BetaKit has expanded its award-winning technology news team with the addition of Edmonton-based reporter Jesse Cole.
Jesse will take on the role of reporter in BetaKit’s new Prairies bureau, telling stories across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Jesse is a reporter and editor with more than a decade of experience in Canadian media. He was the editor of The Cold Lake Sun, sports editor for The Grove Examiner and Stony Plain Reporter, and managing editor of The Fort Saskatchewan Record, as well as more recently an assistant editor for Edify Magazine and UrbanAffairs.ca.
Financing for BetaKit’s Prairies bureau, which includes a freelancer pool to support storytelling across the region, is provided for two years through an innovative partnership with YEGAF. A not-for-profit entity dedicated to amplifying local stories, YEGAF is supported by some of the region’s leading startup organizations and economic development agencies, including Edmonton Unlimited, Explore Edmonton, API, MNP, the ERIN, Startup TNT, Diplomat Consulting, Sprout Fund, AEC, the University of Alberta, and the Accelerate Fund.
The funding group has no influence or oversight of BetaKit’s editorial coverage and story decisions, as the partnership arrangement prioritizes and protects journalistic independence.
Jesse joins another recent Albertan addition to the team: BetaKit managing editor Sarah Rieger. With this expansion, BetaKit now has journalists and editors based in British Columbia, Alberta, Québec, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada.
BetaKit’s expanding national footprint is matched by its growth in 2025—the publication’s largest yet in terms of audience and readership. Expect that growth to continue in 2026, as BetaKit continues to invest in strategic programs and initiatives to spotlight Canada’s innovation economy.
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