In May 2015, the local Vancouver Tech community decided to try an experiment with the goal of boosting the local expertise in data science. I saw this as a chance to gain and share perspectives as I sought a way to understand employability, in-demand skills, how people get jobs, and what people in industry do. This project has led to seminar speakers, collaborative grants, co-op and hiring opportunities, along with changes to course content and program development. In this talk I will share perspectives and experiences in building connections with industry.