Kennedy Quigley, ’21 MBA

Kennedy Quigley, ’21 MBA, combines her love of, and experience in, the film industry with a love of start-ups (which she discovered during her MBA) in her role as an Impact Producer. Here, Kennedy tells us about her work for Connection Silicon Valley, talks about the importance of networking as an entrepreneur and gives some tips on how to build relationships with your ‘dream networking list.' 

Tell us about your MBA experience at the Alberta School of Business. What are your favourite memories?

One of my favourite MBA memories was working with the Creative Destruction Lab program. That’s when I fell in love with the startup community. As an MBA student, I worked closely with a French company developing technology for insect farmers! I listened to their mentor sessions and worked on special projects to help advance them in the program. Unfortunately, they were voted out after the second round of the program, but I continued working with them. I never expected to learn so much about bugs (haha!) but saw firsthand the crazy inner workings of a startup. Particularly, how drastically a company’s position and focus could change day-to-day. It was thrilling! And that’s the greatest part of an MBA. It offers experiences you could never imagine pursuing. I walked away from the project with newfound confidence in my value and skillset. 

What made you decide to pursue an MBA at the Alberta School of Business?

During my undergrad, I co-founded a film production company called 780 Film. We created corporate commercials for non-profits, community organizations and small businesses. At the time, I knew nothing about filmmaking or business but fell in love with both. I then studied documentary filmmaking and worked as a producer on a few local productions. I always dreamed of being an entrepreneur and knew I needed to learn more about business. My father did an MBA, and I wanted to follow a similar journey. I thought I would use those skills to rejoin the industry, but instead, it set me down a new and exciting path!

Can you tell us about your journey since graduating from university?

I recently became fascinated with the role of “Impact Producing,” an emerging field in the documentary industry that combines creative distribution, community outreach and audience engagement to amplify a film’s reach and prompt social change. In other words… Impact Producers take an important story, with the power to inspire social change, and amplify it on a global stage. 

The MBA helped me discover a similar need in the tech industry. Surprisingly, there are many similarities between working with entrepreneurs and film directors! So, I adopted the title for my current position working with startups. 

As an Impact Producer, I’m interested in: 

• Enabling Canadian founders to build a network in the US market;
• Amplifying startups on a global stage to maximize their reach;  
• Uniting a community of women entrepreneurs across Canada to support peer-to-peer mentorship; 
• And leveraging our connections to help founders raise & close their next fundraising round.

And I still contribute to the film industry. I serve on the board for DOC Alberta, a chapter of the Documentary Organization of Canada. 

Can you tell us about your current job? What kind of work are you doing?

I now work for Connection Silicon Valley (CSV), an organization that helps Canadian companies connect to the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, gain quick, early traction in their business and access global funding sources. One of CSV’s most important initiatives is the Canadian Women’s Network (CWN), a community of 700+ members that supports women founders across Canada with access to our influential network of U.S. investors, mentors and executives. CWN hosts a signature event in San Francisco called Pathway to Silicon Valley , which I help organize! In December, I had the privilege to travel to SF with 25 women entrepreneurs and experience the power of Silicon Valley firsthand.  

In 2021, we acquired Disruption Magazine , a quarterly digital publication about technology. The magazine profiles disruptors in emerging industries and amplifies voices that need to be heard. We’ve covered everything from human-like robots to cryptocurrency to unique apps to medical tech, and much more. I also work on the team to find contributors and distribute content! We have 80K+ subscribers. It’s been amazing to learn about the world of publishing.

In your work connecting Canadian companies to those in Silicon Valley, what have you learned about the two ecosystems and how they can benefit one another?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that it’s never too early to build your network. I think a lot of people hear the term ‘Silicon Valley’ and think it’s unapproachable or unreachable. It could not be more the opposite. The community there is unlike any I’ve seen. It is incredibly welcoming, helpful, generous and energetic. People there are eager to support, find ways to collaborate and have an open mind. Crazy ideas are welcome! Plus, video platforms like Zoom have made the ecosystem even more accessible. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s also tough. You must move fast, and have your business house in order. But, if you’re in tech, you need to know Silicon Valley. Why? It is still very much the centre of innovation. The world comes to Silicon Valley to share its ideas. Investors see 1000 pitch decks a year. If you’re building a global business, Silicon Valley is the place to test your idea against all others. As one founder put it, “she learned more in 48 hours in the valley than a year in Toronto.” That’s why we do what we do. We know networks are everything. If we want more women entrepreneurs to gain access to US capital, we need to help put them on the global stage. 

What advice do you have for Canadian companies that want to build their networks in Silicon Valley?

Relationship building takes time. Use tracking tools to develop and organize your dream networking list. There are a ton of conferences, networking events, and co-working spaces in the valley. Start there, and build connections over time. With so much noise, find ways to be visible. Staying in touch with regular touchpoints like investor updates is key. But, my biggest piece of advice is to find communities like the Canadian Women’s Network of founders following a similar journey. The best tool is crowdsourcing, and finding a community that works for you will help put you ahead.