SALUTE TO THE CAPITAL IDEAS COMMUNITY
Five years ago, we noticed something. Entrepreneurs learn a lot as they build their businesses. We wondered: What could we do to shine a light on that hard-won knowledge? And how could we share that expertise more widely to help others?
That’s how Capital Ideas was born.
We started with live events, which turned out to be a powerful way to get some business owners to share their experiences. A growing number of entrepreneurial folks came to listen, and the Capital Ideas community took root.
We started asking the community questions and publishing their answers, so we could gather even more expertise and amplify it for others to learn from. We also let people know about learning and networking opportunities at other local business organizations, strengthening the connections that make an entrepreneurial ecosystem flourish.
ATB Business saw what the community was doing and wanted to help. So it came on board as a sponsor, and as a source of dozens of great questions that members have answered over the years. Thanks to ATB, a good idea born in Edmonton took flight in Calgary, and both communities have contributed so much to the collective wisdom of their cities.
The thing is, all we did was organize people a little bit. The community’s expertise was there all along, as was its willingness to share. The members have built connections, and other organizations have evolved to foster those connections and elevate their expertise.
Capital Ideas, the entity, is going to step aside. But the entrepreneurial community in each city remains, stronger than ever, and we can’t wait to see what it does next. The Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald will continue to cover our cities’ business scenes and the innovators who are building the future. And ATB will continue to provide a platform for business owners to share what they know and meet each other at its Entrepreneur Centres.
We thank our members for their generous spirit. We are all better off for it.