Opening Sessions: Setting the Direction. Attendees check in, enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and explore visual installations and early‑stage demos that frame the North American AI landscape.

A clear overview of the Summit’s mission and what attendees can expect over two days. Networking events, special breakout sessions. Investor lounge, 5 minute lightning demo contest. Indigenous-owned Salishan Catering providing lunches and coffee station and a land acknowledgement. Michael introduces Tiffani Bova our headline keynote speaker to kick off the event.

Every enterprise is racing to deploy AI, but most are discovering the same truth: technology isn’t the barrier — leadership is. In this headline keynote, Tiffani Bova reveals why organizations fail to realize AI’s potential and what the world’s most successful companies do to align leadership, culture, and workforce readiness with AI transformation.

Tiffani will unpack the new leadership competencies required in an AI‑accelerated world, the hidden friction inside organizations, and the human‑centric strategies that separate AI winners from everyone else.

This session explores what trustworthy enterprise AI truly means for highly regulated sectors such as finance, insurance, critical infrastructure, and public services. As organizations accelerate AI adoption, the stakes rise — and so does the need for rigorous governance, safety, and compliance frameworks. Daniel will host the panel featuring senior title AI leaders and founders from regulated industries alongside a senior AI policymaker, guiding a discussion on how to deploy AI responsibly when the margin for error is effectively zero.

Panel host: Daniel Escott, LLM, JD, BBA — CEO, Formic AI; Ontario‑licensed lawyer; Research Fellow at the Artificial Intelligence Risk & Regulation Lab; leading voice in Canadian AI law and regulation.

Panelist #1 : Manu Singh, Chief Information, Services & Digital Officer at Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Panelist #2:
Panelist #3:

We are currently seeking potential AI Leaders from leading Financial Institutions, Healthcare, Insurance, Critical Infrastructure, and Public Services to participate on the panel.

The CEOs of every major AI lab now agree on one thing: AGI is arriving this decade — possibly within the next 18 months. Benchmarks designed to be "AGI-hard" are being cleared faster than the researchers who built them predicted. Agentic systems are already operating autonomously across enterprise workflows. And the definition of what AGI actually means depends entirely on who you ask. This keynote cuts through the noise to answer the only question that matters for every leader in this room: what do you need to do about it — right now?

For Fortune 500 leaders, the conversation has moved far beyond automation. The mandate now is AI that drives measurable business value, strengthens competitive positioning, and integrates seamlessly across complex, global organizations. In this executive‑level session, Dr. Nargess Heydari Beni outlines how bespoke AI systems are architected to meet the realities of enterprise scale — from legacy infrastructure and fragmented data ecosystems to governance, risk, and long‑term ROI.

Key insights for enterprise leaders:

✅ How to identify high‑leverage AI opportunities that align with corporate strategy, not just operational efficiency
✅ Why custom AI models outperform generic solutions in regulated, high‑stakes, or data‑sensitive environments
✅ The R&D frameworks Lemay.ai uses to design systems that integrate with existing workflows, governance structures, and security requirements
✅ How to evaluate AI investments through the lens of risk reduction, resilience, and measurable business outcomes
✅ Real‑world examples of tailored AI driving transformation across large, complex organizations

This session is built for decision‑makers who need AI that is not only technically sophisticated — but strategically essential.

North American Lab & Startup Showcase, Fast‑paced lightning demos highlighting emerging technologies and founders:

1. 11:20am - 11:25am:
2. 11:35am - 11:40am:
3. 11:45am - 11:50am:
4. 11:55am - 12:00pm:
5. 12:05pm - 12:10pm:
6. 12:15pm - 12:20pm:
7. 12:25pm - 12:30pm:
8. 12:35pm - 12:40pm:

10 mins closing remarks and poll results powered by Mentimeter

Buffet Lunch catered by Salishan Catering + Demo Pods, Exhibits. Attendees meet startups, research labs, and solution providers showcasing live prototypes.

Debate: Open vs. Closed Models

At GTC 2026, Jensen Huang made a bold claim: “proprietary versus open is not a thing,” bringing together a coalition of open‑AI leaders to reinforce the argument.
Six months later, the enterprise world is still grappling with that assertion.

Do CIOs see openness as strategic flexibility—or operational risk?
Do investors view closed systems as defensible moats—or limitations on scale?
Do policymakers prioritize transparency—or control?

This high‑energy, audience-engaged debate brings together leading voices across enterprise, investment, and policy to challenge assumptions, test real-world implications, and unpack the tradeoffs shaping the future of AI ecosystems.

Expect sharp perspectives, divergent viewpoints, and actionable insights on one of the most consequential questions in AI today:

Is the future open, closed—or something entirely different?

Most companies talk about AI transformation. Very few actually pull it off. This keynote cuts through the noise and exposes the real mechanics behind enterprise‑scale AI deployment — the messy middle that never makes it into case studies or conference slides.

You’ll get a front‑row look at how leading organizations move beyond pilots and prototypes to build AI systems that actually ship, scale, and deliver measurable business impact. Expect candid insights on data readiness, governance, cross‑functional alignment, workforce transformation, and the organizational rewiring required to make AI stick.

If you want the unfiltered truth about what separates AI‑driven enterprises from everyone else, this is the session you don’t want to miss.

Ethical Frameworks for AI That Elevate Careers

As AI reshapes industries at unprecedented speed, most organizations are asking the wrong question: how do we automate more?

In this keynote, Hema Dey reframes the conversation entirely—arguing that the real advantage in the AI era doesn’t come from replacing humans, but from learning how to translate between human intent and machine capability.

Drawing on the core framework from The AI Translator, Hema introduces a practical, human-first playbook built around three powerful ideas:

✅Augment, Don’t Automate: Why the highest-value professionals and companies will be those who learn to work with AI—becoming translators who guide, shape, and elevate machine output rather than compete with it.

✅The 4 Vs Framework: A clear, actionable model for ethical AI governance—Visibility, Validity, Veracity, and Values—that helps leaders reduce risk, build trust, and ensure AI-driven decisions stand up to scrutiny.

✅The 90-Day Human Outcomes Pilot: A step-by-step approach to deploying AI that prioritizes real impact—measuring success not just in efficiency, but in productivity, employee experience, and long-term capability building.

This session cuts through hype and delivers what most organizations lack: immediate, usable tools for applying AI responsibly and effectively—starting the very next week.

Hema’s message is simple but transformative:
AI is not the threat. The real risk is failing to evolve.

The future belongs to those who step into the role of translator—
where Team Human × Team AI becomes a competitive advantage no machine can replicate.

As technology continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, the challenge lies in ensuring that it serves to enhance our humanity rather than diminish it. This talk will explore the concept of TechnoRebels… those who dare to question and redefine the role of technology in society.

Kris Krüg will discuss how technology can be designed and used in ways that prioritize empathy, ethics, and emotional connection. He will share stories of innovation and rebellion, where technology has been harnessed to empower communities, foster creativity, and drive social change.

This talk is a call to action for anyone who believes that technology should be a force for good, helping to bridge the gap between digital innovation and human values.

Join us for an exclusive evening reception inside one of Vancouver’s most iconic venues. Set among softly lit galleries and vibrant marine exhibits, the Aquarium offers a stunning backdrop for premium networking and cross‑sector connection. This is a high‑prestige, high‑intent environment designed to spark meaningful conversations between enterprise leaders, founders, academics, policymakers, and investors.

Evening Flow:

⏱️7:00pm — Arrival & Welcome Drinks
Guests are welcomed with refreshments and invited to explore select galleries, creating early, organic opportunities for sponsors and attendees to connect as they move through the space.
⏱️7:30pm–9:30pm — Networking & Micro‑Tours
Free‑flow networking continues throughout the Aquarium’s immersive exhibits. Optional micro‑tours led by Aquarium staff help facilitate high‑value introductions and deeper conversations across sectors.
⏱️9:30pm–10:00pm — Closing Conversations
The evening winds down in the central gallery, offering a relaxed final touchpoint for sponsors and attendees to strengthen new relationships.

A Sponsor‑Aligned Experience
This reception is intentionally designed to maximize engagement. The layout encourages natural movement, the atmosphere is calm and visually striking, and coastal‑inspired hors d’oeuvres with roaming service keep conversations flowing. It’s a signature moment of the Summit — a shared experience that reinforces our commitment to responsible, future‑focused innovation.

A candid, practical conversation about what’s actually blocking AI adoption — culture, workflows, governance, and leadership — not just technology. Expert Panelist: Michael Ashley, AI Forbes Columnist

North American Lab & Startup Showcase, Fast‑paced lightning demos highlighting emerging technologies and founders:

1. 10:35am - 10:40am:
2. 10:45am - 10:50am:
3. 10:55am - 11:00am:
4. 11:05am - 11:10am:
5. 11:15am - 11:20am:
6. 11:25am - 11:30am:
7. 11:35am - 11:40am:
8. 11:45am - 11:50am:

Closing remarks and poll results

Buffet Lunch catered by Salishan Catering + Demo Pods, Exhibits. Attendees meet startups, research labs, and solution providers showcasing live prototypes.

The CEO of ORKA AI introduces a practical framework for embedding digital employees into real operations and designing hybrid human + AI teams. Attendees gain clear steps for workflow redesign, adoption readiness, and unlocking measurable productivity gains.

Attendees learn how to structure cross‑functional teams for safety and impact.

AI regulation is accelerating worldwide — and the rules are changing faster than most organizations can track. This keynote breaks down the global policy shifts reshaping how AI is built, deployed, governed, and audited across industries. From the EU AI Act and U.S. executive actions to Canada’s evolving framework and emerging international standards, this session clarifies what leaders need to know right now.

Attendees will learn how regulatory momentum is converging, where it’s diverging, and what this means for enterprise risk, compliance, innovation velocity, and competitive advantage. If your organization is scaling AI, this is your roadmap to staying ahead of the policy curve rather than reacting to it.

Seat 1 — The Big Tech Voice
Seat 2 — The Open-Source / Decentralization Advocate
Seat 3 — The Civil Society / Human Rights Voice
Seat 4 — The Founder / Builder
Seat 5 — The Academic / Researcher
Seat 6 — Government - Honorable Rick Glumac, MLA — BC's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies
Special Guest Host: Michael Ashley, AI Forbes Columnist

This is the summit's marquee provocation — a 40-minute, multi-stakeholder debate on power, governance, and global responsibility in AI. It's deliberately positioned as the penultimate main-stage session on Day 2, landing immediately after the "Policy for a Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape" keynote (3:20–4:00 PM). That sequencing is intentional: the keynote sets the policy context, then the Grand Debate tears into the harder question — who actually gets to decide?

This isn't a panel where everyone politely agrees. The format demands tension, disagreement, and competing worldviews. The central question — who should control AI — has no consensus answer, and every stakeholder group (government, big tech, open-source community, civil society, academia, the market) believes the answer is them.

Jeff speaks on the core themes of The Last Book Written by a Human, drawing from his experience as a business leader, entrepreneur, and storyteller. He addresses the intersection of AI and human creativity, the evolving role of wisdom in a machine-driven world, the ethical challenges shaping our technological future, and how we can lead, create, and live more meaningfully in the age of AI.

A look at what’s next for TruNorth and the global AI community.

Unwind and enjoy a beverage on us.
This is your final chance to mingle, forge new relationships, and talk shop in a relaxed, peer‑to‑peer setting. Settle in with a live pianist, passed hors d’oeuvres, and beautifully curated charcuterie boards as we close out the day in style.

A candid breakdown of the operational realities behind AI adoption. Helps investors sharpen diligence, spot red flags early, and understand what it really takes for an AI product to scale inside the enterprise.

A candid, closed‑door conversation with AI founders on what truly drives successful investor–founder relationships. Expect real insights on support, expectations, and the operational realities of scaling AI companies.

This is pure gold for investors because it gives them unfiltered insight straight from the people they fund. In a boutique, no‑hype environment, this kind of candor is rare and incredibly valuable. This is the kind of session investors don’t get at big conferences.
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Description: TBD

(8)- 12 to 15 minute preset Founder/Investor pitch meetings. This window gives founders and investors enough time to:

✅ Quickly establish context
✅ Share the core problem, traction, and differentiator
✅ Ask targeted diligence questions
✅ Identify whether a deeper follow‑up is warranted

Pitch Flow:

✅2 min — Founder intro + problem
✅ 3–4 min — Product, traction, and what makes them investable
✅ 3–4 min — Investor questions
✅ 2–3 min — Next steps + exchange of materials

This keeps conversations crisp and high‑value.

How AI is reshaping sourcing, diligence, and investment decision‑making for modern investors.

(8)- 12 to 15 minute preset Founder/Investor pitch meetings. This window gives founders and investors enough time to:

✅ Quickly establish context
✅ Share the core problem, traction, and differentiator
✅ Ask targeted diligence questions
✅ Identify whether a deeper follow‑up is warranted

Pitch Flow:

✅2 min — Founder intro + problem
✅ 3–4 min — Product, traction, and what makes them investable
✅ 3–4 min — Investor questions
✅ 2–3 min — Next steps + exchange of materials

This keeps conversations crisp and high‑value.

Who will actually break out — and how to spot them early

This panel brings together experts who sit at different points in the AI value chain, giving investors a 360° view of what makes an AI company truly scalable, defensible, and unicorn‑worthy. The conversation blends market insight, technical depth, enterprise buying behavior, and founder execution patterns — exactly what our senior audience wants.

Four distinct lenses represented:

1. A Venture Capital Partner (AI‑focused or deep‑tech fund)
2. An Enterprise Chief AI Officer or Head of AI/M
3. A Technical Founder of a Fast‑Growing AI Startup
4. An AI Researcher or Academic with Commercialization Experience