Bringing relationships and stories together for new insights
In Kelowna, BC, a curious emergence unfolded over the course of a decade: when local legendary startup Club Penguin was acquired by Disney, it generated a chain reaction of tech talent and start-up growth that eventually led to the Okanagan being a significant hotbed for technology and innovation. As a response to help steward this community of innovation, Accelerate Okanagan arose: a Kelowna-based, locally-focused not-for-profit aiming to support tech-enabled organizations in their growth journeys.
As the landscape had changed over the interceding years, Accelerate Okanagan wanted to better understand the needs facing their community, in order to offer truly relevant services.
To get a sense of these changing realities, Accelerate Okanagan invited Co.school to co-design an engagement plan.
We hosted a series of virtual community-listening conversations, in 1:1, survey and round-table settings, that helped collect stories. It was in these sessions, around the room with stakeholders and community members, that remarkable insight emerged, relationships were kindled, and a sense of purpose began to take shape. This series of engagements would eventually lead to the creation of a clear report offering “Workforce Insights” back to the community, helping AO move forward with their mission in the local community.
What Brea Said
“We had the opportunity to partner with Co.school to help better understand the complex workforce and talent issues that our community was facing. They facilitated multiple conversations with our stakeholders through roundtable discussions and one-on-one conversations. Co.school was able to capture participants' perspectives authentically and distill them into key actionable themes for our team. Co.school was easy to work with, relatable, and delivered on their commitments, we can't wait to work with them again!”
- Brea Lake, CEO, Accelerate Okanagan
