Community Leadership
Strong tech communities create opportunities no one can build alone.
Beyond the individual
Building communities where more people can lead.
Real innovation happens when different people connect. Every group below exists to create moments of purpose and inspiration.
Community
Calgary UX
Executive Director since December 2019
Visit Calgary UX (opens in new tab)4,600+ members · 250 events · 200 volunteers
There were 250 events, including meetups, panels, workshops, and portfolio reviews. We trained and managed 200 volunteers, with a core team of 12 overseeing the event operations. We partnered with Figma, Adobe, Unity, Platform Calgary, Telus Conference Centre, ADPList, IxDA, UXPA, Uxcel, Inception U, Evans Hunt, Salt, Mount Royal University, SAIT, the University of Calgary, AUArts, and MacEwan.
The growth is documented: there were 900 members in 2019, more than 2,200 by October 2021 when a Rainforest Alberta podcast episode was recorded about it, and 4,600 members now.
Leadership is about the people involved, not the number. I provide guidance to those in charge of UX Montreal, the SAIT Uxicorns, the UofC UX club, and the MRU UX club. A community that functions only when one person is in charge is a job, not an institution.
Community
IncluCity Calgary
Co-founder and Director since October 2021 · Calgary's first nonprofit dedicated to inclusive usability testing
Visit IncluCity Calgary (opens in new tab)4 inclusive research teams
Most usability testing recruits people who are easy to recruit, which quietly means products get validated by the users least likely to struggle with them. IncluCity exists to close that gap.
I designed the framework for training and developing volunteers to run usability sessions with underrepresented communities, and formed four research teams that have worked with the City of Calgary, YW Calgary, and Chic Geek. Partners include Mount Royal University, the Calgary Foundation, and CivicTechYYC.
Community
MegaTech Calgary
Co-founder since December 2023
Visit MegaTech Calgary (opens in new tab)470+ registrations for the first flagship event
Calgary's tech communities were all running in parallel and rarely meeting: Product Calgary, YYC Data Society, Test Tribe, Tech Connect, CivicTechYYC, YYC Queer Innovation, OSGeo, and others. MegaTech is the thing that puts them in one room.
The first flagship edition, January 2024 at the Calgary Central Library, was planned for 150 people. More than 470 registered. That became the Tech Opportunity Fest in May 2024.
Community
UX Camp
Steering committee member since 2023 · Edmonton and Calgary
Visit UX Camp (opens in new tab)270 participants · 22 speakers · 45 volunteers in 2026
I brought the conference to Calgary. In 2025, 280 participants joined 27 speakers and 30 volunteers. In 2026, 270 participants joined 22 speakers and 45 volunteers.
The second year was slightly smaller on attendance and speakers and considerably larger on volunteers. Growth in a community event is not linear, and the volunteer number is the one I care about, because it is the leading indicator.
Community
Mentorship
Mentor across ADPList, ReSkill Calgary, Designlab, and academic programs
View my ADPList profile (opens in new tab)127 designers · 13 countries · 4,410 minutes
More than twenty immigrant designers new to Canada through ReSkill Calgary between 2024 and 2025, plus Design Lab, PathWay Pro, the University of Alberta mentorship program, and Information Design at Mount Royal.
People I have mentored now work at the Government of Alberta, the City of Calgary, Morgan Stanley, Helcym, J5, and W21C.
Having arrived in Canada without knowing how the room worked, I am aware of what an hour with someone who does is worth.