Accelerated. Canada’s Semiconductor Symposium 2025.
Speakers.
Nancy Andrews
Chief Engagement and Communications Officer
Canada's Ocean Supercluster
A senior leader in communications, marketing and government relations, for more than 20 years Nancy has worked with organizations both in the public and private sectors in Eastern Canada to help tell their stories, build brands, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and manage reputation. Currently the Chief Engagement and Communications Officer at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Nancy plays an instrumental role in helping shape and tell Canada’s ocean story to the world. This year Marketing News Canada named Nancy one of Canada’s Top 25 Marketers to Watch on LinkedIn, and she was previously the recipient of the Communicator of the Year Award from IABC-NL and the NATIONAL PR Award for Business Development and Management Achievement.
Nancy is a graduate from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and from Seneca at York University. She currently serves on the WRDC Board of Directors and lives in St. John’s with her husband Glenn and their sons.
Hamid Arabzadeh
Chairman and CEO
RANOVUS
Mr. Hamid Arabzadeh has been the Chairman and CEO of RANOVUS, a leading technology provider of photonic interconnect solutions for scaling AI Compute in hyper-scale data centres, since its inception in 2012. Prior to RANOVUS, Mr. Arabzadeh was the Chairman and CEO of COREOPTICS, based in Nuremberg, Germany, an innovative provider of signal processing-based photonic subsystems for high-capacity networking applications, before being acquired by Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) in 2010. Formerly, Mr. Arabzadeh held various senior management positions at Nortel Networks in Brazil, Mexico, England, and the USA. Mr. Arabzadeh’s last role at Nortel Networks was VP & GM of Metro Optical business unit, Nortel’s Cambrian acquisition. Since his return to Canada in 2010, Mr. Arabzadeh has co-founded several Canadian scaleups in fields of AI Sovereign Cloud, Security and Healthcare with an eye to benefit Canada in a competitive Data and IP-driven global economy. Mr. Arabzadeh holds a B.A.Sc. from the University of Waterloo in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an MBA from McGill University.
David Asgeirsson
Manager - Partnerships and IP
Xanadu
David enjoys working at the interface of academic research and industrial applications. Currently, he manages IP, partnerships and grant funding for Xanadu, a leading Canadian quantum computing company, based in Toronto.
With a PhD from UBC in physics, David has wide-ranging knowledge and experience in the physical sciences and ICT, and hands-on experience in all aspects of startups.
Prior to Xanadu, he was Chief Operating Officer of Sheba Microsystems, a Toronto startup developing compact actuators for cell phone cameras. Prior to that he was COO of QD Solar, a Toronto startup developing new solar cells using quantum dot materials.
Jérôme Bourassa
CEO
Qubic Technologies
COMING SOON
Jean-François Bousquet
Microelectronics Innovation, Design and Integration (MINDI) Hub
Dalhousie University
Jean-François Bousquet joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Dalhousie University in July 2013 and the Ocean Frontier Institute in July 2023. He is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal where he completed his B. Eng. in Electrical Engineering in 2001. He also completed his MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering at the University of Calgary in 2007 and 2011 respectively, where he focused on the implementation of low-power integrated circuits applied to wireless communication. Between 2009 and 2011, he was employed as a high-speed analog IC designer at Ciena for the development of coherent fibre optics communication networks. Between 2019 and 2022, he was appointed as Head the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is currently Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a member of the Mitacs Research Council.
Since joining Dalhousie University, he has developed a research program on underwater communications and technology, developing digital signal processing algorithms to mitigate the effects of the distortive acoustic propagation media. He is particularly interested in enabling underwater networks, using low-power electronics systems, and in 2022, his team developed an embedded system to detect harbour porpoises, a system that was deployed in the Bay of Fundy in the Summer 2022 to prevent the animals from being caught in tidal turbines. On the long-term, he is striving towards the development of new standardized underwater communication platforms on application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for the deployment of next-generation underwater drones.
Daly Brown
Co-Founder and CEO
Metropolitan Technologies
Daly is a Professional Engineer registered with Professional Engineers Ontario.
Julien Caudroit
Chief Communication and Business Development Officer
Strix
Over the past years, Julien has held the position of Vice President and Associate at Innovitech, an innovation consulting firm, and has served in various leadership roles within organizations such as the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Quebec (CRIAQ), the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC), the Green Aviation Research and Development Network (GARDN), the IRT Saint Exupéry Canada (Canadian Antenna of the Toulouse Technological Research Institute), as well as in other sectors such as with MEDTEQ+. Julien has also worked in governmental and international contexts, with several experiences within the United Nations and at Investissement Québec. He has also served on several committees and boards of directors.
Tony Chan Carusone
Chief Technology Officer, Alphawave Semi
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto
Dr. Tony Chan Carusone has taught and researched integrated circuits and systems for high-speed connectivity in industry and academia for over 20 years. He has been the Chief Technology Officer of Alphawave Semi since 2022 and a faculty member at the University of Toronto since completing his Ph.D. there in 2002. He has well over 100 publications, including 11 award-winning best papers at leading conferences for work on chip-to-chip and optical communication, analog-to-digital conversion, and precise clock generation. He also co-authored the latest editions of the classic textbooks “Analog Integrated Circuit Design” and “Microelectronic Circuits,” the best-selling engineering textbook ever. Tony has been a consultant to the semiconductor industry for over 20 years, working with both startups and some of the largest technology companies in the world. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.
Garry Chan
Head of AI Initiatives
ventureLAB
Garry Chan is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. He is passionate about advising, building, and scaling technology-driven businesses.
He is the Chief AI Officer at ventureLAB, a leading Canadian deep tech incubator that helps semiconductor, medtech and AI founders scale globally competitive ventures.
He graduated from the University of Calgary (BSc), the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto (Executive MBA), and Carnegie Mellon University (MSc).
Cornelis (Cees) Draijer
Vice President, Technology
Teledyne Digital Imaging
CTO
Teledyne FLIR Solutions
Started his career at Philips Research Labs in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, as a Research Scientist. Continued as a Program Manager for the development of Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) Imagers at Philips Semiconductors. Initiated the development of CMOS-based Medical X-Ray panels in 2002 at DALSA. Immigrated to Canada in 2007 and initiated the development of microbolometers in 2012, in close cooperation with the DALSA MEMS foundry (Bromont, QC). Led the Uncooled IR business line since January 2014. In 2024, he became CTO of the Teledyne FLIR Solutions Business unit, mainly operating out of Stockholm, Sweden. Also in 2024, became Vice President of Technology for the Teledyne Digital imaging segment. Main responsibilities in this role are technology and capability roadmap development, Strategy development and scouting of Merger and Acquisition targets. This Digital Imaging segment represents about 55% of Teledyne’s revenue and includes the Teledyne MEMS foundry businesses. In recent years worked closely with Teledyne MEMS management to initiate new technology developments to support Teledyne businesses in the future. More recently involved in a cross-business initiative called Teledyne Construction, applying the breadth of Teledyne sensing and decision support technologies to the field of Mining, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy and Utilities. Became a board member of the C2MI (Bromont, Qc) in March 2025.
Manon Duclos
CEO
Technum Québec
Manon Duclos has been working in the fields of innovation, quality, and organizational excellence for over 30 years. A chemical engineer by training, she holds a degree from Université Laval and a master’s in engineering management from Université de Sherbrooke. She has held strategic roles in leading companies such as IBM, Mitel Semiconductor, and Teledyne DALSA.
Her diverse career has allowed her to develop a unique expertise in managing complex projects, quality assurance, and organizational development, while also training hundreds of managers on fostering a culture of innovation and the importance of quality as a driver of excellence. She is also recognized for her ability to bring together key stakeholders from various sectors and to build strong partnerships at both local and international levels.
At the Mouvement québécois de la qualité, where she served as Vice President of Innovation and Organizational Excellence, she led innovative strategies, facilitated management networks across Québec, and contributed to helping organizations reach new heights.
A resident of the Bromont region for 30 years, Manon is deeply familiar with the strengths of the area, particularly in terms of quality of life and innovation. As CEO of Technum Québec, one of the first innovation zones in Québec specializing in electronics and semiconductors, she will continue to drive innovative collaborative projects and position this industry as a pillar of the digital transformation in Québec and internationally.
Manon Duclos is also a speaker and author of several guides on innovation and organizational excellence. She remains passionate about self-improvement, creativity, and sustainable development.
Richard Dunda
Senior Advisor, IoT Products
CMC Microsystems
Richard brings over 30 years of technology industry experience (Microsoft and Rogers) focused on product & channel management, strategic partnerships, and business development. In his most recent role as director of the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM), part of Ontario’s Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), he was responsible for developing partnerships, recruiting and developing SMEs, and delivering services to support the growth of innovative start-ups in the transportation sector.
Aaron Genest
Senior Applications Engineering Manager & Government Affairs
Siemens
Dr. Aaron Genest is a senior manager at Siemens EDA, managing a technical sales engineering team and representing Siemens to government, education, and industry stakeholders. At Siemens, he leads a key initiative to develop programs and processes to support hiring early career technologists at scale and around the world. He serves as the President of SaskTech, an industry advisory association of more than 150 innovation & technology organizations and businesses with corporate offices in Saskatchewan. He sits on numerous boards, including the University of Saskatchewan Senate and as chair of the advisory board to Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s applied research center, DICE.
He is an advocate for the tech sector in Canada and an advisor to universities, colleges, and government on topics related to technology labour, intellectual property, and workforce training. Prior to his life in technology, he was a professional touring musician for ten years. He lives and works in Saskatoon with his wife, Dr. Emily Jenkins, and three children.
Brian Gerson
Founding Member
PMC-Sierra
Brian Gerson is a seasoned engineering executive and independent consultant based in Vancouver, British Columbia, with over 45 years of experience in silicon design, analog IP, and systems engineering. He served as a Fellow at CMC Microsystems, providing strategic planning for microelectronics, photonics, quantum, AI, nanomaterials, and MEMS technologies and contributing to development of the government-funded FABrIC project. Prior to this, Brian was an Executive in Residence at Foresight Canada, where he mentored cleantech startups on technology roadmapping, intellectual property strategies, and project development. Brian’s career includes leadership roles such as Vice President of Design IP at Cadence Design Systems, where he oversaw global teams developing analog, mixed-signal, and digital IP solutions. At PMC-Sierra, he was a founding member and the company’s first Fellow, eventually serving as Vice President of Central Engineering. In this role, he led the development of high-performance CMOS integrated circuits for communications and storage applications, contributing to PMC’s growth from a startup to a global enterprise. Earlier in his career, Brian worked as a silicon designer at Bell Northern Research and as an acoustic design engineer at Nortel Networks. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Brian is also an inventor with several patents in high-speed CMOS design and SONET/ATM systems. His expertise spans engineering management, semiconductors, telecommunications, green tech, photonics, MEMS, full custom analog IC and SoC design, DSP, and RF.
Godard
CEO & Co-founder
Verge Agriculture
Godard is the CEO and co-founder of Verge Ag, leading its mission to accelerate the transition to autonomous farming. Previously serving as VP of PMO at BlackBridge and Planet, he managed large spacecraft constellations and facilitated future space missions. With a PhD in spacecraft dynamics and control and a background in aerospace engineering, he leverages his advanced expertise in geospatial data and analytics to address critical challenges in sustainable agriculture and food production.
Gordon Harling
President & CEO
CMC Microsystems
Gordon Harling received a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science from the University of Toronto and a Maîtrise en Ingénierie Physique from Polytechnique Montréal. He has worked in Research and Development at large companies such as Mitel, NovAtel, and DALSA. He has been a founder and CEO of several start-up companies including Goal Semiconductor, Elliptic Technologies, and Innotime Technologies.
Graeme Herring
VP, Intellectual Property Strategy
Terramera
As VP of Intellectual Property Strategy, Graeme works closely with Terramera’s Research & Development and Commercial teams to lead the development of Terramera’s IP portfolio.
Graeme has over 18 years of experience managing intellectual property portfolios for R&D companies. Prior to joining Terramera, he managed intellectual property portfolios in-house for leading cleantech and enterprise software companies. As a Director and Registered Patent Agent at a specialist IP law firm, he counselled many other small and medium sized technology companies on their IP strategy, and built and prosecuted their global patent portfolios.
Graeme earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geoenvironmental Engineering from the University of British Columbia, where he graduated top of his class with honours.
Apurva Jain
VP of Product and Customer Success
Lumotive
Apurva Jain is a recognized leader in optics, photonics, and semiconductor innovation, with over a decade of experience bringing transformative optical technologies to market. His expertise spans product strategy & innovation, manufacturing operations, and customer success, guiding products from concept through mass deployment.
Apurva has contributed to multiple patents and publications and has led cross-functional teams delivering breakthrough solutions in sensing, imaging, automation, networking, and communications. Prior to Lumotive, he held leadership roles at Avo Photonics, where he helped commercialize advanced optoelectronic products. He earned a Ph.D. in Optics from CREOL, University of Central Florida, and a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University.
Beyond technology, Apurva is the founder of CCoffee (www.ccoffee.ca), a social impact venture that invests its profits into children’s education, reflecting his commitment to creating a positive global impact.
Brian Jin
Founder
Schemon
Brian Jin is a seasoned data and software engineering leader with over 14 years of experience building secure, scalable data systems across enterprise and cloud environments. As the founder of Schemon, he focuses on advancing data sovereignty, governance, and compliance through automation and secure-by-design architecture – enabling organizations to achieve faster analytics, deeper insights, and less engineering overhead. Brian’s mission is to make advanced, compliant data systems accessible to every business team, so they can focus less on the plumbing and more on delivering real impact.
Lisa Lambert
Chief Executive Officer
Quantum Industry Canada
Lisa Lambert is the inaugural CEO of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC), the country’s industry-led consortium uniting quantum technology companies and strategic partners. She leads QIC’s mission to transform Canada’s quantum capabilities into global business success and national prosperity. A recognized leader in innovation strategy, Lisa champions collaborative, cross-sector approaches to complex technology and policy challenges. Her career spans pioneering work at the intersection of science, technology, and economic strategy, building partnerships worldwide to accelerate innovation and strengthen national and global competitiveness. Lisa holds multiple leadership and advisory roles in science, technology, and innovation organizations globally. She serves on the Executive Committee of the International Council of Quantum Industry Associations (ICQIA), is a Board Director of CMC Microsystems, and holds advisory positions with Japan’s Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT) and the National Research Council of Canada’s Metrology Research Centre. She is also a member of the Canadian delegations to the NATO Transatlantic Quantum Community (NATO TQC) and the G7 Joint Working Group on Quantum Technologies, and advises on dual-use considerations for quantum and its convergence with other emerging technologies across multiple international forums.
Craig McLellan
Founder and CEO
ThinkON
Craig McLellan, Founder and CEO of Think On, Inc. has been at the forefront of technology innovation and data security in Canada and the U.S. for the past twenty-five years. Under Craig’s leadership, ThinkOn continues to grow, both organically and through strategic acquisition, and is ranked on both the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies. A pioneer in cloud services, ThinkOn was one of the first companies in the world to receive VMware Cloud Verified certification and was recently recognized as the VMware Sovereign Cloud Partner for Canada. Craig currently sits on advisory boards for several industry-leading organizations including Veeam, Hitachi, and VMware, where he helps to guide strategy. Craig is also a passionate advocate for Innovate Cities—a first-of-its-kind, cloud-based community hub that promotes Smart City innovation.
Lynn McNeil
Vice-President, FABrIC
CMC Microsystems
An agile senior operations, finance and engineering leader, and independent Board Governor (C.Dir), with over 25 years of experience with SME’s and Start-ups in the high tech and medical device sectors. Lynn has held executive and consulting roles in Operations, Finance, Quality, Information Systems, Strategic Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Technology Development. A strong team builder, she has led advanced technology programs from concept to full production, successful production scale-ups, major facility/capital design and build projects and several full cycle transformational ERP implementations. She has also managed and optimized global supply chains and has driven operational excellence in manufacturing and service organizations. Lynn is currently VP FABrIC with CMC Microsystems, responsible for the delivery of a $220M+ ISED SIF5 program to stimulate the Canadian semiconductor ecosystem. She is the principal consultant with ELKStrategies Inc and past COO and acting CFO of ChipCare Corp, a point-of-care diagnostics platform start-up based in Toronto. Lynn is also a registered Digital Advisor with the Canadian Digital Adoption program. She is passionate about mentorship and is an active member of the community. She recently completed a 10 year term with the Joint Board of Governors, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton where she served in a number of roles including Chair and Treasurer. Lynn holds a B.Eng in Engineering Physics from McMaster University, an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (Bregman Scholar), and a Chartered Director (C.Dir) designation from The Directors College. She has completed the Niagara Institute Leadership Development, ASQ Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Canadian Certified Advanced Technology Manager programs. She is a member of the American Society for Quality and the IEEE.
Udson Cabral Mendes
Director, Technology | Leading Microelectronics, Photonics, MEMS, IoT and Edge AI, and Quantum Innovation
CMC Microsystems
COMING SOON
Jen Mielguj
Director, Intellectual Property and Partnerships
DIGITAL
Jen is Director, Intellectual Property and Partnerships, at DIGITAL, where through their collaborative innovation model bring together consortia of innovators, researchers, community and government partners to build made-in-Canada world-class digital solutions solving challenges in areas critical to Canada’s health and prosperity: mining and energy, natural resources, agriculture, health and life sciences, housing and skilling. She is engaged in ecosystem collaboration activities nationally and internationally, supporting Canadian SMEs in leveraging their intellectual property to drive innovation and growth, strengthening IP literacy through a pan-Canadian IP and data strategy thought leadership series and has oversight of a $9M quantum commercialization project co-investment portfolio. Her experience in program design, international partnership development and public-private stakeholder engagement stems from roles in the public and not-for-profit sectors working with innovation actors across North America, Europe and Asia. A community mentor, board member and volunteer, she also holds an MA in Society, Science and Technology from Lund University, Sweden.
Chamirai Charles Nyabeze
EVP of Business Development
Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI)
Network Director
Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA)
Chamirai Charles Nyabeze holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering and an MBA. As the EVP of Business Development for the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) and the Network Director for the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network, he focuses on creating long-term value for organizations and clients. Chamirai identifies business development opportunities in both the public and private sectors, aiming to generate revenue, leverage funds, foster collaboration, and expand networks. He leads CEMI’s Commercialization Support Services division, helping clients bridge the gap between new mining technologies and commercialization. Additionally, as the MICA Network Director, Chamirai drives the expansion of the national collaborative platform for mining industry innovation, overseeing ecosystem engagement, project support, operations, government relations, and revenue generation for the network.
Rakesh Patel
Evertz Microsystems
COMING SOON
Avinash Persaud
VP, Hardware Catalyst Initiative and Semiconductor Initiatives
ventureLAB
Darrell Petras, P. Ag
CEO
Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network Ltd (CAAIN)
Darrell Petras embodies the maxim that, “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.” Growing up in Viking, Alberta, he was surrounded by agriculture, including the Petras family beef operation. Despite that immersion, including joining the family farm and helping take it through a full business exit, he chose then-Red Deer College’s pre-chiropractic program. It didn’t stick, and he soon transferred to the University of Alberta, majoring in Agriculture Sciences with a specialization in Economics—the perfect mix for a young guy with a hankering for ag, an interest in technology, and a penchant for business. His early career set him up for long-term success as he came under the influence of exceptional professionals who mentored him in the world of entrepreneurship and steeped him in the processes and rigour required to build a technology company from the ground up while protecting and benefiting from its core intellectual property. Not satisfied to sit on the sidelines and only watch others benefit from his guidance, Darrell has walked the talk, co-launching or purchasing successful enterprises himself over the years. His experience in, and passion for, business and agriculture make him an ideal CEO for CAAIN with its focus on supporting the development of Canadian agtech and encouraging the growth of SMEs that are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. Because of his background, Darrell believes he has a responsibility to help fast-track the adoption of the agri-food innovation needed to ensure food security domestically and internationally. Darrell, his wife, and their three children call Sherwood Park home, but they are never far from his rural roots, and when they are not attending basketball games and martial arts tournaments, the family can be found hiking, horseback riding, and taking their quads for a spin.
Rob Putman
Global Manager - Cyber Security Services
ABB Process Automation
Rob Putman serves as Global Manager for cybersecurity products and services for ABB’s Process Automation Business Area. He has held various positions in engineering and product development with companies such as HP Fortify, Sony PlayStation, GE Power, and Yahoo.
Chris Rampersad
VP, Data & Platform
EarthDaily Analytics
Mr. Rampersad has extensive experience in the satellite industry with a unique mix of expertise in both space systems and software engineering. He has a long track record of successfully leading complex engineering projects for both big and small satellites. Prior to his work with EarthDaily Analytics Mr. Rampersad was a technical lead at MDA where he led and developed innovative solutions for world class ground segments including the RapidEye and Worldview constellations. Mr. Rampersad holds a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and is an IEEE GRSS industry distinguished lecturer in the area of ground segments and mission trades.
Robert Saik
CEO
T1 Technology Corp.
AGvisorPRO
ROBERT SAIK has forty years of experience as a Professional Agrologist, entrepreneur and an international consultant who’s worked with a wide variety of agriculturalists from Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture to Bill Gates. He was one of only 3 private citizens to address the October 2020 FAO_UN High Level Special Event (Rome) organized by the Committee for World Food Security to address agriculture sustainability.
His latest book, “FOOD 5.0 How We Feed the Future” is a pragmatic look at the five iterations of agriculture, culminating in an examination of how technology convergence is reshaping the farm and the consumer.
Robert, an outspoken champion of agriculture, is a Distinguished Agrologist, Professional Agriculture Consultant, a veteran entrepreneur and has been hailed as an agriculture futurist with unparalleled insight into where the industry is headed.
He has leveraged these strengths to found over 15 companies in the areas of Farming, Agri-Retail, Distribution, Media and Ag Tech. He was the founder and CEO of The Agri-Trend/Agri-Data Group of Companies which was acquired by Trimble. He also served as CEO of DOT Technology Corp (Autonomous Farming) through the acquisition of DOT by Raven Industries.
Robert is the founder and CEO of award-winning T1 Technology Corp.
Through Saik Management Group Inc he facilitates the PowerFARM peer group for progressive farmers.
His first book, “The Agriculture Manifesto – Ten Key Drivers That Will Shape Agriculture in the Next Decade” was a 2014 Best of Amazon Books and this TEDx Talk “Will Agriculture be Allowed to Feed 9 Billion People?” has been viewed over 170,000 times. Robert is a passionate keynote speaker and is executive producer of the Know Ideas Media a science based multi-media company addressing issues such as GMO’s and their use in food production.
He has financed both the Rob Saik Bar None Scholarship at the University of Alberta that provides support for two rural first year students entering the faculty of agriculture and the Robert Saik Ag Tech Award that supports two urban students entering the Ag Tech program at Olds College.
Rob is a member of the A100 (Alberta Tech Entrepreneur Network), a student of Strategic Coach and Singularity University and a member of Abundance 360. As a partner in Perigro Venture Partners he participates in early-stage technology investments.
He has been recognized for agriculture leadership by the Alberta Institute of Agrologists (Provincial Distinguished Agrologist of the Year 2006) and in 2016 was awarded Canadian Agri-Marketer of the Year by the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association. In 2021 Robert was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 Most Influential Agriculture Leaders and was named one of Canada’s Top 10 Ag Mentors.
Paul Slaby
Managing Director
Canada's Semiconductor Council
Paul Slaby is a veteran semiconductor industry professional, and Managing Director of Canada’s Semiconductor Council (CSC). His semiconductor career started with a post-doc research position at Carleton University, followed by a decade as a semiconductor R&D manager with Nortel Semiconductor and BNR. Subsequently he founded and/or ran several successful high-tech ventures including ATMOS Corp, MicroSemiX, VoIPshield Systems, Kaben Wireless Silicon, Teslonix and others. Recently, he has been devoting his time in an advisory capacity to several emerging tech startups, as well as tech venture accelerators such as NewChip, Founder Institute and ventureLAB. Currently, Paul is on a mission to elevate Canada’s semiconductor industry to global prominence. He holds a MSc. in Applied Physics and PHD in Microelectronics.
Wei Shi
Canada Research Chair in Silicon Photonics
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Université Laval
Professor Wei Shi is a faculty member at the Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Université Laval, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Silicon Photonics. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Before joining Université Laval in 2013, he was an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow conducting research at McGill University. In 2019, he co-founded EHVA Inc., a company specializing in scalable photonic integrated circuit testing solutions, which was acquired by EXFO in 2022. His current research focuses on integrated photonic devices and systems, including silicon photonics, CMOS–photonics co-design, high-speed optical communications, hybrid photonic integration, and optical sensors. Dr. Shi is an Optica Fellow and a Senior Member of IEEE.
Laura William
Disruptor
With a background in economics, technology, international relations, book publishing and branding, Laura is skilled at identifying and analyzing the social, cultural, and political influences impacting industry. Applying these insights has enabled her to help both established and emerging organizations dealing with accelerated technological, social and market change develop effective competitive and commercial strategies. She has a particular talent for identifying existing but overlooked strengths, defining unique opportunities and operationalizing them. Laura’s multi-disciplinary experience across diverse industries has given her the opportunity to work broadly across the innovation portfolio. She has worked nationally with private sector, academic, government and non-profit organizations in a wide variety of innovation-related roles.
Tim Warland
Senior Advisor, IoT Products
CMC Microsystems
Tim Warland brings over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, spanning design, testing, applications and sales engineering, and product management. His career includes roles at large enterprises as well as early- and mid-stage startups, gaining a deep understanding of the full product lifecycle from concept to commercialization. Over the past decade, Tim has dedicated his efforts to supporting entrepreneurs and startups, connecting them with test facilities, mentors, and advisors. He remains a strong advocate for strengthening Canada’s semiconductor capabilities and actively contributes his expertise to the regional innovation ecosystem.
Where
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
1000 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2R9
(604) 331-1000
Thank you to our generous sponsors
SILVER
SILVER
TEXPO
Sponsor Accelerated
Contact us to learn more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.