Bow Valley College Entertainment Arts and Entrepreneurs Celebrated on Collisions YYC Podcast

There’s a focused effort underway in Calgary to build a strong creative digital arts industry, allowing local talent to stay and grow businesses here.

Giving local digital creatives the business skills to succeed is what Ryan Coutts does – how and why he does it is the subject of anew podcast episode by the team at Collisions YYC.

“Think about all the different jobs, careers or businesses that exist in the traditional sport ecosystem,” says Coutts, Digital Entertainment Accelerator Lead at Bow Valley College. “All of those can exist in Esports as well.”

Coutts and his team wrapped up the first 19-team cohort of the Indie Ignition Accelerator program in November, and is now in the final phases of vetting over 150 applicants for the 2025 program. Teams are divided roughly equally between Esports, film and game development, each competing fora share in $30,000 in prize money and support.

Host Tyler Chisholm is approaching his 500^thCollisions YYC episode, each one a dive into the trends and ideas behind Calgary’s evolving business scene. It’s become a must-listen for many in the Alberta business scene.

The current world of work is evolving more quickly than it has in years, says Coutts. He gave the example of one accelerator participant that after nearly a decade in business entered the program looking for help to shift focus to a new audience and sector.

“They came through the program and incorporated a separate arm of their existing business,” says Coutts.

Chisholm says that’s exactly what many businesses need to hear.

“Really the message that sends as a company (is) ‘you're never too old to learn new tricks and do them, too old to put yourself into a situation where you've got to go back to the basics,’” says Chisholm.

The accelerator is funded in part through the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, and interested groups can reach out for information on future cohorts.

“The biggest thing that we're looking for is people who are actually committed to incorporating a business, which is a requirement of graduating the program,” Coutts said. It is an industry facing program. You don't have to be a student.”

The podcast can be streamed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify or through the series website.

‍