Thank You 2015
2015 was an amazing year and I would like to start this post by thanking everyone who has helped me get to where I am today: the community at Volta Labs, Fountain Academy, my friends, mentors, colleagues and family, my cofounder Aristides Milios and especially my company director and mother, Jane Gillis.
Entering 2015, I truly had no idea what to expect. Having a foundation in the Halifax startup community I had made many connections, had founded a company and was looking to give back and find support amongst my peers. In January, sitting down with Melody Pardoe, executive director of Volta Labs and Aristides Milios, co-founder of Bitness, we formulated a plan for an organization that would soon become Hoist Halifax. Hoist’s mission is to provide monthly workshops as well as a safe, creative and collaborative space for teens interested in technology, business and design. Since our first event in early 2015, Hoist has influenced and inspired nearly 100 young minds, promoted careers in STEM fields and resulted in incredible projects and ideas from our passionate members. Crucial to Hoist’s success has been the mentorship provided by local volunteer experts, providing informative tutorials and one-on-one assistance to our members’ projects at every step of the way. If you’re a teen and reading this, I encourage you to sign up for our free game design workshop on January 16th , 2016 at hoisthalifax.com.
Over the summer I had the opportunity to participate in Propel ICT’s Launch accelerator program where I had unlimited access to Atlantic Canada’s best mentors and a strong connection to their alumni network. During the three months, Aristides and I refined Bitness, our product offering and launched pilot trials across Atlantic Canada in order to receive crucial feedback for our product development. At the conclusion of the program, we were invited as one of two Nova Scotian Launch stage companies to present at the Atlantic Propel ICT in Moncton, New Brunswick. This presentation placed us in front of 300 people on location and an additional 1000 people who watched online. Propel ICT’s focus on commitment and accountability throughout the entirety of their accelerator program taught me about not only being realistic and honest about your ambitions to your colleagues but more importantly, to yourself.
The theme of mentorship continued through to my high school life at Fountain Academy with the introduction of the experiential learning program. This grade 12 course enables students to gain real world experience in a field of their choice by working with a mentor for the entirety of the school year. Through weekly checkins and bi-monthly assessments, I have been working with my mentor and friend, Patrick Hankinson, to shape Bitness as a company. Patrick brings an interesting and informative perspective to each question I ask or idea I bounce off of him through his past startup successes. Patrick had also started at age 14 by building video games out of his highschool dorm room and understands the work/school/life balance that I am facing now. Mentorship is something that can’t be taught in the classroom and I would like to acknowledge my principal, Robert Marchand, for spearheading this course into the Fountain Academy curriculum. Although I am only one of four students participating in the course this year, I hope that many more will pursue the course in years to come and even consider attending my school to participate in this new era of self-directed education.
Validation of my diligence came in October when I learned that I had been named Atlantic Canada’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2015 as awarded by Startup Canada, a powerful Canada-wide organization promoting entrepreneurship and the official voice of Canadian entrepreneurs on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. I was honoured to receive this award and believe that I have made it this far thanks to my Halifax-based network of mentors and peers. In late November, shortly after presenting Bitness to the grade 11 business and management class at school, I received a phone call informing me that I had been named the national winner of Startup Canada’s national award and was officially named Canada’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Speechless, I accepted the invitation to attend the December 1st CN Tower award reception. Absolutely astonished to have received this title, I realized just how much I would like to see others my age who are building something great and will be put forward for this honour along with many other opportunities. Organizations such as Startup Canada will become keystones to Canada’s future as they’re promoting a sustainable, connected and celebrated ecosystem of entrepreneurship.
I’m very excited for what’s next — I have two big announcements to ring in the new year. I have been named as one of three Nova Scotian finalists for the Loran Scholarship, a Canadian scholarship seeking students who show great character, commitment to service in their community and leadership potential. I will be traveling as one of eighty national finalists to Toronto in early February for Loran Foundation’s national selection where 30 talented students will receieve this amazing scholarship opportunity. A long time coming has been my pitch for Bitness on CBC Dragons’ Den’s Next Gen Den which has an official air date of February 10th, 2016 — I would be delighted if you watch how it all went down in the den.
2015 was filled with mentorship, learning and personal growth. I hope to continue these experiences through to 2016 and fly higher through what exciting opportunities may come.
Welcome to 2016 — where opportunity takes priority.
Happy New Years!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
Alex Gillis
17 Year Old Canadian Entrepreneur
Founder at Bitness.io & Hoist Halifax
