A strong community can promote new ideas and ensure accountability. It can also act as motivation, support, and even provide a little friendly competition. The power of community is undeniable and the Okanagan tech community is no exception.

Our community is strong and growing with record speed and maintaining connection through a period of growth like this can be a challenge. Nobody panic, we’ve got a plan.  

Introducing, The Faces of #OKGNtech. A showcase of Okanagan tech entrepreneurs, partners, supporters, and cheerleaders designed to fuel more connection, more growth, and more excitement. Follow along (on the blog and on Instagram @OKGNtech) to learn more about our growing community and what makes them awesome.

Meet Michael (@mratch on Twitter). Michael oversees operations at the Hyper Hippo game studio here in Kelowna. [Editor’s note: if you get to build games at work are you really working or playing?]. We recently caught up with Michael to learn more about his role at Hyper Hippo and what he loves about #OKGNtech. 

What do you love about #OKGNtech?

“I love how much potential there is here in the Okanagan. It’s just so exciting to be involved in a community that is supportive, successful, and collaborative. What we see today is just the beginning of where it’s going to go.”

Whats something people don’t know about you?

“I went to University in Kamloops and during the summers I was a tree planter. I really enjoyed it because  the pay was based on how hard you worked and how productive you could be. Getting paid per tree means how much you get paid is really up to you.”

Who inspires you? 

“I get inspired by serial entrepreneurs. I am blown away by the knowledge that they share and how they’ve been able to navigate challenging and difficult times.” [Editor’s note: Also looking to get inspired by serial entrepreneurs? Keep your eyes open for next Entrepreneurs Unplugged happening in May]

What do you enjoy about your role at Hyper Hippo? 

 “I have a very ‘can do’ attitude. My role at Hyper Hippo challenges me and even in life and I am always trying to keep things moving forward. Figuring out solutions, learning new ways to do things and adapting – I believe that we can figure out anything as long as we want it bad enough.”

What’ the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 

 “Driving change in an organization can be tough. An old manager of mine gave me some great advice around being a champion for change. He said, that if you push too hard, you can break it, so take it slow. I have always remembered that”

If you had to pick a video game character to be the rest of your life who would you be?

 “If I had to live the rest of my life as one video game character, it would be Link from Zelda.”

 What’s the best piece of advice you can give us? 

“We often hear the expression ‘fail faster’ but that doesn’t always resonate with some people. When I need to tackle a big challenge I like to remind myself that there are no failures, just unexpected outcomes.”

Connect with Michael. Learn more about Hyper Hippo. Hungry for more? Meet Phil. 

Are you following our new #OKGNtech faces Instagram?