Colibri Leveling The Playing Field For Rural Businesses
November 22nd, 2013
Colibri Software is keeping young computer science graduates in the Annapolis Valley while leveling the playing field for rural businesses.
The Wolfville firm marked its third anniversary recently with a celebration for its seven-member staff, clients and local businesses at Acadia University.
Owner John Read works closely with many of Acadia’s resources and Colibri has worked on a number of projects with faculty.
“Acadia’s Computer Science Co-op program has formed the cornerstone of recruitment for Colibri, helping John build his business, while accelerating student learning through hands-on experiences not available in the traditional classroom,” said Michelle Larsen, co-op education co-ordinator for Computer Sciences at Acadia.
“It’s been a win-win partnership for everyone involved.” Colibri has employed 15 Acadia students over the past three years.
Read’s vision for Colibri involves rural communities having access to high-quality software development and applications in order to create a level playing field for small, Nova Scotian businesses.
“We launched a company that would not compromise high quality software development,” he explained.
“Like any entrepreneur, I looked at the market needs and the resources available and decided that Wolfville and Acadia University presented great opportunities.”
Colibri’s primary clients are within the wine, agricultural and tourism sectors, but with the Strollopia mobile app, the company is well-positioned to serve a larger client base.
Read moved his family to Kings County from Boulder, Colorado because it offered the lifestyle they were seeking, combining a mixture of a university town, an inviting community and a beautiful natural backdrop to grow the company.
“There is a thriving business culture, a great music and arts scene and we are in the heart of wine country which brings many opportunities,” he said.
A technology hub in Wolfville would provide local businesses with access to leading-edge software and mobile application solutions to effectively compete in the regional marketplace and beyond.
Once the local hub is established, he hopes to replicate the concept throughout rural Nova Scotia communities in order to grow Nova Scotia’s economy.