In 2016, layoff fears and a difficult Alberta job market inspired Mike to launch Oilfield Job Shop. The idea was direct: make it easier for employers and workers to find one another in an industry where opportunities can be fragmented and time-sensitive.

The launch attracted CBC coverage, radio interviews and industry podcast attention. The platform later evolved into Energy Job Shop and became part of a wider public story about workers, technology and resilience in Alberta’s energy economy.

This venture remains an important part of Mike’s founder story because it grew from a problem experienced personally, not from an abstract market exercise.

Explore the media record