In a region that prizes imagination, we often celebrate the spark, the pitch, the early promise, yet the real work begins long after the first idea takes shape. During a conversation with Alacrity Canada’s Director of Operations, Chris Massot, a portrait emerged of an organization that treats innovation less as an act of inspiration and more as a discipline grounded in what industries require. Alacrity Canada supports early-stage and growth-stage companies by giving entrepreneurs access to funding, mentorship, business skill development, networks and more.

Massot spoke about the steady work of listening first, mapping real demand across sectors such as cleantech, defence, export and digital transformation, then building programs that guide founders through the long journey from concept to commercial reality. This edition of Changemakers traces how that approach is helping Greater Victoria move from spark to scale, from potential to prosperity.

Read the full interview here.