Sessions

Sessions

Session Schedule

Discover a dynamic innovation session lineup at Inventures 2025 featuring roundtables, panels, workshops, fireside chats, and spark talks. Customize your experience through our official Event Guide App and craft your perfect conference journey. Session programming is currently being curated, keep checking back for the confirmed dates and timing.

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Inventures Opening and Welcome Remarks

Keynote Build from Strength

Join Mayor Jyoti Gondek, as she welcomes everyone to Calgary and provides opening remarks, and the CEO and Board Chair of Inventures as they kick off Inventures 2025, acknowledge the land, and welcome us to the conference. Eldon Weasel Child will then welcome delegates.

Speakers:

Location:

BetaKit Main Stage

Time:

to

Scaling Next-Gen Ingredients: From Concept to Market Success

Workshop Build from Strength

Canada is driving innovation and growth in the food industry with next-generation ingredients like plant-based proteins. Scaling and succeeding in this fast-paced sector requires strategic investments and access to key support systems. In this session, CEOs who have successfully navigated these challenges will share their experiences and strategies for sustainable growth. 

In this interactive workshop, participants will uncover tailored approaches to scale their businesses, addressing key challenges such as raising capital, maintaining quality control, marketing in competitive landscapes, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks. Explore how next-generation food innovations are making strides, even in crowded markets, and discover how the success of the foodtech ecosystem can spark transformation across other sectors. 

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 211

Time:

to

Electrify Everything? Exploring the Limits and Opportunities

Panel Build from Strength

As Canada advances towards lower-emission energy sources and increased electrification, the path forward is more complex than simply swapping one energy source for another. Exploring the practical considerations including affordability, reliability, resiliency, feasibility, and sustainability will ultimately shape where and how electrification works in our unique Canadian landscape, particularly here in Alberta.  This session will explore the critical questions at the heart of this transformation: 

  • Where does electrification make sense, and where does it fall short? 
  • What would a shift involve, and who must lead and contribute? 

With electricity demand expected to triple by 2050, we need to know what comes next: how to adapt, overcome barriers, enable a meaningful transition, and ensure continued progress in the energy transition.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 212

Time:

to

Food Innovation Spotlight: Advancing Canada's Growing Foodtech Ecosystem

Fireside Chat Build from Strength

Canada’s agri-food tech sector is growing rapidly, with most investments directed toward agtech advancements, often overshadowing foodtech innovations. However, foodtech is transforming the food value chain, with breakthroughs in alternative proteins, precision farming, food delivery platforms, sustainable packaging, and more. Greater investment and cross-industry collaboration in foodtech are key to strengthen Canada’s position as a global food leader – bolstering food security, driving economic growth, reducing import dependency, mitigating environmental impacts and ensuring a resilient food supply chain.  

In this fireside chat, leaders will spotlight Canada’s top 25 foodtech companies, showcasing transformative innovations and regional leaders. Discover how these advancements are reshaping the agri-food value chain for all stakeholders nationwide.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 205

Time:

to

Preventative Healthcare: How Technology is Transforming Prevention

Panel Build from Strength

What if we could stop illness before it even begins?

Advances in AI-driven diagnostics, wearable health tech, and personalized medicine are revolutionizing healthcare by shifting the focus from treatment to prevention. 

Join this session to explore how cutting-edge innovations are predicting, preventing, and managing health issues before they escalate. Hear from industry experts as they share real-world applications and strategies for integrating preventative health technologies into daily life, empowering both individuals and healthcare systems to take control of their well-being.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 212

Time:

to

UCalgary TC Energy Ingenuity Pitch Competition

Pitch Build from Strength

The TC Energy Ingenuity Pitch Competition showcases the top entrepreneurial teams from the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. Finalists are selected from three Hunter Hub core programs— Launchpad, Evolve to Innovate(e2i), and Business Playbook.

In this high-stakes competition, three teams from each program will pitch against one another, with one winner from each program earning a share of the $50,000 prize pool.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

225/226 Pitch Room

Time:

to

Data-Driven Harvests: Unlocking the Potential of Precision Agriculture

Spark Talk Build from Strength

Precision agriculture plays a pivotal role in ensuring a steady supply of high-quality, sustainably produced food across the entire agri-food value chain. Through data-driven approaches and innovations like GPS-guided equipment, soil moisture sensors, drone monitoring, robotics, and predictive analytics, farmers can optimize resources, minimize environmental impact, and boost productivity.  

This workshop-style session explores the intersections of innovation, investment, and collaboration withing precision agriculture, highlighting opportunities such as satellite-based connectivity and remote farming practices. 

Participants will gain practical insights, identify pathways for further innovation, and uncover strategies to enhance collaboration, attract investments, and unlock growth opportunities.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 222

Time:

to

Large Language Models for Healthcare: Current Realities and Future Possibilities

Fireside Chat Build from Strength

AI is transforming healthcare, but what does it take to deploy large language models (LLMs) at scale while safeguarding patient data and ensuring meaningful clinical impact?  

To navigate these complexities, healthcare leaders, technologists, and policy innovators must collaborate on integrating AI into medical workflows. From navigating complex regulatory landscapes to building trust in AI-driven care, experience firsthand insights, practical strategies, and lessons learned, where cutting-edge innovation meets real-world implementation.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 205

Time:

to

Brain Health Challenge – Live Pitch Competition

Pitch Build from Strength

The Brain Health Challenge pitch competition presented by Ontario Brain Institute, Kids Brain Health Network, Alberta Neuroscience, and Alberta Innovates showcases bold innovators developing groundbreaking solutions to transform brain health across the continuum of care. 

Small to medium-sized enterprises will compete head-to-head, presenting scalable and accessible technology solutions to tackle cognitive decline and degenerative brain diseases.  

How might we transform brain health and address early cognitive impairment and degenerative brain diseases through innovative solutions?

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Location:

225/226 Pitch Room

Time:

to

Reimagining our Roots: Alternative Fertilizers and Precision Agriculture

Panel Build from Strength

Healthy soil is crucial for addressing agricultural challenges like land degradation, erosion, contamination, and climate change, as it sustains food production, supports biodiversity, and aids in carbon sequestration. 

This session will explore alternative fertilizers, their benefits, limitations, market potential, and contributions to sustainability and emissions reduction, especially with precision agriculture. These innovations offer significant opportunities for growth, investment, and technological advancement in soil health.  

Join us to learn how strengthening agrifood systems in Canada fosters resilience and helps the sector adapt to global demands, enhancing food security and driving economic development, to impact food supply, environmental health, and global climate goals.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 204

Time:

to

Alberta's Potential in Cellular Therapy

Roundtable Build From Strength

This roundtable discussion aims to clearly articulate the opportunities available to Alberta and Canada in the cutting edge of Immunotherapy and other forms of precision medicine, challenge the orthodoxies of our current research and commercialization efforts and paint a picture of what needs to be done by all of the stakeholders going forward.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 209/210

Time:

to

Mobilizing Health Data: Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Panel Build from Strength

Canada’s health data holds immense potential to improve patient outcomes, enhance system performance, and drive economic value. However, governance and policy barriers are slowing progress.   

Join us as we explore the critical challenges and solutions surrounding governance, policy, and infrastructure for the seamless integration of health data and the adoption of innovative technologies in Canada’s healthcare system. 

Together, we will address actionable solutions to mobilize health data, accelerate innovation, and build a more connected, efficient, and responsive healthcare system for all Canadians.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 203

Time:

to

Innovating Within Boundaries: Strategies for Success in Healthcare Regulation and Procurement

Fireside Chat Build from Strength

Achieving large-scale impact often requires navigating complex healthcare regulatory landscapes and procurement challenges. While strict policies, lengthy approvals, and evolving compliance demands can slow progress, they also present opportunities for those who adapt and innovate to emerge as leaders.

Join this session to explore proven strategies and firsthand insights for overcoming complex hurdles in healthcare, with applications across industries. From navigating intricate systems to forging partnerships that deliver tangible results, hear from experts who have successfully tackled these challenges and more. Gain perspectives on working within regulations, streamlining procurement, and unlocking opportunities for growth and innovation to move beyond compliance to leadership.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 203

Time:

to

Strengthening Carbon Markets: A Catalyst for Innovation and Investment

Panel Build from Strength

A well-designed carbon market has the power to drive investment and spark innovation in low-carbon solutions. As jurisdictions like Alberta refine their approach, there’s an opportunity to create systems that reward real emissions reductions while attracting capital for new technologies.  

This session will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore how balanced and effective carbon markets can accelerate clean energy transitions. 

Join the discussion on shaping systems that not only work but unlock new opportunities for long-term growth.

 

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 212

Time:

to

Fostering Innovation: Advancing Technologies to Improve Oil Sands Operations

Panel Build from Strength

Innovation is the key to enhancing oil sands operations. Successful innovation requires collaboration, industry insight, access to funding and opportunities for testing. In its role as the innovation arm of Pathways Alliance, COSIA connects researchers, innovators, and industry partners, driving innovative and technological solutions to overcome industry’s greatest challenges. 

Our panelists will share case studies to demonstrate how COSIA helps identify industry challenges, engages innovators and supports start-ups by connecting them with the innovation ecosystem to advance ideas from various stages of readiness to commercialization. Please arrive early! 

Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 212

Time:

to

Teamwork in Healthcare: How Digital Tools Bridge Gaps Between Patients and Providers

Panel Build from Strength

Healthcare is evolving as patients, providers, and technology work together like never before. Digital tools, such as patient portals, e-consult platforms, and registries are transforming how people access care, contribute to research, and receive timely, personalized treatment. 

In this panel, experts share real-world examples of how these innovations improve outcomes when patients and providers collaborate effectively. Learn how better data sharing and stronger partnerships are creating a more responsive and effective healthcare system and what it means for the future of care.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 203

Time:

to

Sowing Adaptability: AgTech & FoodTech for a Resilient Future

Panel Build from Strength

Advancements in AgTech and FoodTech are pivotal for food security in the face of a growing population, climate change and evolving global challenges. By enhancing efficiency, scalability, and resilience, these technologies help navigate complex geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties while unlocking significant economic opportunities ensuring a more sustainable and adaptive food system.  

Canada’s leadership in agriculture and food innovation depends on leveraging cutting-edge automation and technology to create adaptable and robust food systems. 

This session explores strategies for fostering cross-sector collaboration and scaling investment in research and development to fuel growth and resilience in modern agriculture.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 213

Time:

to

The Future of Hydrogen: Alberta & Canada’s Path to Global Leadership

Panel Build from Strength

As Canada’s largest hydrogen producer, Alberta has a critical role to play in the country’s energy transition but realizing its full potential demands more than just abundant resources. To become a global hydrogen leader, Alberta must navigate technological innovation, infrastructure scaling, and strategic partnerships in an increasingly competitive market. 

This session brings together industry experts to explore how Alberta can capitalize on its hydrogen advantage. Learn how collaboration and investment can accelerate Alberta’s rise as an energy powerhouse.

Please arrive early! Kindly note that attendees will enter on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers:

Location:

Room 211

Time:

to