In this session, we’ll take you through the journey of Innovation Week—a first-of-its-kind event within IT Services at Okanagan College, that brought our talented team together to tackle real business challenges with creativity and innovation. We’ll share the highlights of what the event was all about, how it unfolded, and the impact it had on our team and the business, even to this day.

Innovation Week focused on addressing key problems related to the Student Experience and Staff Experience, with a strong emphasis on emerging technologies like Data, Analytics, and AI. Teams worked intensively for 5 days straight, building prototypes and MVPs to solve these challenges, while learning new tools and techniques along the way.

Join us as we reflect on the successes, the surprises, and the lessons learned during this exciting week, and see how the solutions developed are influencing our work moving forward. We’ll also touch on the fun moments, the recognition of standout contributions, and how this event is shaping the future of innovation in IT Services at OC.

Natalie Hordichuk

Natalie Hordichuk

Manager, Business Transformation, Okanagan College

Born and raised on the prairies, Natalie has called the Okanagan home for 10 years. With over a decade of experience in project management and higher education, she leads Business Transformation and IT Services at Okanagan College. Specializing in digital governance and process optimization, she’s driven initiatives like the college’s first AI-powered chatbot, an AI-driven “Contact Us” form, and an internal student inquiry tracker—all focused on enhancing services and gathering insights. In 2023, she earned her Master of Education in Digital Education, underscoring her passion for improving the student experience through innovation and technology

Summit Speaker

Thiago Vidal Munhoz

IT Services Manager of Software & Enterprise, Okanagan College

Thiago Vidal Munhoz is a seasoned IT leader with over 20 years of experience, including nearly 18 years at a major U.S. tech company, where he led award-winning projects and global operations. Now at Okanagan College, Thiago drives innovation in education through strategic initiatives and emerging technologies like AI and analytics. He envisioned and led the college’s first-ever Innovation Week, empowering teams to solve real business challenges through collaboration and rapid prototyping. Thiago holds a Computer Science degree, a postgraduate diploma in IT Governance, and is completing an Executive MBA with Quantic School of Business.

Technology Track