Dhiraj Hariramani

Critical to boosting Canada’s AI adoption will be improving education, transparency, trust and collaboration across sectors.  And, according to a recent AI Summit held at Microsoft Canada’s Toronto headquarters, it’s up to Canadian businesses and the government to lead the charge.  To stay competitive and facilitate a rich and varied business landscape, Canada can’t afford to stay on the back foot with AI.   Throughout the first quarter of 2024, just 24.1% of Canadian businesses were using generative AI, and only 7.1% were planning on using it soon.  Technology’s potential for improving efficiency and unlocking innovation marks an incredible opportunity for Canada’s future. It’s now up to us to seize it.   According to Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board, a first port of call is building up public trust and national innovation:  “By showing how AI can be used responsibly within our operations [...], we’re setting an example and building trust with citizens. It’s also essential for us to share success stories from individuals and organizations across Canada. Together, we can demystify AI, demonstrate its benefits, and build public trust in its potential to enhance productivity and improve lives.”   To read more about the summit and real-life success stories of Microsoft partners putting AI to good use, click here: https://lnkd.in/dAW2VyuS   #Technology #Opportunities #CareerDevelopment

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How can AI transform social services and improve the lives of millions? I interviewed Alex Coleman, CIO/ADM of the Children, Youth and Social Services I&IT Cluster and Acting ADM of Business Intelligence and Practice Division, at IBM’s #ThinkToronto. Checkout the full interview to see how Alex sees the role of AI in closing the gap between underprivileged and better-off citizens, enhancing efficiency in areas like call centers and fraud prevention, and even predicting forest fires. He also touches on the critical components of a successful AI strategy: governance, staff training, and change management. Watch the full conversation to discover how AI is shaping the future of public services for Ontario’s 60 million residents. Let's keep putting the Lights On Data. #Ai #Government #IBMCanada

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I'm excited to share highlights from my discussion with Alida Meghji at Microsoft's Digital Government Forum: Accelerating Innovation in the Era of AI in Ottawa. When we bring AI into the picture, it's just as important to think about the people involved as it is to focus on the technology itself. We explored how placing humans at the heart of AI adoption can lead to remarkable transformation. Key points included the need for a supportive culture, emphasis on DEI, and strategic alignment with organizational goals. We also stressed the importance of training and governance to navigate AI integration successfully. Let's unite to unlock AI's potential and foster an inclusive future of innovation. #AIConference #GenerativeAI #FutureOfWork #Collaboration

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How do you unlock the value with AI? I recently had the opportunity to attend IBM's event on this very topic. Checkout my highlight reel:   💡 Inspiring kickoff from Deb Pimentel, President of #IBMCanada 💡 Key sessions on how IBM's AI stack could propel businesses ahead of the competition 💡 Expert panel with representatives from Sun Life, Bell, and SAP who shared how they are using Gen AI  💡 Demo stations on AI, application modernization, digital labor, and improving customer experiences. 💡 And of course the social + LOTS of networking & interviews   Oh and I also managed to get 10/10 on the "is this AI generated or not" game. It wasn't that easy - a bit of luck was definitely involved.    Looking forward to attending the next one. Until then, let's keep putting the LightsOnData. #data #AI #lightsondata

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What a great Global Energy Show Canada, IBM and Bow River Solutions Inc. It was a great experience!! Thank you!!! IBM is making significant strides in sustainability, championing efforts to create a greener future. The tech giant has integrated sustainability into its core strategy, leveraging its advanced technology and innovation capabilities. IBM's commitment to reducing its environmental footprint is evident through initiatives like achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reducing energy consumption across its global operations. One of IBM’s standout contributions is its development of AI and blockchain solutions to tackle climate change. These technologies help organizations optimize resources, enhance supply chain transparency, and reduce waste. IBM's Environmental Intelligence Suite, for instance, uses AI to monitor environmental risks, enabling businesses to respond proactively. Moreover, IBM is dedicated to fostering a culture of sustainability among its employees and partners. Through educational programs and collaborative projects, the company encourages sustainable practices at all levels. IBM's holistic approach to sustainability not only benefits the environment but also sets a standard for corporate responsibility in the tech industry.

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Business leaders often tell us that hiring fresh talent is one of their biggest strategies to stay ahead of the curve.   At the University of Waterloo, we provide a pipeline of future-ready talent. Our co-op students are the type to ask questions that lead to new solutions and push teams to think outside the box.   📅  Don’t miss our webinar to learn how you can leverage this future-ready talent pool for your business advantage: https://lnkd.in/g_P8is6y   🔄 Share your experiences with hiring University of Waterloo co-op students in the comments below. Employers, your stories could inspire others!   #UWaterlooCoop #TechTalent #Innovation #FutureLeaders #Webinar

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After a major crunch at the end of the semester, it’s great to be able to catch up on all the news I missed. One of the most interesting things I missed was Canada’s intention to invest heavily in AI development. It appears that they want to earmark $2.4 billion for things like business investment, safety, and research. I think it’s a good plan, and it would be improved by some clear investment in procurement of the commodity of AI chips. #AI #investment #government

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🚀 Day 7/10 of University of Waterloo's MDEI Design Sprint ✅ Vote! Help us reach Day 8! We're elevating CIBC's digital banking product through prototyping and feedback, today was all about refinement: ✅ Prototype Updates: Implemented 100% of our priority 1 features, out of 20 potential enhancements identified in our feedback session yesterday. Thankfully a prioritization matrix helped to decide which features to develop. ✅ Usability Testing: Iteration is key! We've refined our usability testing approach with a new set of questions. We booked a session with our industry mentors (Himanshi Sharma and Lyndon Pan) to kick-off our moderated usability tests. *My takeaways: The power of iterative feedback and rapid prototyping is undeniable in shaping a compelling product strategy. 🛠 Tools of the Trade: Utilizing Asana, I kept our project on track and facilitated a productive team roundtable. In Figma, I refined 3 screens, integrating team feedback and enhancing user interaction. Below is the trophy case screen we've updated - let us know which design you prefer! ⏭ What’s Coming on Day 8? Conduct a minimum of 6 moderated usability testing sessions and synthesize the findings. Stay tuned for more updates from the team! 🙌 Shout out to Andre De Jesus, Elijah Robert, Megan Dufton, Mukul Trikha, and Samaia Aidroos for the prompt turnaround on all deliverables over the last 24 hours. #DesignSprint #Innovation #UsabilityTesting #Prototyping #CareerOpportunities #ProductManagement #EarlyTalent #Careers #ProductStrategy

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Thrilled to chat with Rob Dunlap, Partner at IBM Canada, about unlocking AI's potential. We dived into IBM’s GenStack and how it’s reshaping businesses with AI. Key Takeaways: 💡 Leveraging Gen AI for Immediate Impact 💡 Ethical & Transparent AI Deployment 💡 AI & Business Viability Check-out the full episode for a glimpse into the future of AI. #watsonx #IBMPartnership #IBMCanada

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Here's an informative webinar from the Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition on the state of Canada's nonprofit #data ecosystem. It includes insights into how digital transformation and #AI are transforming the sector.

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🚀 Day 6/10 of University of Waterloo's MDEI Design Sprint ✅  In the quest to redefine digital self-service at CIBC, today's focus was on synthesis and strategy! We honed in on what makes an app not just functional, but engaging. 🎯 Day 6 Highlights: ✅ Presented our vision: I kicked off our presentation to our industry mentor Lyndon Pan, framing our problem statement and showcasing our proposed solution. ✅ Analyzed feedback: Leveraging Overlap Associates feedback grid, I prompted a structured approach to our design critique. ✅ Prioritized features: We received 20+ potential callouts! I utilized an impact/effort matrix* from Nielsen Norman Group to evaluate and prioritize features, streamlining our development focus. ✅ Design refinement: With many potential updates, I jumped into Figma myself to apply some of our user insights, refreshing our badge and progress tree designs for a more intuitive user experience. *Key Learning: Every piece of feedback is a golden nugget that's bringing us closer to a product that's as delightful to use as it is to look at 🎨 But we need to focus on what's going to make the most meaningful impact to users... while being mindful of the effort it's going to require. Desirability. Viability. Feasibility. ⏭ Next Steps for Day 7: - Iterating our prototype with newly integrated feedback - Refining our user testing plan to validate our updated design The journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and I'm here for every step of it along with my all star team: Andre De Jesus, Elijah Robert, Megan Dufton, Mukul Trikha, and Samaia Aidroos. Let’s bring on Day 7! #DesignSprint #DigitalBanking #UserExperience #Gamification #FinTech #ProductManagement #Career

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Had the pleasure of speaking with Claire Brownell at The Logic about three of my favorite topics: FinTech startups, nonbank lending, and credit risk. Happy to share my insights about potential risks mounting in the Fintech lending space. If you’re not familiar, The Logic is a relatively young (2018) Canadian online news outlet covering business and technology. Really great piece of old school reporting by Claire diving into Canadian FinTech companies’ financial statements to better understand how they are accounting for credit losses. Check it out ⬇️ #fintech #creditrisk #lending

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What Does It Take to Be a Champion? 🏆 Yesterday, it has been a great pleasure to hear Jay McNeil, MBA, President of the Calgary Stampeder Football Club, deliver an incredibly motivating speech about what it truly takes to be a champion. Whether it’s in business, sports, or life, the qualities he shared are universal to achieving greatness. Here are the five elements to forge a champion : 1️⃣ Hard Work: Champions aren’t born they’re built through relentless effort and dedication. Success requires putting in the hours, making sacrifices, and never cutting corners 2️⃣ Perseverance: Setbacks and failures are part of the journey, but champions keep going. They see challenges as opportunities to grow, bouncing back stronger every time 3️⃣ Teamwork: No champion succeeds alone. It’s about lifting up those around you, trusting your teammates, and working together toward a shared goal. True greatness is always a collective effort 4️⃣ Leadership: Champions inspire others, not just with their performance but with their vision and ability to lead by example. They know how to rally a team and bring out the best in everyone 5️⃣ Passion: At the core of every champion is an unshakable love for what they do. Passion fuels the drive to keep going, to keep improving, and to strive for excellence no matter the odds Jay’s words reminded me that being a champion isn’t just about winning trophies it’s about embodying these qualities every single day, in every area of your life Thank you Airdrie Economic Development Airdrie Regional Chamber of Commerce City of Airdrie for organizing such an energizing event. Peter Brown Tom Brady #HardWork #Teamwork #Leadership #Perseverance #Passion #Sport #Winning

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Last year, I could not attend Collision Conf. This year, Tehmina A Chaudhry made sure I do. (You know why?) Since the launch of Canada Startup Association, Tehmina and I have interacted with zillions of startup ecosystem players in Canada and in other countries. We learned that the biggest challenge for startup founders is "Inability to meet enough right people". Events like Collision and platforms like Canada Startup Association provide that opportunity. I will be at Booth E108 at Collision on 19 June. Starting around noon, would love to meet anyone who is around. CSA will be signing MoU with Genetec Solutions. Genetech is a leading USA-based technology company. Our strategic partnership with them will be transformational in many ways (I wont tell you everything here - So visit booth E180 to learn more. Thanks to CSA President Tehmina Chaudhry for driving me crazy ;) - In a nicer way Would love to meet amazing Shamim Rajani, A tech lady and Co-Founder of Genetech. Lets meet to discuss possibilities for collaboration. Comment below if you are there tomorrow. #Collision #Collisionconference #Collision2024

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Every participant, like myself, who attended last weeks Productivity Summit organized by The School of Public Policy needs to read Senator Colin Deacon' s report and Kyle Briggs commentary on it. The consistent theme from every speaker and session at the Summit was Canada desperately needs innovation and competition in every domain to grow productivity, and successfully launching startups is key to delivering both. This post, and Senator Deacon's report, clearly document why Canada's startups struggle, and resolving these issues has to be first order of business if Canada is to make any progress on productivity.

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Interestingly, I often get this question from friends, especially outside Atlantic Canada: "What's the tech environment like in Atlantic Canada? Are there opportunities? What startups are thriving? How many incubators are there? Are there investors and investments in tech? What kind of tech careers can flourish?" and several others. While I could have just said, "Google it," I realized I had similar questions when I first stepped into the region almost three years ago. In fact, I still do. My curiosity, plus my research instincts, kicked in. So, I am embarking on an adventure to uncover the tech landscape in the Atlantic Region. If, like me, you've been wondering about this too, you're in the right place! Over the next few weeks, I'll attempt to unpack the vibrant tech scene in Atlantic Canada. Here’s what you can expect: -  the startups making waves in our region - the thriving tech incubators and accelerators - the diverse and exciting tech career opportunities. - my favourite: tech memes 😀 ...and many more. So watch out and follow my subsequent posts. As we journey through the beautiful tech landscape in the Atlantic region. Trust me; it's going to be fun and educational. Don't forget to connect with me here and, most importantly, share this with anyone who might find it helpful. #techatlantic #techcanada #tech

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