Focused advocacy for member companies and the Newfoundland and Labrador tech sector, is NATI’s consistent priority throughout this unprecedented period. NATI staff continue to survey and connect with members daily, engage through the Slack member collaboration channel that has been created and update the COVID-19 Response web page at NATI.net. In addition, the Tech CEO Pandemic Task Force was convened last Friday, March 20. The Task Force is comprised of CEOs from local tech companies, together with Board Chair, Craig Rowe and NATI CEO, Paul Preston. The goal of the group is to stay connected with the local tech scene, identify the needs and challenges members are experiencing and collaborate to support the sector during this unsettling time.
“Tremendous generosity has been demonstrated by local CEOs participating on the Tech CEO Pandemic Task Force. They have stepped up to work together for the benefit of the entire sector,” said NATI Board Chair, Craig Rowe. “It speaks volumes about the culture and leadership in our province and is a beacon of positivity during this challenging time.”
As the voice for the NL tech sector, NATI will:
- Continue to advocate for members with funders, and the provincial and federal governments.
- Facilitate communication between member companies to enable the sector to more efficiently work together to identify challenges and possible solutions.
Tech Sector Sharing Resources and Expertise:
One of the new initiatives that NATI is developing is a member Resource Sharing program. While the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting companies across a range of maturity levels and market focuses, some companies are better positioned to withstand short-term disruption. To assist members in managing resources (human resources, equipment or other supports) during the upheaval, NATI is offering to act as a liaison between members and the tech sector to lessen the impact of this disruption. Where possible, NATI will facilitate interactions between companies who wish to temporarily reallocate resources to another technology company in the province. These arrangements would be made in good faith and under the assumption that, after a mutually agreed upon period, all resources will revert to the original company. Another example could be a tech company using their expertise to help other organizations work remotely. For more information, please contact michael@nati.net.
“Staying connected and advocating for member companies will continue to be our top priority,” says NATI CEO, Paul Preston. “Identifying challenges and working together on innovative ways to support our tech sector will help not only the member companies but the community as a whole.”
For more information, please contact:
Marlayne Hardy
marlayne@nati.net
(709) 330-7122
About NATI
The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology and Innovation (NATI) is a not-for-profit industry association that works closely with members, industry and government to help shape policy and advocate for those issues that matter most to members. As the voice of the $1.6 billion technology sector in NL, our mission is to help members grow and scale through our work on talent development, programming, technology advocacy, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships.