As a newcomer to Kamloops from Vancouver six years ago, Stefanie Butland made Kamloops Innovation her first stop.
“When we were in Vancouver, I was aware of KIC and followed them on Twitter. From a whole other city, I had the sense of community and the people here.”
Stefanie knew the move to Kamloops would also mean she would be a remote worker and finding a motivating space to be in would be key to making the transition. She was leaving a full-time position at UBC as a Project Coordinator in Life Sciences division and found the energy of the coworking space provided exactly what she needed.
“I had no community in Kamloops, so this was my new home.”
“The same thing that drew me here is what keeps me here. This is the hub I come to, and other people come to for information, convening, and remote working. It’s all about the people and learning what they’re doing and making connections. We all have different jobs but there are commonalities with everyone.”
Stefanie notes the diversity of backgrounds and professions adds a richness to the conversations as the space allows conversations and dialogue with like-minded people with varying viewpoints.
Stefanie has a Master’s in Biology from York University and worked as a research scientist for 20 years before moving into project management at UBC where she connected people and helped them recognize the value they can bring to a project. For the last five years she has worked her dream job as a community manager for rOpenSci.
When she’s not at work she’s often out riding her Kawasaki KLX 140L.
“I identify strongly with the connections between learning to ride my dirt bike better, learning R (open-source programming language), GitHub, and tech stuff. They all require extreme focus—it’s the learning challenge I love.”
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