Dear Regional Council,

 

We the undersigned, as members of the Waterloo Region tech sector, are committed to making the Region a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. The Region is buzzing with tech accelerators and a growing number of tech industry events. Ridesharing, be it the likes of locally based RideCo or Uber, is an essential part of what moves the Region’s tech sector every day and night.

 

Waterloo Region’s tech sector as a global innovation hub has the second highest density of startups in the world and the sector employs more than 30,000 people across nearly 1000 technology companies.

 

There is an exciting new generation of promising entrepreneurs and tech startups who are absolutely determined to build and scale dynamic businesses here at home. But it will mean a greater willingness on the Region’s leadership to recognize and facilitate new ways of doing things.

 

The debate around ridesharing is a perfect example of what’s at stake. Getting it right is crucial. What message would Waterloo Region be sending the world and the next generation of tech entrepreneurs and leaders in the Region, if decisions made by Regional Council meant a future with no ridesharing?

 

At this crucial time in the growth and expansion of the Region’s tech sector, Regional Council needs to send a message that tech and innovation, including RideCo and Uber, have a home in the Region.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sourov De, Managing Partner, Stryve Digital Marketing
Kurtis McBride, CEO, Miovision Technologies
Maulin Gandhi, COO, Tangam Systems
Carol Leaman, CEO, Axonify Inc.
Mike Kirkup, Director, Velocity, University of Waterloo
Steve Currie, VP Strategy, Communitech
Matt Rendall, CEO & Co-Founder, Clearpath Robotics
Corry Flatt, CEO, Bonfire
Hongwei Liu, CEO, MappedIn
Sharron Gilbert, President & CEO, Septimatech Group Inc.
Doug Beynon, CEO, Advanced Chemical Technologies
Peter Sweeney, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Primal Fusion Inc. to KW