mesh agenda
April 12-13, 2023 • Calgary
pre-mesh event • april 11
4:30 – 6:00 pm
Women of the Future meet-up
The Women of the Future invite you to join them for a happy hour to celebrate all the incredible women in the technology field. This cash-bar event will launch the nomination process for their most recent publication and project – Women of the Future – Canadian Women in Emerging Tech. This book will be published in Q4 and feature the Top 100 Women in Canada. Nominations launch April 11th at the event.
Shoe & Canoe
209 4 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0C6
hosted by
Location: Platform Innovation Centre in Calgary
day 1 • april 12
8:30am – 9am
Registration check-in and networking breakfast
Location: West Hall Cafe (gound floor)
9 am – 10:05am | Multipurpose room
The State of Innovation. What’s now? What’s next? And how can we get there?
with Colleen Pound, Alison Sunstrum (CNSRV-X Inc.), Leta LaRush (BASF), and Chris Hogg (Digital Journal Group)
Canada’s innovation ecosystem is bustling with success stories, digital transformation learning, and organizations who are still getting their feet wet. In this opening session at mesh we will explore the state of innovation and look at where we are, where we need to be, and what is needed to get us there.
Speakers:
10:05am – 10:45am
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor)
10:45am – 11:30am | Multipurpose room
Keynote fireside conversation with Kirstine Stewart
with Kirstine Stewart (former Twitter VP/GM and CRO of Pex) and Mathew Ingram (Columbia Journalism Review)
Internationally award-winning technology and media leader Kirstine Stewart joins mesh to explore the transformation of media at its intersection with technology. Kirstine will share insight on how media continues to evolve, digital rights technology and its use in the creator economy, and ownership of content and creative work in the era of generative AI.
Speakers:
11:30am – 11:50am | Multipurpose room
The mesh innovation showcase
with April Hicke, Sean Crump, and Tamara Woolgar (The A100).
The mesh innovation showcase recognizes innovation and digital transformation leaders from underrepresented communities across Canada. Join us as we meet some of Canada’s innovators.
Speakers:
11:50am – 1pm
Networking lunch
Location: Annex (ground floor)
1pm – 1:45pm | Multipurpose room
Catalysts for Change
with Charles Buchanan (Technology Helps), Alison Pidskalny (Pixelated Ventures), Derek Armstrong (PrairiesCan) and Chris Wolfenberg (Dentons).
This panel discussion will look at digital transformation for the public good, and speakers will delve into how innovation will impact the non-profit and public sectors.
Speakers:
1:45pm – 2:25pm
Networking break
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor) sponsored by Dentons
2:25pm – 3:10pm
Concurrent sessions
Entering the Next Dimension: How VR/AR and the Metaverse Will Change Everything
Location: Multipurpose room
with Paige Dansinger (Metaverse Producer), Amy Peck (EndeavorVR), Juliana Loh (VR world builder), and Anne-Marie Enns (Women of the Future)
This panel will explore the power and promise of virtual and augmented reality and the metaverse with those who are helping to create it. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a bit of a skeptic, this panel will demonstrate why AR, VR and the Metaverse will change everything.
Speakers:
Transformations for Future Generations: Health & Education
Location: Classroom 1
with Lauren Dwyer (SAIT), Mary Jane Dykeman (INQ Law) and Tyler Chisholm (clearmotive marketing group).
Healthcare and education are two of Canada’s most important sectors, and the opportunity to innovate in both is now. This panel will explore innovation in healthcare and education, and where advancement is happening, and what’s still needed for the benefit of future generations.
Speakers:
3:10-3:20
Break — head to the pitch stage
3:20 – 4:15pm | Pitch stage
Keynote Fireside Conversation with Mark Fairbanks, Islands of Brilliance
with Mark Fairbanks (Islands of Brilliance) and Jake Surrey (Fountain Partnership).
Mark Fairbanks joins the in-person audience at mesh remotely from his home near Milwaukee to explore opportunities in technology design to create inclusion. His keynote will focus on learning experiences and neurodivergent creativity. Mark joins the in-person audience virtually.
Speakers:
4:30pm-6:30pm 🍻
Our friends at Float are hosting a Happy Hour for mesh attendees and Calgary-area finance folks at the Standing Room Only bar, a 5-minute walk from the conference venue. Unwind after a great day over drinks and canapés, and meet the Float team in person. Float is one of Canada’s fastest growing startups, simplifying spend for Canadian businesses with its spend management and corporate card offerings.
Please note: Space will be limited to 125 people and is expected to reach capacity. Happy Hour attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bring your mesh pass with you to show at the door.
hosted by:
day 2 • april 13
8:30am – 9:15am
Networking breakfast
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor)
9:15am – 10:05am | Multipurpose room
Keynote Fireside Conversation with Bobbie Racette, Virtual Gurus
with Bobbie Racette (Virtual Gurus) and Alison Pidskalny (Pixelated Ventures)
Entrepreneur and business leader Bobbie Racette joins mesh to share perspectives on the future of talent and work, and insight on building diverse and agile teams with remote workers. Bobbie will dive into best-practice advice for using technology to find much-needed talent, and why constraining a digital marketplace is the best way to grow it.
Speakers:
10:05am – 10:50am
Networking break
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor)
10:50am – 11:35am | Pitch stage
Keynote Fireside Conversation with Dr. Andreas Fraunberger, Junge Römer
with Andreas Fraunberger (Junge Römer), Amy Peck (EndeavorVR), and Tyler Chisholm (clearmotive marketing group).
This fireside will explore the world of augmented and virtual reality and its impact on sales and marketing. Dr. Fraunberger will join us via livestream from Vienna, Austria.
Speakers:
The mesh innovation showcase
with Christa Hill, Ashima Chopra, Kwame Asiedu, and Shelley Kuipers (The51)
The mesh innovation showcase recognizes innovation and digital transformation leaders from underrepresented communities across Canada. Join us as we meet some of Canada’s innovators.
11:50am – 1pm
Networking lunch
Location: Annex (ground floor)
1pm – 1:45pm
Concurrent sessions
Marketing and sales in the age of distraction
Location: Multipurpose room
with Amrita Gurney (Float), Tracey Bodnarchuk (TAB Consulting Group) and Stuart Macdonald (Narrative Fund).
With social media channels constantly changing, inboxes flooded with marketing messages, and audiences being pulled left and right through busy lives, it’s harder than ever for marketing and sales people to get attention. This session will explore the ways in which leaders are breaking through a noisy marketing and sales landscape to help their business and clients stand out, and what leaders need to do to scale successfully.
Speakers:
Start-up Circles. Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey: Lessons from Successful Startups
Location: Investors Hub
with Temi Okesanya (Road Aider), Jason McFadden (Build with Assembly), Shelley Kuipers (The51), Mark Graham (commonsku) and
This session invites entrepreneurs (or those considering the journey) to share lessons learned and obstacles overcome in their journey. Panelists (and attendees) will share what’s worked, how challenges should be tackled and what’s needed to create a thriving startup.
Speakers:
From Code to Canvas: Hands-On with Generative AI
Location: Classroom 1
a workshop with Iman Bashir (Craftly.AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and changing every industry. And even though generative AI has become shockingly good at figuring out what you want it to do for you, there’s always room for improvement. In this session we will look at the role of a prompt engineer and how everyone can get more out of AI by knowing what to ask it to do.
To download, Iman’s presentation, please click here.
Speakers:
1:45pm – 2:15pm
Networking break
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor)
2:15pm – 3pm
Concurrent sessions
Data and Innovative Thinking: Tapping into the Innovator’s Mindset
Location: Multipurpose room
with Sabrina Sullivan (FORD/SAIT), Mary Jane Dykeman (INQ Law), Christine Gillies (Blackline Safety) and Deborah Yedlin (Calgary Chamber of Commerce)
From automotive, to law, to energy, Canada’s largest sectors are undergoing radical change, and those who chose the path of innovation are the ones who will thrive. While innovation can come from many places, the innovator’s mindset follows the “belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed leading to the creation of new and better ideas,” as author George Couros would say. In this panel we will tap into that mindset.
Speakers:
Navigating a changing digital landscape: How to live with Google Analytics 4, and where else your brand should invest
Location: Classroom 1
with Jake Surrey (Fountain Partnership) and Scott King (Digital strategist)
Marketers and brands have used the Internet for decades now as a primary digital platform to reach audiences. But things are changing, and it’s not all for good. This session will look at how and why Google Analytics is changing, and how that will complicate the world of measurement for marketers. The second part of this session will look at opportunities for brands to connect with audiences off of their website.
Speakers:
Dealbook: An investor, regulator and ecosystem view of what’s needed to fund and support innovation
Location: Pitch stage
with Wilson Acton (Tall Grass Ventures), Ha Nguyen (McRock Capital), Tonya Fleming (Alberta Securities Commission) and Terry Rock (Platform Calgary)
Funding innovation is a critical step in advancing a digital transformation, but rather than just looking at problems and challenges to solve, we also need to identify where momentum is happening and what needs to be done to support it.
Mid-market jurisdictions may have capital gaps, or discoverability challenges, but those are common in many regions and more focus needs to be placed on how we overcome challenges that are table stakes.
This panel will look at making a difference, what bets investors are placing, where they see opportunity, and what’s needed to fuel growth.
Speakers:
3pm – 3:45pm
Networking break
Location: West Hall Cafe (ground floor)
3:45pm – 4:30pm | Pitch stage
Intelligence Augmentation: The Ethical Implications of Human-AI Teaming
with Dr. William Barry, Dr. Maria Gomez Rachelle, Maria Bot Digital, and Niva
This closing keynote will explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of using artificial intelligence to augment human capabilities. This interactive session will pair humans with AI-powered strategic avatars who will share insight and take unscripted, live questions from the audience. Dr. Barry and Dr. Gomez Rachelle will join the in-person audience virtually from Carlisle, Pennsylvania and San Francisco, California.
Speakers:
