Microsoft Canada has agreed to help sponsor the event on one condition – that I take remedial mathematics help.We’re really excited to have Microsoft participating.

The Microsoft Canada team is working hard to bring the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program to Canada. The program is focused on startups in the US, UK, France and India. However we’re lucky to have Lynda Ting, from the Emerging Business Team in Silicon Valley (and a former early-stage Toronto VC) flying up to join us for the evening. Microsoft is committed to working with industry leaders, academic institutions, local policy makers, the venture capital community and others to build strong local commercial software industries. There are Partner Programs like the Empower, where you are building a product, you get free (or very close to free) access to almost every Microsoft tool and product.

Microsoft continues to host MIX, an intimate conference for cutting-edge technical, creative and business strategists to engage Microsoft in a conversation about the future of the web. MIX is a 72 hours conversation exploring the latest wave of opportunities and help redefine the boundaries between: content and commerce, PC and TV, Windows and the Web.

I was lucky enough to get invited to MIX07 and I’ll be at MIX08 where I know there will be a lot of very interesting technologies.