Inventures 2023 | Inventures Canada | 31 May 2023 | Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, 136 8 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2P 0K6, Canada

WHO IS INVENTURES FOR?
• Investors
Inventures gathers innovators, startups and scale-ready enterprise seeking partners, advisors and capital. It’s a one-stop opportunity to gauge fast-growing players through pitch competitions and discover investment gems across the entrepreneurial landscape.

• Entrepreneurs
Inventures gives you access to investors, thought leaders and fellow entrepreneurs through keynotes, panels, pitch events and informal networking opportunities.

• Researchers, Academics & Thought Leaders
Inventures provides multiple programming streams for discovery, sharing and deeper learning in emerging and transforming industries.

• Business, Investment and Professional Services Providers
Inventures showcases solutions for the startup, scale and spread of knowledge and networks that tap into, feed and grow an ever-fresh global innovation system

2023 Speakers

Jodi Abbott
President & CEO, University Hospital Foundation

Shawn Abbott
Partner, Inovia Capital

Yasmine Abdin
Assistant Professor, The University of British Columbia

Amy Lou Abernethy-Virtual Speaker
AMP Creative, Creative Director of Learning

Lori Adams
Senior Manager, Industry and Global Partnerships at Alberta Innovates, Alberta Innovates

Dr. Tarek Adra
Founding Director, mvmt ventures

Joy Agnew
Vice President, Research, Olds College of Agriculture & Technology

Alexandra Greenhill
CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Careteam Technologies

Raj Amin
Co-Founder and CEO, Wise Therapeutics

Jehangir Appoo
Founding Partner, AioT Health

Isabella Artiles
Senior Manager, Entrepreneur Experience, Endeavor

Tzipi Avioz
General Manager APAC & Global Delivery, Mirakl

Matthew Ball
Managing Partner, EpyllionCo

Matt Baron-Anderson
Co-Founder & CEO, Future Fields

Kate Baucherel
Author - Speaker - Emerging Tech Consultant, Galia Digital

Ian Beacraft
CEO and Chief Futurist, Signal and Cipher

Adam Berk
EIR, Startup Program Design

Adrian Berliner
Venture Partner, Zoic Capital

Raghu Bharat
General Partner, Thin Air Labs Fund I, Thin Air Labs

Erin Bird
Spokesperson, Fair Trade Calgary - Engineers Without Borders Calgary Professional Chapter

Rick Bird
CEO, Thin Air Labs

Erik Birkerts
CEO, Evergreen Climate Innovations

Stan Blade
Dean - Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta

Kira Blomquist
Owner, Kasm Consulting

Norm Bogner
CEO & Co-founder, ZeroSound Systems Inc.

Paolo Bomben
Senior Manager - Clean Technology Development, Alberta Innovates

Calvin Booker
General Manager - Services and Research, Feedlot Health by TELUS Agriculture

Don Bora
Cofounder/Partner, Eight Bit Studios

Michael Bowman
Chief Marketing Officer, KOVR

Shana Boyd
Vice President, Energy Transition, Heartland Generation

Joyce Boye
Director General, Government of Canada

Sean Branagan
Director, Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, Syracuse University

Rachel Brenc
Director of Commercial Development, LanzaTech

Jo Brickman
Vice President, VertueLab

Kate Brodock
General Partner || CEO, The W Fund || SWITCH

Ed Brost
VP, Innovation and Sustainable Development, Carbovate Development Corp

Malcolm Bruce
CEO, Edmonton Global

Greg Caldwell
Director, Utility Hydrogen Strategy and Decarbonization, ATCO Gas

Christy Canida
Head of Product, AlchemistX

Raia Carey
CEO, Coach Carey

Cameron Carlyle
Associate Professor, Rangeland Ecology, University of Alberta

John Cassidy
Managing Director I Canada, SVG Ventures I THRIVE

Heather Chalmers
President & CEO, GE Canada

Chantel Chapman
CEO, Co-Founder, Trauma of Money

Sylvain Charlebois
Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

Aditya Chaudhuri
President, Calgary Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders Canada

Kelly Cherniwchan
CEO, Chata Technologies Inc.

Amodini Chhabra
Director, Compass Digital Ventures (Compass Group)

Matthew Chow
Chief Mental Health Officer, TELUS Health

Scott Collier
Vice President of Business Development, Whole Foods Market

sidney collin
CEO and Co-founder, De Oro Devices

Evan Coopersmith
EVP of Data Science, AE Studio

Kevin Dahl
Director, Plug and Play

George Damian
Principal, press PLAY

Andrew Davis
Web3 Investment Principal, Techstars

Brent Davis-Virtual Speaker
Founder, Nomad XR

Christopher Day
CEO, Elevate Ventures

Deanna Brown
CEO/ Founder, DragonFly Sports

Maninder Dhaliwal
Managing Partner, Startup Studio - Acceleartor & Venture Fund

Donato Diorio
Founder & CEO, Flik

Susan Divers
Director of Thought Leadership and Best Practices, LRN

Claire Dixon
CEO and co-founder, Neuraura

Chelsea Donelon
Manager, Energy Innovation, Trans Alta

Tom Dower
Vice President, Public Policy, LanzaTech

Pierre Doyon
Program Director, Doyon Consulting

Keith Driver
EVP, North America, Protix Biosystems BV

Shai Dubey
Assistant Professor, Queen's University

Peter Dushenski
Managing Director, Glas Curtain

Craig Elias
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Bow Valley College

Wendy Ell
National Lead, Integrated Media, Ag Relations and Sustainability, Glacier FarmMedia

Dan Ellis
Investor, Inroad

Jill Ellsworth
Founder and CEO, Willow Industries

Judy Fairburn
Co-Founder, Co-CEO, Fund Managing Partner, The51

Stephanie Fargas
Associate, DIALOG

Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell
President, ELIXR Simulations Association

Shelvie Fernan
CEO and Co-founder, Fly and Fetch

Lauren Fischbuch
Director, Strategy & Growth, EECOL Electric

Scott Ford
Cofounder & Partner, 9Zero Ventures

Breanne Fox
Director, Commercial Management and Carbon Technologies, Capital Power Corporation

Art Froehlich
President and Owner, Agriview Inc.

Valentin Fulga
Co-founder, CELL AG TECH

Hailey Funk
Manager, Information Services for Energy Trading and Risk Management, TC Energy

Sharleen Gatcha
Managing Director, Hestia Consulting

Timnit Gebru
Founder, The Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR)

Craig Gibson
Government Lead, Western Canada, Microsoft Canada

Sandi Gilbert
CEO, InterGen Capital

Adina Gillespie
GCS Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Hexagon

Nicole Glaros
CEO, Nearly Nicole

Jamie Gloshay
Co-CEO, Native Women Lead

Godard
COO and Co-founder, Verge Ag

Andrew Goldner
Founding Partner & CEO, GrowthX

Nestor Gomez
Chief Technology Officer, Canadian Food Innovation Network

Jyoti Gondek
Mayor, City of Calgary, City of Calgary

Henry Gordon Smith
CEO, Agritecture

Eli Gould
Offsite Wood Product Founder/Manager (for QWEB and BCWood), STIX, L3C

Scott Gravelle
CEO & Founder, Attabotics

Bill Greuel
CEO, Protein Industries Canada

Simon Grigenas
Program Manager, 500 Global

Steve Grubbs-Virtual Speaker
Co-founder and CEO , VictoryXR

Rhonda Hall
Chief Human Resource Officer, Southern California, Providence Health

Greg Hart
Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, InceptionU

Karen Haugen-Kozyra
President, Viresco Solutions Inc.

Philippe Hebert
Director General R&D Innovation, Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS)

Chris Heivly
Managing Director, Build The Fort

Shida Henneberry
Director, Economic Research Service, USDA

Domhnaill Hernon
Global Lead EY Metaverse Lab, EY

Alex Hertel
Director, Intuit

Jordan Higgins-Virtual Speaker
Mitre

Carol Anne Hilton
CEO, Indigenomics Institute

Alanna Hnatiw
Mayor, Sturgeon County

Aaron Hobbs
Executive Director, North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture

Dr. Brent Hogarth
Registered Psychologist & Executive Coach

Brian Hollins
Founder and Managing Partner, Collide Capital

Ben Holtzman
Program Advisor - New Reactors and Advanced Technologies, Nuclear Energy Institute

Fay Horwitt
President & CEO, Forward Cities

Nadine Huggins
Chief Human Resources Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Brian Hui – Virtual Speaker
Senior Product Designer, Albertsons Companies

Amina Hussein
Assistant Professor, University of Alberta

Clyde Hutchison
Partner, Team ABC Ventures

Rana Hyatt
CEO & Founder, SOLIS

Indrek Ibrus
Professor, Tallinn University

Jay Ingram
Writer/broadcaster, Mr. Science Productions Inc.

Andreea Ion Cojocaru-Virtual Speaker
CEO, NUMENA

Desmond Jackson
Indigenous Advisor, Member of the Blackfoot Confederacy

Mitch Jacobson
Senior Advisor, University of Texas at Austin

Cory Janssen
Co-Founder and Co-CEO, AltaML

Ryan Jeffery
Senior Managing Director, Sustainability Investments, gener8tor

Jacqueline Jennings
Venture Partner / Executive Director, Raven Indigenous Capital Partners / The Fireweed Institute

Jeremy Jensen
Owner, Jeremy Jensen, LLC

Wes Jickling
Vice President, Technology Development, Pathways Alliance

Kara Johnston
Technology Development Advisor, Alberta Innovates

Hanif Joshaghani
Co-founder & CEO, Symend

Lourdes Juan
Co-Founder & CEO, Knead Tech

Tate Juniper
Impact Fund Catalyst, EntrepreNorth

Michio Kaku
Henry Semat Chair in Theoretical Physics, City University of New York (CUNY)

Bina Kamath
CEO & Founder, Orion's Reach

Yeonsil Kang
CEO, Home Spritz

Sergios Karatzos
Program Manager, Renewable Feedstocks Development, Parkland

Brenda Kenny
Chair of The Board , Alberta Innovates

Michael Kerr
Director - Regional Innovation, Alberta Innovates

David Kessler
Chief Science Officer, Agrify

Laura Kilcrease
Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Innovates

Keith Kirkland
Chief Haptic Officer | Cofounder, Wear Works

Meelis Kitsing
Rector and Professor, Estonian Business School

Matthew Klippenstein
Regional Director, Western Canada, CHFCA

Jen Kluthe
Founder & Chief Designer, OpenWork

Joseph Kopser
President, Grayline Group

Pavitra Krishnamani
Physician, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Shelley Kuipers
Co-Founder, Co-CEO, Chief Growth Officer, The51

Amielle Lake
Chief Commercial Officer, CarboNet Nanotechnologies Inc

Tal Lapidot
Founder & CEO, Silo

Jay Latta
Chief Dreamer, STINT

Hubert Lau
CEO, TrustBIX Inc

Thayer Lavielle
EVP, The Collective, Wasserman

Eric Law
CEO, Urban Machine

Derek Leahy
Director, Rural Routes to Climate Solutions

Dr Mingu Lee
Managing Partner, Cleveland Avenue Technology Investments

Steven Lee
Venture Partner, NGVP

Caroline Legros
Deputy Director, WFP

Phil Leslie
Managing Partner , Workbox Ventures

Megan Leslie
Co-Founder | CEO, NanoTess

Ethy Levy
Managing Partner, Kinneret Impact Ventures

Angela Lim
Doctor, Clearhead

Cam Linke
CEO, Amii

Lili Liu
Professor and Dean, University of Waterloo

Dianna Liu
CEO, ARIX Technologies

Tamara Loiselle
Founder and CEO, Synergraze Inc

Patrick Lor
Managing Partner, Panache Ventures

Coral Lukaniuk
Principal, coRoc Solutions

Erin Lydon
President, Poker Power

Ian Macdonald
Business & Innovation Leader, KPMG

Kevin Macphie
Business Development Manager, Improving

Bita Malekian
Engineer, Water Movement

Christine Maligec
VP Enterprise Risk Services, Marsh Canada

Vivian Manasc
CEO / Principal Architect, Reimagine Architects

Gary Mar
President & CEO, Canada West Foundation

Diego Mariscal
CEO & Chief Disabled Officer, 2Gether-International

Dr. Ron Markowski
Instructor, NAIT School of Business

Monica Martinez
Owner, Don Bugito Prehispanic Snackeria Llc

Ashif Mawji
Managing Director, ScaleGood Fund LP

Derrick Mayes
Managing Partner, Bonaventure Equity

Caitlin Mcallister
COO, Workbox Company

Karen Mcathy
Founder, CEO, Lumi Foods

Kate Mccrery
Founder, Rhinebeck Ventures

Greg Mcelheran
VP Market Development, Export Development Canada

Dallas Mcghee-Henry
Marketing and Communication Manager, optiMize

Chowdary Meenavilli
CEO, NTWIST Inc

Max Menke
Co-founder, GrowthX

Kristina Milke
General Partner, Sprout.VC

Adrian Mitchell
Head of Growth, Startup TNT

Tina Moreau
COO, Drift Golf Ltd.

Tim Murphy
VP Health, Alberta Innovates

Bonnie Nay-Draper
Senior Manager, Deloitte

Graham Neil
Inventures 2023 Media Host

Thanh Hong Phuc Nguyen
Founder, Kibbi Technologies Inc

Lori Nikkel
CEO, Second Harvest

Mehr Nikoo
Senior Manager Clean Technology, Alberta Innovates

Sumner Norman
Scientist, Convergent Research

Carlos Ochoa- Virtual Speaker
Madrid Polytechnic

Jessica Oglesby
Senior Communications Lead, the Americas, Global CCS Institute

Jeni Olney
Director of Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University of Michigan

Christophe Owttrim
Technology Investment Lead, Emissions Reduction Alberta

Warren Parker
Chair, Pamu New Zealand (Landcorp Farming Limited)

Milan Patel
Co-Founder & CEO, PathogenDX

Candice Paton
Executive Director, Enhance Energy Inc.

Lillah Penddah
Inventures 2023 Emcee, Founder and CEO - AFRO FACTS

Jackie Peters
CEO, BlindInsight

Darrell Petras
VP Programs & Business Development, Edmonton Unlimited

Crystal Phillips
VP, Thin Air Labs Fund I, Thin Air Labs

Christine Picard
Professor of Biology, Co-Director, Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Judy Plotkin
National Vice President Health Solutions, People Corporation

Kate Popiel
CEO, What's the Deal?

Alex Pourbaix
Executive Chair of the Board of Directors, Cenovus Energy

Margo Purcell
CEO & Co-Founder, InceptionU

Bobbie Racette
CEO, Virtual Gurus

Peter Riddles
Founder & CEO, SYNERGIE Global

Jana Rieger
CEO, True Angle

Justin Riemer
Chief Executive Officer, Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA)

Michelle Risinger
Founder and CEO, Rising Solutions

Bryan Ritchie
CEO, Simba Chain, Inc.

Jefferson Roc
EIMHE

Henrik Roonemaa
Cofounder, journalist, Geenius Meedia

Melanie Ross
Scientific Chair, SAIT

Anthea Sargeaunt
CEO, 2S Water Inc.

Andy Savu
Manager, Enterprise Innovation Strategy & Delivery, TC Energy

Hermann Schaetzl
Professor and Associate Dean Research, University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Lauren Schafer
Director, Ventures, StartUp Health

Erica Schweyer
COO, Elevate Ventures

Jessica Scott
Associate Vice President, Online & Continuing Education, University of Alberta

Allison Sekuler
President & Chief Scientist, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation

Erik Severinghaus
Co-Founder / Co-CEO, Bloomfilter

Tiffany Shaw
Architect, AAA, Reimagine Architects

Karen Sheffield
Founder & Managing Partner, Pachamama Ventures

Chris Shipley
Founder, Big Bark Productions

Ali Siddiqui
Head of Directorate, Advanced Reactors, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

James Silovs
Associate Professor, Mount Royal University

James Silvos
Associate Professor, Mount Royal University

Yulia Sion
Junior Researcher at Tallinn University and A host of a Haptics Podcast at the Internet of Senses Institute, Tallinn University

Kristin Slice
Director of Community Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University

Neil Smith
VP of Operations, Carbon Asset Solutions

Amarjeet Sohi
Mayor, City of Edmonton

Veena Somareddy-Virtual Speaker
CEO, Neuro Rehab VR

Rowan Sommerfeld -Virtual Speaker
Co-Founder, EarthMMO

Simon Somogyi
Arrell Chair in the Business of Food & Professor, University of Guelph

Wolf Starr
CEO, The Venture Atlas

Ian Stewart
National Research Council of Canada

Andy Stoll
Social Entrepreneur, Social Entrepreneur

Zack Storms
Co-Founder, Startup TNT

Elizabeth Strickler
Director, Media Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Georgia State University

Paul Sullivan
Mentor, Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta

Mark Summers
Chief Innovation Officer, Emissions Reduction Alberta

Lloyd Summers
CTO & Co-founder, Red Iron Labs Ltd.

Alison Sunstrum
Managing General Partner, The51 Food and AgTech Fund

Tim Sweet
Founder, Principal Coach, Team Work Excellence Consulting Inc.

Ayden Syal
CEO & Co-Founder, MOGL

Terry Sydoryk
CEO & Co-founder, Cellar Insights

Hadi Taherian
CEO & Co-Founder, alto

Angela Tam
Senior scientist, Perceiv AI

Peter Tertzakian
Deputy Director, ARC Energy Research Institute

Randy Thompson
Chairman & CEO, Valhalla Private Capital

Martin Toner
Managing Director, Institutional Research, Growth & Innovation, ATB Capital Markets

Ariel Torre
Co-founder and CEO, Impossible Sensing Energy

Anneli Tostar
CEO / Co-Founder, Tangible

Stel Valavanis
CEO, onShore Security

Honourable Dan Vandal
Prairies Economic Development Canada , Minister of Northern Affairs

Neil Vande Bunte
Calgary Lead, Startup TNT

Stephannie Veenbaas
Water Ambassador, Water Movement

Candace Vinke
Senior Director, Nature-based Innovation, Verra

George Wadsworth
CEO, Canary Biofuels

Alex Walk
VP Carbon Fiber, Zoltek

Duncan Wardle
Featured Speaker, Independent Innovation & Creativity Consultant

Cecilia Wessinger
Director for Global Community, Global Entrepreneurship Network

Vanessa White
Director, Renewable and Alternative Energy in the Clean Resources Division at Alberta Innovates

Megan Wickens
Vice President, Client Solutions, Adecco Canada

Samantha Wolfe
Founder & CEO, PitchFWD

Monique Woodard
Managing Director, Cake Ventures

Stephanie Wright
President & Founder, Novabell Strategy Inc.

Scott Wu
CTO - Partner, Sagard

Chenny Xia
Co-Founder & CEO, Gotcare

Mohamad Yaghi
Agriculture & Climate Policy Lead, RBC

Aurora Young
Senior Innovation Engineer, Cenovus Energy Inc

Zayna Khayat
Health futurist, Deloitte Canada

Shawn Zulfiqar-Virtual Speaker
Meta Kraze

Alan Zurakowski
SVP Strategic Alliances, SHIFT Energy

2023 Sponsors

FOUNDING SPONSOR:
• Alberta Innovates

SPONSORS:
• ATB Financial
• ERA
• Prairies Economic Development Canada
• Bennett Jones
• NGIF Capital
• Department of National Defence
• ST Innovations
• Digital Alberta
• Mitacs
• The University of Alberta
• University of Calgary
• Red Deer Polytechnic
• JR Shaw School of Business

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
• Mind Alive Inc.
• AC Robotics
• Sombilon
• Mandy Stobo
• Ed Haynes
• Fairmont Banff Springs
• Pacific Western Group of Companies
• Calgary Economic Development
• The VR/AR Association
• Alberta IoT
• Hexagon
• MaxLab
• Zerokey
• AltaML
• Edmonton Unlimited
• NorQuest College
• Loop
• Nexus Exhibits