What does it mean to be community-first in a tech ecosystem?
In this episode, we check in with Communitech CEO Sheldon McCormick to reflect on his first five (LinkedIn says six!) months on the job and look ahead to what’s next. From AI adoption to KW Oktoberfest lederhosen, we talk about building momentum, reconnecting the region’s tech community, and why Sheldon believes the “return to office” is critical for Communitech’s mission.
We also explore:
Communitech’s shift back to its original community-first ethos
How AI adoption and “AI-native” thinking are reshaping how orgs operate
The importance of global networks, not just local ecosystems
The vision for increasing activation across 10% of the region’s tech workforce
And yes, there’s hummus, lederhosen, and festhallen talk too.
01:47 – Oktoberfest plans and lederhosen commitments
03:08 – Community events and hosting techtoberfest
04:11 – Hosting OpenAI’s Salman Chowdhury in Waterloo
06:17 – Nabil’s hummus, persistence, and bringing global talent here
07:11 – Building network effects vs stopping “brain drain”
08:29 – Why Communitech is thinking in terms of network, not just ecosystem
09:10 – Making Waterloo globally competitive without becoming an island
10:24 – What keeps Sheldon up at night (spoiler: the tension between urgency and commitments)
11:49 – Why “Community in Tech” starts with what’s in the name
13:05 – Reconnecting the community post-COVID
14:07 – AI is top of mind for everyone—from startups to HR leaders
14:54 – How Communitech is adopting AI (and learning from members)
17:01 – First step: documenting processes and aligning on outcomes
17:56 – Internal adoption of AI to reduce “cost per member served”
18:22 – Why Communitech is going back to a full-time in-office model
19:52 – Is return-to-office a model for other tech orgs?
21:54 – Being out in the community vs just being at your desk
23:35 – Reframing Communitech as a movement, not just an address
24:46 – Looking ahead: what success could look like in 6 months
25:28 – Defining goals: 10% tech worker activation, late-stage founder mentorship
28:37 – Using AI for podcast production (and why timestamps matter!)
