Where's Anu

Touch Grass Victoria

Touch Grass Victoria is a standing invitation for the local tech community to close the laptop and spend a morning outside together. This outing follows a 6.6 km route through John Dean Provincial Park, climbing the forested slopes of Mount Newton past old-growth stands and viewpoints over the Saanich Peninsula. Everyone sets off together at a relaxed, conversational pace that suits anyone comfortable with a couple of hours on a moderate trail. It is a low-key way to meet other developers, founders, designers, and operators without a screen or a meeting agenda in sight. Bring water, sturdy shoes, and a layer for the shade under the trees. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Dean Park Rd; refer to this map to find it.

Published Wednesday, July 22, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Tenfold Victoria #111: Show Your Work

Tenfold is for builders, founders, operators, designers, researchers, artists, hackers and anyone seriously working on something of their own. Show Your Work is Tenfold's monthly demo night. An RSVP is required to be sent the demo sign-up form, and up to 10 demos are selected to be featured throughout the evening. Each presenter gets 10 minutes total, including demo and discussion. Presenters screen share on the main display via Google Meet while walking the room through what they are building, what problem they are solving and where they would like feedback. Think of it as somewhere between a lightning talk, a product demo, and group office hours. You do not need to have it all figured out. Early is fine. Half-built is fine. Bring what you are working on. Share notes. Ask for feedback. Help someone else move faster. Agenda • 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: Updates & Intros • 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Demos • 8:30 to 9:00 p.m.: Debrief + Wrap-Up Important: arrive curious, ambitious, open-minded and ready to contribute. Always.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Showing your work cuts both ways: this calendar is mine, and I wrote up how it runs on Microsoft 365 for nothing a month.

Data Talk - Leveling Up Video Game Analytics

The Victoria Data Society's Data Talks series turns to video games, an industry that has measured player behaviour at scale for years. Alex Oswald contrasts how the AAA giants run analytics with how indie studios manage on a fraction of the budget, covering player retention, game health, A/B testing, causal analysis, and machine learning. His background spans data roles at Electronic Arts, TinyMob Games, Kixeye, and Kano Apps, and he now runs Savepoint Analytics, a consultancy for indie developers. Pizza and networking from 5:00, the talk at 5:30, networking again from 6:30. Free for Victoria Data Society members, $10 at the door for everyone else.

Published Thursday, July 16, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Victoria Women in Tech Meetup

Toast's Women in Tech Meetup is built as the opposite of the usual tech networking event: a chance for women and non-binary folks in tech to connect with people who meet them where they are. Expect an afternoon of live music, food trucks, and good company by the waterfront, with room to catch up on life, chat about work, and build a meaningful network of women in tech. Attendees cover their own food and drink bills from the venue's menu. Before attending, guests are asked to complete Toast's anonymous Gender Equity Survey, which captures real lived experiences in tech and helps shape Toast's programs, research, and advocacy. Toast itself is a collective for women in tech by women in tech, working with companies committed to gender diversity to help women get the jobs they want and the pay they deserve, with a community behind them.

Published Tuesday, July 21, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Business Meetup & Mingle (Nanaimo)

A casual evening mixer for Nanaimo's entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals. There is no agenda and no set topics: everyone takes about 30 seconds to introduce themselves and what they are working on, then the room opens up to conversation over food and drinks at Simonholt Restaurant. It suits anyone building local connections, from aspiring founders to established owners. The group asks attendees to order something from the menu to support the venue that hosts them.

Published Monday, July 20, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Tenfold Victoria #112: Open Workshop

It's Tuesday again. Tenfold is for builders. You do not need to have everything figured out. But you should be building something: a company, a project, a skill, a prototype, a body of work, a research direction, a creative practice, a future. The energy that makes Tenfold special comes from people showing up with momentum, curiosity and a willingness to contribute. If you want to "see what's out there" this is not for you. The magic is showing up with work of your own, sharing and helping others bring their ideas to life. Back to the lab. Agenda • 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: Updates & Intros • 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.: Chill Co-Working / Build Time • 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.: Demos, Feedback, Wrap-Up Important: arrive curious, ambitious, open-minded and ready to contribute. Always.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Shipaton: Victoria Edition

An in-person kickoff for Shipaton, RevenueCat's global hackathon where builders ship a brand-new mobile app to the app stores across August and September. This Victoria edition is one of the official local meetups, built around meeting other Island developers: brainstorming app ideas, finding potential teammates, sharing works in progress for feedback, and hearing what Shipaton is and how to enter. It is pitched wide, with indie engineers, designers, growth people, students, first-timers, and anyone poking at the latest app-building tools all welcome, and you do not need a finished idea, a team, or any prior experience to turn up. Food and refreshments are provided.

Published Tuesday, July 21, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Geeky Girls Patio Party 2026

Island Women in Science and Technology (iWIST) marks its 15th year with its annual summer social on the patio at Bill Mattick's Restaurant, at Cordova Bay Golf Course. The evening celebrates the season and the year ahead, and it is where iWIST announces three scholarships for women in STEM, funded alongside Redbrick and Shift Technologies. Tickets include appetizers, two drinks, and prize draws, with a waitlist by email at [email protected] if the night sells out. iWIST has connected women and allies across Vancouver Island's science and technology community since 2011.

Published Tuesday, July 21, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Cowichan Valley

Summer isn't over yet, but it's a great time to reconnect. Join us on August 12th for another OpenHack Cowichan Valley meetup. Whether you've been shipping code, tinkering with a homelab, experimenting with AI, building a side project, or simply enjoying the Cowichan Valley sunshine, come spend an evening with fellow tech enthusiasts. What to expect: 💻 Share what you've been building, learning, or exploring 💡 Swap ideas, solve problems, and discover new tools and technologies 🤝 Meet local developers, IT professionals, makers, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone with a passion for technology ☕ Light refreshments and casual conversation With September just around the corner, it's also a great opportunity to reconnect with the community before conferences, projects, and busy fall schedules ramp up again. Whether this is your first OpenHack or you've been coming for years, we'd love to see you. Please RSVP if you're planning to attend. #OpenHack #CowichanValley #TechCommunity #SoftwareDevelopment #CyberSecurity #AI #Networking We meet at 6:00 pm at Craig Street Pub in Duncan on the top floor. Bring a laptop, bring a notebook, we don't care, just come hang out!

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

VIATEC AI Meetup: Business Track

A lunchtime VIATEC Business Track session on what AI actually means inside schools. Speaker Peter Scott, a Vancouver Island AI-and-education speaker who teaches AI courses at UVic and SFU and is billed as founder of the Centre for AI in Canadian Learning, walks through the top issues in secondary education: homework, the risks and benefits of AI for learning and retention, and where it leaves career paths for students. Aimed at parents, educators, and employers trying to make sense of it. Hosted by VIATEC's Robert Cooper at Fort Tectoria. Free to attend.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Data & Beer - Spring >> Summer Social

A laid-back social for data enthusiasts, whether you are a seasoned pro or just data-curious. No agenda and no presentations: grab a drink, alcoholic or not, and settle in for good company and great conversation with folks who get your love of data.

Published Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Camosun Computer Science Capstone Symposium

Graduating students from Camosun's Interactive Media Developer and Information and Computer Systems programs demo the capstone projects they spent the year building: custom software, original games, augmented reality, animation, business solutions, and training simulations, all built by student teams. You can walk the floor, try the work, and ask the people who built it how it holds together. Open to the public, so it suits employers hiring junior developers, prospective students, and anyone curious about what comes out of the programs. Complimentary burgers and hot dogs on the patio, and free parking in the P1 lot on Lansdowne Road.

Published Thursday, July 16, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

BBQ & Annual General Meeting

The Victoria Data Society's summer BBQ and Annual General Meeting at the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre picnic shelter. The AGM covers a short review of the past year, upcoming priorities, and board updates, with voting limited to VDS members. Everyone is welcome, and beef and vegetarian burgers, hot dogs, and soft drinks are provided, with lawn games and networking to follow. It is free for VDS members and $10 at the door for non-members.

Published Sunday, July 12, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

AI-Accelerated Rapid Design Sprint

A hands-on rapid design sprint built around a facilitation tool the Victoria Impact Design Collective is prototyping to get teams and stakeholders to alignment quickly. Working in small groups, you gather real user insights, watch AI surface themes in real time, validate the findings together, and rapidly generate solution ideas. The collective says the tool grew out of a workshop it delivered at PMI Vancouver Island's conference. For designers, project managers, researchers, entrepreneurs, facilitators, and the AI-curious; no design or AI experience required.

Published Thursday, July 23, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Alignment on paper and alignment in the room are different things. I wrote about why buy-in beats documentation if you want the longer version.

Cursor Codechella

A one-day hackathon in Victoria for builders, creatives, and thinkers who want to finally ship a project they have always wished existed. It is deliberately not a demo-day hackathon: the focus is on what you tried to build, what broke, and what actually shipped, with hands-on help and expert mentors on site all day. Doors open at 9:00am with keynotes at 9:30, hacking through the day, a hard stop at 5:30pm, mandatory demos at 6:00, and winners announced at 7:30pm. Participation is free with limited space, and prize tracks include Convex and RevenueCat's Shipaton, alongside credits from Cursor, ElevenLabs, Render, Exa, Firecrawl, and Wispr Flow.

Published Sunday, July 12, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

VIATEC AI Meetup: Technology Track

A lunchtime VIATEC Technology Track session on the long, tangled relationship between games and artificial intelligence. Jonathan Schaeffer of Synsira Software Solutions presents "Chips Challenging Champions: The Role of Games in AI R&D": how building programs to beat the best human players was one of AI's original grand challenges, why games are still the field's experimental test bed seventy years in, and how a surprising amount of everyday technology traces back to game research. Schaeffer spent four decades in computing science at the University of Alberta and built Chinook, the checkers program that became the first computer to hold a human world championship in any game. Hosted by Steve Harris at Fort Tectoria; coffee and tea served, with lunch available from the Fort Cafe on site. Doors at 11:30, talks begin at noon.

Published Tuesday, July 21, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Vancouver Microsoft 365 Summit 2026

Western Canada's Microsoft 365 Summit returns for its second edition, a full day of keynotes, breakout sessions and panels built around AI, Copilot and the Microsoft 365 platform. The programme runs three parallel tracks: Security, Compliance and Cloud; Modern Work, AI and Automation; and Business Applications and Innovation, with more than twenty speakers drawn from Microsoft, the MVP community and local partners. It is aimed at IT leaders, business decision-makers, and the Microsoft partners and vendors who build on the stack. Two optional add-ons bookend the main day, sold together as one separate VIP ticket: • Welcome Networking Dinner, the evening before, on Tuesday, September 2. • Post-Event Executive Breakfast, the morning after, on Friday, September 4.

Published Wednesday, July 22, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

If the Copilot sessions land for you, here is the other half of the story from my own workshops: most teams have never opened the AI they already pay for.

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

OpenHack Victoria

OpenHack Victoria meets every Tuesday evening at 6pm at the James Joyce Bistro inside Peacock Billiards, 1175 Douglas Street, with introductions at 6:15pm. Attendees bring their own laptops and work on whatever they like: open source, closed source, side projects, or paid work, with all experience levels and technologies welcome. Food and drinks are available from the restaurant but not provided, and the group is sponsored by Super Good and coordinated through its Discord.

Published Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Swans Pub Networking - September

PMI Vancouver Island's networking evening at Swans Pub, a recurring fixture for the project management community on the Island. Turn up, meet people who run projects for a living, and talk about what is actually working. Admission includes appetizers, and the evening carries 2 PDUs under Power Skills. Members, non-members and students are all welcome.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Victoria Tech Week

A decentralized, city-wide innovation showcase with multiple events daily across Greater Victoria, inspired by Boulder Startup Week, Seattle Tech Week, and NY Tech Week. Local companies open their own doors for workshops, AI panels, mixers, and behind-the-scenes looks at the Island's tech ecosystem, and anyone can submit an event to host.

Published Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Discover Rainhouse's 2026 Open House

Rainhouse opens its doors for facility tours, live CNC and advanced-manufacturing demonstrations, and a chance to meet the team. Open to customers, industry partners, students, and the curious public to see how ideas become finished products.

Published Monday, July 13, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

VIATEC Annual General Meeting & Call for Nominations

VIATEC's Annual General Meeting in the Fort Tectoria conference room. Casual networking runs from 4:30 p.m., the AGM starts at 5:00 p.m. sharp with the year in review and the newly elected board, then networking until 7:00 p.m. Board nominations are open until September 2, 2026, and member voting for the seven open board seats happens online via SmartBallot beforehand.

Published Thursday, July 16, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

BSidesVI

The 2026 edition of Vancouver Island's community-driven security conference, part of the global Security BSides movement. A friendly, interactive all-day event of talks, workshops, and villages for security professionals, enthusiasts, and the security-curious at every level.

Published Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

CDM Summit Fraser Valley 2026

CDM Summit (the Canadian Digital Marketing Summit) returns to the Fraser Valley for a one-day marketing conference at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Surrey campus. It gathers marketers, business owners, creators, and agency leaders from across British Columbia for practical sessions on AI, paid media, content, SEO, social, analytics, and growth. The 2026 lineup includes Patrick Suquet (TikTok Canada), Michelle Blaho-Melo (Wealthsimple), Wahiba Chair, Melissa Rodgers (Fora Consulting), Neel Singh and Mark Funston (Tropoly), and Alejandro Arango Gomez (TURBO), with AMA tables and networking built into the day.

Published Monday, July 20, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

TEDxVictoria 2026 | Uncharted

TEDxVictoria returns with the theme Uncharted: where the map ends, ideas begin. A full day of inspiring speakers, community organizations, and passionate locals sharing ideas worth spreading, asking us to embrace the unknown and chart a course into a bold new future.

Published Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

ProjectWorld*BusinessAnalystWorld Vancouver 2026

A four-day conference for project managers and business analysts at the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Vancouver, built as two symposium days of keynotes and concurrent sessions plus two days of full-day hands-on workshops. Passes are sold by the day, so the symposium, the workshops, or a combination are all separate options. Sessions earn PDUs and CDUs toward PMI and IIBA certification renewal, and registration includes breakfast, snack breaks and lunch. The 2026 advisory board is drawn from BC organizations including Translink, WorkSafe BC, BC Pension Corporation, BCIT, UBC Sauder, UVic's Gustavson School of Business, Lululemon and Intact Financial. Keynotes, speakers and the session program are posted on the conference site as they are confirmed.

Published Friday, July 24, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Big Data & Analytics West Summit 2026

Strategy Institute's two-day Big Data & Analytics West Summit brings enterprise data, analytics, and AI leaders from across Western Canada together at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. The programme runs keynotes, C-suite panels, and technical case studies on operationalising AI, modernising data foundations, and turning real-time data into business decisions, with speakers drawn from financial services, healthcare, retail, government, energy, and technology. It runs in a hybrid format, so you can attend in person or online.

Published Wednesday, July 22, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Everything on this agenda eventually runs into the same wall: the technology works, and the value stalls on adoption. I wrote about building an AI adoption plan your team will actually follow.

PMWest 2026: Project Management Conference

PMWest is the PMI Canadian West Coast Chapter's annual conference, two days at the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building under the theme Engage. Connect. Thrive. The published agenda gives each day an opening and closing general session, breakout and curated sessions, expert-led workshops, community sessions and networking meals, with a Connection Hub on day one and a Career and Growth Hub with employers hiring project talent on day two. Day one ends with PM Night and the Project of the Year award, day two with the mentorship graduation and a closing reception. Passes cover both days or a single day, and sessions carry PDUs toward PMP or CAPM renewal. Speakers and session titles had not been announced when this was listed.

Published Friday, July 24, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

The programme puts the human side of delivery next to an AI-enabled future, which is the argument I keep making about adoption: the technology is rarely the hard part.

Prompt Victoria | From Disruption to Direction

Vancouver Island's conference on practical AI for business and professionals returns for year two with an expanded three-track program at the Victoria Conference Centre. The 2025 debut sold out at 350 attendees with 28 speakers across two tracks. Presented by VIATEC and co-organized with the Victoria Data Society, PlusROI Online Marketing, and AI4Enterprise: practical learning, honest conversation, and real connections.

Published Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Swans Pub Networking - November

PMI Vancouver Island's networking evening at Swans Pub, a recurring fixture for the project management community on the Island. Turn up, meet people who run projects for a living, and talk about what is actually working. Admission includes appetizers, and the evening carries 2 PDUs under Power Skills. Members, non-members and students are all welcome.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Swans Pub Networking - January

PMI Vancouver Island's networking evening at Swans Pub, a recurring fixture for the project management community on the Island. Turn up, meet people who run projects for a living, and talk about what is actually working. Admission includes appetizers, and the evening carries 2 PDUs under Power Skills. Members, non-members and students are all welcome.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn