It’s been just over a year since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s last high-profile appearance in Silicon Valley North, and his latest visit did not disappoint.
During a fireside chat on April 25 at Kitchener, Ont.-based Vidyard headquarters, the prime minister discussed not only the present U.S. government’s protectionist stance (“There is always going to be far more things that keep Canada and the United States working together than there are imposing barriers”) and the federal Liberals’ innovation agenda (“We have a generation of entrepreneurs that realize innovation can be a driver to improve lives”), but the importance of diversity to Canada’s tech industry and how the country can best retain its talent.
“Ontario produces more STEM graduates than California – but we need to do more to encourage talent to stay in Canada,” Trudeau told Vidyard CEO Michael Litt.
On a more pressing note, when asked whether he prefers Tim Horton’s or Starbucks, Trudeau revealed that he doesn’t drink coffee at all.
In addition to discussing innovation, engineering, and entrepreneurship with Litt, Trudeau was given a tour of Vidyard’s offices, and even received a demonstration of ViewedIt, the browser-based recording tool released by the company last October, before recording his own:
“Canada is a hub for new technologies, for exciting new innovations, and I’m really proud of the place that Canadian innovators, engineers, and entrepreneurs are taking on the world stage right now, with great ops, and great applications, like Vidyard,” he said.
Check out the prime minister’s fireside chat below.