Collisions YYC

Attracting investors to Alberta hasn’t been easy. With Toronto and Vancouver, it’s not always the first choice for key investments. That’s why the government of Alberta created Invest Alberta - a Crown corporation. From hydrogen to agriculture, aerospace to FinTech, Invest Alberta has brought billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to our province. Find out how they are working to attract new jobs and industries in Alberta that can not only keep us competitive but how they’ll keep us ahead.

Far from the one-trick-pony some may consider Calgary to be, Brad will help demonstrate just how innovative, competitive and collaborative Calgary is. From our glory days as a top energy producer, our workforce has the capital and the know-how to get things done. Our city is working hard to transform its global reputation with thoughtful storytelling and brand architecture to continue to support and drive the entrepreneurs that make Calgary the best place in the world to own and operate a business.

With over 9 funds, $6BN of capital and 180+ investments, ARC Financial knows plenty about investing in the energy sector. Brian recognizes that what has historically worked needs to be tweaked to greet the new future of energy. Get up to speed on where Alberta can create significant change (hint: carbon capture and low carbon are going to be huge), Brian’s take on deal flow, and how traditional oil and gas businesses will be the backbone of our energy transition plans now and in the future.

While working on her Master’s Thesis on the topic of legislating gender parity on corporate board of directors, Amber realized that gender parity is a slow burn to advancement. She has dedicated her professional career to advancing women and the role of Executive Director at Axis Connects was a natural next step. There, she has the opportunity to connect organizations working in the space to take more meaningful steps to solving gender parity issues. Tune in to learn about their annual awards honouring women and male allies and how Axis Connects is transforming corporate Calgary one initiative at a time.

Whether you wonder what the future of work looks like for you or the next generations, Futurist Sabrina Sullivan will help you get excited and inspired by the changes coming. What is a Futurist? They help systematically explore predictions and possibilities for the future and how they can emerge. She’ll help explain how digital transformation in education ensures students understand what markets they will need to fill and then match their future of learning to those markets. Sabrina also knows that risk and dystopian concepts are necessary ingredients when thinking through the different future scenarios we might greet.

At marquee events in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Zack and Tim have helped hundreds of Prairie start-ups have fun, make connections and build companies. Their Investment Summit allow local start-ups to get in front of investors, while simultaneously training and introducing new investors to the ecosystem. Their combined knowledge will give you a snapshot into the Prairie start-up and investment opportunities, and their optimistic outlook will have you itching to get involved.

It feels like our province is on the cusp of a new era, and creating the right atmosphere and ecosystem will help Alberta rebuild, innovate, and reimagine its economy. Sandi understands that entrepreneurs and their giving mindsets have played a huge role in this. Learn about the entrepreneurial community in Alberta, and how scrappy Alberta start-ups have transformed in recent years. Find out more about the founders who led those companies to success, and what you can learn from them.

Buttermilk Fine Waffles had a few brick and mortar locations downtown Calgary, but ongoing major construction and recessions created economic pressure on Sam and his dream. He knows that the idea of never giving up is great, but that sometimes you need to know when to call it off. When COVID hit, his business had to pivot. Instead of giving up on the entrepreneurial life or his dream, he simply began packaging his mix into 500g bags and selling them in stores, such as Blush Lane, and online and as part of a Backyard Rodeo Box.

Wilson is no stranger to innovative ideas. When he shared his ideas in Alberta, everyone told him and his team they were crazy; but when they took their idea out further, they were told to build it! A seasoned entrepreneur, and new fund creator (Tall Grass Ventures), Wilson Acton shares his experiences founding multiple companies, as well as what he’s learned by observing Alberta’s investment landscape.

Innovative growth may as well be Jason’s middle name. With decades of experience guiding organizations as they work to innovate, grow, adapt, and change, he’s got loads of insights to share. He will inspire you to examine your organization and find ways to improve. Learn about cloud-native solutions, future-ready approaches, and some current examples of companies revolutionizing a need or industry with their innovative approach.