by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn Dan Burgar wrote a sharp piece in 604now about why Vancouver keeps exporting its tech talent to Seattle and San Francisco. His diagnosis is accurate: Vancouver builds companies but can’t keep them past a certain size. The capital is elsewhere. The scaling infrastructure is elsewhere. The high-paying jobs follow. He’s…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn BrainStream is an AI-powered learning platform designed to tutor students directly from their assigned course materials rather than from generalized training data. It ingests textbooks, lecture notes, and instructor-created content, then builds a structured, traceable knowledge base that supports tutoring, assessment, progress tracking, and feedback for students, teachers, and parents….
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn In an era where free AI tools like ChatGPT tempt students to shortcut genuine learning, BrainStream stands apart by turning AI from a threat into an accountability ally. Unlike generic AI tutors that freely roam the internet for answers, BrainStream restricts itself to your school’s chosen course materials—ensuring students truly…
by Chief Financial Officer Chia-Hua (Phyllis) Chen As AI continues to reshape the educational landscape, user acquisition and retention have become the new strategic battlegrounds for AI-driven EdTech startups. In 2025, the average customer acquisition cost (CAC) for education platforms has surged by 19% YoY, now averaging $42 per user. This uptick is largely due…
by Chief Operating Officer Tzu-Ying (Kimberley) Chen British Columbia has quietly transformed into a powerhouse for tech innovation — and the data proves it. The province’s tech sector now employs nearly six times more people than its traditional natural resources industries, with wages 75% higher than the provincial average. In fact, tech accounts for at…
by Chief Operating Officer Tzu-Ying (Kimberley) Chen Launching a new company is equal parts thrilling and humbling. As the Chief Operating Officer of our new venture headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve spent the last year working on foundational decision-making, crafting the organizational structure that will support our long-term vision. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the…
