Our series profiling CVCA’s new members continues, providing insight into the organizations in our community.
We’re thrilled to profile a new CVCA member, Calgary Economic Development.
Calgary is one of North America’s most competitive places to build and scale a company. The city’s strategic investments in key industries are fueling economic growth, creating jobs, and creating new opportunities for investors and founders at the forefront of innovation.
Tell us about Calgary Economic Development (CED).
As Calgary’s economic development agency, CED’s mandate is to expand, retain and attract companies, people and capital to deliver long-term prosperity for the city. Our mission is to make Calgary the city of choice for big thinkers and entrepreneurs.
To help businesses thrive in Calgary, the CED team offers services that include:
- Investment attraction and trade missions
- Investor programming
- Ecosystem pathfinding
- Real estate support
- Talent connections
- Trade and export support
- Storytelling and promotion
What is CED’s focus?
As a business-friendly city with an increasingly diversified economy, Calgary provides investors with opportunities across varied industries. CED’s ten industries of focus are where the city already has momentum, talent and global potential.
Among Calgary’s key industries is enterprise technology — an area where the city sees significant investment, driven primarily through the subsectors of quantum computing, B2B SaaS, and industrial AI and high-computing technology.
The full listing of Calgary’s key industries includes:
- Aerospace: Fueled by applied R&D, aerospace components and parts manufacturing, MRO and unmanned systems.
- Agribusiness: Rooted in arable land, sector expertise, infrastructure and agtech solutions.
- Defence: Anchored by cross-sector innovation, testing and lab environments, and a deep pool of STEM and industrial talent.
- Digital and creative: Bringing interactive entertainment to life through gaming, esports, animation, immersive technologies and visual effects.
- Energy and environment: Combining traditional energy expertise with cleantech innovation to build a low-carbon future.
- Film and television: Offering productions unparalleled locations, skilled crews, competitive financial incentives, predictably sunny skies and concierge support.
- Financial services: Spanning paytech, blockchain, proptech, crypto, challenger banks, wealthtech, insurtech, regtech, crowdfunding and more.
- Life sciences: Formulating innovative health solutions through world-class research, clinical care and commercialization.
- Technology: Scaling companies to unicorn-status through a dynamic ecosystem of accelerators, incubators, grants and incentives, and skilled talent.
- Transportation and logistics: Connecting with millions of local and international customers via road, rail and air.
Who are the key people at CED?
Brad Parry: President and Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF)
- Through his strategic leadership of both CED and OCIF teams, Brad advances economic growth and diversification in Calgary. Backed by consulting expertise, investment management acumen and a reputation for getting things done, Brad is at the heart of unlocking opportunities for Calgary’s long-term prosperity.
- Connect with Brad on LinkedIn
Chelsea Hallick: Director, Business Development, Calgary Economic Development
- Chelsea works with business, government and community partners to position Calgary as a location of choice to invest and do business. She is focused on supporting the growth of Calgary’s innovation ecosystem, and has led the attraction and expansion of over 30 tech companies — translating to approximately 3,000 new jobs and $950 million investment dollars in Calgary.
Crystal Phillips: Senior Director, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund
- Crystal leads strategic investments that strengthen Calgary’s economic future. She is passionate about leveraging philanthropic, institutional and private capital to support innovation, accelerate diversification and create lasting community impact.
- Connect with Crystal and the OCIF team via email
What is CED excited about?
CED is excited about the momentum that continues to build in Calgary, particularly for innovation-led growth. In Calgary’s Innovation Strategy, we’ve laid out an ambitious roadmap to establish Calgary as the innovation capital of Canada. The strategy aligns entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and industry around sectors where Calgary has the greatest opportunity to lead.
A critical success factor underpinning the strategy is the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. Established by the City of Calgary in 2018, OCIF enables targeted investments into sector-specific innovation nodes, which create new opportunities for founders, researchers and investors.
