Lost in the woods? We can guide you.

Pitch your plan at our events if you lead a company looking to scale, a startup looking to grow, or a new spin out. Presenters receive valuable feedback, same-day scorecards, a video of their pitch within a day, access to advisors on business development, industry connections and investment.

March 11, 2025: DiscoveryLab@EnterpriseSquare

Maryam Hejazi Chairs Commerce & education

09:00 Conor Phillips, Founder & CEO, Roamlii, building a complete software system for tourism businesses to manage the customer journey from discovery through inquiry and booking.

09:10 Hayro Hambardzumyan, Founder, Lrnkey, online platform providing easy access to affordable education worldwide through one-on-one interactive lessons and tutoring.

Anh Tran Chairs agriculture session

09:25 Ateeq Ur Rehman, CEO, Green Mind Gardens, focusing on growth optimization for diverse hydroponic systems with impacts on wellness, food security, and sustainability.

09:35 Tayab Soomro, co-Founder and CEO, PathoScan, offering assay kits and Pathobox, a simple-to-use molecular diagnostic device for rapid detection of plant diseases.

Rakesh Bhat Chairs health & biotech

09:50 Bruce Ritchie directs the Canadian BioSample Repository (CBSR), a 23-year-old biobanking facility at the University of Alberta that supports translational research studies and clinical trials.

10:00 Nasim Maslehat, Founder, Color Your Motherhood, empowering women throughout their motherhood journey by providing accessible, creative, and therapeutic online art classes aimed at reducing stress and promoting emotional well-being.

10:15 Claire Dixon, CEO & co-founder, Neuraura, bringing to market the first effective, widely accessible treatment for PCOS as an over-the-counter, affordable device.

10:25 Jérémie Bourqui, Co-founder & CEO, Waveview Imaging, developing a portable device for sensitive, specific and effective breast cancer screening for anyone, anywhere.

John Kaidi Chairs the energy session

10:40 Paul Sandhu, CEO & Calvin Johnson, CDO, Proton H2, producing ultra-low cost, clean hydrogen from hydrocarbon reserves in alignment with global carbon reduction goals.

13:00 David Chang, Director, Innovation & Partnerships, University of Alberta, opens the in-person sessions

Savannah Lane Chairs energy & environment

13:15 Connie Stacey, founder and CEO of Grengine Inc., award-winning battery manufacturer, specializing in battery energy storage technology capable of taking on the world's biggest energy challenges.

13:30 Chaneel Park, CEO, MakeSens Inc., developing high-performance battery materials and be a leader in the transition to a greener, more sustainable economy.

13:45 Ali Salman, Co-Founder, WorkSpace Modular Structures, aiming to become the gold standard of modular construction through innovative design and business integrity.

Ken Hein chairs Drug discovery

14:15 Shairaz Baksh, President & CEO, BioImmuno Designs, Inc., exploring the therapeutic potential of small molecules directed against inflammatory activators.

14:30 Mardin (Asghar) Fallah, CEO & Founder, RNARevive, developing a self-replicating RNA-based platform for therapeutic protein production in the body to treat diseases including osteoporosis.

Richard Roy Chairs Agtech & Environment

15:00 Benji Ahvazi, Research Associate, ZAFA Biorefinery Inc. focusing on green technologies for converting biomass from sustainable, renewable forestry and agriculture into creating value-added bioproducts.

15:15 Ryan Agrey, Founder & CEO, Hope Innovations Inc., addressing hunger and food security through innovation in hydroponics, with patented technologies and user-friendly kits empower individuals and communities to grow fresh, sustainable food indoors year-round.

15:30 Nafaa Haddou, CEO, Firesafe AI, developing AI driven surveillance systems and drone mapping for potential fires, enabling risk mitigation and rapid responses to safeguard communities and resources.

Nov 29, 2024 DiscoveryLab@Edmonton Unlimited

9:40 Welcome by Janice Baskin, Manager, ERIN

Virtual Pitches at Edmonton Unlimited

Session 1: Biotech & Medtech chaired by Jennifer Reid, Director, ADEPT (The Alberta Diagnostic Ecosystem Platform for Translation)

9:50 Ameneh Madjd, COO & Co-Founder, D2Type developing a mobile app to empower at-risk individuals to prevent & reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

10:00 Kenneth To, CEO, ViewsML. Previously co-founded Wax-it Histology Services; Key Opinion Leader management at Eli Lilly.

10:20 Mehdi Mohammadi Ashani, CEO & Founder, Fluidome; Senior Scientist (PhD, MSc, PMP), University of Calgary

10:30 Marawan Ahmed, CEO & Head of Computational Biology, Alcuranex Therapeutics Limited; Chemoinformatician, API

Session 2: Agtech & FoodTech chaired by Shalon McFarlane, Executive in Residence - IP Specialist, Edmonton Unlimited

11:00 Rebecca Ung, Founder, Kumu. B.Eng. B.Sc., Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology, University of Calgary

11:10 Robert Saik, CEO, visorPRO. Previously CEO, DOT Farm Solutions Inc. BSc, Agriculture, University of Alberta

11:30 Hamid Abdelrhman, CEO, Canvita Canada Ltd; Clinical Pharmacist Shoppers Drug Mart; Hospital Pharmacist Alberta Health Services

11:40 Pankaj Purwar, CEO, Farmer's Legacy Biotech. MBA, Entrepreneurship, University of Victoria

11:50 Kate Popiel, CEO, What's the Deal? Propel certificate, Edmonton Unlimited; Humber College

In person pitches at Edmonton Unlimited

Session 3: Neurotech chaired by Zach Klarenbach, MD Student, U of Calgary

12:40 Irene Harmsen, CTO & Co-Founder, Cove Neurosciences Inc. Neuroscience Researcher, University Health Network

12:55 Milad Afshar, Co-Founder & CEO, Neurosense Technologies. Previously CTO, NeuronicLABs; Director of Product Development, NeuronisWorks

Session 4: Precision Health & Medtech chaired by Richard Roy, DiscoveryLab

13:20 Keynote: Michael Mengel, Professor, FoMD, UofA & Director, Alberta Transplant Institute on The role of Alberta Precision Laboratories in the diagnostics innovation ecosystem

13:40 Erfan Hajiparvaneh, Founder & CEO, MediversAI. MSc, Mechical Engineering, University of Alberta

13:55 Daniel Salamon, COO, Northernmost, modernizing kidney preservation & logistics. Previously at Health Innovation Platform Partnerships, NAIT

Session 5: Therapeutics & Diagnostics chaired by Maryam Hejazi, DiscoveryLab

14:25 Ratmir Derda, CSO, 48Hour Discovery Inc.; Professor (Chemistry) University of Alberta

14:40 Mohammad Bani Amer, Director, KHYAL Inc. BSc, Chemical Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University

14:55 Roger Zemp, CSO, CliniSonix Inc. and Professor, Engineering-Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta

Session 6: Biotech & Agtech chaired by Rakesh Bhat, DiscoveryLab

15:20 Jumai Abioye, Founder and CEO, PanAccess Innovations Inc. Ph.D. University of Glasgow

15:35 Stanley Pankratz, President and CEO, Rainforest Algae Corp, developing photobioreactor systems for the cultivation of microalgae

15:50 Benji Ahvazi, Research Associate, ZAFA Biorefinery Inc.; Co-Founder, CSO, Canna Stream Solutions; Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta

July 29, 2024: DiscoveryLab@AgSmart Program

Agtech  Session 1 chaired by Max Olson, Student, Digital Agtech

9:10 Douglas Kirillo, CEO AltaGreen Products Inc.: infrastructure to support growing, processing, and sales for the hemp market

9:20 Joshua Day Chief, CEO, AdvancedAg, on cultivation, blending and stabilization of microbial strains to enhance agricultural outcomes.

Biotech  Session chaired by Tomisin Omotoso, BSc Student, UofA

9:20 Mardin (Asghar) Fallah, CEO & Founder, RNARevive Therapeutics: revolutionizing the treatment of bone diseases including osteoporosis

Engineering Session chaired by Emily Robinson, BSc Student, UofA

9:35 Sara Saeedi, Researcher, University of Calgary and Innovation Program Project Director, Open Geospatial Consortium

9:45 Mustafa Gül, CEO, City Scan Technologies, providing AI-powered cost-effective and scalable infrastructure assessment solutions

10:30 Todd Ormann, Vice President Development and Joy Agne, Vice President, Research, Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, will open our in-person event.

In-person Agtech Pitch Session 2 Chair: Brianna Elliot, Olds College

10:45 Mark Olson, President, Flokk Systems providing systems for herd management and traceability reporting.

11:00 Darren Wolchyn, Founder & CEO, Smart Paddock: location tracking & status monitoring system for livestock animals and farms

In-person Agtech Pitch Session 3 Chair: Lorna Baird, Olds College

11:30 Jumai Abioye, CEO & Founder, PanAccess Innovations Inc. on portable tools and devices and smart platforms for comprehensive, data-driven insights for use in farms, fields, and homes

11:45 Styn Nieuwenhuis, Founder, FeedXchange, transforming the livestock industry through a platform to source feed ingredients

In-person Agtech Pitch Session 4 Chair: Keith Frielander, Olds College

13:00 Robert Saik, CEO, AGvisorPRO, mobile platform for connecting experts and companies and those seeking agriculture advice.

13:15 David Leroux, CEO, Circulus Agtech: nutrient recycling by turning organic waste into biofertilizers, minimizing methane, purifying water, and replacing synthetic nitrogen

In-person Agtech Pitch Session 5: Herman Simons, Olds College (tbc)

13:40 Rebecca Ung, Founder, Kumu Corporation, developing plastic alternatives from food, plant materials, and minerals

13:55 Nafaa Haddou,co-Founder and CEO, Nu Terra Labs, on control systems to meet the needs of farmers as well as FireSafe detection

In-person Agtech Pitch Session 6 Chair: Alicia Cafferata, CARIN (tbc)

14:25 Bill Mitchell, Founder, Optiweigh: automated in-paddock livestock weighing that delivers benefits to any size cattle operation

14:40 Pankaj Purwar, Co-Founder, Farmer's Legacy Biotech, creating healthy and sustainable oil for Canadian consumers

In-person Agtech Pitch Session Chair: Sean Thompson, Olds College (tbc)

15:05 Tayab Soomro, co-Founder and CEO, PathoScan developing in-field pathogen and disease testing devices for a variety of crop diseases

15:20 Hamid Abdelrhman, CEO, Canvita, providing access to get vitamins regardless of dietary restrictions, or religious/personal beliefs.

15:35 Stanley Pankratz, President and CEO, Rainforest Algae Corp, developing photobioreactor systems for the cultivation of microalgae

April 17, 2024: DiscoveryLab@ICE-UofA

Virtual Session 1 chaired by Stephen Urquhart, Manager, IRDC

7:10 Lana Cuthbertson, Founder & CEO, Areto Labs, a B2B SaaS startup building machine learning technology for improving digital communities.

7:20 Greg Kawchuk, Founder & CEO, Augment that, projecting medical images such as CT scans directly onto a patient's moving body.

7:35 Amreesh Khanna, CEO & Founder, Oraq.ai empowering dentists to improve treatment & acceptance through AI and patient engagement.

Virtual Session 2 chaired by Maryam Hejazi, DiscoveryLab

7:45 Ameneh Madjd, COO & Co-Founder, D2Type developing a mobile app to empower at-risk individuals to prevent & reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

8:00 Sumrita Bhat, CEO, Conlis Global, is commercializing a synthetic bone void filler for traumatic bone fracture and injuries

8:10 Trevor MacDonald, Owner, Discover Juno, safely connecting women with other nearby women for walks, commutes and transport on-the-fly.

10:00 Opening of in-person by Sheetal Mehta Walsh, CEO, UA Innovation Fund.

Agtech Session 1 chaired by Isabella Bagni, UAIF

10:10 Mark Olson, President, Flokk Systems providing systems for herd management and traceability reporting.

10:20 Geoffrey Shmigelsky, CTO, OneCup AI deploying AI BETSY, a computer vision system that can identify and track animals uniquely.

Agtech Session 2 chaired by Mark Redmond, CEO, RDAR

10:45 Lourdes Juan, Founder, Knead Technologies, providing food organizations with a platform to connect waste with food reuse.

10:55 Zoom: Aaron Barr, CEO, Canadian Rockies Hemp Corp on the development of processed hemp fiber at scale to meet industry needs.

Biotech Session 1 chaired by Mahek Seth, Lead Financial Analyst, UAIF

11:20 Nir Katchinskiy, CEO & Founder, PulseMedica building revolutionary technology to image and treat vitreoretinal disease.

11:30 Colin Coros, COO, Nanostics, a clinical-stage precision health company developing diagnostic tests for cancer.

Biotech Session 2 chaired by Jude Barros, Due Diligence Lead, UAIF

11:55 John McDougall, CEO, SynBioBlox Innovations Ltd. using synthetic biology to convert GHG emissions into valuable products..

12:05 John Murphy, CEO, Bio-stream Diagnostics Inc. offering a platform for rapid diagnostic tests based on antibody binding.

Medical Devices Session chaired by Tasha Klebe, Backroad Accounting

12:50 Kelly Mottet, COO, MACH32 Inc., a medical device company creating drug delivery solutions to health concerns.

13:00 Jana Rieger, CEO & co-Founder, True Angle, developing wearable digital devices for restoring swallowing function in patients.

Health AI Session chaired by Maryam Hejazi, DiscoveryLab

13:25 Sarah Glofcheskie, CEO & Founder, Beme.ai on a health and wellbeing tracker & insight generating app for autistic children.

13:35 Shaneel Pathak, CEO and Cofounder, Zamplo offering a platform that allows individuals and researchers to record and share health data.

Engineering Session 1 chaired by Ken Hein, Sound MC

14:00 Mustafa Gül, CEO, City Scan Technologies, providing AI-powered cost-effective and scalable infrastructure assessment solutions

14:10 David Antoniuk, CEO, Dark Matter Materials providing on-demand H2 from water using a revolutionary nanocatalyst.

Engineering Session 2 chaired by Jared Smith, JS Advisory

14:35 Mike Krokis, President, Dune Engineering providing energy auditing, modeling, commissioning and recommissioning services.

14:45 Marc Colombina, VP of Operations, Director, Terrapin, unlocking the inherent value of waste heat and geothermal energy.

14:55 Ghulam Muhammad Ali, CEO, SensiImage Technologies, developing mobile crane communication and safety systems.

Biotech Session 3 chaired by Diana Shaw, Shaw Solutions

15:20 Peter Light, CSO, Fringe Field Technologies commercializing a wearable device for monitoring multiple biomarkers.

15:30 Daniel Nisakar Meenakshi Sundaram, RJH Biosciences, developing nucleic acid-based delivery agents foe leukemia therapy.

March 5, 2024: DiscoveryLab at Edmonton Global

Rob Brown, CEO, KERB on improving the parking experiences and mobility for citizens across the world. Plan Deck

Hagay Levy, Co-founder & CEO, Iluria Ltd. offers a precision medicine platform for behavioral & mental health, starting with ADHD. Deck

Ameneh Madjd, Co-Founder, D2Type on a mobile app to empower at-risk individuals to prevent & reverse Type 2 Diabetes Plan Deck

Kevin Hull, CEO, Emergent Waste Solutions on deploying thermolysis for converting of waste materials into marketable products. Plan

Fred Glawischnig, CEO, Credit Gurus on transforming the credit improvement industry. Plan Deck

Jolene Ali, Founder, Gummy Nutrition Lab produces innovative and delicious nutraceutical gummies. Plan Deck

Jeremie Bourqui, Founder & CEO, Wave View Imaging is developing the Wave View Scanner for breast density assessment. Plan

Todd McMullen, Director, Pavonis Diagnostics Inc. is commercializing a label-free, thin film platform for performing immunoassays.Plan Deck

Piyush Kumar, President & CEO, WWiKY BioSciences offers precision theranostic management of hypoxic tumors. Plan Deck

December 5, 2023: DiscoveryLab at Bennett Jones

Abdullah Choudhry, Co-Founder, Arbor, offering a platform to empower companies to measure and optimize product sustainability

Amirreza Sohrabi, Co-Founder & CEO of Roshan Water Solutions, developing nanotechnology for management of water and wastewater

Jason Hendrick, President, OceanML provides integrated machine learning consulting, custom predictive analytical solutions

Martin Ferguson-Pell, Founding President and Isha Katyal, CEO of Click&Push, a wearable device company for terrain navigation

Shaneel Pathak, CEO and Cofounder, Zamplo Inc., empowers individuals to track, analyze and share their health data and journey

Claire Dixon, co-Founder & CEO, Neuraura is developing bioelectronic devices for treatment for brain and metabolic-related disorders

Amol Karnick, President & CEO, KA Imaging, developing  X-ray imaging technologies for medical, veterinary, and industrial markets

Aru Narendran, Founder & CEO, Teresagenics Pharma Inc. (Calgary), developing a small molecule drug for cancer treatment

Gavin Oudit, CEO, PEARKO Therapeutics Inc., which is focused on developing biologics to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Sumrita Bhat, CEO, Conlis Global, is commercializing a synthetic bone void filler for traumatic bone fracture and injuries

Marc Curial, Founder & CMO, MACH32 Inc. is medical device company that creates innovative drug delivery solutions to health concerns

Pankaj Purwar, Co-Founder, Farmer's Legacy Biotech, creating healthy and sustainable oil for Canadian consumers

Masoud Baghelani, CEO & Founder, NeatFil, offering solutions for sustainable removal of organic contaminants from wastewater.

John Murphy, CEO, Bio-Stream Diagnostics Inc. is commercializing its bio-assay testing and reader platform.

Jefferson Roc, President, and Ty McKinney, CSO, PeerX.AI: personalized care with mental health and peer support

Peter Root, Co-founder, Wildfire Robotics: self-propelled and remotely controlled robotic firewall deployable in rough terrain

Mark Olson, President, Flokk Systems provides systems for herd management and traceability reporting

Ali Salman, Founder, Lawtiq, providing AI technology to help newcomers settle in Canada by navigating the immigration process

Colin Coros, CCO & Catalina Vasquez, COO, Nanostics on development of cancer diagnostic tests.

Leyla Kara, CEO, Co-Founder, SpectraCann aims to expedite drug testing with breath analyzing spectrometers and AI/ML techniques

Peter Light, CSO, Fringe Field Technologies Inc. on wearable devices for monitoring multiple biomarkers for conditions including diabetes

Todd McMullen, Director, Pavonis Diagnostics Inc, developing a thin-film diagnostic platform for immunoassay and antibody validation

Sept 25-26, 2023: DiscoveryLab at ACRC Conference

Danika Kelly, Co-Founder & CEO, My Normative Inc. (Calgary) is a female-focused health platform driving innovation through clinically validated data collection, data management, and analytical processes

Maximilian Kerz, Co-founder & CEO, Cherry Health (Calgary), a network founded by physicians for physicians that aims to make recruitment into clinics and hospitals as straightforward as possible

Ty McKinney, CSO of PeerX.AI (Calgary), Co-founder of 8 Bit Cortex and Research Director of the Branch Out Neurological Foundation

Amir Nezhad, CEO, CriticareDx (Calgary) offers capillary self-powered microfluidics and electrochemical nano-biosensors that have the power to revolutionize and disrupt lab testing

Piyush Kumar,President & CEO, WWiKY BioSciences (Edmonton) is developing cancer theranostics that exploit hypoxia, which leads to metastatic progression and resistance

Aneal Khan, CEO, Discovery DNA (Calgary) provides accredited genetic testing for medical decisions, providing tools for early detection and treatment of diseases

Mohammad Rahim, Founder and CSO, RANE Pharmaceutical Inc, a chemistry CRO in Edmonton developing scalable synthetic methods for complex medicinal chemistry targets and natural products

Amol Karnick, President & CEO, KA Imaging Inc. (Waterloo) is developing  X-ray imaging technologies and systems for medical, veterinary, and non-destructive test industrial markets

Mirna Damergi, Product Manager, Rapid Infection Diagnostics Inc. (Calgary) also Lead Speaker Coordinator, YYC Data Convention and U Calgary grad

Jessica Hu, CEO, Gene Biomedical, which provides molecular diagnostics, drugs detection, genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, technologies

Ali Pormohammad, CEO, MHCombiotic Inc. which is combating the issue of antimicrobial resistance by pioneering groundbreaking antimicrobials (Combiotic)

May 26, 2023: DiscoveryLab at The Bow, Calgary

Troy Feener, COO, Rapid Infection Diagnostics, Inc., a University of Calgary startup, on a suite of diagnostic tools for microbial infections including those that cause bloodstream and urinary tract infections.

Carrie Shemanko founded Crocus Biomedical, a University of Calgary-based startup that has developed a blood and tumour tissue-based molecular test for physicians to identify individuals at high risk of bone metastasis.

Roger Zemp, Founder, CliniSonix Inc. an Edmonton-based startup that has invented scalable probe technology that significantly outperforms current 2D/3D ultrasound scanners in terms of resolution and speed.

Colin Coros, CCO, Nanostics Inc., an Edmonton-based a clinical-stage precision health company with a detection platform for a range of diseases including prostate and bladder cancer.

Kathleen McMahon, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Wave View Imaging Inc. (Calgary) is developing pain-free and timely breast imaging systems using microwave technology.

Pierre Lemire, CEO, Kent Imaging (Calgary), designs and manufactures multispectral oxygenation imaging technology for limb preservation and surgical care.

John Murphy, CEO, Bio-stream Diagnostics Inc. (Edmonton) has developed an organic electrochemical transistor-based platform for faster, more accurate diagnostic tests based on antibody binding target antigen for a variety of infections.

Claire Dixon, co-Founder & CEO, Neuraura (Calgary) which has developed a bioelectronic wearable and is targeting polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Mehdi Mohammadi Ashani, BioSenta (Calgary) develops and manufactures environmentally sound chemical compounds including Tri-Filler, which offers broad spectrum antimicrobial properties for household and industrial applications.

Michael Weickert, CEO, Pacylex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a University of Alberta spinout which is developing a first in class myristoylation inhibitor as a new oral daily therapy for hematologic and solid tumor cancers.

Maximilian Kerz, co-Founder & CEO Cherry Health (Calgary) has develped an app for posting of temporary, permanent and telehealth physician jobs and is building a network that connects physicians, employers and industry.

Jason Hendrick, President, OceanML provides integrated machine learning consulting, custom predictive analytical solutions and solutions for clients in industries including energy, resource development, cleantech, government, finance and health care.

Alan Tay, CEO, Delphi Technology Corp. offers rapid, scalable, conversational & action-based avatar training for airlines & aerospace companies and government and defence contractors.

John MacInnes, Founder, Earthware Reusables Inc. Billions of food takeout containers go into our landfills every year. Earthware is a return for reuse takeout container service that eliminates this problem by selling reusable containers to restaurants, hotels, caterers, grocery stores and farmers.

Ryan Galloway, Founder, Inversion Point Technologies Ltd. specializes in the cost-effective direct removal of atmospheric methane at scale.

Chris Cassin, CEO of Zero Point Cryogenics (Edmonton) builds dilution refrigerators, which operate at temperatures near absolute zero, for quantum technology applications.

Amirreza Sohrabi, co-Founder and CEO, Roshan Water Solutions (Edmonton) has developed VeloCens, which is an end-to-end product package for onsite, real-time testing of water samples for bacteria.

Masoud Baghelani, CEO and Founder, NeatFil Inc. (Edmonton) offers a recyclable and reusable material for efficient, cost-effective removal of organic contaminants including dyes and pigments from water and wastewater.

Damilare Odumosu, Founder/C.E.O, All Farmers Online provides precision agriculture services and sensors to farmers, allowing them to optimize yields, reduce costs, and improve efficiency based on analysis of data collected from drones, satellites, and cameras.

Conor Phillips, Founder & CEO, Pathfinder365 (Saskatoon) provides a digital exploration tool that serves as an all-inclusive, one-stop source for diverse tourism destinations including travel, activity, entertainment and accommodation options.

Carine Bado, CEO & Founder, My Little Tribe has designed an app for parents who are looking to book affordable, reliable and flexible private childcare services such as babysitting, nanny and home care.

David Rosenegger, CEO, SenseSi Technology Inc, a Calgary-based startup developing wearable non-invasive diagnostic sensors to monitor cortisol levels which can predict stress, inflammation and concussion severity.

Timothy Burgess, CEO and co-Founder, WealthAgile (Toronto) provides an AI powered crypto portfolio manager that connects via API to crypto exchanges to automatically manage customers’ crypto portfolios.

March 14, 2023: DiscoveryLab at Enterprise Square

Rob Brown, CEO and Co-Founder, KERB, a global parking and mobility B2B and B2C enablement platform. Also board member, Marketplace Risk and non-executive director, Mozaik Play.

Ran Izraeli, VP Product & Corporate Development, Iluria Health Ltd, a digital health company utilizing biomarker data (wearable agnostic) to provide ongoing ADHD monitoring. Previously Investment Manager, Foriland Investment/Fishman Group.

Audrey Bond, Founder & CEO, Vaultt, an information management and communication platform that launched in 2020, partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim, and provides quick, easy and secure data sharing to ensuring quality of health care. UOttawa grad.

Pierre Wijdenes, Co-founder & CPO, Neuraura is bringing a treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome to market. He previously co-founded a B2C healthcare community platform.

Alireza Bahramian, CEO and Founder, OfBrains. Also Lecturer at McGill University and CEO of OfBrains, former visiting professor at U Calgary focusing on the early diagnosis of Parkinson's diseases using biosensors.

Kathleen McMahon, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Wave View Imaging Inc. Previously Community Ambassador, University of Calgary; Program Coordinator, March of Dimes.

Mike Tourigny, COO, Acceleware Ltd. Previously Principal, Castle Communications, CMO Aksys Networks, EVP Corporate Corporate Development, Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd.

Andy Wiebe, Founder, TerraGen Technology Group. Also Customer Relations Specialist, Ens Quality Seed. Previously Partner, Other Brother Coffee Roasters and VP, Jonny's Java Coffee Inc.

Guy Gordon, Co-founder, PigeonLine.io. Previously Executive Director, Innovation and Service Delivery, Central Services, Province of Manitoba and at the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service.

Fred Glawischnig, CEO, Credit Gurus. Previously Trainer, FSM Connect; Finance Manager, Twin Motors and Murray GM; Project Manager, Canadian Cannabis Solutions Inc.

Kelly Hall, CEO, Vermillion Power Technologies Inc. Also Principal, Kelly Hall & Associates Limited. Founding Partner, Oil Removal Technologies Ltd; manager at Nexen and Suncor. U Waterloo grad.

Jason Hendrick, President, OceanML. Previously Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Summit Nanotech; Geoscientist, Nexen Energy; ULC Proposal Writing Specialist, AltaML.

Mirna Damergi, Product Manager, Rapid Diagnostics is developing Hopper™, a diagnostic platform that is mass spectrometry-based and allows rapid diagnosis of bacterial and yeast infections.

Shreya Kadia, Founder, Tarasnacks, a manufacturer of ethnic-based Dry Snacks food products. Also Director of Dutch Uncle Immigration Inc. a management consulting firm advising companies.

Ali Salman, Founder, Lawtiq.com. Also Strategic Advisor, Grow Base; Co-founder and CMO. Rapid Boost Marketing; Marketing Lead, Aga Khan Economic Planning Board for Canada.

Mark Olson, President, Flokk. Also Principal, Solon Technology Consulting. Previously Owner, Red Shed Farm. B.Sc in Computer Science, University of Calgary.

Simba Nyazika, CEO and Founder, Lenica Research Group. Previously Behaviour Consultant, Children's Autism Services of Edmonton; Board Member, Interdisciplinary Consulting Association.

Michael Weinfeld, Vice-President, CSO, and Co-founder of WWiKY BioSciences Inc. Also Professor, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Senior Scientist, Alberta Health Services.

Jason Clarke, VP of Sales, Pleasant Solutions. Previously Owner, JayCin; Sales Executive Matrikon; Regional Sales Manager- net-linx AG. Business / Finance, NAIT.

Eva Mah Borsato, Founder and CEO, FutureCite Inc. Previously Board Director, The Sandbox Project. Tech Accelerator, Founder Institute. MBA, Queens U; ICD, Alberta School of Business, UoA.

Chaneel Park, CEO of MakeSens. Former Graduate student and Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary, with a degree of Ph.D. in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

General Schedule for DiscoveryLab Events

Teams are welcome to present a plan for free in 10 minutes. Some presenters will be offered an upgrade to a 20 minute in-person slot as well as networking reception - submit your executive summary to qualify. A supportive panel of business advisors, industry experts and investors provides free advice and offers to connect are made.

Early stage ventures, academics, start-ups and SMEs are welcome to present their plan and will be given tailored advice on how to commercialize, spin out, scale and reach new markets.

For clarity, DiscoveryLab does not recommend advisors or investors, but can make introductions. Each person and company has the responsibility of obtaining legal advice and performing due diligence before signing contracts or taking investments.

New ventures, SMEs and startups at any stage are invited to registor as are advisors interested in joining our panel. No bystanders please, everyone is asked to participate actively.

Anyone is welcome to register to pitch a business idea or plan in any field, at any stage, and from any province.

An updated executive summary of your business plan must be submitted to finalize your pitching slot.

Note: Please tell us if you can't make it in to pitch, unjustified last minute cancellations and no-shows are subject to a charge of $20 as they prevent others from pitching to our advisors.

Tips for pitching your plan

1. Presenters are asked to give the organizers their business plan summary (1 or 2 pages) a week before and their slide-deck the day before the event. This way we can ensure technical compatibility and line up the talks to minimize any downtime.
2. Feel free to bring your own Flash drive or computer with cable and adapter.
3. Arrive about 10 minutes early to get oriented. You’ll be given a debrief and evaluation after your pitch.
4. Stay on time (10 minutes for a full presentation, or 2-5 minutes for an elevator pitch) to ensure there is enough time for Q&A.
5. Say a few words of background about yourself to start out the presentation. 
6. Focus on the business plan, not technical or proprietary detail (which you can cover in follow up meetings if desired). Show how this presented a unique and timely opportunity for scalable growth, investment and/or partnering.
7. Turn complexity and jargon into plain English.  Use accessible pictures or videos.  Avoid technical terms and abstraction. Instead, give specific examples, numbers and explain.
8. Be passionate. Present potential risks as well as plans and successes. Show confidence and ambition.
9. Don't be boastful or flaunt your ego.
10. Engage with your team and panel, listening carefully and taking constructive criticism.
11. Don’t read your talk. Notes are ok.  Rehearse beforehand to get the timing, clarity and impact right.

Slide guidance

1. A graphic image or video communicates better than text.   Avoid crowded collages.
2. Text is not needed.  Spoken words communicate more effectively.  If text is used, a few lines should suffice.  Avoid slides which consist of only a headline and list of bullet-points.
3. Show several slides which each present a single idea, graph, image or data type, and form a progression, e.g. from challenge, opportunity, discovery, reality check, to future plan.
4. Aim for no more than 1 slide per minute.
5. Keep a clear surrounding margin around text for increased legibility.
6. Sans-serif fonts (e.g. Helvetica) are easier to read at a distance than serif fonts (e.g. Times).
7. Use a simple background.
8. Use high-resolution images that are from your work, are licensed, or else attribute the source.
9. For data graphs or charts, use a text font size that can be read from the back of a board room, including labels on x- and y-axes and data points.