Speakers

Senior Director and Head, Generative AI Innovation Labs, RBC

Patricia Arocena is a Senior Director and Head of the Generative AI Innovation Labs at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), working within the Innovation and Technology organization. She is responsible for understanding emerging technologies in the Generative AI space and helping drive their adoption across the bank.

Vice President, Artificial Intelligence, Micro Logic

Patrice holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Université Laval in Quebec City and is currently Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Micro Logic. As Canada’s leading sovereign cloud manufacturer, Micro Logic offers its customers secure, flexible, innovative cloud solutions that are protected by local laws and powered entirely by clean energy. Responsible for Artificial Intelligence, he collaborates with our partners to help our customers adopt and exploit AI. Curious, passionate, highly organized and methodical, he greatly appreciates teamwork. With over 25 years of experience in software development and cloud computing, he has a proven track record in developing strategic plans and organizations that deliver world-class cloud solutions; software, infrastructure and operations.

CEO and Co-Founder, Airudi

Pape Wade brings several years of national and international experience in human resources. His background includes managing large-scale projects focused on continuous change and organizational transformation. Before co-founding Airudi, Pape held a leadership position in human resources at a major Canadian company, where he demonstrated strong and inspiring leadership in multiple strategic value-creating assignments.

Chief Data & Trust Officer, TELUS

Pamela Snively is the Chief Data & Trust Officer at TELUS. She leads the team responsible for privacy governance and data ethics, along with data management and a number of compliance functions, including the Anti-bribery & Corruption and Competition Law programs.  Pam approaches overall data governance through the lens of customer trust, leveraging TELUS’ Customer First principle to drive the organization’s commitment to privacy and data ethics.

Vice President, Advanced Analytics&AI, CIBC

Ozge has a combined experience in large corporations, entrepreneurship and academics. She co-founded the predictive log analysis start up, topLog, in 2013 while working towards her PhD degree in Computer Science at Dalhousie University. She understands the importance of finding the real pain points of her clients and building solutions accordingly.

Head of Data, Visual Defence

Omri is an experienced technology professional with over twelve years of experience working at Visual Defence. As Visual Defence’s manager of Data Services, Omri is responsible for Visual Defence’s data, including AI, IT infrastructure, collection, processing and annotation. Omri is an expert in computing, deployment, information security, and everything data. Omri has extensive experience in project management, having managed technology implementation and support projects in complex environments.

Chief Technology Officer, Moov AI

Olivier is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Moov AI, recognized as a leader in deploying artificial intelligence solutions in Quebec. Having played a role as an editor of the international ISO standard defining the quality of artificial intelligence systems and leading a team of 50 AI professionals from different countries, he was appointed as the President of the Canadian Committee for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at ISO/IEC.

Founder @Bonzai AI, Best Selling Author, Bonzai AI

Olia Stasiuk is the CEO of Bonzai AI, offering three cutting-edge AI-powered products—Bonzai Video, Bonzai Course Creator, and Bonzai Learning Management System. These products reduce operational costs and time around employee learning by 99%, providing instant translations in over 29 languages and professional digital trainer twins that enable global scaling 50x faster than traditional methods. A best-selling author and 15-time half-marathoner, Olia blends innovation with practical AI applications, empowering businesses of all sizes to leverage technology for enhanced efficiency, scalability, and success across industries.

Executive Director BI/AI, Solution BI

Nikolaz leads the BI & AI department at Solution BI, where he helps companies in their digital transformation by optimizing internal operations and improving decision-making. With a strong background in innovation and artificial intelligence, Nikolaz stands out for his ability to understand his clients' business challenges and develop customized solutions that meet their specific needs.

Co-Founder & CEO, Poly AI

Nikola Mrkšić is the Co-Founder and CEO of PolyAI, the premier developer of customer-led voice assistants for enterprise contact centers. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Ph.D. in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing, and was among the first engineers on the Siri development team for Apple.

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, AltaML

Nicole Janssen is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AltaML, a leading developer of AI-powered solutions, she has driven the company’s success in diverse sectors such as agriculture, finance, health, and energy.

VP Research, ServiceNow

Nicolas Chapados is VP of Research at ServiceNow Research. He holds an engineering degree from McGill University and a PhD in Computer Science from University of Montreal, Canada. While still writing his thesis and jointly with his advisor Yoshua Bengio, he co-founded ApSTAT Technologies in 2001, a machine learning technology transfer firm, to apply cutting-edge academic research ideas to areas such as insurance risk evaluation, supply chain planning, business forecasting, national defence, and hedge fund management. From this work, he also co-founded spin-off companies: Imagia, to detect and quantify cancer early with AI analysis of medical images, Element AI, to help organizations plan and implement their AI transformation, and Chapados Couture Capital, a quantitative asset manager. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

CEO, Farpoint Technologies

Nicholas Ning is a serial entrepreneur with a background in mechatronics systems engineering and an MBA from MIT Sloan. Over the past decade, he has built a reputation for bringing unique lateral perspectives to problem solving, having worked in a variety of sectors including finance, ag-tech, software/hardware, fashion, and the culinary arts. Today, he is best known as the founder and CEO of Farpoint, a global AI consulting firm helping enterprises across industries leverage AI to stay ahead, expand imaginations and transform work.

Director of the FutureTech research project at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and a Principal Investigator at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy

Neil Thompson is the Director of the FutureTech research project at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and a Principal Investigator at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor of Innovation and Strategy at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he co-directed the Experimental Innovation Lab (X-Lab), and a Visiting Professor at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. He has advised businesses and government on the future of Moore’s Law, has been on National Academies panels on transformational technologies and scientific reliability, and is part of the Council on Competitiveness’ National Commission on Innovation & Competitiveness Frontiers. He has a PhD in Business and Public Policy from Berkeley, where he also did Masters degrees in Computer Science and Statistics. He also has a masters in Economics from the London School of Economics, and undergraduate degrees in Physics and International Development. Prior to academia, He worked at organizations such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Bain and Company, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Canadian Parliament.

Senior Vice President Date and Intelligence, AlayaCare

Naomi is currently Senior Vice President, of Data and Intelligence at AlayaCare. Her mandate is to drive value and leverage data to support the innovation strategy of AlayaCare. This is done through applied research in machine learning and optimization applications to make home care agencies more efficient and improve clinical outcomes. Naomi also has a wealth of experience as a start-up entrepreneur and a seasoned business executive.

Partner, Co-head National Artificial Intelligence Group, Gowling WLG

Naïm Alexandre Antaki is a business and technology law partner at Gowling WLG.
He is the head of the Montreal office's Corporate Commercial Group and co-leads the firm's Canadian Artificial Intelligence Group. Licensed to practice law in Quebec and Ontario, he provides strategic advice to Canadian and foreign companies on their operations and cross-border expansion projects. His experience covers acquisitions, reorganizations, investments, financing and key commercial agreements in IT and renewable energy, dealing with cloud computing, cybersecurity, fintech, AI, blockchain and smart contracts, as well as privacy, governance and public procurement issues. Naïm is recognized in the “Corporate Middle Market” category and in the Special Technology Edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, as well as in the “Technology Law” category of The Best Lawyers in Canada.

Reporter, The Logic

Murad Hemmadi is an Ottawa correspondent for The Logic, covering business and innovation policy, as well as companies including Shopify. Before joining The Logic, he covered politics and wrote a daily newsletter for Maclean’s. He started his journalism career as a reporter at Canadian Business, covering the technology sector, entrepreneurship and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Visual artist and Chairman of the Board of Culture Montréal

Moridja Kitenge Banza is a Canadian artist of Congolese origin, born in Kinshasa in 1980, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He graduated from the Académie des beaux-arts in Kinshasa, the École supérieure des beaux-arts de Nantes Métropole, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of La Rochelle. He has distinguished himself in the world of contemporary art. In 2010, he won the first prize at the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, and in 2020, he received the Sobey Art Award. His work has been presented in numerous prestigious institutions, including the Musée Dauphinois (Grenoble, France), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Roskilde, Denmark), the Arndt Gallery and NGBK (Berlin, Germany), the International Biennale of Casablanca (Casablanca, Morocco), the Attijariwafa Bank Foundation (Casablanca, Morocco), the Blachère Foundation (Apt, France), the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Montreal, Canada), Projet Casa (Montreal, Canada), the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (Montreal, Canada), and the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, Canada). More recently, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and the Phi Foundation have presented solo exhibitions of the artist. Moridja Kitenge Banza's works are part of several collections in Canada and internationally. Since 2022, he has held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Culture Montréal.

AVP, Applied AI and Automation, Canadian Tire

Milena Kumurdjieva is an accomplished business and technology leader with over 15 years of experience at Canadian Tire Corporation, currently serving as the Associate Vice President of Applied AI and Automation. With expertise in AI, intelligent automation, and data, Milena is responsible for developing and governing enterprise AI solutions. She has successfully delivered complex AI and data products that have driven sales and efficiencies across the organization. Milena leads the company's Community of Practice for AI Platforms and oversees the Automation Center of Excellence. She has played a crucial role in enabling the company's AI strategy and has been instrumental in building a Responsible AI framework to ensure ethical and responsible AI development and deployment. Milena's dedication to harnessing AI's power in a conscious manner reflects her commitment to its broader impact on individuals, communities, and society at large.

President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal

Michel Leblanc is President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Quebec’s leading private economic development organization, dedicated for over 200 years to the development of the city's business base. In this position, he is the official spokesperson of the organization, and is responsible for planning, managing, coordinating and monitoring all its operations.

Partner & Strategic Advisor, Levio

Michel Bergeron is an expert in the digital transformation of financial services, with over 20 years of experience in strategic roles in the industry. Before Levio, as Chief Strategy Officer at the BDC, he was responsible for designing and developing the organization’s overall strategic direction and vision for the future, including for its 60,000 business customers.

Executive Director, C100

Michael Buhr is Executive Director of C100, a 500+ member association of Canadian tech veteran leaders dedicated to supporting Canadian-based tech entrepreneurs in building and scaling globally impactful companies. He is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years of experience in Silicon Valley (as founder, CEO, EIR, and Fortune 500 executive), including leadership roles at Apple, Adobe, and eBay. He has built, bought, invested in, and sold companies.

Vice President, Research Operations & Academic Partnerships, Vector Institute

Bio coming soon

Director of Research and Analysis, Conseil du statut de la femme

A sociologist by training, Mélanie Julien is director of research and analysis at the Conseil du statut de la femme, an organization whose mission is to advise the Quebec government and inform the population on any question relating to equality between women and men. In this capacity, she directs the research and analysis work which forms the basis of the Council's opinions, briefs and studies. Since the start of her career in 2000, Ms. Julien has led several research projects and taken part in numerous publications concerning the place of women in society and university education.

Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer & Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Destination Canada

Meaghan Ferrigno is the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Destination Canada, and is responsible for overseeing the organization’s financial strategy, management and reporting, shaping its data and research strategy, and facilitating insights-led decision-making to maximize the competitiveness and resilience of Canada’s tourism sector. She leads a dynamic team of Insights & Analytics professionals whose game-changing work includes the development of the award-winning Canadian Tourism Data Collective, a first-of-its-kind tourism data platform, delivering actionable demand and supply-side intelligence to inform decision makers, influence investment and spur economic growth. 

Chief Sustainability & Human Rights Officer, L'Oréal Canada

Maya Colombani has been appointed Chief Sustainability and Human Rights Officer of L'Oréal Canada in April 2022. With an international career of over 20 years at L'Oréal, Maya is distinguished by a rich and comprehensive professional background. She began her career in France, working for leading design and advertising agencies such as Dragon Rouge, Publicis, and Euro RSCG. She then joined L'Oréal's Professional Products division in 2001. There, she held positions in operational marketing and DMI (Direction Marketing International), for Kérastase and L'Oréal Professionnel. She carried out assignments in India and in the Western Europe zone, before moving to Brazil in June 2010 where she worked in marketing functions. Since the end of 2016, she has been Director of Sustainable Development for Brazil.

Senior Advisor, Business & Partnerships, CRIM

Maximilien Martin-Briat, expert in business development, project management and digital marketing, is a business and partnerships advisor at CRIM. He is responsible for R&D customer accounts, promotes strategic alliances and facilitates companies' access to cutting-edge technologies, while promoting a dynamic professional environment. Its involvement in initiatives such as MTL connect and the Youth Project 2030 demonstrates its commitment to digital transformation. A graduate of HEC Montréal in innovation management, he was also active in collegiate electronic sports.

Coordinator, Events, Moov AI

Maude holds a degree in communication, obtained in 2013. After several years of enriching experiences in the media and television industry, she joined Moov AI in 2022. She stands out for her ability to communicate with clarity and fluidity while captivating her audience. One of her strengths lies in simplifying complex concepts, making them accessible to everyone. Maude is also responsible for overseeing the logistics of the support and training programs currently deployed by Moov AI. Her insatiable curiosity and passion for discovering new fields led her to successfully host the first two editions of IA en affaires event.

Montréal Bureau Chief, Bloomberg

Mathieu Dion is Bloomberg's Montreal Bureau Chief. He reports on Quebec business. He was previously a national reporter for Radio-Canada, where he worked in Calgary, Montreal and Quebec’s National Assembly. Mathieu holds a bachelor's degree in political science, a master's degree in communications, a MBA and the Canadian Securities Course.

Vice President and Director General, Transport, Airudi

Mathieu Charbonneau holds a bachelor's degree in urban and social geography from UQAM and a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from the School of Management Sciences. After teaching at the Collège de Maisonneuve in the geography department, he joined the Association québécoise du transport et des routes (AQTR) in 2004 as technical director. In 2008, he became the General manager of the AQTR training center, TransForm. In December 2012, Mr. Charbonneau was appointed general director of the Montreal metropolitan logistics and transportation cluster, CargoM. Mr. Charbonneau sits, among others, on various boards of directors, including the Greater Montreal Climate Fund. In 2022, Mr. Charbonneau was chosen by the Government of Flanders to represent Canada in the international Flanders Inspires program on sustainable and innovative logistics. In 2023, he was selected by the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Montreal as part of the visitor’s program for a week on “Smart Cities” in Berlin. In 2023, Mr. Charbonneau was appointed Knight of the Order of the Crown from the Kingdom of Belgium for his contribution to the transport and logistics sector. In January 2024, Mr. Charbonneau joined Airudi, a company that specializes in the development of software solutions powered by artificial intelligence. He is the new Vice-President, General Manager of the transport division.

Deputy Executive Director, Urgences-Santé

Mathieu Campbell, Deputy Executive Director at one of Canada’s largest pre-hospital emergency services, has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. Since joining Urgences-santé in 2016, he has rapidly risen through the ranks, holding various strategic positions, including Interim President and CEO. Throughout his tenure, he has led several major projects, such as the 2024-2027 strategic planning exercise and the renewal of critical operational systems, while also contributing to the transformation of the organization's management culture. He firmly believes that developing an organization’s human capital is the key to unlocking its full potential, advocating for authentic leadership and a “Human to Human” approach.

Director, Business, Communication and Partnership, CRIM

With over 15 years of extensive expertise in strategic business development, team and project management, Mathieu is passionate about the fascinating interface between technology and humans. With his solid skills in the fields of strategy, artificial intelligence and management, he currently holds the position of Director of Business, Communication and Partnerships at CRIM, an institution renowned for its seriousness and success in matters of applied research in AI. During his varied professional career, Mathieu has excelled in key roles, such as partnership advisor in higher education, R&D project manager for a booming startup and strategy and partnership director within a committed NGO.

General Manager & Collaborator, Edelman & CBC/Radio-Canada

Martine St-Victor is a communications strategist and the General Manager of Edelman in Montréal; one of the 60 offices across the globe, making it the most important communication firm in the world. In addition, Martine is a monthly columnist at the Montreal Gazette and La Presse and she’s a weekly collaborator on Radio-Canada television and radio. Martine is a Trustee on various Boards: the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and is Chair of its communications advisory committee, the KANPE Foundation, the Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie Foundation, the think tank IRPP (Institute for Research on Public Policy), the Fondation de l’Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal and Plus1. Martine St-Victor is a founding member of the Black Opportunity Fund and Vice-Chair of the Québec section of IWF (International Women’s Forum).

Power & Utilities Lead, Accenture Inc.

Martine Lapointe leads Accenture’s Canadian Utilities practice, focusing on power generation, transmission and distribution to deliver Canada’s energy transition ambitions. She has been a Partner for nearly 10 years and has over 25 years of experience in digital transformation and innovation in large Canadian and global companies. Martine is deeply invested in all initiatives aimed at increasing the energy supply, which will help meet decarbonization goals and ensure energy security for all. She is particularly supportive of initiatives in talent, innovation and other key areas.

VP Public Affairs, Sustainability, and Communications, ADM

Vice-president of Aéroports de Montréal (“ADM”) since 2018, Martin Massé holds the position of Vice President of Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability. For more than 20 years, in Québec and elsewhere in Canada and Europe, he has advised various leaders on strategic and complex matters in the private and public sectors. Before joining the ADM team, he held strategic and decision-making positions in the Montréal and Québec public sectors, whether as Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal, special advisor to the mayor of Montréal, as chief of staff to the Minister of Transport, then Chief of Staff to the Deputy Premier and Minister of Economy, Science, and Innovation.

President, Osedea

Martin Coulombe is the founder of Osedea and the co-founder of Aidi, two companies in the field of software engineering. A graduate of Polytechnique in industrial engineering, he sold his first software while he was still at university. He then worked at Procter & Gamble in Toronto as an innovation manager before founding Osedea and Aidi. Martin is also involved with the organization Le Refuge des Jeunes in Montreal which helps young people experiencing homelessness and is a member of the board of directors. Passionate about adventure sports and mountaineering, he now devotes most of his personal time to his three young boys.

Chief AI Officer & Full Professor, Western University

Mark is the Chief AI Officer at Western University and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science with cross-appointments in five other departments, The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, and The Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is also a faculty affiliate of Toronto's Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

SVP and Chief Innovation Officer, Jeunesse J'écoute

Mariana is a driving force of innovation and excellence through the introduction of disruptive technology in organizations. She’s responsible for leading the intersection of innovation, technology, data and AI at Kids Help Phone to help revolutionize e-mental across Canada. She has held leadership roles in the non-profit, public and private sectors, including for the government of Ontario and the WHO.

CEO, Music Publishers Canada

Margaret McGuffin is the CEO of Music Publishers Canada. Margaret’s career has focused on research and policy development related to the creative industries as well as strategic change management. She has worked with a large number of music industry trade organizations and collective management organizations and currently sits on the board of Work In Culture (as Past Chair) and on the Advisory Committee at MusiCounts. Margaret is also always happy to talk to you about copyright or how music publishers are leading the way in making sure Canadian songs are heard around the world. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western University and an MBA in Arts, Media and Entertainment Management from the Schulich School of Business.

Secretary General, ECSA – European Composer and Songwriter Alliance

Marc du Moulin joined in June 2018 the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), which gathers more than 55 associations of composers and songwriters across Europe. Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme, ECSA’s core mission is to defend and promote the rights of composers and songwriters at European and international level, with the aim of improving their social and economic conditions, as well as their artistic freedom. Marc has a comprehensive knowledge in copyright and European law, an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the creative industries and an extensive experience in European Affairs. He previously worked in Brussels for the European Film Agency Directors, the Motion Picture Association, the European Commission (DG CNECT) and for Eurocinema. Marc holds a Master in UK-EU-US Copyright Law from King’s College London and a Master in European Studies from the Catholic Institute of Paris. He speaks fluently English, French and Spanish.

Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, L'Oréal

Marc Dicko joined L'Oréal Canada in March 2023, having previously been Chief Marketing Officer in Taiwan for L'Oréal. Marc's journey at L'Oréal began in 2012, when he joined the International Marketing Department of the L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty Division to launch the very first European e-commerce site for the entire division, at a time when digital was still in its beginnings in the cosmetics industry. After several years spent developing the division's digital presence, Marc was invited to join the newly created Chief Digital Officer (CDO) Global team, headed by Lubomira Rochet at the time at L'Oréal Group headquarters in Paris. There, Marc played a major role in leading the Group's digital transformation efforts in e-commerce, data and "love brands". During this period, Marc also mentored several members of the Group's Executive Committee in digital transformation.

Director, Development Finance Statistics, Global Affairs Canada

Maher Mamhikoff has over 20 years of experience in data analytics and insights. As the Director of Development Finance Statistics at Global Affairs Canada, Maher leads the government’s efforts in measuring financing in support of development. He also served for three terms as the Chair of the OECD’s Working Party on Development Finance Statistics, where he led the establishment of international standards for reporting development aid.

Member of the Executive Committee, responsible for organizational performance, citizen participation, and democracy, Ville de Montréal

Magda Popeanu, who holds a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering, has accumulated 10 years of experience in troubleshooting digital controls and programmable logic controllers, as well as 25 years of technical teaching in electronics and computer science. For the past 11 years, she has been a municipal elected official in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal. Her management experience has led her to understand that artificial intelligence (AI) and democracy can converge to optimize city performance and enhance citizen participation. As the Executive Committee member responsible for organizational performance for the City of Montreal, she is convinced that AI can automate and streamline various administrative operations to increase efficiency. Additionally, she believes that AI can improve the interaction between citizens and public services by providing easier access to information and a better understanding of decisions made by elected officials. However, she also expresses concerns about the challenges and risks of AI, such as biases, discrimination, and data privacy.

Canadian Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

H.E. Madeleine Chenette took up her duties as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the OECD on November 2019. Before joining the OECD, she had an extensive career in the private and public sectors, lending her expertise to solve the most complex issues for better government policies and growth for global and national clients across a wide range of industries, including finance, digital, agri-food, industrial, technology, mobility and the public sector. Complexity, diversity and challenging global environment have been part of her journey. She successfully solved the toughest challenges of companies, and now contributing to solve the ones of the OECD. H.E. Chenette continuously works in delivering green, inclusive and sustainable economic growth with public and civil servants, executives, board members and stakeholders. She brings innovation and leadership for our citizens’ well-being, corporation exports and growth and therefore, sustainable economy for Canada and OECD members and partners.

Indigenous Projects Manager, Public Policy and Inclusion, Mila

Lynnsey holds the role of Indigenous Projects Manager at Mila — Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, where she is dedicated to weaving Indigenous Knowledges, talent, voices, and perspectives into the very fabric of the AI landscape through collaborative initiatives. Before joining Mila, Lynnsey played a key role in managing Indigenous programming and outreach at McGill University. With a robust six-year history in policy work within the innovation sector, she is deeply passionate about promoting equal opportunities across all sectors of the Canadian economic ecosystem. Lynnsey's academic foundation is in Sociology. On a personal level, Lynnsey, a mother of three young boys, was born and raised in Treaty 4 and proudly embraces her Red River Métis heritage through her father's family.

President, FX Innovation

Lukas is the President of FX Innovation and joined in 2019.  Previously, Lukas was as COO and GM of DuProprio, a leading Canadian tech-enabled real-estate disruptor. In this role, Lukas was responsible for the operations and technology teams across Canada. During his 10-year tenure, he led several strategic initiatives designed to scale and automate the business, including the rapid scale-up of the company's digital platforms.  Lukas was also part of both Deloitte's Strategy Consulting practice and Financial Advisory practice where he was involved in a series of strategy engagements and collaborated widely with private equity and family offices in a variety of direct investments. He holds a bachelor's and master's degrees from McGill University, in addition to having completed an MBA specializing in strategy and finance at HEC Montreal.

CEO, IVADO & Professor, Université de Montréal

Luc Vinet was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of IVADO in August 2021. Aisenstadt Professor of Physics at the Université de Montréal, Dr. Vinet is an acclaimed physicist and mathematician with extensive experience in university administration. From 1999 to 2005, he was Vice-Principal (Academic) and Provost of McGill University, before becoming Rector of the Université de Montréal from 2005 to 2010. Dr. Vinet was also the Director of the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) of the Université de Montréal, from 1993 to 1999 and again from 2013 to 2021. In addition to being one of the founding directors of the MITACS network of Centres of excellence, he was instrumental in the creation of many other leading research organizations in Québec and the rest of Canada.

Quebec’s Chief Innovation Officer, general director of the Quebec Innovation Council of and founding Chairman of the Board of Axelys

Luc Sirois is Quebec’s Chief Innovation Officer, general director of the Quebec Innovation Council of and founding Chairman of the Board of Axelys, Quebec's society valorizing public research. With an engineering background and holder of an MBA from Harvard University, he has been a technological and social entrepreneur in the health sector, has held senior positions in various organizations around the world, and has always been committed to many social causes.

Founder & CEO, Co-Chair, OPTEL, Scale AI

Louis Roy is the President and Founder of OPTEL Group, the world's leading provider of traceability solutions. In 2017, Louis was honored as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada, recognizing OPTEL's pivotal role in creating a sustainable world through intelligent supply chains. Louis is also Co-Chair of the SCALE.AI Board, a Canadian Super-Cluster dedicated to developing and deploying the best AI tools to improve supply chain and manufacturing performance. An ambassador for corporate social and environmental responsibility, Louis is regularly invited to share his vision at international conferences.

Senior Vice President Media, Loyalty & Digital, Loblaw Companies

Lauren Steinberg is a recognized leader in technology & e-commerce, with over 20 years’ experience successfullylaunching digital products, driving profitable e-commerce growth and building best in class teams and capabilities.Currently, Lauren is the SVP of Loyalty, Media and Digital at Loblaw Companies, Canada's largest and mostsuccessful retailer. She leads a team of over 800 colleagues across ux, product, technology, growth & operations,building & operating digital platforms, products and programs for PC Express, Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty &Pharmacy, Joe Fresh, PC Optimum, & Advance, among several others. Lauren is incredibly passionate aboutpeople leadership, building diverse teams and inclusive spaces & shipping products designed for all. She is theexecutive sponsor and pillar lead for Loblaw Companies 2SLGBTQ+ employee resource group, an active mentor inpartnership with BPTN & prioritizes volunteering and donating to causes actively driving change for the 2SLGBTQ+community.

Managing Director - Data, Analytics & AI Canada Lead, Accenture

Krish Banerjee, is the Data and AI Lead for Accenture in Canada, where he leads a team of Data, Analytics and AI practitioners. Krish has more than 20 years of experience working across several industries, as advisor to C-suite executives and helping them shape their Data & AI journey and driving value through large and complex transformation programs. Krish has an Engineering degree in Computer Science and completed his Executive Management in Finance and Marketing. In his 20+ years of career, Krish has lived and worked across the globe, in UK, Sweden, Japan and US.

Chief Executive Officer, Canada's Ocean Supercluster

Kendra MacDonald is the CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, responsible for the accelerated development and commercialization of innovation that will solve some of the world’s biggest challenges in ocean. Kendra is leading the change in the culture of doing business in ocean from coast-to-coast-to-coast in Canada, increasing collaboration across ocean sectors and growing the country’s ocean economy in a digital, sustainable, and inclusive way. In recognition of her leadership in building the Ocean Supercluster from the ground up, Kendra was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine for the last four years and one of Canada’s Top Sustainability Leaders by Clean50 in 2022.

Associate to the President and CEO, CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest

Chief Research, Innovation and Learning Officer at CISSS Montérégie-Ouest, has lead the Pole of Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Projects in Health at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) from September 2018-2023, and the innovation Platform at CHU Sainte-Justine from 2014-2018. Kathy Malas is a leader who propels organizational transformations through innovation and knowledge as a source of value creation and tangible benefits for patients, teams and organizations. She cocreated the first two innovation and AI teams in Quebec amongst the first in Canada within a University Hospital Center.

Co-Founder & Partner, Comz

Kate Arthur is a British-Canadian entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in founder-leadership roles in technology, communications and digital education. She is currently co-founder at Comz, a global consulting group that empowers and supports executive leadership to bring AI & digital literacies into their organizations, communities, and countries. She has been a contributor to UNESCO's AI education frameworks, a Canadian Delegate for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, a member of CCUNESCO's AI & UN Sustainable Development Goals Working group, and a member of Canada's Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development's AI Public Awareness Working Group. Kate recently completed a book A(m)I Literate?, scheduled for publication in Winter 2025.

Associate Professor of Social Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) and Scientific Director of collaborations with civil society for Obvia

Karine Gentelet is an Associate Professor of Social Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) and Scientific Director of collaborations with civil society for OBVIA (Observatoire international des impacts sociétaux de l'AI et du numérique). Her research interests and publications focus on impacts of artificial intelligence technologies on social justice, civil participation and human rights, including First Peoples’, on research ethics in Indigenous context.

Executive Director, DAIS

Karim Bardeesy is the Executive Director of the Dais, a think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Dais works on the innovation, education and democracy policy and leadership challenges to ensure more shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada. Karim is an award-winning teacher, mentor and public service leader, and served previously as Deputy Principal Secretary for Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, and as Executive Director of Policy for Premiers Wynne and Dalton McGuinty. He was a candidate in Parkdale—High Park in the 2022 Ontario provincial election.

CEO, Scale AI

Mr. Billot is CEO of Scale AI, Canada’s artificial intelligence innovation cluster dedicated to building the next-generation supply chain and boosting industry performance by leveraging Ai technologies. He is also an adjunct professor of HEC Montreal and the Montreal lead for two transformational programs aiming to launch and grow startups in Artificial Intelligence leveraging Montreal tech and business ecosystem, NextAI and the Creative DestructionLab (CDL).

COO & Co-Founder, Jaide Health

Julie is the co-founder and COO of Jaide Health. She is a highly energetic, visionary operations leader with a reputation for challenging the status quo. From her early career in pediatric nursing to developing new products at Google to founding her own start-up, Julie has always focused on understanding systems and end users – designing products that improve communication and optimize productivity.

Director, Espace pour la vie

Julie Jodoin was appointed Director of Espace pour la vie in 2022, after serving as Interim Director for two years. During this period, she successfully integrated the Biosphere as the 5th institution of Espace pour la vie and inaugurated the new Insectarium after its major Metamorphosis. A graduate of HEC Montréal, she developed expertise in management and organizational development, particularly in cultural organizations. She joined Espace pour la vie in 2013 after being responsible for public funding strategies at TOHU, the City of Circus Arts. She has held successive positions as Advisor to the Executive Director, Head of Strategy and Business Development, and then Director of Operations. In these roles, she has ensured the implementation of strategic directions to amplify the role of research, education, and public programs carried out by the five museums so that Espace pour la vie actively contributes to the socio-ecological transition.

VP Corporate Development, Canvass AI

Josef Zankowicz works closely with the CEO office at Canvass AI to help define strategies, organize operations, and secure financing to execute them. Josef is a serial technology entrepreneur and business consultant who has worked in the technology industry for the past 25 years. He has worked with founders, startups, and multinational technology companies such as Apple and Symantec, and most recently NXM Labs where he is a co-founder and served as COO. Josef has been involved on the ground floor of an idea and worked as part of founding team to grow that idea into leading technology company with over 400 employees and a market capitalization of $1.6 billion. During his career he has been instrumental in more than $2 billion in financings or liquidity events which included three IPOs. Josef is a co-holder of several patents covering blockchain and cybersecurity. He is a graduate of Western University in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. He also attended University of Toronto where he studied Architecture.

Chief Product and Technology Officer, Lightspeed

John Shapiro is Lightspeed's Chief Product and Technology Officer. He is responsible for leading our global Product and Technology team and driving our product strategy to bring technology and insight to the innovators who are elevating their industries.

Faculty Lecturer, McGill University, School of Continuing Studies

A pioneer in supply chain management practices, John has recently undertaken the development of university programs in Supply Networks, a practice that integrates many of the learnings from both the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the digital revolution. Supply Networks thinking looks to designing and managing visibility along the network, the resilience needed to deal with disruption and the impact of risk events on the flow of services, product, and data. John has been focused on bringing the digital twin concept into the forefront of both service and manufacturing industry sectors, aiming to bridge the gap between simulation and prototyping.

Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Montréal

Johan Vakidis is a seasoned global creative professional with over 25 years of expertise across diverse sectors including communications, technology, entertainment, and gaming. His journey began in 2000 when he ventured to China, subsequently holding creative leadership roles at firms such as Ogilvy, AKQA, R/GA, The Walt Disney Company, and Publicis Groupe. Notably, he contributed to the kyu collective at Sid Lee and C2 before rejoining Publicis as Chief Creative Officer based in Montreal. Renowned for his digital work, Johan thrives on projects that blend storytelling, entertainment, and connectivity. Among his favorite clients are Adidas, Nike, Coca-Cola, Apple, and Nestlé. Notably, his tenure at The Walt Disney Company afforded him the opportunity to elevate his storytelling skills through collaboration with iconic brands like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.

VP AI Research, Meta

Joelle Pineau is the Vice President of AI Research at Meta, supporting research labs across North America and Europe.  She is also a faculty member at Mila and Professor and William Dawson Scholar at the School of Computer Science at McGill University, where she co-directs the Reasoning and Learning Lab.

Partner - Information and Technology, Business Law Group, Fasken

Jocelyn Auger is a partner in the Business Law Group in our Montreal office. His field of experience extends to marketing, intellectual property protection, financing, privacy, data protection and cybersecurity. A member of the Barreau du Québec since 1997, Jocelyn has successfully combined his legal background with the business experience he acquired during his years as a senior manager. He has worked in the information technology and telecommunications industries, as well as in green technologies. His knowledge spans several areas of practice.

CEO & CTO, Mind in a Box Inc

Jérémie Farret is a systems architect with a diploma of applied science engineering from INSA. He has worked for 30 years in embedded systems, analytics, and simulation, in Transportation (Aerospace, railways, subways), Medical Imaging, Banking, and Digital Safety/Cybersecurity. Involved since the late nineties in automation, expert systems, and AI, Jérémie has overseen the technical coordination and successful completion of three Scale AI projects, with two new ones ongoing. He is CEO/CTO of Mind in a Box Inc, a company providing advanced analytics and AI integrated solutions providing eco-responsible and cost efficient DataOps and MLOps capabilities to various customers on three continents, covering data intelligence, cybersecurity and AIoT applications.

Founder and CEO, Animikii

Jeff founded Animikii in 2003 and has orchestrated and managed its growth ever since. Everything Jeff does in business is geared toward uplifting his family, communities and Indigenous Peoples. He is Ojibwe and Métis, originally from Manitoba, and now lives and works in Victoria, BC on Lekwungen territory. Jeff is a software developer, product designer, author, and speaker. He also serves as Vice Chair for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) board.

Director of Real Time Offer & Creative Director, Moment Factory

After 9 enriching years as Director of the Interactive Department at Moment Factory, Jean-François Larouche is taking on the role of leading the Real-Time Offer while continuing to oversee certain projects as Creative Director. In this new era of artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and real-time production, he is committed to leveraging all his resources to ensure Moment Factory continues to revolutionize the entertainment world. His expanded role allows him to shape the future of interaction between the public and the digital and real worlds by creating memorable experiences. Having led award-winning projects as Director of Interactive Design for La Presse+, Jean-François has also served as Artistic Director at Sid Lee and Radio-Canada, contributing to the creation of TOU.TV His pursuit of creative excellence has driven him to work on large-scale projects recognized by the industry and explore new ways to push the boundaries of creativity and technology.

Global AI Ecosystems & Alliances Leader Managing Partner, AI, Deloitte

As the Global AI Ecosystems & Alliances leader and Managing Partner of AI, Jas collaborates and partners with leading AI companies and industry leaders to develop innovative transformational AI-enabled strategies and orchestrates teams across the ecosystem to deliver business outcomes. This includes defining new business models and go-to-market motions as every sector is reimagining what their future will look like in this AI era.

President, Promark Electronics

Jarred Knecht is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in leading teams and businesses in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Following the successful sale of his family business to ECI/Cerberus in 2021, Jarred currently serves as the President of ProEV, Promark Electronics, ASI, and KonnectAi – divisions of Electrical Components International (ECI) – a global interconnect leader with annual revenues exceeding $1.5 billion. He oversees the business unit supporting wire harness systems for global vehicle electrification, defense, aerospace, and medical markets.

Senior Project Manager, Research, Mila

Isadora is the Senior Project Manager for Research within the Policy, Safety, and Global Affairs team at Mila — Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. She spearheads major multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary collaborations focused on advancing responsible, inclusive, and transformative AI policy for actual equality across AI ecosystems. Before joining Mila, Isadora held the role of Senior Policy Specialist at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), where she worked at the critical intersection of human rights online, democratic governance, and gender equality. Her academic and professional background focusing on internet governance and social movements continues to inform her dedication to advancing equity and meaningful participation in AI and beyond.

Chief Marketing Officer, Scale AI

VP Sales and Marketing, Explor.ai

Hugues Mailhot is a partner and vice-president of Explorai. With over 20 years' experience in managing, commercializing and implementing innovative technologies in various industries, he has in-depth knowledge of digital transformation and the application of AI in corporate business processes.
His expertise focuses on identifying business needs and discovering innovative AI applications that offer a high return on investment for entrepreneurs. Hugues is also passionate about technology and entrepreneurship.

Executive Vice-President, Vooban

Hugues Foltz has been supporting companies in the development and execution of their digital transformation for over 20 years now. In 2018, he became co-owner and executive vice-president at Vooban, a firm recognized for its expertise in artificial intelligence and the development of tailor-made software solutions. With more than 100 conferences and training courses to his credit, he has raised awareness and equipped thousands of managers across Quebec to help them succeed in their digital shift.

Principal Scientist, Google Deepmind

Hugo Larochelle, a Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind's Montreal office, specializes in deep learning. His extensive research covers unsupervised pretraining with autoencoders, denoising autoencoders, visual attention-based classification, neural autoregressive distribution models, and zero-shot learning. Hugo's interests extend to applying deep learning in natural language processing, code, computer vision, and environmental sustainability.

Founder & CEO, Mappedin

Hongwei Liu is the CEO of Mappedin, a Waterloo based indoor mapping company working with customers across 54 countries and maintaining a digital source of truth for over 3 billion square feet of indoor space. He has led the company’s growth from the founding team to the 100-person operation based out of their Waterloo office. He cares about community and has served on the boards of IP Ontario and the Grand River Hospital Foundation. Hongwei grew up in Ottawa and studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Contributing Writer, Forbes

Hessie Jones is a writer and strategist advocating for human-centred AI, education and the ethical distribution of AI in this era of transformation.  She is a freelance journalist, writes for Forbes, and Grit Daily and is a former editor for Towards Data Science. She currently manages program development at Altitude Accelerator to support startup founders, with a focus on Cleantech. In the last 8 years, Hessie has worked in the responsible tech space. She is the Cofounder of Personally identifiable Information Standards Architecture (PIISA), developing an open model to detect and remediate PII in AI models; She is also on the Board of Women in AI Ethics™ (WAIE) to elevate the voices to the experts working towards responsible development and design of AI models and systems.. In her work, she aims to advance the quality of human-computer experiences through values-based innovation prioritizing human-centered design.

Founder and Co-Chair of the Board of Directors, Scale AI

Hélène Desmarais has 25 years of expertise in the field of technology and academia. For decades she has led major Canadian institutions, as well as several public and private companies, as a Chairman and CEO. She has been overseeing IVADO Labs’ rapid growth and emergence as a world class leader in the use of AI to drive companies’ innovation and performance improvement. She is deeply committed to the principle of continuous learning and the importance of a culture of excellence when growing successful teams. Hélène is passionate about supporting startups. She is Chair of Next AI and CDL AI in Montreal leading Canadian programs that help build disruptive startup companies that challenge large industries.

Director of Digital Innovations, Kruger Products

As an accomplished engineering professional, digital transformation leader, and executive coach, Heather brings a wealth of expertise to the table. With a proven track record of driving innovation and organizational success, she is primed to make a significant impact on businesses. She is passionate about leveraging technology and strategic leadership to navigate complex challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities in today's fast-paced business landscape.  Having led transformative initiatives across industries, she offers a unique blend of global perspective and hands-on experience.

Associate Professor, Core Member, Mathematics and Statistics at the Université de Montréal, Mila

Dr. Lajoie is an Associate Professor at the Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics at the Université de Montréal, and a Core Member of Mila, the Québec AI Institute. He holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and a Canada Research Chair in Neural Computations and Interfacing. His research is positioned at the intersection of AI and Neuroscience where he develops tools to better understand mechanisms of intelligence common to both biological and artificial systems. His research group's contributions range from advances in multi-scale learning paradigms for large artificial systems, to applications in neurotechnology. Dr. Lajoie is actively involved in responsible AI development efforts, seeking to identify guidelines and best practices for use of AI in research and beyond.

National Coordinator for Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the République française

Guillaume Avrin is in charge of interministerial coordination of the French national strategy for artificial intelligence. As part of this, he is working with all the administrations concerned to structure the AI ecosystem over the long term and at all stages of technological development: training, R&D, applications, certification, marketing and cross-sector distribution, support and supervision of deployment. He was previously head of the artificial intelligence sector at LNE (French National Laboratory for Metrology and Testing), where he laid the foundations and methodological principles for the evaluation of intelligent systems.

Manager, Solutions Architect and Engineering, NVIDIA

Griffin Lacey manages the Solutions Architect team for NVIDIA in Canada. His team supports customers leveraging the NVIDIA platform to solve large-scale problems across AI and HPC. Prior to NVIDIA, Griffin was a machine learning researcher for Google, and worked as an engineer in the embedded computing space at Connect Tech. He holds a Bachelors and Masters of Engineering degree from the University of Guelph, where his research focused on the optimizing deep learning on different accelerated computing platforms.

Advisor, IEEE Standards Association

Gilles has spent 20+ years in new products development and ecosystems management worldwide. His deep fascination for the impact of technology on society lead him to contribute his industry experience in emerging technologies product development and ecosystem growth to various organizations including Texas, Instruments, and Qualcomm. He currently advises IEEE SA on AI Ethics related programs.

Director, Innovation & Research Programs, Ciena

George is leading innovation, strategic partnerships & technology ecosystem development in Canada for Ciena. George has 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, which includes directing advanced research and network transformation programs in North America. He serves on the ENCQOR 5G Board of Directors and is dedicated to accelerating innovation through public-private partnerships.

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, Université de Montréal

Gauthier Gidel is an assistant professor at Université de Montréal and is an academic core member of Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. His research specializes in the intersection between machine learning, optimization, and game theory. He has significantly contributed to developing learning algorithms that enhance the stability and efficiency of models like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). In addition to his scientific work, Gauthier has worked as an AI expert for artistic production studios, including the NFB and Centre Phi. He is also a co-organizer of the CCAAI art residency, an initiative to foster co-creation between artists and Mila students. The residency explores the ethical use of AI and its potential in creative applications, bridging the gap between technology and art.

Partner, Process Intelligence Lead, Levio

Expert in leveraging AI in process mining and Hyper Automation, to help data-driven organizations increase efficiency, grow revenue, and improve customer experience. Frederic has more than 25 years of experience managing large digital transformation programs, as well as sales teams and marketing teams. He has an extensive track record of success in SaaS, financial services, and consulting.

Director of product management, IVADO Labs

François is currently a Director of Product Management at IVADO Labs, and has been advising C-suite executives around technology, digital transformations and strategy for 10+ years. Before joining IVADO Labs, François worked at global consulting firm Oliver Wyman as well as National Bank of Canada. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, both from Polytechnique Montreal.

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Axceta

Francis Latulippe, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Axceta, leads the Canadian company in the development of leading AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) solutions for the mining, energy and agricultural sectors. With a rich experience of 16 years in technology, Francis is renowned for his exceptional technical expertise, solutions orientation and pragmatic approach to problem solving. His deep expertise in solving technological challenges in the energy and natural resources sectors spans electronics, embedded systems development, telecommunications and cloud technologies. Most recently, Francis has distinguished himself as a capable expert within the MISA Group Vortex Program, demonstrating an exceptional ability to launch initiatives and effectively manage IoT risks. An esteemed graduate of ÉTS Montréal, Francis holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. His skills and background make him an invaluable asset for Axceta and its growing clientele.

Fatih Nayebi is the Vice President of Data & AI at the ALDO Group, where he leads AI initiatives that revolutionize retail operations and customer experiences. With over 15 years of experience in AI, Fatih excels at integrating AI technologies into business environments, significantly improving customer engagement and operational efficiency.

Partner, Normandin-Beaudry

Working in the human resources field for over 20 years, Etienne has supported numerous organizations in projects aimed at optimizing their compensation infrastructure and led work teams on complex projects with a wide range of organizations and sector groups. Holding a master's degree in human resources management from HEC Montréal, a master's degree in training management from the Université de Sherbrooke, and an executive program in Artificial Intelligence from the MIT Sloan School of Management, he joined Normandin Beaudry in 2005 and became a shareholder of the firm in 2011. In 2013, he was awarded the "Relève d'excellence, consulting services" prize by the HEC Montréal network for emerging leaders.

Professor and Director, McGill Computational and Data Systems Initiative (CDSI), McGill

Eric Kolaczyk is a professor and inaugural director of the Computational and Data Systems Initiative (CDSI) at McGill University, which in turn hosts the McGill Collaborative for AI & Society (McCAIS). He was previously at Boston University, where most recently he was director of the Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing. He formerly served as co-chair of the US National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering Roundtable on Data Science Education. In his own teaching and research he has spent 30 years innovating where education and development support human endeavors enabled by computing and engineered systems. His efforts as CDSI director are now focused on helping the McGill University community optimize how it does the same, both internally and in partnership externally.

Vice President and Executive, IVADO Labs

Enrico is an internationally recognized leader and influencer in AI. He has over fifteen years' experience advising executives on AI strategy and implementation focused on value creation. He is a seasoned lecturer regularly called upon to teach courses in business courses at McGill University. He is also a key advisor and host of the Canada-Italy AI Forum, and sits on the boards of various not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining IVADO Labs, Enrico held several positions in global strategy consulting firms, most recently as head of AI in the travel and logistics sector for McKinsey BeNeLux.

Co-Founder and CEO, Whale Seeker

Emily is a biologist with 20 years of experience working in coastal and arctic ecosystems and a deep passion for working with multidisciplinary teams towards sustainable growth. She spearheads Whale Seeker with a clear vision, knows what can be improved and won't settle for anything less. Her field expertise and people skills make her a fierce leader who rallies those around her to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.

Senior Director, Aftermarket Products, Digital, Bombardier

Elza Brunelle-Yeung is the Senior Director, Aftermarket Products and Digital for Bombardier. In her role, she is responsible for the development and sustainment of Bombardier’s Aftermarket portfolio of products and services for its worldwide fleet of business jets. Having started at Bombardier in 2009, Elza has held roles in Strategy and Business Development, including corporate and business unit strategy, as well as operations and customer services. As a leader in the company’s Aftermarket division, Elza and her team are developing new solutions for in-service customers including aircraft upgrades, digital and AI-driven offerings.

Executive Director, Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, CIFAR

Elissa Strome is the Executive Director of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR. She works with leaders at Canada’s three national AI Institutes in Edmonton (Amii), Montreal (Mila), and Toronto (Vector Institute) and across the country to advance Canada’s leadership in AI research, training and innovation. She is a champion of equity, diversity and inclusion in science, and an ambassador for Canada’s position in AI research, innovation, and policy internationally.

Head of the Data & AI Line of Business, Levio

Elaine Marin is a visionary leader in the fields of business, finance, and artificial intelligence. At Levio, she accompanies businesses and institutions in leveraging AI in a secure and scalable way, while maximizing tangible and measurable benefits. Previously, she founded and directed the world-renowned Microsoft Research AI lab in Montreal, which develops innovative AI algorithms in the field of natural language.

Vice President and National Lead, Technology, BDC

A graduate of the University of Windsor (BA Arts) and Carleton University (Masters Public Administration), I have spent almost over 30 years in banking with both RBC and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). With most of my career having been spent as a Senior Leader in commercial banking I’ve had the opportunity to gain valuable experience relative to the challenges faced by all entrepreneurs as they seek to grow their business. In my current role as Vice President, National Lead – Technology Lending, I now have the privilege of leading a dynamic and dedicated team as we seek to support and generate positive impact in this vital sector.

Editor-in-Chief, BetaKit

Douglas Soltys is the Editor-in-Chief of BetaKit and founder of BetaKit Incorporated. He has spent two decades writing about or working in Canadian tech, bouncing back and forth from global leaders and failed startups to the bullpen. Douglas’ passion has helped make BetaKit the award-winning publication of record for Canadian tech and startups. Left-handed, but never sinister, he spends too much time on the Internet.

Principal AI Advisor, Snowflake

Doneyli is a Principal AI Advisor at Snowflake, where he leads strategic GenAI and ML initiatives as the primary technical advisor. He provides deep expertise to craft tailored AI & Data solutions that align with customer goals. With over 20 years in Data and AI, from development to solution architecture, he leverages his robust skillset to guide organizations toward innovative solutions that transform their operations.

Executive Editorial Director, Fortune CEO Initiative and Fortune Live Media, Fortune

Diane Brady is an award-winning business journalist and author who has interviewed newsmakers worldwide and often speaks about the global business landscape. As executive editorial director of the Fortune CEO Initiative, she brings together a growing community of global business leaders through conversations, content and connections. She is also the editorial chief of Fortune Live Media and interviews newsmakers for Fortune's CEO Daily newsletter and podcast.

CEO & Co-Founder, Forethought

Deon Nicholas is the CEO and Co-Founder of Forethought, the Generative AI for Customer Support company. Forethought has raised $90M+ in venture capital, was recognized as one of G2’s Best Software Products for 2023, was named to CNBC’s 25 Top Startups for the Enterprise in 2022, and won TechCrunch Disrupt in 2018. Before starting Forethought, Deon built products and infrastructure at Facebook, Palantir, Dropbox, and Pure Storage.

Partner and Patent Agent, Gowling WLG

Denis is a partner and patent agent in Gowling WLG's Montreal office, where he works in the Intellectual Property group. His practice covers all things patent, including the strategic acquisition of patents in areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, medical devices, software and telecommunications. With 20 years of IP experience in Canada, the United States, France and the United Kingdom, he worked in the United Kingdom for a considerable part of his career, including as an associate in the one of the largest IP firms in Europe. Denis also worked at a well-known technology company, where he was responsible for growing the European optical networking patent portfolio. Before entering private practice, Denis was a patent examiner at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office.

VP, Data Engineering and AI, Bell Canada

Bio coming soon

CEO & Editor-in-Chief, The Logic

Before founding The Logic in 2018, David Skok was the associate editor and head of editorial strategy at the Toronto Star. He has also served as the managing editor and vice-president of digital for the Boston Globe, and as the co-creator and director of digital for Global News. David is a leading thinker on digital transformation who co-published a seminal paper on disruption in the news industry with the Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen. David sits on the advisory board for the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University and has served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes in journalism.

Leader, Data and Artificial Intelligence, KPMG

David Marotte is responsible for strategy and growth of the Data and Artificial Intelligence practice at KPMG in Canada, for the Montreal office. In this role, David leads numerous strategic development initiatives for the firm’s artificial intelligence programs. He also manages various projects that seek to improve and develop data-related business offerings. David particularly enjoys helping find ways to improve and develop corporate culture, with a view to achieving tangible results for his clients. David has extensive experience in strategy, change management and business intelligence, particularly in the IT, cleantech and VFX industries. A seasoned entrepreneur, he has mentored over 125 entrepreneurs and continues to pass on his knowledge to entrepreneurs from all walks of life at the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce.

Counsel & Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Fasken

As Counsel to Fasken’s Montréal office, David Lametti draws on over 25 years of experience in law and politics as a professor, Parliamentary Secretary, Member of Parliament for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun and Minister of Justice. David Lametti will leverage his deep experience to work closely with the Indigenous Law group and the Government Relations and Political Law group and to provide support in the area of artificial intelligence.

VP of Marketing, Halo Dental

David, a graduate of HEC Montreal, has a passion for meaningful and engaging conversations that drive people to find the best ways to improve things. Currently, David is leading the communication and marketing strategies at Halo Dental Technologies, a Montreal-based company with groundbreaking technology poised to transform the dental industry.

Host, ALL IN

Dave Kelly is an award-winning host, writer, and interviewer who creates intelligent and deeply human moments for events and keynote conversations around the world. From his beginnings as a TV Host, Dave has spent decades leading conversations with business and political leaders across North America and beyond, from Stanford School of Business in California to Amman, Jordan and everywhere in between. Ellen Degeneres selected Dave as the moderator and interviewer for her multi-city tour across Canada, he hosted a conversation with President Barack Obama in Calgary and sat down for a conversation with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Montreal. Dave’s conference work now includes full emcee services, with consultation on program flow, in depth panel discussions, hosting of awards shows, and maintaining pace and flow of the event. He is now seen regularly at single and multi-day conferences across North America in various industries including annual gatherings of the Canadian Credit Union Association, Celero, Global Business Forum, Scale AI, Lowes, Bayer and Modivcare. Dave is the co-founder of Kelly Brothers Productions, a video and entertainment company.

CEO of CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, CIUSSS COMTL

With 18 years' experience in healthcare management, Dan Gabay brings in-depth understanding of the complex issues facing Quebec's health and social services network, a strong penchant for operation management, the field and action, a focus on evidence-based management and connected care.

AI Director, Solution BI

Over the past 4 years, Cyprien has acquired extensive experience of marketing data in the aeronautics and banking sectors, using AI to meet business challenges. He helps organisations to apply AI to optimise the use and added value of their data.

Vice President of Engineering, Earthdaily

Chris Rampersad is the Vice President of Engineering at EarthDaily Analytics, a data services and analytics company that will be launching a fleet of satellites in 2025 to deliver insights for natural resources, precision agriculture, environmental protection, and risk management. Chris has over 20 years of experience building software products to make satellite imagery accessible including the first high-res color video from space and satellite imagery shown on Google Earth.

Vice President, Emerging Technologies, CGI

Chris leads our Emerging Technologies practice, a team of highly skilled AI/ML strategists, data scientists, data engineers and cloud experts. While partnering with customers across Canada, he has helped organizations integrate cutting-edge technologies into their operations and deliver tangible business outcomes. Chris is dedicated to guiding teams toward optimal solutions, leveraging his wealth of experience to foster innovation and drive strategic success.

Director, CBC/Radio-Canada

Chloé Sondervorst has been working at CBC/Radio-Canada since 2011. Initially a journalist for the News service, she has been creating and directing several original programs as a producer since 2015. Passionate about digital culture, she regularly appears on news programs as a columnist and presents a series on social media dedicated to artificial intelligence. She holds a master's degree in philosophy.

AI Product Manager - Senior Director, Qualcomm

Dr. Chirag Patel is a Senior Director of AI Product Management at Qualcomm, based in San Diego, USA. He spearheads the GenAI technology portfolio, overseeing planning and roadmap with a focus on end to end system analysis and solutions, and translating these into AI products across different BUs. Previously, Dr. Patel led the AI Model Efficiency Toolkit (AIMET) project at Qualcomm AI Research, where he was instrumental in bringing neural network model efficiency R&D on quantization/compression to commercialization. He collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams, managed feature roadmap planning, and customer engagements. Additionally, he directed projects aimed at enhancing smartphone user experiences through the integration of machine learning and low-power, always-on sensors, alongside other pioneering technologies. Before pivoting to AI, Dr. Patel accumulated over a decade of experience in wireless communications, serving as a research engineer and technical lead. His contributions included the design and standardization of standalone LTE in unlicensed spectrum and 3G/4G/5G small cell technologies. Dr. Patel holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 

VP, Field Services Operational Support, Bell Canada

Célia leads a national team which coordinates operational support for all of Field Services. Her team’s mandate is to maximize resource usage while supporting network operations and customer service from coast to coast. Previously, she was Director of Digital Transformation, leading the development and implementation of effective self-serve tools that help customers troubleshoot potential issues themselves and recover services faster. Her most notable technology implementation is a first of-a-kind Artificial Intelligence Virtual Repair and proactive outage notification program. During her 11-year career at Bell, she has held several senior roles supporting internal consulting, field operations and program management. Célia holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and an MBA from HEC Montréal.

VP, Strategic Policy & Global Partnerships, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Catherine joined the Canadian Chamber as Vice-President of Strategic Policy and Global Partnerships in 2023, bringing 18 years of experience in the public affairs field. She was formerly Principal, Public Policy at AWS Canada where she oversaw federal policy work related to digital transformation, AI, immigration and all Quebec policy work for three years. At AWS, she also co-created and led the Amazon Canada Refugee Support Program which provided a million dollars over two years to support a variety of initiatives designed to assist new Canadians with housing and job placements. Through this program, she established a national partnership between Amazon Canada and Habitat for Humanity as well with a dozen refugee settlement agencies throughout Canada. Prior to AWS, Catherine was Vice-President, Social Innovation and Advocacy at Impact Public Affairs and also ran her own GR/PR bilingual consultancy, CFL Communications, for five years. 

Director of Innovation - Research & Development, Pomerleau

Director of Innovation - Research & Development at Pomerleau, a leading Canadian construction company, Carolyne is head of the aXLab, a laboratory dedicated to the research and development of innovative technological solutions. She coordinates the implementation of new technologies, innovations and processes on several worksites and in various research projects, in collaboration with her Development and Operational Excellence teams. She ensures that initiatives are deployed coast-to-coast to improve the daily lives of employees, both on construction sites and in administrative offices. Carolyne holds a diploma in construction engineering and a master's degree in construction management from the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS).

Chief Commercialization Officer & Vice President, Industry Innovation, Vector Institute

Cameron Schuler is the Chief Commercialization Officer & Vice President, Industry Innovation at the Vector Institute. He is the former Executive Director of Amii, where, for 8 years, he led one of the top-ranked Machine Learning and AI groups in the world. Cameron’s multifaceted career has covered finance, business & product development, consumer products, IT and general management from start-ups to mature companies.

CEO, AMII

Cam Linke is a longtime leader in Edmonton’s technology and startup community. Over the past 10 years, he has worked as a CEO, investor, community builder, product manager, software entrepreneur, academic, and developer. Past roles include Co-founder of Startup Edmonton, Founder of Flightpath Ventures, CEO of Touch Metric, Product Manager at Nexopia.com, and Founder of DemoCamp Edmonton. Linke is a sought-after speaker and mentor and has been recognized as Avenue Magazine Top 40 Under 40.

Senior Data Scientist, Project Lead, Ivado Labs

Caitrin Armstrong is a Senior Data Scientist at IVADO Labs, where she is currently focused on generative AI projects. Previously at Aifred Health, she led the development of an application to improve depression treatment using machine learning. She holds a master's degree in Computer Science and a bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science, both from McGill University.

Managing Director, Enterprise Data & Artificial Intelligence, Air Canada

Bruce Stamm is the Managing Director, Enterprise Data and Artificial Intelligence at Air Canada where he leads a team of Data, Analytics and AI professionals building and maintaining enterprise-wide analytics, machine learning and optimization solutions across the Airline. Before joining Air Canada, Bruce led digital and data organizations across a variety of high-technology companies in the Aerospace, Video Gam and Telecom sectors. Based in Montreal, Bruce holds bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Ph.D. student in Computer Science, McGill University

Bonaventure F. P. Dossou is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at McGill University, specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) with a focus on African languages and healthcare applications; under the supervision of Professor Jackie Cheung. He earned his Bachelor's degree with honors in Mathematics from Kazan Federal University, Russia, and his Master's degree with honors in Computer Science from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. Bonaventure has made significant contributions to AI, particularly in developing Afro-centric NLP systems like FFRTranslate, AfroLM, and the Okwugbe ASR Python library.

CEO, Siradel

As the CEO of Siradel, an ENGIE Group company, Aurélien Fattore leads a team of 170+ experts who share a common purpose: to deliver digital technologies that accelerate the transition towards more connected, carbon-neutral and resilient cities and industries.

Partner and AI Institute Canada Leader, Deloitte

Audrey focuses on Analytic Transformation Services. Through Insight Driven Organizations (IDO) labs and engagements, Audrey supports clients in making analytics meaningful and actionable by promoting a culture of data-driven decision making. Audrey has deep experience identifying and prioritizing analytics use cases for organizations across different industries to cut costs and improve customer experience and share of wallet. Audrey advises on enablers and challenges to capture the benefits of moving up the analytics maturity ladder by focusing on 4 levers: leadership, talent and capability development, operating model and change and culture.

SVP Generative AI and Digital Transformation, IVADO Labs

Arnold is a seasoned executive and thought leader in the field of artificial intelligence. He served as CTO at multiple AI startups and was the AI Strategy and Transformation practice lead at PwC/ Strategy&. He also held technical leadership positions at Scale AI, Hewlett Packard and Sybase. He is a talented and coveted speaker at industry events that include CogX, Elevate Toronto and AI4. Most recently, Arnold served as the CTO at TealBook, a SaaS company that leverages AI to be the trusted source of B2B supplier data, and IVADO Labs, a software consulting firm focused on AI-driven supply chain solutions, where he helped enterprises (like Circle K, Goldman Sachs, S&P, Nasdaq, Bombardier, Air Canada, Roche, etc) apply AI solutions to drive tangible business outcomes.

Principal Research Scientist and Project Manager, Innovation, Hydro-Québec Research Institute

Arnaud Zinflou has an extensive history working with AI projects in the fields of industrial manufacturing, logistics, finance, and online retail. He holds both a Bachelor and Master of Computer Science, as well as a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering. He currently principal research scientist and innovation project manager at Hydro-Québec research institute and leads projects in many areas of machine learning such as computer vision, time series forecasting or representation learning. He is also the author and coauthor of more than 50 papers, 7 book chapters and 3 patents. He has been an IEEE senior member since 2015.

Executive Director, Technology Delivery and BPI Information technology, Energir

Mr. Arnaud Blanchet has been executive director, technology delivery and internal project office at Énergir since June 2020. He is responsible for some of the activities related to information technology, including technological architecture, project management, development, capital planning as well as the deployment of AI initiatives within the company.

Chief Operation & Intelligence Officer, NOLK

Antoine is a seasoned entrepreneur with 13 years of experience in business scaling through data-driven strategies and technology implementation. 2-time founder in sourcing and e-commerce in China, he transitioned to management and consulting roles with tech startups before joining Nolk in its first year of operation. As head of M&A, and then Chief Intelligence Officer, he spearheaded business intelligence development across all 12 portfolio companies, standardizing and leveraging insight for financial, operational, and marketing optimization.

Chief Technology Officer and Head of Solution Advisory, SAP Canada

Anthony Robinson serves as the Chief Technology Officer and Head of Solution Advisory for SAP Canada, where he leads a dynamic team committed to empowering Canadian companies to achieve their business objectives. With a sharp focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning, he is at the forefront of driving technological advancements and digital transformations. Anthony has been supporting SAP customers for over 25 years, playing a pivotal role in guiding some of the company’s largest customers through their digital transformation journeys.

Director Responsible for AI, Conseil de l'innovation du Québec

Anne Nguyen, Director Responsible for AI at the Quebec Council for Innovation since January 2024, promotes the adoption of AI in the province. In 2023, she led the Institutional Data Strategy at CHUM, fostering a data-driven culture. At Logibec (Nov. 2020 - Dec. 2022), she drove innovation by diversifying revenues outside Quebec with analytical products. At the Montreal Heart Institute (Nov. 2017 - Oct. 2020), she led digital transformation and coordinated major projects. A graduate of Harvard Business School in Business Analytics, certified in Product Management and Lean Six Sigma, Anne is actively engaged in promoting women in science.

Senior Director, Public Policy and Inclusion, Mila

Anna Jahn is the Senior Director, Public Policy and Inclusion at Mila, the world's largest AI research institute in deep and reinforcement learning, where her extensive experience in Canada and abroad fuels her passion for creating inclusive, innovative spaces for leaders at the science-policy interface to shape better public policy.

Co-Founder and COO, Queertech

Eustacio (Andy) Saldaña is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of QueerTech, a Canadian non-profit focused on empowering, connecting, and increasing the visibility of 2SLGBTQ+ technologists and entrepreneurs. The organization is dedicated to the mission of queering the tech ecosystem. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the NY Tech Alliance, a non-profit organization that runs the world’s largest Meetup group, the NY Tech Meetup (NYTM). With over 60,000 members and a mission to build a more sustainable, diverse, and equitable technology industry for all New Yorkers, the organization is a central figure in the NY Tech ecosystem.

Founder and Scientific Director, Andrew H. and Ann R. Tisch Professor Jacobs Technion-Co, IVADO Labs

Andrea Lodi is an Andrew H. and Ann R. Tisch Professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and the Technion. He is a member of the Operations Research and Information Engineering field at Cornell University. Before joining Cornell, he was a Herman Goldstine Fellow at the IBM Mathematical Sciences Department, NY in 2005–2006, full professor of Operations Research at DEI, University of Bologna 2007-2015 and Canada Excellence Research Chair in “Data Science for Real-time Decision Making” at Polytechnique Montréal 2015-2022. His main research interests are in Mixed-Integer Linear and Nonlinear Programming and Data Science and his work has received several recognitions including the IBM and Google faculty awards. Andrea is the recipient of the INFORMS Optimization Society 2021 Farkas Prize and has been elected an INFORMS Fellow in 2023. Andrea has been the principal investigator of scientific projects (often involving industrial partners) for Italy, European Union, Canada and USA. In the period 2006-2021, he was a consultant of the IBM CPLEX research and development team, developing CPLEX, one of the leading software for Mixed-Integer Optimization. Andrea Lodi has co-founded IVADO Labs and serves as Scientific Director since the beginning.

Founder, AI Commons

Bio coming soon

Co-founder & Vice-President of Operations, Airudi

Amanda Arciero holds a master's degree in industrial relations. Throughout her career, she has specialized in the reengineering and quality control of operational processes. Her various mandates and professional challenges have led her to take charge of strategic initiatives aimed at optimizing human resource management and transforming recruitment services. Her strategic vision enables her to see beyond immediate problems and develop long-term solutions that promote the growth and success of businesses. In 2018, Amanda co-founded Airudi, a company specializing in the development of artificial intelligence-powered solutions for human resource management. As a co-founder and Vice President of Operations at Airudi, she leverages her experience and expertise to guide the company's strategic direction and ensure its ongoing success. Amanda is recognized for her ability to innovate, create effective solutions, and deliver tangible results. Her commitment to operational excellence and her passion for process transformation make her a valuable asset to Airudi.

Vice-President - Strategic Development and Innovation, 7Doigts de la main

Alexandre Teodoresco is Vice-President of Strategic Development and Innovation at Les 7Doigts de la main. Les 7Doigts are leaders in live performance in Canada, and have been touring the planet with their original creations for 22 years. Alexandre has his sights firmly set on the future of live performance. His mandate is to guide Les 7Doigts into new markets, and to design and implement strategies to explore new horizons for the company. His comfort zone and the projects he leads lie at the intersection of human creativity, live performance and technology. One of these structuring projects, LAB7, is already enabling 7Doigts to embark on the adventure of AR, VR, XR and, of course, artificial intelligence. An ardent promoter of Quebec's techno-creative strengths, Alexandre contributes to the advancement of AI for the cultural industries as Chairman of Entertain - AI.

Future of Work Working Group Co-Chair, Global Partnership on AI

Alex is an AI executive dedicated to advancing the responsible development of technology and its impact on society. As co-chair of the Global Partnership on AI's Future of Work working group and a visiting fellow at Oxford's Internet Institute, he focuses on the intersection of AI and societal change. With experience at one of the world’s leading B-Corps, Alex has contributed to sustainable business practices and has been involved in shaping AI legislation through work with the Canadian Parliament and the United Nations. His work reflects a commitment to thoughtful, inclusive progress in the field of AI.

Engineer, Cohere

Adrien is a member of technical staff at Cohere, which he joined as an early employee. Over his tenure there, he worked on the full panoply of generative models for text generation, retrieval models for semantic search, and their intersection (retrieval augmented generation). He is currently co-leading the synthetic data team at Cohere. Prior to Cohere, he pursued graduate studies in artificial intelligence from the University of Edinburgh, and undergraduate studies in philosophy and mathematics from McGill University.

Chief Technology and Product Officer, CAE

Abha Dogra is currently Chief Technology and Product Officer (CTPO) and is a member of CAE’s Executive Management Committee (EMC). As CTPO, Abha leads CAE’s global technology teams by helping shape the company’s broader strategic direction to maximize business growth, while overseeing the development of CAE’s digital and technology roadmap. She is responsible for driving the strategic development of the technology function and fostering synergies between the digital and engineering teams to innovate intelligent products, operations, and services at scale.