AEG Podcast, Episode 5: Empowering Alberta's Youth: The 10 Peaks Innovation Alliances Story
The AEG podcast features an interview with Dagmar Knutson, the founder of Ten Peaks Innovation Alliances. Dagmar’s non-profit organization aims to educate Alberta’s youth on technology, innovation, inclusivity, energy, environment, and career opportunities. The organization’s inspiration came from her son’s lack of knowledge about the energy industry in Alberta. Dagmar describes the organization’s events, such as an annual student conference, case competitions, micro-grants, entrepreneurship camps, and innovation webinars. 10 Peaks is currently partnering with the University of Calgary’s Hunter Center for entrepreneurship, and it is seeking additional partnerships for financial stability. The organization strives to provide balanced conversations about sustainability and energy transition to inspire and engage students in the fast-changing world of technology and innovation.
About Dagmar Knutson
Dagmar H. Knutson, CPA, CA Executive Director Dagmar Knutson, CPA, CA, is the Executive Director of Ten Peaks Energy Alliance Inc. and CFO at Fusion Production Systems Inc. , an oil and gas manufacturing company, with more than 25 years’ experience working in the energy industry in Alberta. But it was when her son came home from Grade 9 without a keen understanding of current innovation in the oil and gas industry that she decided there was an opportunity to do more. She was inspired to organize a student conference after emailing her son's teachers with industry innovation and technology insights every month for the past two years.
Dagmar immigrated with her parents as a toddler to Alberta, growing up in Drayton Valley on a sawmill. It’s where her love of trees began and still to this day, the forest and mountains is where Dagmar finds peace and clarity from the busy world of oil and gas. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary – the first to graduate from university in her family – and obtained her CPA, Chartered Accountant designation in Calgary in 1995. Dagmar has worked in several accounting roles within the oil and gas, IT, and entrepreneurial companies prior to founding Ten Peaks in 2021. Her focus with Ten Peaks is to engage, educate and inspire thousands of Alberta students and teachers with high-quality learning opportunities, elevating their insights and perspectives on the cross-collaboration between energy, environment and climate. Dagmar lives in Red Deer, Alberta with her husband Darryl, and their sweet and feisty labradoodle hound dog, Cyder.