Al Del Degan Hosts Adam Berkan (Kahn Academy) on the LIBI Podcast

Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta.The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.

Al Del Degan I am a proven leader with over twenty-three years of diverse experience designing, delivering, and supporting software and technology projects. I believe in giving back to my community and I enjoy networking and helping to grow Alberta’s innovation ecosystem. Creatively you will find me pursuing my passions of podcasting, photography and wood working along with the occasional round of golf.

Adam Berkan I grew up in Calgary, went to university in Toronto to learn software engineering, and then worked in the US at companies including Microsoft and Google. I spent almost 20 years in California and Washington as a Senior Software Engineer. In 2017 I got fed up with Silicon Valley, and moved back to Calgary. Today I work remotely for Khan Academy, a non-profit with the goal of providing "A free world class education for everybody everywhere". A huge number of my Silicon Valley co-workers have left to live somewhere cheaper. The Covid 19 pandemic has accelerated the effect. These are people who can live anywhere they want, and they want a cheap house, good schools, safe neighborhoods, and access to nature and arts. Calgary has all of those things.

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Show Summary

A senior software engineer, Adam left his childhood home in Calgary to move to Silicon Valley. While there, he worked at Microsoft and Google and enjoyed the experience. Now working remotely for Kahn Academy, Adam is back in Calgary and has some advice for those in Calgary trying to bring the big US companies here. Don't bother, bring the devs and the companies will follow.

Show Quote:

"Just after the tech bubble in the early two thousands Microsoft was one of the few places that was hiring. We were all thankful to have a job."

"Imagine that Google opened an office in Calgary tomorrow, and hired a thousand engineers. That would immediately make Calgary a tech spot. "

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan

System Engineering Sponsor: Kris Chase - PODMaster 2020