Zach Novak

Founder, Careers in Technology Inc.

“Technology has come in to provide another industry in the market that allows for more diverse opportunities for working professionals.That's actually been a big driver of the last decade of more diversity in the city and the people who are moving in.”

Zach Novak is the founder and CEO of Careers in Technology and Innovation (CITI), a Calgary-based organization helping mid-career professionals find fulfilling pathways into the tech industry. A born-and-raised Calgarian, Zach began his career in investment banking at the Bank of Montreal, spending seven years in finance before pivoting first into corporate development and then into tech through a coding bootcamp and Calgary's early Rainforest Alberta meetups. That transition and the gaps he encountered along the way became the foundation for CITI. What started as one-on-one coffee chats grew into an organization with over 50 advisors, 20 monthly events, and a recent partnership with SAIT. Zach brings a clear-eyed perspective to the Calgary ecosystem, celebrating its community and momentum while asking hard questions about the return on government investment in tech and the importance of bridging early-stage founders with the city's larger, more established organizations.