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 Pete. Pete Macleod is the Community Manager at Change Gamers, a social enterprise based in Kelowna. When Pete isn’t having an earl grey beer at BNA or rocking out to Barenaked Ladies, you can find him on the stage at the Kelowna Actors Studio. We recently caught up with Pete to learn about his role at Change Gamers and what he loves about #OKGNtech.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“I am a big believer in learning. When I was young I boxed competitively. I remember I was doing quite well so my instructors started throwing me in with people who were kicking my ass. Going from always winning to getting your ass kicked is not a great feeling. I told my Dad I did n’t want to do it anymore and he said ‘you’re not going to get better unless you’re up against people better than you’. That is something that has always stuck with me.”
What do you enjoy about your role at Change Gamers?
“At Change Gamers we always joke that we have the best job in the world. It’s so rewarding when kids come in and get excited about the things on the app, or when you see the look of relief on teachers faces, and when a charity is enthusiastic about the children engaging with them… It’s the best. I love being a part of making this happen.” #joblove
What do you love about #OKGNtech?
“My favourite part about our community is that it’s so accessible and the leaders in the community are more than willing to connect.”
What’s it like to work for Change Gamers?
“When Jason pitched the idea for Change Gamers to me I had never made up my mind up about something so quickly. I said yes in my head right away, but of course, I had to play it cool and tell him I’d get back to him”.
“Traditional education has always been about mathematics, English, and social studies, but more and more we’re seeing teachers starting to teach kids soft skills like social responsibility, global citizenship, climate change and kindness. Working on a platform helps with this has been a really rewarding experience”
We saw that you were spotlighted as one of UBC Okanagan’s most progressive students, can you tell us about that?
“During my time at UBCO I was a residence advisor (RA). One of the residences had an entire floor dedicated to students who had a specific interest in international things and the RA on that floor was responsible for connecting internationals and community events. I found that super interesting, so the next year I pitched an expressive arts Integrated Living Community (ILC). It caught on and now all 9 buildings have their own specific ILC. This all resulted in me being spotlighted at one of UBCO’s most progressive students – which was pretty cool”
What do you want to be remembered for?
“I think that if at the end of the day, I will be enormously and immensely satisfied if I know that the world is a slightly better place because of the work that I have dedicated myself to.”
Are you following our new #OKGNtech faces Instagram?
