. We didnt have to go online, however, for expertise. Rather, we went straight to a few of our alumni and friends who shared their distinct approaches to leadership, along with what keeps them up at night. Sherri Krastel
Brent Hesje
Chair of NAIT Board of Governors and CEO of Fountain Tire

Rose Naqvi-Parasynchuk
(Accounting 99, Bachelor of Applied Business Administration 03) Vice-president of Cameron Homes

Bruce Hagstrom
(Civil Engineering Technology 71) Vice-president and General Manager, Sureway Construction Group

How do you describe your leadership style?

Hands-on when it comes to the selection and recruitment of our team and its development, and engaged in developing our threeto-five year goals, then I get out of the way when we mobilize for operation.

Im more a modern-day visionary for what we should be doing than a detail person. I build the right team to get us there.

Id say I lead by example for quality work and productivity. Ive been that guy in the trenches, running equipment, surveying, so I know what it feels like.

What is one of your biggest challenges as a leader?

The old adage that good is the enemy of best is always looming. For big decisions it is a challenge to make the time and space to choose the best, rather than just the good, option.

Professionally, growing a family-owned company without compromising on family values. Personally, trying to be a leader and a mother to six girls who all live at home.

Our world is changing so rapidly that it puts new technical demands on every person regardless of market sector. Add these challenges to the substantial growth that our company, like so many others, has had in personnel, and it becomes challenging to find the time to mentor our personnel to the extent that I would prefer.

How do you communicate with employees in the face of bad news?

With a crystal-clear explanation of the truth.

Its very difficult. I look to my mentors my husband and my father for guidance and try to be fair and honest. I add compassion.

Communicating bad news is tough for me. I put myself in the persons shoes and ask, How would I want this to be addressed? and I go from there.

v7.1 2013

15

Reading Room

Cover Story
Genevieve Simms makes her mark on Canadian literature.

Michael Hingston 16 tech life mag.ca

Photo by Blaise van Malsen; book covers supplied

margaret atwood. Rawi Hage. The Hockey Sweater. These are just some of the classic Canadian authors and books published by House of Anansi over the years. But when the Toronto press decided to re-issue these and other favourite titles from its back catalogue a series launched to mark its 45th anniversary in 2012 the person they turned to for a set of new covers was architectural technologist Genevieve Simms. Simms (Architectural Technology 12) is an Edmonton-based illustrator whose clients include Macleans and The Globe and Mail. She also works fulltime for the engineering and architectural firm Dialog. After catching the eye of art director Brian Morgan, Simms was recruited by him to work on Anansis new series, called the A-List. The goal of the A-List is to turn whats old new again and to make these beloved titles available and accessible to modern readers. As such, Simmss job was to provide a set of covers that were fresh and cohesive, while retaining the books original charms. This is probably the most noteworthy thing Ive done, she says of her portfolio to date. Originally, Simms was to illustrate five of the 10 covers, but before long, Morgan says, The Anansi folks had fallen in love with Genevieve. She ended up doing nine covers in total: from a black-and-white sketch (for Graeme Gibsons 1969 novel Five Legs), to a soft, surreal portrait (for Al Purdys 1973 collection Poems for All the Annettes), to a hypnotic wallpaper pattern (for Gil Adamsons 2007 novel The Outlander). Simms describes the overall aesthetic as pretty lo-fi. I was going for a really hand-done look. Morgan was impressed by Simmss overall range as an artist. I learned just how many tones she has: every cover is its own thing [and] has its own heart, he says. So while some of the designs, like the one for Roch Carriers The Hockey Sweater and Other Stories, were straightforward (My little twist was that it was hanging on a clothesline, Simms says), others were more demanding and even made direct use of her skills as a technologist. For example, she knew the illustration for Dennis Lees Civil Elegies and Other Poems would feature Torontos Nathan Phillips Square. Simms had to draw dozens of versions of the iconic landmark, from different angles and using different techniques, before she got it right. Simms credits her NAIT training for making her feel comfortable enough to do a simple drawing of a building in the first place. Clarity and simplicity, she says, are lessons that she hopes to apply to her future illustration work, too. Its totally fine to break it down to its parts and be as simple as you can about it, says Simms. Show it clearly. Communicate it.

GOOD wOrk!
NAIT: WHERE EMPLOYERS AND PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES COME TOGETHER

Looking for work?

NAIT students and alumni
tailor your job search connect with employers on campus access career search information and tips nait.ca/studentemployment

Looking for workers?

Online job postings
Reach thousands of great candidates by posting your positions online at no charge. Any full-time, part-time, summer or contract positions related to the programs offered at NAIT are welcome. nait.ca/employerservices

TRADES TO DEGREES
A GROUNDBREAKING LEARNING PATHWAY ESPECIALLY FOR TRADES PROFESSIONALS
NAITs innovative Trades to Degrees pathway enables qualified trades professionals to move into the third year of the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Build your competencies with courses in project management, supervision and entrepreneurship. Flexible learning options ensure you can achieve success, your way.

Learn more: nait.ca/tradestodegrees

v7.1 2013

17

I (WE) BUILT THIS

18 tech life mag.ca

TECHNOFILE

Personal
Because of NAIT, Gido and grandson are closer than ever.
by applying to naits first offering of the Wireless Systems Engineering Technology (WSET) program, Mathew Petruk was making a new connection with his grandfather, Lawrence Jacobs. In 1966, Jacobs graduated from the first Communication Electrician program, making both men pioneers in a field that has been the backbone of industry for generations. During his 35-year career with Edmonton Telephones (acquired by Telus in 1995 when Jacobs retired), Jacobs helped shift Edmontons telephones from analogue to digital technology, which enabled the evolution to wireless. It is marvellous the changes that have taken place, says Jacobs. We basically had to stick to the telephone industry. Now you can work anywhere. WSET chair Colin Polanski (Communication Electrician 87) sees consumer demand for mobile technology as the main reason for that change. Today, wireless communications is a multi-billion dollar industry that supports virtually every sector. In any form, communications technology has always connected us. In Petruk and Jacobss case, it has created a more personal connection. Ive always hung around Gido and we are close, but our careers have brought us closer, says Petruk. Here, we compare parallel career paths separated by nearly five decades. Heather Gray

lawrence jacobs mathew petruk

Communication Electrician 66 Wireless Systems Engineering Technology 13 Four-year apprenticeship Two-year diploma Enrolled to become accredited to work as a telephone installer Enrolled to learn how cellphones and other devices work Graduated at 25 years old Graduated at 21 years old Starting wage: $2.50/hour Wages vary from $29-$40/hour Worked as a telephone installer for 12 years then moved into management Gained field experience during summers spent working with communication technicians at Atco

photo by blaise van malsen

Lawrence Jacobs and Mathew Petruk

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TECHNOFILE

9:33 AM

P HEL D
NTE A W
[ HOW TO ]

Make the most of

Linda Hoang 20 tech life mag.ca

Illustration by Andy Oviatt

social media in your job hunt

twesumes? twitterviews? These terms may sound strange but theyre part of the changing job-search landscape. Tweeting 140-character blurbs, updating your LinkedIn profile and ensuring Facebook photos are private are becoming effective ways to help land a job. According to a 2012 Jobvite survey, 89 per cent of recruiters say they have made a hire through LinkedIn, while 86 per cent of recruiters say they are likely to look at social media profiles. Make sure youre there in the space and putting out some really good news about who you are, says JR Shaw School of Business instructor Ray Bilodeau, who teaches a social media marketing class that has helped a number of students gain job leads, interviews and even careers through social media. Be discoverable. Weve got tips on how to do that when it comes to three major social media platforms.

Twitter
E  nsure your bio and profile picture are professional and appropriate for the industry youre interested in. A profile picture in your bathing suit probably isnt suitable if youre applying for an office job.  Include a link to your website, blog or LinkedIn profile in your bio.  Demonstrate that youre a subject-matter expert, Bilodeau says. Show youre interested in whats happening in the industry by following and tweeting other subject-matter experts and sharing their content, as well as links to industry-related articles. B  uild a network with people in your city. For example, follow the #yeg hashtag to see whats happening in Edmonton and find people to follow and foster connections with. F  ollow companies and employees of companies you want to work for. Tweet to them, show youre interested in their company, says NAIT Bachelor of Business Administration student Jacqueline Wong, who landed a phone interview with RBC after catching their attention through her blog and Twitter. Im sure a lot of people tweet to certain companies so if you ask something different, hopefully theyll tweet back. Wong first tweeted links to her blog to RBC and never got a response. When she took a different approach and asked whether their executives were on Twitter, she received a response. H  ave a bad day? Keep it to yourself. Since posts can be retweeted and seen by thousands, public complaints can be an impediment to your success, Bilodeau says.

Hi def | Twesume
Twesumes are simple resums that show who you are and highlight your qualifications in 140 characters. Include the #twesume hashtag and tweet twesumes more than once, with slight changes or updates each time, to get noticed.

#Twesume: Linda Hoang #communications & #socialmedia professional. Tech savvy, community-minded. Find out more: http:// www.linkedin.com/in/ hoanglinda #yeg

LinkedIn
 Make sure your experience is aligned with what industry is looking for, Bilodeau says. Fill out the Background, Experience and Skills & Expertise sections and tailor descriptions to the industry youre interested in. Update  your profile regularly. New updates appear in the LinkedIn feeds of those youre connected with, so updating your profile keeps you top of mind with potential employers. Keep  your connections professional. You dont want all your contacts to be friends. You want to be contacting people who can help further your career, says NAIT Bachelor of Business Administration student Melissa Zimmer, who was hired after applying for a summer job she discovered through LinkedIn.  Join industry-related groups and watch for job postings from those groups.  Endorse others for their skills and ask for recommendations.

Hi def | Twitterview
Twitterviews are shortform interviews conducted publicly on Twitter. Job seekers undergoing Twitterviews are expected to answer questions in 140 characters. Twesumes and Twitterviews allow companies to discover and engage with individuals online. Those companies cant find you if youre not there, Bilodeau says.

Facebook
L  ean towards Twitter and LinkedIn for job leads. Be aware of what material from Facebook may be publicly searchable because this could affect how hirable you are. S  tay on top of Facebook privacy settings. Lock them down, Bilodeau says. Make it as private as possible. Keep content clean because even privacy settings dont guarantee something cant be taken and shared publicly. L  ike the Facebook pages of companies youre interested in to get the most up-to-date information and then mention it during interviews.

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TECHNOFILE

Head Games
Better living through mind-controlled video games
this spring, a group of Digital Media and IT students helped build what could be the most brain-draining video game ever to come out of NAIT. Project Vulcan, a prototype built under the guidance of game design instructor Armand Cadieux and game programming instructor John Winski, is set aboard a space station. The concept alone is a mindbender: youre a robot trying to escape by embodying a series of stronger robots. The real trip, however, lies in the direction the game pushes the industry. Players dont take over other robots using a handheld controller; they use their thoughts (hence the nod to Star Treks Vulcan mind meld), read by a brain-scanning headset and converted by the students software into actions onscreen. The project originated as a look into the potential applications of the headgear a relatively new, off-the-shelf technology that is seeing increased use in video games, but rarely in the role-playing variety, which includes Project Vulcan. Evidently, Cadieux and Winski take that as an invitation to push the limits. How we play games has dramatically changed in the last couple years, says Cadieux. To him, brain sensors are the logical next step following the touch screens, motion sensors and augmented reality that have transformed the industry. Were teaching students how to build a game but also how to think beyond and bring in all this other hardware. Somewhat inadvertently, however, Project Vulcan has tapped into another school of thought emerging around video games. Games can teach us stuff, says Winski. He means more than facts and figures. If actions in a virtual world can affect behaviours in the real one, Project Vulcan could be said to teach focus. Youve got to concentrate on just one thing, says Winski. In an age in which multi-tasking and the Internet have divided our attentions, Its tricky. Cadieux believes the game hints at a kind of rehabilitation, a role NAIT games have already played with patients at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton. Indeed, a few minutes of play can leave a newbie (or this writer, at least) feeling physically exhausted, as if having exercised a weakened muscle. The impact this gaming development may have on mental health remains to be seen but theres no reason to think it will be insignificant. Games push the boundaries so much, says Cadieux. Scott Messenger

[ gadgets ]

22 tech life mag.ca

photos by blaise van malsen

TECHNOFILE

Buried treasures

physical and digital items, including memories and well wishes to celebrate NAITs 50th anniversary, have been enclosed in a time capsule to be opened 50 years from now. Im hoping people understand how proud we are of what we have collectively built and how central NAIT has become to the welfare of Alberta and its people, says Dr. Glenn Feltham, the institutes president and CEO. To make sure the items are well preserved, Jim Ripley (Sheet Metal Mechanic 81), chair of the Sheet Metal Worker program, designed the stainless steel chest featured below. Fiona Bensler

Materials: 16-gauge (1.5-millimetre or 1/16inch) stainless steel, for durability and strength

To be unearthed: In NAITs 100th anniversary year

Built by: Sheet Metal Worker staff at Patricia Campus

Sealed: With automotive panel adhesive because of its ability to keep out moisture and environmental elements and because it is easily unsealed by heating

1.2 m Engraved by: Behrends Bronze (the NAIT@50 logo is on the lid and the institutes coat of arms is on the front)

0.6 m

Weight: Nine kilograms

Hours to build: Eight

0.6 m 0.9 m

Turn to p. 66 to find out what turned up in our 1987 time capsule

inside the time capsule

A limited-edition Ookpik beer A menu from The Nest, NAITs campus bar and grill A new Ooks jersey We are NAIT@50 commemorative book

Memory notes from alumni, including Edward Gutsche (Management 90), a time capsule committee volunteer who passed away before the capsule was sealed

Predictions by students and staff about what the institute and city will look like in 50 years More than 100 other items

v7.1 2013

23

TO HEALTH
NAIT DELIVERS HEALTH AND CARE TOGETHER.
NAITs Continuing Education 2nd discipline MRI program is delivered online, making it the most exible MRI training in Canada. The program is open to health care professionals with a previous designation in medical radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, ultrasound and combined laboratory and x-ray. Students can work as they study, with seven online courses and nishing with a 16-week clinical placement to perfect their skills. Upon successful completion of the program, students are then eligible to write the CAMRT national MRI Certication exam. Enrol today at nait.ca/mri Next intake January 2014
A LEADING POLYTECHNIC COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

SHOW YOUR

NAIT PRIDE
Retail Services wide assortment of NAITimprinted products gives you many ways to keep the pride alive. From accessories to comfy leisure wear, weve got a selection that will delight.
We make shopping easy:
Online: onlinestore.nait.ca Phone: 780.491.3104 Email: mailorders@nait.ca Visit the NAIT Bookstore: Room X114, 11762 106 Street, Edmonton, AB

A LEADING POLYTECHNIC COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

24 tech life mag.ca

TECHNOFILE

Online support
Richelle Skrilec helps philanthropists give while getting what they want.
as the mother of two teenaged girls, Richelle Skrilec was very familiar with traditional methods used to raise money for schools and sports teams. Tired of the amount of time and energy involved, she believed there could be a better way to give. Her answer: shopandshare.ca, which combines charitable giving with online shopping. In 2009, helped by a part-time programmer and part-time communications specialist, Skrilec (Management 94) launched shopandshare.ca. Whether booking a trip through Expedia or buying a barbecue through Home Depot two of the 150 participating retailers customers can make their purchases through Skrilecs site and support the non-profit or charity of their choice at no extra cost. The retailer, which decides its level of support, then sends that amount to shopandshare.ca, which donates half to the non-profit (the other half helps pay staff and run the site). Retailers benefit from joining the site because its another marketing tool, an opportunity for sales and for enabling corporate social responsibility. Skrilec, a seasoned entrepreneur and former bookkeeper who works from her Calgary-area home office, currently has 2,200 registered shoppers and has generated approximately $3,000 for the more than 300 charities. She plans to expand to include gasoline and grocery gift cards, with 3,000 charities and non-profits involved this year, and 10,000 by the end of 2014. This would allow for more of her favourite part of the business: writing the donation cheques. Im so amazed at the great work people are doing in their own communities. That is such a motivator to be able to help them continue, Skrilec says. Fiona Bensler

Photo by Roth and Ramberg

v7.1 2013

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INNOVATE

For the love of the game

The venerated Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference is changing, leaving some to wonder if its time for a shakeup.
Story By
scott messenger

Photos by
Blaise van Malsen

featured Alumni
Kai Dan, Management 13 Kevin Martin, Petroleum Engineering Technology 87, Top 50 Alumnus

n nearly 50 years of competition, the Ooks have never been so good. So good, in fact, that its easy to overlook the fact that the timing of their success isnt ideal. Last season was a return to the glory days of the mid-1980s, when the mens hockey team hair worn parted down the centre, moustaches without irony dominated provincially and nationally and held their own against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in exhibition play. Actually, 2012-13 was better than that. Mens hockey ended its 17-year championship drought, but, unlike the past, when only their soccer counterparts kept pace, its not so lonely at the top anymore. After 11 of NAITs 12 teams advanced to post-season, they returned with 12 provincial and seven national medals (more than half the haul was gold) in hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball and badminton most of them achieved by the women. Collectively, the Ooks may have finally found their wings, thanks to a matured athletics program that embraces every sport and both genders and gives each of its student athletes an equal opportunity to fly, so to speak.

For some students, that kind of success is in jeopardy. The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), which hosts the Ooks, has suffered a setback with the loss of two of its biggest members. In 2012, it lost co-founder Mount Royal University to the Canada West universities athletic association. MacEwan University follows in part in 2014. Both losses seriously diminish the kind of competition that strengthens character, draws crowds, builds campus community and develops exceptional student athletes. Sherri Bowles, forward with the womens hockey team, is one of these. For helping to lead the 2012-13 squad to its first ACAC gold-medal, the fourth-year business student was heaped with accolades: the title of ACAC female hockey player of the year; a place in the seasons record books for 16 goals in 18 games; and NAITs award for female athlete of the year. Not bad for a 23-year-old from tiny Elkhorn, Manitoba who credits the Ooks for not just on-ice improvements, but for easing the transition to independent adulthood, rife with responsibility and bill- paying. Coming here was one of the best decisions I made, says Bowles.

26 tech life mag.ca

For Sherri Bowles, participating in ACAC athletics has contributed to her personal development on and off the ice.

v7.1 2013

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INNOVATE

Left Wing

15

Coming here was one of the best decisions I made.

 S herri Bowles Forward, Ooks womens hockey

Bowle i r r e h S tats
egular Se 2012-13 R
es played

s
He credits NAIT as one of those yet, at the same time, worries about just how dominant NAIT might become. When Linda Henderson took over as the institutes director of athletics in 2008, she convinced senior administration to fund six full-time coaches in mens and womens basketball, volleyball and hockey. She wanted to elevate the program at every level: more championships, more scholarships, better facilities, stronger student attraction, more community involvement and better student athlete grades. I think we can be leaders in all of those things, says Henderson today. Her program is a work in progress but, along the way, it produced a handful of teams worthy of Mount Royal, a perennial powerhouse. Now, in most sports, NAIT must look to SAIT and Red Deer College for its rivalries. Im not sure in the long run how healthy that is for the competitive balance and the success of the league, says Day. In his view, funding differences create an uneven playing field, turning the issue into a resources game. Based on size alone, NAIT has a natural advantage. How can other programs keep up? recent successes aside, NAIT hasnt outgrown the conference. Bowless squad may have pounded SAIT one night 7-0, but theyd take a 9-3 loss to Red Deer (who put up a respectable fight in the provincial finals) a week later. Other times, wins against cellar-dwelling teams highlighted weaknesses: Sometimes you just fall down to their level, says Bowles. Youre expected to beat them 10-nothing but you win 2-1. Even if they cant match NAITs full-time coaching initiative, other conference members remain, for now, fully capable of competing. In their first year in the league, the Olds College Broncos took the womens basketball title (then bronze at nationals). Over the last 20 years, Red Deer has been the team to beat in mens volleyball. And should more schools join futsal, a kind of indoor soccer, theyll have Keyano College to contend with, league leaders since the sports inception two years back.

18 16 G am 11 Goals 27 A ssists 16 Points 3 s te u in Penalt y m 2 ls a o g y la p Power ls 4 a o g de d Short-han ls a o g g in n Game-w in

a s on S

The only reason that is still the case is because her sport narrowly avoided elimination from the ACAC. The women are guaranteed to skate at NAIT for the next two years only because MacEwans hockey teams didnt make the Canada West cut, saving the womens league from dwindling from four teams to three and, under conference rules, folding. Until MacEwans bid to move is successful possibly as early as 2016-17 the women compete on borrowed time. I try not to think about it because it just makes me sad, says Bowles, forcing a weak smile. Now, just as NAIT hopes to embark on a new golden age of student athletics, the conference it helped found may have to revise its game plan, even if that means ceasing to exist as we know it.

Web Extra
Visit techlifemag.ca/ ooks-2012-13.htm for the highlights of the 2012-13 record-breaking season.

were an example of an organization thats facing challenges because of the period of transition that were in now, says Robert Day, ACAC general manager. His attempt to see the good in the departures of Mount Royal and MacEwan, schools that had teams in almost all ACAC sports, hardly counters his disappointment. It provides opportunity for other members to come forward, but we pay a huge price for that opportunity. The conference has always been amorphous by nature, expanding, contracting and shifting with changes in the provincial post-secondary community it serves. Since its birth as the Western Inter-College Conference in 1964 essentially a basketball league with a handful of exhibition sports for Albertas five main colleges of the day, including NAIT it has seen schools come and go, and come again, as budgets and student interest dictated. Today, 17 schools, with student bodies ranging from a few hundred full-timers to well over 10,000, compete in nine sports (no school competes in every sport), making the ACAC one of Canadas largest and, on the whole, healthiest conferences, after those in Ontario and Quebec. But Day believes the recent changes are different. From your stronger, larger members comes your strength as an organization.

28 tech life mag.ca

Photos by NAIT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Top of their game

NAIT has had a role in developing some of the Canadas best athletes. Heres a look.

Shannon

SZABADOS
After joining NAITs Personal Fitness Trainer program in 2011, Team Canadas Shannon Szabados signed on as the mens hockey starting goaltender. Last year, she helped the team take gold and secured a spot in the record books with the lowest goals-against average in conference history. Read more at techlifemag.ca/shannon-szabados.htm.

KAi

DAN
Kai Dans time growing up away from home in Chinese badminton schools paid off. After he came to Canada in 2007, the Management grad (class of 13) went on to become NAITs most decorated athlete, with five national titles in mens singles badminton. Read more at techlifemag.ca/dan-kai-badminton.htm.

kevin

1984-85

martin
Even if it would have been a good back-up plan in Alberta, Top 50 alum Kevin Martin never did need his Petroleum Engineering Technology diploma (class of 87). Instead, he went on to become one of the worlds top curlers, thanks in large part to NAIT coach Jules Owchar. Read more at techlifemag.ca/kevin-martin-jules-owchar.htm.

Ooks MEns Hockey

The pinnacle of NAITs 1980s hockey dynasty came with this mens squad, which achieved the near impossible: a perfect season. In fact, the winning streak stretched from the previous season and through the 1984-85 provincial and national playoffs (which they won, of course), ending at 51 consecutive wins and earning them, in 2012, a spot in the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. Read more at techlifemag.ca/ooks-hockey-perfect-season.htm.

That this deprives NAIT of trophies is actually a good thing. According to Day, one members dominance in a sport can dissuade the entry of new members worried they cant compete, leaving the conference vulnerable to the cuts now threatening hockey and leaving student athletes with a numbing sense of dj vu. (It does suck when youre playing the same team over and over again, says Bowles, but Id rather play the same team than not play at all.) Right now, the ACAC which hosts well-subscribed basketball, volleyball and soccer leagues could follow the recent exits with a growth spurt, as both Ambrose University College and St. Marys University College consider expanding their sports programs. Likely, both would take time to develop into well-rounded competitors particularly in basketball,

volleyball and soccer which is why Day welcomes another possibility for the conference: amalgamate with Canada West to create a national, tiered conference, allowing schools to compete at the level that suits them. NAIT could regularly play the U of A, or rekindle its rivalry with Mount Royal. But Canadian Interuniversity Sport (Canada Wests parent organization) may not be interested in what Day sees as the removal of an artificial barrier. In his view, theres a class separation between the conferences. A merger might eliminate that, and enhance athlete, and therefore student, development. We wouldnt worry about that ivory tower opinion that says you could never play in Canada West because your students are technical students and theyre different from university students, says Day. Im a PhD and, frankly, I think thats a lot of BS.

v7.1 2013

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INNOVATE

that same kind of student development is the reason Dr. Glenn Feltham, NAIT president and CEO, defends the athletics program. When questioned whether the school will continue to fund its full-time coaching program despite recent government budget cuts, he doesnt hesitate with a yes. I dont think this investment is a luxury, says Feltham. While were in a time of constraint and we have to be very careful of how we spend our dollars, our athletics investment is core to that broader student experience. Competition can bring out the best in our student athletes and be an enormous sense of pride for all of our students and staff. Other schools are apparently of the same mind. Since the cuts, one has withdrawn teams, says Henderson, but none of the remaining teams, in her view, are soon likely to depart. Whats more, she felt

Web Extra
How did Linda Henderson reinvent NAITs athletics program? Visit techlifemag.

ca/linda-henderson-ooks. htm to find out.

Linda Henderson, director of Athletics and Recreation

there was real interest (even if none had done so by this summer) from schools to take advantage of ACAC seed money to help cover the costs of entering womens hockey, giving her hope. That allows her and her staff to focus on the real business of post-secondary athletics. At this level of sport, winning is far from everything; success for student athletes is holistic. You want them to go away from this experience and think fondly of what they learned about leadership and time management and collaboration and also to have an education that will financially support them. Bowles, whose focus is human resources, is comfortable knowing that shes hedging her bets on a future in hockey with a degree that comes with a nearly 90 per cent employment rate. Should her hope to land a spot in the Canadian Womens Hockey League not work out, she isnt worried. I cant just count on hockey, she says. In the meantime, though, shes going to give it her all. Three months from the start of her fourth season with the Ooks, on the sweltering summer day of our interview, shed rather be in skates. Ive been ready to play for the past month, she says. In fact, shes become so attached to the Ooks, and to NAIT, that shes wondering how to tack on another year of school to make the most of the five-year limit in college and university athletics. For all she has learned in these three years about the game, and for what the game has taught her about herself, she cant imagine having to give it all up any sooner than necessary. Ill probably be here five years, she says. And those will be the best five years Ive ever experienced.

The national perspective

30 tech life mag.ca

in his new role as CEO of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the countrys governing body for university athletics, Pierre Lafontaine has, in essence, a solitary objective: I need to make the experience of the student athletes in the university system magical. First, though, he needs to get the house in order, which to him means creating better national championship events, improving the student athlete support system and improving relationships with his member leagues, Canada West included. It also means reaching out to the college system to a point. For the foreseeable future, Lafontaine doesnt see combining the collegiate and university systems into a national tiered conference as being part of the magic making. Im not sure I like the word amalgamation, he says. Im not sure its even on the table. But hed still like to build a relationship that may not have existed in the past. He believes there are synergies to be realized with collegiate conferences and best practices to be exchanged. In the end, simple communication might be how the organizations achieve a common goal. How do we use sport and university infrastructure to support these world-class people who will become tomorrows leaders? asks Lafontaine.

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INNOVATE

cover story

Story by
Scott Messenger

Photos by
Blaise Van Malsen

illustrations by
Jennifer Lubrin

featured Alumni
Tiffany Linke-Boyko, Management 07 Ashif Mawji, Computer Systems Technology 92, Top 50 Alumnus Tracey Scarlett, Medical Laboratory Technology 87, Top 50 Alumna Fred Thompson, Management 12

Build an entrepreneurial

in five easy

OK, maybe this isnt so easy. But serial startup builder Ashif Mawji has set a shining example. Now its up to the rest of Edmontons new venture community to follow his lead.

32 tech life mag.ca

Ecosystem

steps

Ashif Maji at Startup Edmonton, a non-profit that he helps finance and where he serves as a mentor.

v7.1 2013

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INNOVATE Cover story

shif mawjis parents dont really understand what he does for a living. Its not because they dont care. On the contrary: his dad clipped all the newspaper articles his son turned up in over the years. But he still didnt know what I did, says Mawji, between sips of chocolaty frappuccino shortly after 9 a.m. one recent, chilly summer morning. Thats because Mawji (Computer Systems Technology 92) is an entrepreneur a profession made slightly more nebulous by the fact that, at just 41, he already qualifies as a serial entrepreneur. He only stays with something until hes satisfied with the results and ready to move on, which adds to mom and dads confusion. As of this year, Mawji is on his third business, NPO Zero, which provides accounting, marketing and HR services to not-for-profit outfits, allowing them to trim overhead and operate more efficiently. He wouldnt have struggled to bootstrap this one. Upside Software, his previous contract management venture of more than a decade, sold for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $30 million. He was the majority shareholder. If the true nature of Mawjis calling the starting and building of businesses as well as operating those

businesses would surprise his family, its location might surprise the rest of us. After growing up in Kenya and travelling the world for work, Mawji adamantly defends Edmonton as his business base. In his view, the capital city, perhaps too long thought of as a government town or gateway to Albertas oil and gas industry, is a startup hotspot that has all the makings of a tech-biz mecca like the San Francisco Bay area. It might not be as balmy, but the solution to that is simple. Weve got an airport, he says. These days, the city has more than an airport that makes it great for embryonic enterprises. For anyone looking to make the leap from armchair entrepreneur to the real deal, now is the time to capitalize. Not only is Mawji proof it can be done, but hes actively supporting new resources to create new local success stories. For those who say gaps remain in the support system gaps that might be preventing one generation from enthusiastically encouraging the next to follow through on a revenue-generating, job-creating, taxbase-building idea youre right. But, by the looks of things, were getting there, learning to build an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem, one step at a time.

Step 1

opportunities
nothing begins without a need. That need, and how it is satisfied, is the bedrock of a successful startup. A lot of times it will come right in front of you, says Mawji. Unless youre taught how to capitalize on it, you might just let it go. Mawji who blinks so rarely during conversation that you may believe it to be the skill that keeps him from missing opportunities doesnt miss opportunities. As a kid, hed sell watches on consignment at weekend tradeshows in Nairobi. A booth cost 100 shillings, about $10, and whatever didnt sell went back to his supplier. As a sales manager for Honda, his dad travelled. Young Mawji tagged along, picking up Commodore 64s in London and selling them in Kenya, where computers were a hot commodity. This was all born of need mostly his own. You can have anything you want, Mawji recalls his parents saying, but you have to pay for it. So I looked around to see what other people want.

learn to act on
Nothing has changed. Mawji still makes opportunities look like money in the bank. Upside Software came about in 2000 when, in dealings with his previous company, an IT consultancy, he recognized how he could save corporations millions by managing their contracts. NPO Zero arose from observations as a non-profit board member over the years (for NAIT from 2004-10, for example, and, more recently, for the Stollery Childrens Hospital Foundation and Kids Cottage). I found that NGOs were very passionate and wanted desperately to do the right thing. The issue was they didnt have enough money to hire anyone for marketing, for example. He could provide that, making a business of enabling greater good and leaving the world in a better place than I found it. Along the way, he has applied that philosophy to the business community, taking advantage of the chance to guide other Edmonton startups from idea to income.

34 tech life mag.ca

Step 2

infrastructure
the mercer building, in downtown Edmontons heritage warehouse district, is a fine bit of infrastructure. Built in 1911 to house merchant John Mercers inventory of liquor and cigars, the building is bright and open, all exposed beams and distressed brick, shrunken floorboards, and naked plumbing and ductwork. For the entrepreneurial community, its made finer by being home to Startup Edmonton, a non-profit that Mawji helps finance and where he serves as a mentor. At any given hour, there are a handful of new business owners here, working to turn startups (in everything from apps to media to custom boots) into self-sustaining, profitable ventures. To help them, Startup Edmonton keeps rent affordable and, in addition to various business development programs, provides newbies with a community to keep them focused. Then, basically, it tries to move them out to make room for the next client. We want to see an increase in entrepreneurs, so that in the end the startup community will have grown and be much sturdier, says chief operating officer Tiffany Linke-Boyko (Management 07). She believes nascent business has been overlooked, despite the fact that it grows to provide about half of Canadas employment, roughly 30 per cent of its GDP and about 25 per cent of its exports. The contribution could be bigger still, she figures. Who knows where the next Google (roughly 45,000 full-time employees, market cap around $300 billion) will come from. In her view, creating more companies boosts the odds that it might come from here. Its not out of the question. Mawjis previous company, Upside, is no Google but it was recognized as a global leader in contract management. We were ranked number 1, he says. It was unheard of for a company our size. And we did that all from here. And without the help of an organization like Startup Edmonton. This time, for NPO Zero, he has desk space in a corner just off the communal kitchen and awash in natural light.

build the

On entrepreneurism
Personally, I think Edmonton is more aware [today] of the need for diversification. We are very oil and gas we all know it.  Tiffany Linke-Boyko Chief Operating Office Startup Edmonton Some [students] tell me One thing Ive learned is that I never want to start a business. Probably, some of them shouldnt and, probably, Ive done my duty.  Jay Krysler Instructor JR Shaw School of Business [In] Alberta, we have great ideas. We know where we want to go, but were afraid. Thats the problem. Were not risk takers. Were conservative.  Ashif Mawji President and CEO NPO Zero If we can create the baseline capacity, students leave our institution and start new ventures, which creates a broader interest in the launch of new ventures, which in turn puts the interest back into our students. That becomes a virtuous circle.  Dr. Neil Fassina Provost and VP Academic NAIT

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INNOVATE Cover story

Step 3

education system
whens the last time you heard a parent say to their son or daughter, Id like you to be an entrepreneur? says Mawji. You hear, Id like you to be a doctor or teacher or engineer or whatever. Is it such a bad thing to be an entrepreneur? It isnt. Theres no education around it. Dr. Neil Fassina, provost and vice-president academic, is working to change that at NAIT. We have an opportunity to build entrepreneurial capacity unlike any other support unit in northern Alberta, he says. This means actively encouraging students to consider the profession, and making them familiar with the entire cycle : We think about that serial entrepreneur who starts, succeeds, exits, restarts, succeeds, exits. This is a craft, says Fassina, and it deserves a formal education. The proposed Entrepreneurship and New Venture Institute which Mawji and other local entrepreneurs are helping to shape would turn the startup into a recognized and much more common career path. One reason this may not have happened already, and perhaps why parents have been worried about seemingly wayward but actually enterprising children, is that the path from school to startup isnt tracked, says Jay Krysler, JR Shaw School of Business instructor of entrepreneurship. How many of Albertas postsecondary grads create businesses? How many succeed? Without the stats, perhaps the best questions to start with are qualitative rather than quantitative. What would be the impact of formal training? How would it affect the economy? For now, the answer is an educated Lets see. Risk, after all, can be calculated. You want to encourage people to start and then see where that leads them, says Krysler. As Mawji might agree, they dont all need to be doctors and lawyers and such.

change the

The $5 Challenge
As part of an entrepreneurship course, JR Shaw School of Business instructor Jay Krysler asks his students to turn a $5 loan into a profitable venture. Heres how it works : Students have seven weeks Ventures must be legal Personal assets may be used but must be replenished Customers cannot be relatives or employers Total class profits are donated to a registered charity picked by the manager of the project with the highest profit The $5 loan must be repaid Recent winner Fred Thompson (Management 12 ) generated $748 by renting a theatre to show The Lorax. As a result, total class profits of $4,287 went to Right to Play International.

36 tech life mag.ca

There is no shortage of people who want to start businesses. I think our problem is how we build businesses of significance and sustainability.
 T racey Scarlett ceo, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

Step 4

the GAP
over the years as ceo of Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Tracey Scarlett has shifted the emphasis from startup to scale-up. There is no shortage of people who want to start businesses. I think our problem is how we build businesses of significance and sustainability, says Scarlett (Medical Laboratory Technology 87). The point when many businesses fail, she says, is exiting the incubation phase a period supported by not just Startup Edmonton, but St. Alberts Northern Alberta Business Incubator, TEC Edmonton, Edmonton Research Park, the National Institute of Nanotechnology, and NAIT, through its Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation and its St. Albert incubation facility. For marginal companies, she explains, going it alone means suddenly taking on specialized legal, accounting and other costs while still trying to grow revenues. The focus on startup probably is counterproductive to what were really trying to achieve. Instead, shed like to foster scale-up by integrating newer companies into local supply chains. Big corporations and government needs stuff; why cant reputable small and medium-sized companies supply it? You not only find that you save money in your supply chain, says Scarlett, you get the creativity and innovation of local businesses that can then grow to be international businesses. Construction giant PCL did that while based in Edmonton, she points out, and so did professional services consultant Stantec. Those particular success stories are a large part of the reason that there needs to be recognition of this sector that this is where economic value is created. You need to have a strong startup community, she says, but weve already got that.

Mind

Photo by Jeanette Janzen

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INNOVATE Cover story

Step 5

Rewards

reap the
this summer, npo zero was at four full-time employees while Mawji tried to limit operations to Edmonton clients until he had satisfactory proof of concept. Next year, or even by the end of this if demand becomes too great, hell extend services to Calgary, then the U.S. Compared to Upside at the same point of development, NPO Zero is already bigger, and growing faster. As focused as Mawji is on the present, his work is an investment in the future. He already has an exit strategy but it does not lead to retirement. Theres another startup on the horizon. I dont know what yet but I will do something something completely different. Whats more, hell do it here, because of the talent and productivity of the people, the reasonable costs of doing business and the fact that, really, the winters only unbearable a few weeks out of the year. There is no place like Edmonton, he says. Getting that message across to local movers and shakers may be essential to the future of Edmonton, and Alberta, too. The entrepreneurial aspiration is quite embedded in our culture, says Scarlett. To model and nurture that is to lay the foundation for diversity, which makes good business sense. Its hedging bets, says Mawji. When you invest in the market you dont put everything in gold. Or other resources, for that matter. For all of this to succeed, the rewards can still be individual rather than civic, but they have to be much less tangible than most might expect. Before joining NAIT, Jay Krysler studied entrepreneurship as a consultant. In one instance, he found that just three per cent of successful startups were driven by want of cash. In contrast, profit motivated a third of those that failed. You have to have a passion, says Krysler. Thats what we get the students to understand. Mawji gets that. His next venture may be a mystery but it will satisfy two requirements. One, it will present the opportunity for broad social impact. Two, hell love doing it. I dont do anything unless Im having fun, he says. Money is never going to drive me. I believe that if its fun, the rest falls into place.

Edmonton: open for business

Why is the capital city good for business? Let us count some of the ways:

strong economic indicators

Edmonton is growing. GDP is expected to beat 2012s mark by three per cent. Population is growing steadily, and housing starts and building permits are back to pre-recession levels, according to city economists. Retail sales also continue to grow.

skilled workforce
Edmonton is home to some of Albertas largest postsecondary institutes, including NAIT, which together produce thousands of new graduates each year.

proximity to the oil sands

Because of the nearly 170 billion barrels of oil buried in the northern half of the province, Edmonton is geographically positioned as a logistics and supply hub.

low taxes
As trumpeted by Edmonton Economic Development: We have no provincial sales tax, the lowest overall personal income taxes in Canada, low corporate income taxes, no capital tax, no payroll tax, no machinery tax and no equipment tax.

38 tech life mag.ca

NAITs JR Shaw School of Business supports leaders and entrepreneurs. We promise relevant knowledge, real skills and rewarding careers to our students in business programs. We deliver on that promise every day. As a leading polytechnic, NAIT offers hands-on, technology-based learning. We work with industry to solve real-world problems and build new ventures. We meet current and emerging needs with career-ready grads and applied business solutions. Essential to Alberta, our programs inspire the next generation of skilled professionals and innovators.

TO BUSINESS

nait.ca/business

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE NAIT ALUMNI AWARDS!
Do you know a NAIT graduate whose achievements make you want to stand and cheer? NAIT celebrates successful alumni with two awards that recognize achievement
1. Alumni Award of Distinction
Honouring NAIT alumni who have earned professional prominence and have contributed signicant service to NAIT or the community.

2. Spirit of NAIT Alumni Award

Recognizes remarkable achievements earned by a NAIT Alum within 12 years of graduation.

Submit your Nomination by December 31

Visit nait.ca/alumniawards, email us at alumni@nait.ca, or call 780.471.8539

OOK

FOR A LIFETIME www.nait.ca/alumni

NAIT Alumni

#ookforalifetime

Techlife Fall 2013 7.25 by 4.75, full colour

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INNOVATE

Blood Hounds
NAIT and Edmonton Police Service combine forces for animal health.

Maverick, a member of the Edmonton Police Service canine unit, gave blood at NAITs Animal Blood Bank. 40 tech life mag.ca

Photos by blaise van malsen

maverick has a high-risk job. As a member of the Edmonton Police Service canine unit, the four-year-old German Shepherd may be called upon to protect Edmontonians by tracking thieves, sniffing out illegal drugs and jumping fences to apprehend suspects. This spring, he also helped fellow canines by donating blood at NAIT. With Canadas dog population exceeding five million in 2011, canine blood is in chronic short supply. NAITs Animal Blood Bank Albertas only collection site for the Canadian Animal Blood Bank in Winnipeg works to ensure dogs suffering from anemia, injuries or who need cancer treatments and other major surgical procedures have access to blood. We are always in need of donors, says animal health instructor Shauna Lesick (Animal Health Technology 86), who volunteers with the donor program. This spring, Maverick was one of several police dogs that donated over a two-week period. He remained calm as he was prepped for the 15-minute procedure. His partner and handler Const. Murray Burke held his head when Lesick drew a unit of blood, roughly 450 millilitres, with the help of students from the Animal Health Technology and Veterinary Medical Assistant programs. After, Maverick welcomed the reward treats. Treats are important. We want him to come back and give again, Lesick says. The donations more than 2,000 since 2001 are collected at NAIT and sent to Winnipeg where they are separated into blood types and shipped across Canada. Its an important cause, says Burke. If my police service dog was to ever require blood because of an injury, I would hope there was an adequate supply available. Maverick will be a regular donor, and Burke plans to have his own dog donate blood as well. Nancy McGuire

Give from the heart

If your dog is:

one to six years old healthy even-tempered

23 kilograms or heavier (but not obese) properly vaccinated she or he is eligible to donate at NAITs Animal Blood Bank. Call 780.491.1324 for details.

Const. Murray Burke helps as NAIT students and staff draw a pint of blood (below) from his partner, Maverick.

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All thats missing...

... is U!
Look us up when you graduate! www.spartancontrols.com

PEOPLE
Story by
Scott Messenger

Best in Class
Blaise Van Malsen

Photos by

f youre looking for the worlds best air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic, youll find him in Grande Prairie. For Canadas best young cabinetmaker, try an industrial park in Ponoka. Nearly 40 kilometres north, in Wetaskiwin, theres an automotive mechanic with similar bragging rights. Hintons your spot for top-notch autobody painting, and Edmonton for sheet metal. How do we know? WorldSkills 2013, an international competition widely regarded as the Olympics of the trades, told us so. Last year, NAIT apprentices took top spots at Skills Canada to earn five of the 32 spots on Team Canada more than any other post-secondary institute in the

country. This July, they headed to Leipzig, Germany to test themselves against technicians and builders from 52 countries and regions. One, Michael Scheideman, returned with a gold medal and Canadas Best of Nation title. Our best students absolutely compete with the very best in the world, says Dr. Glenn Feltham, NAIT president and CEO. Whats more, they represent the power of polytechnic education. They truly do reflect the level of our programs. And so, too, do they represent the level of talent found scattered across Alberta if you know where to look. Meet Team NAIT.

Age: 22 Hometown: Grande Prairie Employer: Albright Refrigeration, Grande Prairie Event: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Coach: Sean Donnan (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic 12), WorldSkills 2011 competitor Age when introduced to the trade: 14 Favourite part of the job: the variety hell fix air con systems in giant mining trucks one day, home units the next Oddball accomplishment: transforming an old golf cart into an ATV It does 50 miles an hour.

Michael Scheideman |
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic

GOLD

BE

ST OF

NA

TION

School and learning from somebody at work can only take you so far. Working with my trainers and going overseas, you just learn so much more.

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PEOPLE

Age: 21 Hometown: Hinton Employer: Apex Auto Body, Hinton Event: Car Painting Coach: Jason Cumby, production manager, Apex Auto Body Hidden talent: drawing Latest new auto body skill: airbrushing WorldSkills life lesson: overcoming shyness

Tyler Hore | Auto Body Technician

Everything comes down to proper preparation before you paint. Everything else is just gun control and technique. It has to come naturally. You cant force it.

Age: 21 Hometown: Millet Employer: J&E Motors, Wetaskiwin Event: Automobile Technology Coach: Rob Prediger, associate chair, Automotive Service Technician Competitive advantage: an ability to think through problems quickly, says Prediger Favourite task: troubleshooting Pet project: restoring a 1970 Ford half-ton
ME

DA

LLION
OF

Cars tell you a lot more information than they used to about where to find the problem and fix it. But there are the times when they dont, and that shows where the real technicians come in.
44 tech life mag.ca

Tyler KENYON | Auto Service Technician

Age: 22 Hometown: Edmonton Employer: Always Plumbing & Heating, Edmonton Event: Sheet Metal Technology Coach: Grant Craplewe (Sheet Metal Worker 98), instructor, Sheet Metal Worker, NAIT Reason he loves the trade: the variety of applications, from heavy industry to homes and small businesses WorldSkills eye-opener: how much Europe has computerized fabrication Future plans: open a custom sheet metal shop

Nolan Spak | Sheet Metal Worker

 WorldSkills has been such a big part of my life. It will take a while to transition back into normal life. Ive loved every minute of it.

Age: 22 Hometown: Ponoka Employer: Ponoka Cabinet Makers Event: Joinery Coach: Roger Cloutier, associate chair, Millwork and Carpentry Joinery explained: building joints for doors, windows, stairs Skill hed like to improve: speed Highlight from competitions: winning $16,000 in tools

Bart van Haaren | Cabinetmaker

I must be doing something right, seeing as where Im at.

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PEOPLE

ceiling

unlimited
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president James Cumming shares his view of the citys economic future.

Photo by blaise van malsen

46 tech life mag.ca

edmonton is a great place for business. From now through 2025, the city is projected to grow by nearly every metric: GDP, building permits, housing starts and so on. The only number not going up is unemployment. That means recruiting skilled labour is only going to get harder, which is why James Cumming, the new president of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, is making that issue one of his priorities. A veteran local business leader, Cumming (Construction Engineering Technology 81, chair of the NAIT Board of Governors 2010-13, Top 50 Alumnus) is working with the chambers 2,700 members to ensure government policy aligns with marketplace demands. To learn how, we recently joined him at the chambers headquarters in the World Trade Centre. Yes, Edmonton has one of those. Ruth Juliebo

techlife: What is the role of the Chamber of Commerce? James Cumming: The chamber is here to improve the business environment for its members and the business community at large. This could include taxation levels, access to labour, economic development activities, infrastructure issues and ways to get products to market. Youve had success growing and leading companies here in Edmonton. What made you leave the corporate world and take this role? After the other shareholders and I sold Creative Door and I resigned from my role as president and CEO, I was contemplating what was next. This was a nice way to get involved with the community in a more significant way than running another private business. What are three key issues that are affecting Edmontons business community? The biggest issue is the labour shortage. We need provincial and federal policy that addresses this growing need. And we look to the city to come up with strategies that make this a desirable destination. Being affordable, being safe those are pieces of the puzzle that will allow us to recruit talent. The second major concern is our commoditybased [oil and gas] economy has one main customer: the United States. We need access to expanded markets to take some of the volatility out of the marketplace. Lastly, with a new mayor and many new faces on council, we need to make sure that the right issues are being debated for business and the community. If we have a thriving business environment then we have a thriving social environment the two go hand in hand.

What does the ideal business future look like forEdmonton? Id like to encourage Edmontons entrepreneurs to continue to grow their businesses and markets so they become players on a more global stage. PCL and Stantec are great examples of homegrown businesses that have done very well. Id also like to see our post-secondary institutes play a bigger role in providing continuing education, which helps [those businesses] grow. What advice would you give Edmontons new mayorto help us get there? There has to be a balance between how you spend to create assets that people want to use and how you tax to ensure that its affordable for people who want to live here. Its important to have a big, bold vision, but its important to have it backed up with a practical application that keeps us competitive so that we can continue to attract talent, businesses and, when we sell our goods abroad, we dont put ourselves at a disadvantage. What role should NAITs JR Shaw School of Business play in building the local business community? Many of our alumni from the trades and technology programs want to go out and start a business. Its so much easier if you have some business education. If NAIT embeds business training in all its programs, it will increase the success rate of these startups. Its been 32 years since you graduated from NAIT. What advice would you offer the next generation ofgrads? You just had to remind me of that! Make sure that youre giving back. My business life has given me the capital and the grounding that gives me the luxury to go out and help. Thats a privilege that shouldnt be taken for granted.

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Ask an Expert

Build your network with these nine tips

dan radovanovic was living and working in Grande Prairie when he and his wife decided they needed to be closer to family in Edmonton. So when he found himself thrust into an irresistible networking opportunity, he pounced. At a NAIT dinner where he received the Sandvik Coromant Leadership Award, the 36-year-old machinist made a connection with a Sandvik Coromant rep who later took him to half a dozen machine shops in Edmonton. He got a job offer from each one and started as a general machinist at Argus Machine Co. in January 2012. When youre looking for work and youre placed in an opportunity where theres people around who can help, dont hold back, says Radovanovic (Machinist 11).

Its a perfect example of how networking can further your career, says Keven McGhan, associate chair of management at NAITs JR Shaw School of Business. The more connections you have, the bigger the pool of people you have to draw from when you need to find a job or make a crucial career move. If youve developed a bunch of great relationships, youre not going to Monster.com when you decide you want a career change. McGhan (Finance 89) teaches networking skills and business etiquette as part of his sales management courses. Each semester, his students host a networking dinner for employers, at which many of the students make handshake deals that often lead to jobs. Even if youre painfully shy, you can learn to network, whether you run into that very desirable contact at a networking event or while waiting to cross a downtown street. Building on Radovanovics be direct approach, McGhan offers his top tips to help you build confidence and make sure you never miss a chance to connect. Eliza Barlow

ELEVATOR SPEECH
A guy walks onto an elevator and in two floors or less lets others know who he is and what he has to offer. Hes delivered an elevator speech, or what McGhan describes as a 30-second verbal cover letter. For example, a friend of McGhans says in his elevator speech: I help people make their mortgages tax-deductible. Your elevator speech should offer relevant information about you, customized to your goals. So if you hope to land a job in marketing, your elevator speech could start with, Hi, Im Jane Jones and I make videos go viral.

Think about what you can do for your new contact, not the other way around. Your first objective should be to help someone else, says McGhan. If you introduce them to someone or something thats going to help them, theyre going to remember that.

Be primed to talk about current events so you wont be afraid of having nothing to say. Show up to an event armed with an interesting and positive news story to discuss. Dont talk politics, at least not at the beginning. It can be very polarizing.

48 tech life mag.ca

Illustrations by Andy Oviatt

Add Value

BE INTERESTING

Networking non-starters

Dont rely on LinkedIn  or other social media as your main networking tool. It doesnt replace face-to-face contact, says McGhan. Add someone on LinkedIn only after youve met him or her in person.

Look at a networking event or opportunity as a place to make a few meaningful contacts, not collect as many business cards as you can.

Eye contact is crucial  while talking to someone, says McGhan. Dont scan the room for the next, most interesting target.

MASTER THE ART OF small Talk

Its not as small as you might think. Good small-talkers are the ones who practice host behaviour. McGhan says, Try to make the other person feel as comfortable as possible. Ask them lots of questions about themselves, show interest and ask follow-up questions. Most people will eventually start to ask about you and give you a chance to shine.

TAKE A BUDDY
Introverts can benefit from a buddy system at important networking events. Go with someone who is more outgoing than you, suggests McGhan, and lean on the person to introduce you to some contacts. Eventually, confidence will come and you wont need them as much. A buddy can also cut in and help steer you away if youve been waylaid by someone for too long and are having trouble ending the conversation.

MAKE SOME POST-CHAT NOTES

After a great conversation with a new contact, write down a few notes on the back of his business card for example, a hobby or interest he mentioned. It will help keep the conversation going when you send a follow-up email. If you found out he has a sailboat, McGhan suggests doing some research on sailing and including a link to an online article with a note to say, Hey, I was reading this and thought of you.

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Win

an Ook T-shirt!
Have you tried Baking grad Amy Nachtigalls recipe for ginger cookies? (If not, do you know where to find them?) Do you know how to limit your risk when dealing with renovation contractors? Do you have a budgeting strategy for the upcoming holiday season? Have you seen Personal Fitness Trainer grad Amy Pysars outdoor workout video? Did you hear about Kai Dan, the most decorated student athlete in NAITs history? If you answered no to any of these questions, you should subscribe to our e-newsletter! Eight times a year, well send you the latest from techlifemag.ca, our online technology lifestyle magazine. Over the past year, we featured the stories listed above and dozens of others you wont find in the print edition of techlife theyre only on the web. Stop missing out and win! Visit techlifemag.ca, click Subscribe and fill in the appropriate fields. Do so before Jan. 31, 2014 and well enter you in a random draw to win one of 10 limited-edition Generation Ooks T-shirts. If youre already a subscriber thanks! You can still enter. Send your name to contests@techlifemag.ca and use T-shirt as the subject.

Good luck! See you online.

techlifemag.ca
All winners will be notified by email. Choice of shirt size cannot be guaranteed. Winners from the newsletter subscription contest we ran in issue 6.1 are not eligible.

50 tech life mag.ca

CULINAIT

Hokanson Chef in Residence Chris Cosentino forces students to face the facts about where meat comes from and how to use it responsibly.

featured alumni
Rosario Caputo, Culinary Arts 05 Daniel Costa, Culinary Arts 05 Brayden Kozak, Culinary Arts 02
photo supplied

Blair Lebsack, Cook 98 Corey Meyer, Retail Meatcutting 96 Dan Westgeest, Computer Network Administration 02, Retail Meatcutting 05, Culinary Arts 07

Story by
Jennifer Cockrall-King

Photos by
Blaise van malsen

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CULINAIT

Chris Cosentino helps students, including Emily Olson and Briana Overacker (below), prepare dishes for Hokanson Chef in Residence events.

hokanson chef in residence

This unique program provides students in the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts with a rare opportunity to learn from the best chefs in the world. The program the result of a generous donation from John and Susan Hokanson began with Canadian celebrity chef Rob Feenie in 2009, followed by David Adjey in 2010, Susur Lee in 2011 and Massimo Capra in 2012.

52 tech life mag.ca

s 50 culinary arts students in crisp white chef jackets jostle for seats in a NAIT food lab, Chris Cosentino strides to the front of the room. With all of his duties as 2013 Hokanson Chef in Residence master classes like this one, public appearances, and dinners and luncheons he has yet to prepare theres not a moment to spare. As far as famous chefs go, Cosentino is highly recognizable. Its not just for the Buddy Holly glasses and the culinary-themed tattoos (theres a butchers diagram of a pig on one arm and a fork-knife-andspoon set on the other). Nor is it necessarily for the appearances on Iron Chef America and Next Iron Chef, or for winning Top Chef Masters in 2012. Cosentino is one of North Americas top advocates for nose-to-tail cuisine, making use of virtually everything, including offal those innards and extremities once dismissively referred to as variety meats. As if to prove it, Cosentino starts by showing his class a video in which he transforms an enormous pigs head into porchetta di testa salumi, an Italian slow-cooked meat roll involving the head, tongue and ears. At first, gasps and eeeuuwws ricochet around the room but soon an enthusiastic round of questions takes over. These chefs-to-be ask about cooking time, seasoning and other technical aspects of making porchetta di testa and other salumi. No doubt, Cosentino appreciates this. The executive chef of San Franciscos award-winning Incanto restaurant is determined to change how our disposable society thinks about the whole animal, beyond the rib-eye and tenderloin. And while he wants these up-and-coming Alberta chefs to confront the reality of the origin of a steak, chicken breast or pork chop, he also wants them to take that as an opportunity to push themselves creatively. If hes successful, it could be a triple win: for our livestock and the environment, for these future chefs food budgets and for adventurous diners. Sensing that hes got the class past the first hurdle, Cosentino tells the students that he tries to take his kitchen staff to harvest a pig on a California farm at least once a year. Its an extremely emotional experience, he explains, and it changes you. He sees that in his staff and has seen it in himself. The day I first harvested an animal was the day I put more offal on the menu, he says. You become very humbled. daniel westgeest (Retail Meatcutting 05, Culinary Arts 07), chair of NAITs Professional Meatcutting and Merchandising program, applauds Cosentinos philosophy. Cosentinos attitude is that we have to be nice to the earth that is being nice to us. Doing things in a humane manner and being more responsible, thats the new generation of chefs coming up.

- Dan Westgeest, Chair Professional Meatcutting and Merchandising

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CULINAIT

Right, Chris Cosentino offers hands-on instruction to student Eric Anderson. Far right, Cosentinos green chili steak tartare on crostini. Below, Rosario Caputo, owner of Edmontons Cibo Bistro, embraces cooking with off-cuts.

North American meat production is hugely resource intensive. It can take up to 15,000 litres of water and seven to 10 kilograms of grain to produce the one-kilo package of beef in the grocery store. Its time to put liver and onions back on the menu, to use the bones to make stock again, Westgeest urges. Several Edmonton chefs have already started to revive comfort foods based on nose-to-tail ethics, with homemade salumi and offal recipes reimagined in a modern way. Creativity drives Daniel Costa (Culinary Arts 05), chef and owner of Corso 32, to feature non-primary cuts and offal on his menu. Clearly, its been good for business, as reservations at this downtown Edmonton restaurant are among the toughest to get in the city. Costa draws a direct line from his Italian roots to nose-to-tail cooking. He grew up eating oxtail (the tough bone-in cut of beef tail that requires long

stewing or braising), and chicken or turkey hearts and neck stuffed with sausage. This was cuisine of the quinto quarto, literally an animals fifth quarter, or what remains after butchering the outer fore and hind quarters. He reminds us that many familiar favourites were born of resourcefulness. Look at how ravioli was created, he says. You take the off-cuts and stuff them in a starch. You become creative with the ingredients you have available. At Corso 32, Costa thrills at the depth of flavours and the variety of textures he can coax from these meats. He explains that while these dishes involve more cooking skill, like his braised tripe with tomato and chili, the reward is more flavour per pound, which keeps food costs down and customer satisfaction high. And apparently, Edmontonians are more open-minded than ever. In our 34-seat restaurant, well sell 14 orders of chicken liver per night.

edmonton, snout-to-tail
Try these restaurants for a full-bodied culinary experience. Because of the nature of using the whole animal, noseto-tail menu items change regularly. corso 32 10345 Jasper Ave. chef/owner Daniel Costa (Culinary Arts 05) cibo bistro 11244 - 104 Ave. chef/owner Rosario Caputo (Culinary Arts 05) three boars 8424 - 109 St. chef/owner Brayden Kozak (Culinary Arts 02) rge rd 10643 - 123 St. chef/owner Blair Lebsack (Cook 98)

54 tech life mag.ca

Rosario Caputo (Culinary Arts 05), Cibo Bistros owner and chef, also loves the creative challenges of offal. For his older customers pleasure, hes resurrecting taste memories of their youth. And younger diners love the novelty of untasted territory. When he can, Caputo features guanciale (aged, cured pork jowl), bresaola (air-dried, aged salted beef) and lardo (salt-brined and cured pork fat). Last summer, he ordered a whole pigs head for porchetta di testa, which he thought hed end up throwing out. But his customers, quite literally, ate it up. Im now on my 26th head, he says. Interest is spreading beyond the citys restaurants. Corey Meyer (Retail Meatcutting 96), third-generation meat-cutter and owner of Acme Meat Market, has become a de facto supplier to those who have dined out on nose-to-tail menus and want to try it at home. Demand for pork belly at his south-side shop, Meyer says, is off the charts. He also gets requests for brain, skin, kidneys and heart. Handling full and half carcasses and cutting to order gives him a business advantage. Its not like a supermarket can handle these types of requests, says Meyer. to close out the master class, Cosentino prepares a green chili-spiked steak tartare served on a round of baguette. Today, he uses raw beef chuck, a tougher, shoulder cut usually reserved for long braising or ground beef, rather than the raw beef heart served at Incanto. Every student, even the vegetarians in the room, is encouraged to try it. Its part of their culinary education, he tells them. Ericka Degner, 18, a shy, second-semester student, hesitates before biting into the ruby-red meat. This is all new, she says, surprised that she likes it. Im happy he inspired me to try it. I would have regretted it if I hadnt. Your job is to get better every day, Cosentino tells them. Getting better, he says, is about opening up to new experiences and setting goals of creating taste memories, every day. Whats more, he argues that they are uniquely positioned as chefs to create demand and interest in offal and off-cuts. In this sense, he sees their roles as both culinary artists and activists. His own food suggests that you can put the best interests of animals and environment, your business and your customers, together in one dish. After all, says Cosentino as a final thought to the next generation of chefs, You can only change the world one plate at a time.

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CULINAIT

[ RECIPE ]
From Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal by Chris Cosentino Serves 4

Ham Hocks
2 ham hocks, about 500 g (1 lb) in total medium yellow onion 1 large carrot, halved 1 celery rib, halved 3 bay leaves

Ham Hocks
Combine the hocks, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and 1.25 L (5 cups) water in a heavy pot and cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours or until very tender. (To use a pressure cooker, follow the manufacturers instructions, secure the lid, bring up to full pressure and cook for 45 to 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then uncover.) Remove the hocks and set aside on a plate to cool. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Reserve 375 ml (1 cups) of the broth, discard the remainder or reserve for another use. Remove the meat from the ham hocks, discarding the skin and bones. Cover and refrigerate.

Lentils
105 g ( cup) green lentils, picked over and rinsed 1 head garlic, split crosswise medium yellow onion large carrot, halved 1 bay leaf kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lentils
In a saucepan, bring the lentils and 750 ml (3 cups) water to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, drain the lentils, rinse under cold running water and return the lentils to the pan. Add 750 ml (3 cups) water, the garlic, onion, carrot and bay leaf to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook just until the lentils are tender but not split, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the lentils well and discard the vegetables and bay leaf. Spread the lentils on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.

To finish
4 Swiss chard leaves, preferably with white ribs 15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 45 g ( cup) finely diced yellow onion 45 g ( cup) finely diced peeled carrot 30 ml (2 tbsp) thinly sliced garlic 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock 5 ml (1 tsp) sherry vinegar kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Finish
Separate the green leaves from the chard ribs. Separately cut the leaves and ribs crosswise into strips 1 cm ( inch) wide. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, chard ribs and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved lentils, the ham-hock meat, the reserved 375 ml (1 cups) of ham broth and the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chard leaves and cook until the leaves are tender, about 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with vinegar. Taste again and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. (The ham hock broth can sometimes be salty enough.) To serve, ladle into warmed bowls and top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil.

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SPACES

The view
from the top
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 Kristen Vernon

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Photo by jeanette janzen

the panoramic view from the 8th floor lounge of the NAIT JR Shaw School of Business makes it a perennial favourite student and staff hangout. Throughout the years, it has been a great place to watch the city evolve. Since the tower opened in 1965, downtown Edmonton has been transformed, starting with the opening of the CN Tower, which, at 26 storeys, was once the tallest building west of Toronto. Closer to campus, visitors to the lounge would have seen the NAIT Activities Centre open in 1973, Kingsway Mall open in 1976 and the Lois Hole

Hospital for Women open in 2010. In the coming decades, the tower will provide a great view of the Blatchford redevelopment on the City Centre Airport lands just west of campus, a project that will be transformative for NAIT and the local community. In the meantime, staff and students continue to enjoy the view from the tower. 8th floor Business Tower is the best kept secret at #NAIT, librarian Kalin Jensen tweeted recently. Awesome view, lots of seating, watching a storm roll in #yeg.

TRANSFORM YOUR CORPORATE TRAINING PROGRAM

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A LEADING POLYTECHNIC COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS

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5 WAYS

Get involved with NAIT

Five great reasons to come back to campus
2 Dining
Enjoy contemporary cuisine prepared and served by Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students at Ernests, NAITs on-campus restaurant. Open mid-September through April (closed mid-December to mid-January), Ernests serves lunch Monday to Thursday, with a buffet every Friday. Dinner service runs Tuesday to Friday, with special events on Saturday. View the menu and make reservations at nait.ca/ernests or call 780.471.8676.

1 SHOPPING
Purchase quality cuts of meat and fish prepared by students at the Retail Meat Store, located in the Common Market on Main Campus. The store is open Tuesday to Thursday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), mid-September to mid-April (closed mid-December to mid-January). For more information, visit nait.ca/retailmeatstore or call 780.471.8678.

3 Entertainment
Cheer on the Ooks! With teams competing in basketball, hockey, volleyball and more, there is sure to be a sport for you. Adult admission ranges from free to $7 and children under 12 are always free. For season passes, group tickets and schedules, visit nait.ca/athletics or call 780.471.7713.

4 Socializing
Do you enjoy connecting with alumni and want to give back? The Alumni Council events subcommittee is looking for volunteers to help coordinate events. To be part of this team, contact alumni@nait.ca or call 780.471.8539.

5 Fitness
NAITs recreation facilities include an arena, fitness and weight centre, pool, squash and racquetball courts, gymnasium and indoor running track. For information on memberships and more, visit nait.ca/recreation or call 780.471.7713.

PhotoS by NAIT staff photographers

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62 tech life mag.ca

JOB DESCRIPTION

street
smart
How Bob Dunford keeps Edmonton in motion
On weekends, Bob Dunford (Civil Engineering Technology 78) leaves his trademark wide-brimmed fedora at home. In what free time he has, the director of road maintenance for the City of Edmonton would rather not be so easily recognized and risk getting an earful about snowy roads or potholes. Roads are one of those things people love to hate, but Dunford didnt go into the job for pats on the back (though he does get a compliment, now and then). He joined the citys roadway maintenance department as a new NAIT grad and has stayed for 35 years, doing everything from pavement management to bridge technology to running the asphalt plant to his current role in operations. He knows Edmontons 11,800 lane kilometres of road nearly the distance from here to St. Johns and back more intimately than anyone. Each day, he does his utmost to make sure Edmontonians can safely use them to get where they need to go.

Bob Dunford, seen in a rare instance without his fedora

i always knew i wanted to work in roads. You see the results of your work right away. You have a perpetual responsibility and you can see the impact you have on keeping the city moving every day. i get to work at around 6:30 a.m. to catch up on correspondence and get a daily update from my team about whats happening on the citys roads. Many days, I attend city council meetings or council committee meetings to talk about long-term budgets. our budget is $105 million for operations and $160 million for capital projects. Last winter, we hauled two million cubic metres of snow and laid down 185,000 tonnes of abrasives and de-icers. As of the end of June, we had filled more potholes than the average for an entire year about 420,000. Our latest big project has been putting together a financial strategy for arterial road [major routes] rehabilitation. roadway maintenance is always in the public eye. People like to talk about snow and ice in the winter, and potholes and street cleanup in the spring. I get hate mail. People vent, whether its in the newspapers, on Facebook or Twitter. You cant take it to heart. The public service isnt for everyone. Youre trying to accomplish something for the greater public good and you can often be underappreciated. in the winter of 2010-11 we moved a record amount of snow. The west end dumping site hit almost 60 metres high and didnt melt until Sept. 10. People took to calling it Snow Dirt Mountain [chuckles]. Sometimes, if you can have a little fun with it, it helps. As told to Eliza Barlow

Photo by Blaise van Malsen

The Skinny Road maintenance director

Civil engineering technologist

Salary Range: $125-150,000/year Hours: 50 hours a week, Monday to Friday Location: Office  Education: Civil Engineering Technology diploma, plus extensive experience in all aspects of roadway maintenance

Salary: $36.23/hour (mean wage) Hours: Regular office hours, plus overtime  Location: Offices and construction sites, sometimes in poor weather and in isolated locations  Education: Civil Engineering Technology diploma

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YOU SUPPLY THE DREAM. WELL PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY.

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ACCLAIM

and the award goes to...

Grads, staff and students continue to amass awards in multiple categories, from industry to innovation to athletics. Here are a few recent winners.
Man of influence
perry michetti, associate dean of the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, was named one of the provinces 50 Most Influential People by Alberta Venture magazine in its July 2013 issue. The editors note that, under Michettis leadership, NAIT has built the Hokanson Centre for Culinary Arts, staff and students have captured awards at international competitions and the school has Canadas first annual chef-inresidence program.

Food and lodging

This June, lance torgerson (Management 95, right) and daniel costa (Culinary Arts 05) received NAITs Alumni Award of Distinction and Spirit of NAIT award, respectively. Torgerson runs Noralta Lodge Ltd., the largest independent industrial lodging company in the country. Costa is the owner of Corso 32, named one of Canadas best restaurants by Macleans magazine.

Instrumental to learning
After just two years as an Instrument Technician instructor, dan bassett (Instrument Mechanic 97) has earned the 2012 Top Instructor Award for the northern region from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. The student-nominated award recognizes presentation skills, fairness and more. After 30 years in industry prior to NAIT, Bassett says, Im definitely happier teaching than working in the plant.

Mound of medals
Culinary Team NAIT returned in May from the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 13 with 20 medals a new record for NAIT. The 11-member team (composed of students, coaches and the team manager) earned four gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals. The event was part of HOFEX 2013, the largest food and hospitality tradeshow in the AsiaPacific region.

Skills builder
rob prediger was named the2013 Skills Volunteer of the Yearfor nine years of coordinating competitions and judging forSkills Canada Alberta, a not-for-profit that promotes trades and technical careers to youth. For the associate chair of the Automotive Service Technician program, the reward lies in seeing transformations. At first, the high-school competitors are like deer in the headlights, he says. You can see the improvement as they compete each year.

Hall of famer
For dominating wheelchair racing in the 1980s, robert easton (Management 82) was inducted this year into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame. At the 84 and 88 Paralympics, he took eight gold medals and one silver, and held multiple world records. Easton, who has cerebral palsy, is also a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Hall of Fame.

PhotoS by NAIT staff photographers

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Rewind

digging up the past

buried in the wall of the student lounge, the Nest, in 1988 and opened earlier this year as part of NAIT@50 celebrations, the 25th anniversary time capsule offers a glimpse into a world that, as much as it has changed, has stayed so much the same. Here, a look at some of the items discovered in the black trunk. Kristen Vernon

Web Extra
Visit techlifemag.ca/25thanniversary-time-capsule. htm to read 1987-88 NAITSA president Gord Matthews letter, which he intended to be read during the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013.

Anniversary memorabilia
NAITs 25th anniversary kicked off on Oct. 1, 1987 with First Class Day, celebrating the day, 25 years earlier, when 29 Communication Electrician apprentices began their training. Students and instructors from that first class returned for the festivities, which included a luncheon and birthday cake. Coffee and tea were sold at the 1962 price of 10 cents a cup. Celebrations continued through May 28, 1988, when the institute held its first homecoming, with alumnaits from every graduating class and some 50 programs returning for campus tours, a dinner and dance.

NAIT Queen selection rules

Responsibilities of the NAIT Queen included attending and promoting NAIT Student Association (NAITSA) events, representing the student association in the competition for Miss Edmonton Eskimo and more. The tradition lasted 26 years until 1991, when only one candidate came forward. The queen was chosen through a mix of popular vote and participation in events that included human pyramid building, lip syncing and a fashion show. The queen selection came with a series of strict regulations outlined by NAITSA, including no kidnapping or stealing of candidates. The 1988 queen was Business Administration student Joanne Geisinger.

Open House poster and course calendars

In its 25th year, NAIT offered 57 diploma and certificate programs, 47 apprenticeship trades and about 400 continuing education credit and non-credit courses. Today, NAIT offers approximately 140 credit programs leading to degrees, applied degrees, diplomas and certificates, 34 apprenticeship trades and more than 459 non-credit continuing education courses.

Condoms and STD/AIDS brochures

The first AIDS diagnosis was made in the U.S. in 1981 and in Canada a year later. As the number of cases climbed, the community and governments responded. In 1987, the World Health Organization launched a global AIDS strategy and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that condoms could be used to prevent the spread of HIV. A year later, the Canadian AIDS Society released the countrys first safe sex guidelines. The disease was on the mind of 1987-88 NAITSA president Gord Matthew (Management 87, Finance 88): Here in 1988, things scare me. Will AIDS ever be cured? Will there continue to be widespread world hunger? Will NAIT janitors still be driving those dangerous Zamboni-like floor polishers!?

Nest menu
When the Nest opened in 1988, students could get a McNest breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese and toast for $2.50, a 12-ounce draft for $1.50 and deep-fried perogies for $3.50. Today, a pint of domestic beer sells for $5.75 and the menu includes gourmet pizzas, hot dogs and burgers served on artisan bread.

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Photo by Leigh Frey

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IT TAKES ALL KINDS OF ENERGY

By exploring and developing some of the most globally significant oil and gas basins, Nexen delivers energy to the world. We also value another kind of energy the drive and commitment it takes to build strong communities, enhancing the lives of the people who live there. Thats Nexens way.
Nexen is a proud partner of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, donating over $1 million to the development of state-of-the-art facilities, awards and bursaries.

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