Hopefully you were one of the 250 people who gathered at McMaster Innovation Park last Thursday night (May 8) for our third annual Big DiF event, but in case you missed it, here’s a quick recap of what happened at the event!
First, the aim of the event is to bring together the Hamilton community (and Hamilton supporters) to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation in our city and recognize our partners and sponsors who help make IF possible.
We also use this as an opportunity to recognize one person who goes above and beyond for the community – an award we call the Mark Chamberlain DiFizen of the Year Award.
This year Carolynn Reid was named the DiFizen of the Year and was recognized for her support of entrepreneurship and innovation in the community.
Anyone who knows Carolynn will tell you she has an extraordinary ability to connect people within the community.
“Her passion for supporting people is amazing. You’ll see her at events large and small helping them navigate and connect within Hamilton’s community,” said David Carter, Innovation Factory’s Executive Director.
Truly reflective of her personality Carolynn took her opportunity at the podium to recognize others who she believes are making a big impact.
“I accept this award on behalf of all the DiFizens in our community – Dale Mugford, Erin O’Neil, Jeremy Freiburger, and many, many more,” she said.
Our Executive Director, David Carter, also encouraged everyone in attendance to get more involved with IF.
“You can all have a significant impact in our community,” said Dave. “Connect with people in the ecosystem; share what is going on in our great city; become a mentor; and learn about innovators across the ecosystem. Each and every person here can help make a difference.”
Another feature of the event was a photo wall showcasing photos of attendees holding whiteboards stating how they are making “The Big DiF” in the community. Check out the photos (and people’s awesome answers) here.
Also photographing our event was Banko Media. Check out their photos here:
Several IF clients were also on hand to showcase their companies, including: AdvanTag (who’s app powered our photo wall!), Blue Orchid, Gojiccino, Pain-QuILT, Roboteurs, Schopf Innovations (maker of the Wedgie), and Weever Apps.
Overall, the event was a huge success and brought together numerous community partners and innovation supporters, offering them a chance to network, socialize, and connect with each other.
A special thank you to our event sponsors, McMaster University and McMaster Innovation Park. Through their very generous contributions we were able to make this event free for attendees.
We would also like to think BizClip for their great video feature on The Big DiF! You can view it here.
We’re already planning our next big event – our annual Innovation Night Showdown on June 26, 2014. We hope to see you there #HamOnt!
