From Idea to Reality: The Story Behind The Product4Good Conference

The Birth of An Idea

Like many great initiatives, the story of the Product4Good Conference begins with a spark of inspiration. In early 2023, a diverse group of individuals, each with a unique background and a shared passion for technology and social impact, came together with an idea.

Organized by Techaide, the event aimed to bring to Montréal the first-ever product management conference with the goal of bringing the local tech scene together to contribute towards the greater good. In true PM fashion, they talked to their potential audience and worked together to define the theme of the conference, which came out to be: The Future of Product Management.

With a team assembled and a theme defined, it was time to start building!

From left to right: Maria Perdomo, Laurent Maisonnave, Diana Soler, Laura Di Costanzo, Carlos Pinto.

Building the Conference

Once the mission was clear, everyone rolled up their sleeves and began the hard work of turning this idea into a reality. This phase involved several crucial steps:

Forming Partnerships: The team reached out to potential partners who believed in the conference’s mission. These partnerships played a vital role in securing the resources and support needed to bring the event to life:

Special thanks to our Silver Partners— Homeric, Tourisme Montreal, Google; Bronze Partners— Montreal International, APM Montreal, Gurulink; Community Partners— OSMO Foundation, Product Tank Montréal, Technovation Montreal, Latinas in Tech Canada, Montreal New Tech, TechTO, MTL Lab, MAIN Québec, Product Circle, Centech; and Media Partners— Infobref.

Speaker Selection: Selecting the right speakers was paramount to the success of the conference. The team reached out to industry leaders and visionaries who shared their commitment to making the world a better place through technology.

Event Logistics: Organizing a conference, involves a myriad of logistical details, from creating a website and marketing materials, securing a venue, budgeting, etc.

Volunteers: A special mention goes to our dedicated volunteers, who were instrumental on the day of the event in ensuring everything ran smoothly and efficiently.

Thanks to: Maria Gabriela Peña, Nicole Tempas, Pooya Saberi, Gulen Buyukbayram, Melika Feyzi, Carlos Rugeles, Juliana Augusto, Odessa Guindon, Sara Hamidizadeh, Jess Bourassa, MingXi Gu, Chris Nanni, Lea Pontet, Annie Devriese, Katyuska Diaz, Andres Morales, Sepi 🎉

First visit to the selected venue: The Rialto Theater.

October 18, 2023: The Big Day

After months of relentless hard work, the Product4Good Conference finally arrived on October 18, 2023.

On-stage highlights. Photo credits: MingXi Gu, Jess Bourassa.

The event began with a warm welcome and a presentation by Nancy Douyon on responsible product innovation during crises. Rami Sayar discussed product lessons learned from integrating GPT-4 into Bing, and Mianna Chen delved into building responsible and human-centered AI products.

Lightning talks by community members covered a variety of subjects, from a human approach to building product strategy by Alessandra Willsher, different paths to becoming a Product Manager by Charlie Whicher, and the path to becoming a valuable PM and getting promoted, as shared by Christine Dupuis.

After that, a very touching message by Maud Doualan was shared to illustrate the audience about the impact that their donations to Centraide are having on the Greater Montreal community.

Attendees came back from lunch to learn more about a new era of Product Management, as shared by Dylan Sellberg, the perspective of a product manager on the process of integrating an acquisition, in a conversation between Bruno Morency and Sebastien Provencher, and an engaging panel moderated by Allison Cohen on different perspectives on navigating AI in Product Management, as shared by Nancy Douyon, Rami Sayar, Dylan Sellberg, and Mianna Chen.

The conference also addressed societal concerns, with presentations on climate product management by François Burra, product-led societal transformation by Samira Khajehi, and the use of AI to prevent newborn deaths, presented by Florent Voumard.

Fireside chats featured insights on positive and inclusive leadership for product management from Seema Lakhani in conversation with Gabriel Sundaram, and the conference wrapped up with closing remarks, leaving attendees with the opportunity to network and connect with like-minded individuals during the evening.

Almost 200 attendees from around Canada and the US were treated to these engaging discussions, innovative ideas, and the chance to network with like-minded individuals while giving back to the Community of Montréal.

Off-stage candid moments. Photo credits: Jess Bourassa.

The Impact

Photo credits: MingXi Gu, Jess Bourassa.

The Product4Good Conference was more than just a conference. It was a catalyst for change. By bringing together passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds and uniting them through the power of technology, the event inspired countless attendees to take action in their communities, leveraging technology for social good.

Together we raised 47K in funds to Centraide initiatives to fight poverty and social exclusion, and we are continuing accepting donations through the end of October. Look at what they can achieve with $50k:

• Deliver 46,550 home-cooked meals to socially isolated seniors, enabling staff to identify and address critical health issues.
• Fund a full educational session for 860 illiterate adults, empowering them to acquire essential reading and writing skills.
• Sponsor early stimulation classes for 7 special-needs toddlers, aiding their development in language, motor skills, and daily independence.
• Provide 340 hours of targeted intervention for vulnerable seniors, establishing trust and facilitating problem-solving.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported and attended the Product4Good Conference this year. Your contributions are invaluable, and we look forward to welcoming you to an even more impactful event in 2024. If you’re inspired to do more, consider joining Techaide, which organizes events throughout the year. To stay informed, subscribe to our newsletter below.