I'm Kris Côté.
I build working prototypes
for complex operational problems.
I am the founder of OddLabs — a founder-led innovation studio based in Nanaimo, British Columbia. I started this studio because too many organizations are stuck solving the same complex operational problems with the same ineffective approaches. The result is expensive commitments to solutions that may not work, deployed by teams that never sat with the people who actually use them.
I'm different. When you engage OddLabs, you work directly with me — from the first discovery conversation through prototype delivery. No account managers, no junior teams, no hand-offs. Every engagement is led by me.
My practical experience spans technology, operations, emergency services, security, AI, systems integration, and rapid prototyping. That range matters because operational problems rarely fit neatly into one discipline. The first conversation I have with you is grounded in real operational reality — not generic consulting frameworks.
I do not write reports or deliver slide decks. I build working prototypes that prove what is possible — then I help you take them to production if and when it makes sense.
// EXPERIENCE
Technology
AI systems, automation pipelines, and operational decision-support tools built from the ground up.
Operations
Practical work inside operational environments where clarity and speed directly reduce risk.
Emergency Services
Real-world exposure to incident response, situational awareness, and decision-making under pressure.
Security
Systems for guard tracking, alarm management, and security operations centre workflows.
AI
Applied AI for track correlation, request classification, predictive maintenance, and decision support.
Systems Integration
Connecting disparate sensors, APIs, and databases into unified operational pictures.
Rapid Prototyping
From concept to working prototype in weeks — the core of OddLabs.
// PHILOSOPHY
"Evidence, not assumptions. I build first, refine later. If it doesn't work in prototype, it won't work in production."
— Kris Côté, Founder
// PRINCIPLES
How I think.
01
Evidence, not assumptions — build first, refine later.
02
Start small and focused — identify the highest-leverage problem.
03
Prototype in real conditions — build for where it will be used.
04
Integrate with what exists — no rip-and-replace.
05
Keep humans in the loop — AI supports, not replaces accountability.
06
Scale only what proves value — if it does not make work safer, clearer, or faster, it does not get scaled.
// LOCATION
Based in Nanaimo, BC.
OddLabs operates from Nanaimo, British Columbia, on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw, Snaw-naw-as, and Stz'uminus peoples. I work with organizations across BC and Canada, with remote engagements beyond.
For projects that require additional capacity in production builds, Kris coordinates with trusted collaborators — but the engagement is led by the founder throughout.
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada