We need an East Coast startup hashtag.
After talking to several people on the matter, it’s become clear that social networking within the regional community is being hindered by the lack of a hashtag for the Atlantic Canadian startup community.
So consider this a call to arms for all of us to use #startupeast in posts about Atlantic Canadian startups and the ecosystem.
The #startupeast hashtag was first developed last year during the East Coast Startup Festival in Fredericton, and I think it’s the most concise hashtag for our community. There are still a few people that use it, but it should be used more.
“The more folks who use it the better,” said Karina LeBlanc, the Executive Director of the Pond-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of New Brunswick. “The only way we will truly build a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlantic Canada is if we operate as a region. Thus representing ourselves as one is a great start.”
She added that the hashtag creates a sense of community and belonging. And with a smile she concluded, “Plus, it is just darn cool.”
There are scores of ways in which people are trying to develop a boda fide startup community that encompasses the entire region. But so much of the social media discussion about creating this community is lost because there’s not a common hashtag that everyone uses.
The problems are exacerbated by the fact that the community tends to break down along provincial lines, so the members in one province may not have linked with people in another province. By searching for #startupeast, everyone can see what community members are discussing.
The people following the discussions could be from outside the region, because Atlantic Canada is drawing more attention in other places.
“It’s a benefit to them [community members] to be using it,” said Leah Skerry, a partner at the Norex web strategy company in Halifax. “And if there are investors out there, they should be looking for the hashtags so that they can follow these conversations.”
