Honoured to attend the AI Gathering @ Elevate held by Google (Sabrina Geremia) and hear...
Ash Srivastava - October 21, 2025
🌟 Honoured to attend the AI Gathering @ Elevate held by Google (Sabrina Geremia) and hear Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade.
Minister Fedeli’s opening remarks were inspiring — a strong reminder of how far Ontario’s tech ecosystem has come and the momentum we’re building together.
Some key takeaways that stood out for me:
🔹 Ontario’s legacy of innovation — from BlackBerry and IMAX to GIS software and the Canadarm.
🔹 A thriving pipeline — over 86,000 STEM graduates annually (with 20,500 more STEM seats recently approved).
🔹 Regional achievements: Ottawa (#1 in North America for tech talent concentration), Waterloo (Top 10, #7 overall), Toronto (#3 ahead of New York), and London (54% tech talent growth).
💡 What excites me most is the government’s investment in the future:
• $107M Critical Technology Fund supporting AI, 5G, blockchain, and quantum innovation
• 18 Regional Innovation Centers like MaRS and Communitech powering startups
• IPON helping founders protect their intellectual property
• $40B invested and 25,711 jobs created last year alone
Moments like these reinforce why I’m passionate about contributing to Ontario’s innovation story and the work we do at GDG Mississauga, IDEA Mississauga. We still have a long way to go but the journey has started 🚀
First shared on LinkedIn.