Meet Sydney Swaine-Simon
Say Hi to Sydney, an alumnus of ours and a Concordian through and through.
Over the years, Sydney has earned two B.Sc. degrees (Psychology and Computer Science) and launched a successful career but he’s not the kind of guy who spends too much time wallowing in the past. For him, it’s all about tomorrow. In fact, if you had to choose a single word to characterize Sydney, it would be innovative. It’s one of the reasons we’re so happy to have him as a workshop trainer at CCE, preparing people to embrace the future, or better yet, build it.
In 2012, Sydney helped co-found District 3, one of Quebec’s largest innovation and
entrepreneurship centers, creating a support system where young innovators can test
their ideas, find support and learn the methodology they need to build a fledgling tech
company. A couple of Sydney’s other projects include a residency program that
provides students with hands-on, experiential learning in emerging technologies such as AI, Haptics and VR; and being the local ambassador for the AI XPRIZE, an international multi-million dollar competition that asks teams to use AI solutions to solve the greatest challenges of our day. He has helped to recruit 12 teams in Montreal with 3 of them currently being in the top 10.
Another way he prepares people for the future is through his one-day workshop called Assessing the Impact of AI. It’s a vital opportunity to learn how artificial intelligence will affect organizations in every way, from hiring and training, through to marketing, operations and day-to-day management. Like the people who attend his workshops, Sydney is a progressive thinker. It’s one of the things he loves most about Concordia: from his first day as a student to his current role as a trainer, he’s felt at home here among the innovators, people who understand that today, you’re either leading the way or you’re falling behind. And that’s one place you’ll probably never find Sydney.
Fun fact: Sydney recently went to North Korea as part of the Choson Exchange, sharing his entrepreneurial expertise with the locals and teaching them how to build tech start-ups.
Register today for Sydney's next Assessing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence workshop scheduled for October 1, 2019.