Speakers
Justin Molander (University of Alberta, CPA & CMA. Founder, Trading Post Investments Ltd.)
Laura Mueller (MBA and PhD Candidate, University of Northern British Columbia. Founder, Matriarch Media)
Shelly Mandeville (Co-Executive Director, AKSIS)
Pamela McCoy Jones (Executive Director, Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) Initiative)

Moderator
Gil Anderson (University of Alberta)

At the core of the Indigenous worldview is relationality - a principle that prioritizes deep, long-term connections over mere transactions. In this session, Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs, and scholars come together to explore how culturally grounded approaches and ancestral economic traditions are transforming modern entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Rather than fitting into rigid transactional frameworks, panelists will share personal insights on leading Indigenous-centered programming, breaking down barriers, and weaving holistic practices into business development. Discover how embedding reciprocity and community accountability into early-stage innovation builds inclusive pathways for turning breakthroughs into lasting community impact.

Speakers
Maziar Shafeiki ShafieiDarabi (L2M Alumni)
Jenna Letain (ICG fellow - Lethbridge)
John Lewis (Nanostics Inc.)

Moderator
Avi Sheshachalam (Founder, Calm Growth Studio)

Research-based founders share their earliest steps, what triggered their transition, what surprised them, and what they would do differently. This session focuses on demystifying entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking through honest and practical discussion.

Speaker
Anthony Pitfield (Senior Go-To-Market Lead for Data and AI, AWS Canada)

This session explores the "Applied AI" framework. It moves past technical specifications to discuss identifying high-value business use cases, navigating the "Data Trap," and leveraging Alberta’s AI ecosystem to build competitive global startups.

Speakers
Kevin Dahl (Elevate IP)
Kyle Briggs (CanInnovate)

Moderator
Rhiannon A. (Parlee McLaws LLP)

A practical overview of early actions research teams can take - such as documentation, timing, market framing, strategy and disclosure steps - to set up their innovations for strong IP positions and downstream partnerships.

Speakers
Joelle Foster (Co-founder & Managing Partner, Women's Equity Lab, President, CEO & Co-founder, North Forge)
Arielle Land (Director of Partnerships & Growth, Startup Canada)
Kate Ellis (CEO & Co-founder, Antigoni Studio, CEO & Founder, Bombus R&I)

Moderator
Karen Unland (Co-founder, Taproot Publishing, Editor-in-chief, Taproot Edmonton)

Women entrepreneurs continue to face distinct systemic barriers, capital gaps, and unique scaling challenges - yet across Canada, a powerful ecosystem of champions, venture studios, and funding networks is actively rewriting the rules.  In this dynamic panel, ecosystem leaders grounded in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary come together to explore how founders can access specialized support and funding from coast to coast.

Bringing perspectives from national platforms like Women’s Equity Lab and Startup Canada - alongside expertise in health innovation (femtech), incubation, and angel investing - our speakers will share actionable insights on navigating entrepreneurship, securing capital, and building scalable, market-ready businesses. Join us to learn how regional hubs and national networks are collaborating to empower women-led ventures to lead and thrive.

Speakers
Wesley Kosiba (Director of New Programs & Strategic Initiatives, Lab2Market)
Tarek Sadek (Co-founder & national lead, Lab2Market, Executive Director, Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University)

An interactive reverse town hall designed to dismantle outdated metrics like Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and shape the future multi-dimensional Commercial Readiness Levels (CRLs). It is a live exercise in ecosystem mapping and framework design.

Speakers
Joelle Foster (The North Forge)
John Dick (Managing Director, Velocity)
Peter Santosham (Executive Director and Managing Partner, UCeed Funds)

Moderator
Terry Rock (Senior Vice President, Operations, and Chief Operating Officer, Alberta Innovates)

Moderated by Alberta Innovates - Alberta's lead agency driving innovation and economic growth - this plenary session brings together executive leaders to share high-level insights on what it truly takes to build and scale deep tech ventures in Canada.

This panel dives into the operational wisdom gained from supporting hundreds of early-stage companies. Featuring leaders from North Forge, Velocity, and UCeed / Innovate Calgary, the discussion will focus on the human and physical capital that moves technology out of the lab: from bridging the gap between scientific ideators and business builders through founder matchmaking, to designing specialized prototyping hubs and scaling physical infrastructure. Join us to learn how Canada’s top innovation leaders are actively aligning systems, places, and people to de-risk commercialization and accelerate national impact.

Speakers
Meghann Coleman (National Executive Director, Lab2Market)
Jennifer Beale (Invention to Innovation)
Melissa Watkins (Sustainable Food Systems for Canada)
Kristen Kindrachuk (Labs4)

Moderator
Darren Fast (University of Alberta)

Canada’s research commercialization ecosystem is undergoing a transformative shift toward long-term growth, national acceleration, and collective impact. In this landmark session, leaders from the four federally funded national commercialization networks—Lab2Market, Invention to Innovation (i2I), Sustainable Food Systems for Canada (SF4C), and Labs4—come together on one stage. 

Rather than working in silos, these networks represent an interconnected, collaborative pipeline designed to translate Canadian academic breakthroughs into market reality. Panelists will explore how their distinct focus areas—ranging from entrepreneurial skill-building and deep tech acceleration to sector-specific innovations and applied research—complement one another to strengthen Canada’s productivity, retain intellectual property, and secure our global innovation leadership.

Speaker
Carla Olivares Rueda (Founder of Cacao.Cocoa)

Moderator
Victoria Celi (Program Coordinator, Lab2Market)

An exclusive breakfast session for Lab2Market alumni to reconnect and build national bonds. This intimate conversation explores the emotional core of the startup journey and unearths the personal motivations that sustain founders through the highs and lows of entrepreneurial life.