SABEX 2021 Special Edition: Page 23
Véronique Loewen
When Jeff Shirley launched Rivercity Technology Services in 2015 and quickly followed with the launch of Blue Heron Gardens and Rivercity Innovations in 2018, he didn’t realize that he was about to achieve an entrepreneurship hat-trick that would garner his newest venture the 2021 Entrepreneurship SABEX Award.
Rivercity Innovations was born out of Jeff’s thirty years of IT experience and his passion for apiary, with the creation of a successful product to protect beehives. For Jeff and his wife, Julie, growing three businesses at once came with sacrifices, including downsizing their home to create cashflow and financial stability at the beginning, when banks weren’t forthcoming. “We even borrowed from the ‘bank of mom and dad’ to make payroll a few times, but we persevered. And thanks to great mentors and support systems like the BDC, Innovation Saskatchewan and Co-Labs, we continue to grow,” says Jeff.
Jeff has big plans for Rivercity Innovations to become a world class leader in IoT (Internet of Things) sensor solutions and he is already well on his way. From its initial BeeSecure solution, as a LoRa (low-power wide-area modulation) technology specialist, Rivercity Innovations is now scaling into diverse markets across Canada such as the pharmacy and grocery businesses with a focus on cold-chain monitoring. The company is also growing the distribution of its proprietary GPS sensors for bikes and pets. As part of its expansion, it has secured a key partner in France and is also spreading into other parts of Europe. Jeff adds, “we offer made-in Saskatchewan products country-wide and internationally, thanks to our great team of home-grown graduates.”
To say that Jeff and the team at Rivercity Innovations have courage and conviction to build a successful business and that they embody the enterprising spirit of Saskatoon is an understatement. They are true risk-takers, innovators, creators, well deserving of the Entrepreneurship Award.
Victoria Dinh
Oct 28, 2021
This year’s winner of the entrepreneurship category, sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan (USask), was technology company Rivercity Innovations.
“I went in there thinking ‘not a chance’ for winning this one but, as luck would have it, that one time you don’t prepare a speech you get caught off guard,” said Chief Executive Officer of Rivercity Innovations and USask alumnus, Jeff Shirley. “It is an honour. We’re very humbled.”
According to USask Senior Strategist Julian Demkiw, the university strives to support and recognize local entrepreneurs because they are integral partners and producers in the innovation ecosystem.
“Finding out that the award recipient has strong ties to our university makes the win that much more exciting,” said Demkiw. “It’s USask’s goal to contribute to the ecosystem by not only being a go-to resource and partner but by creating a culture of entrepreneurship to help produce the leaders needed to drive innovation.”
‘Sold everything we had’
Shirley, a former teacher and information technology specialist, started his venture into entrepreneurship back in 2014 when he and his wife, Julie, both decided to quit their 9-to-5 jobs.
“We moved to a farm, built our own house using Kijiji to save money, and sold everything we had in the city to eliminate debt,” said Shirley, adding that they began working with bees on their new family farm and Julie’s separate business venture, Blue Heron Gardens.
This led to an idea: a box of bees in the middle of a field with no internet, no Bluetooth, no Wi-Fi — what do you do to help stop the beehive from being stolen?
“We had been playing around with some software and different options, and we ended up creating a solution,” he said. “When you’re building a business, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You get a few wrenches thrown at you. Some of them hit you in the head, you dodge a few others, but you never give up.”
What started as a product to prevent the theft of beehives has since expanded into designing, building, and delivering sensors and data monitoring solutions to clients worldwide.
‘Home-grown graduates’
Rivercity Innovations currently employs a team consisting mostly of USask graduates from the Edwards School of Business and the USask College of Engineering. Along with Shirley, other members of their executive team are also USask alumni. This includes the company’s co-founder Lance Pitka and marketing manager Kamila Wyszomirski.
“Many of our city’s and province’s most successful entrepreneurs are home-grown graduates who met their future business partners, and nurtured their first big ideas, on the USask campus. Time and again, we hear how pivotal that experience was for them,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, Jason Aebig. “We are so lucky to have a major Canadian university, with a solid business school, thriving in our community.”
Shirley said he plans to continue to scout future employees from his alma mater.
“The team that we have built here right from USask has been amazing,” said Shirley. “I just loved the quality of the graduates coming out.”
Looking to start your own business?
Here are Jeff Shirley’s top 3 tips for new entrepreneurs:
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