Strong curiosity and the calling to support entrepreneurs and students in their journey to find success is how Mark Keller landed himself working with the Medicine Hat College and, for seven ongoing years, on the APEX Alberta board.

He finds the Medicine Hat region interesting — once you put on a new set of glasses, you see clearly what entrepreneurs are doing in the area and it’s inspiring. What people are accomplishing is an understated excellence, and support is readily available for those looking to continue growing.

“There’s an entire network of capacity in the province that is designed purely to support people achieve their personal and business goals. It’s impressive,” says Keller. “APEX is a portal to all these assets in Alberta, and they make it possible for people in the Medicine Hat region to achieve their dreams.”

Working with both the Medicine Hat College and on the APEX Alberta board, Keller meets people in all stages of their entrepreneurship journey. Sharing the available assets to people with dreams and ambitions, Keller’s role is to be a part of the stewardship of that availability and encourage entrepreneurs to dive in.

“People have aspirations to do interesting and cool things on the tech side. They don’t need to move away to achieve those goals. APEX makes it possible for people to pursue their future here. I’m glad we sustain the purpose of the organization and continue to make it available,” he says.

After highschool, Keller became qualified as a commercial pilot. He’d then find his high interest in writing and graduate from the journalism program at SAIT in Calgary. His curiosity and communication skills transferred into public relations and corporate communication, leading him into the post-secondary sector. In over 30 years, he’s worked with four different post-secondary institutions. 

“It’s the discovery of the depth and scope of support that is available to a person who wants to grow and create an enterprise in the tech centre. I am aware of a few enterprises in the Medicine Hat region that have grown to essentially compete in North America, if not world scale. It is possible for entrepreneurs here,” says the board member.

Overall, Keller has learned there are people who know the answers and are willing to support. If someone is worried about having an idea and doesn't know what to do with it, APEX Alberta can help. 

“I like to see our role as the supporting cast. People came looking for advice and support, with passion and a vision for what they want to accomplish, and all they really needed was help along the way. They were prepared to undertake it, and they have found it really rewarding,” says Keller.