Adam O'Brien

Chief Executive Officer | Bitcoin Well

I’m passionate about rethinking existing systems to unlock new opportunities. I have always had a curiosity to learn about and adopt new technology which is what inspired me to dive into bitcoin and empower our society to do the same.

Adrian Mitchell

Co-Founder | Cherry Health

Currently building a great healthtech company with the team at Cherry Health! Concurrently finishing my Masters in Health Data Science and Biostatistics at the University of Calgary. Proven Leader with expertise in Business Development, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Technical Analysis and Economic Evaluation. Experienced with the intensity of Start-Ups, the customer focus of B2B Service Companies, and the organizational complexities of large companies (both Domestic Publics and Foreign-Owned Privates).

Demonstrated ability to increase capital efficiency, align operations with strategy and generate value. Enthusiastic and positive collaborator with a passion for working in multi-disciplinary environments and helping teams to achieve their goals.

Alexis Pappas

Executive Director | Canadian Blockchain Association for Women

Alexis Pappas is a writer and consultant with a background in varied fields including energy, bioscience, clean technology and digital innovations. A key focus of her writing and advocacy is on the economic and sociological implications of technological shifts, and the impact that our transforming world may have on underrepresented and disenfranchised groups. Passionate about diversity, Indigenous rights and Alberta’s economic potential, Alexis is the Executive Director of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and the Energy Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium.

Amber Scott MBA, CIPP/C, CBP, CAMS

Founder & Chief AML Ninja | Outlier

Amber is a compliance geek with a passion for technology.

After graduating from the University of Waterloo, Amber joined the compliance group at one of Canada’s largest insurers where she focused on the implementation of technology-based processes to streamline compliance.  She has since worked in in-house roles with major securities firms and banks. Somewhere along the line, she added MBA, CBP, and a few other letters after her name. 

Amber joined a boutique compliance consulting firm, then larger consulting firm, before getting frustrated enough with the status quo to launch Outlier Solutions Inc. (Outlier) in 2013. Outlier specializes in anti-money laundering (AML) and privacy compliance. The company is based on one of the premises of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: that to be really good at something you need a lot of practice (about 10,000 hours). Each of Outlier’s team members has 10,000 hours or more of in-house (not consulting) compliance experience. Amber loves leading this team of entrepreneurial compliance badasses.

Andrew MacIsaac

Chief Executive Officer | Applied Pharmaceutical Industries

Andrew MacIsaac is director and CEO at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API), an industry-led not-for-profit organization that serves as a catalyst to support the development of life science products and companies. API combines Canadian research institutions, industry staff, and infrastructure to build highly qualified teams that can commercialize discoveries. With a background in economics and public sector management, Andrew MacIsaac was previously Assistant Dean at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and held various roles in the Alberta School of Business and UBC Sauder School of Business. Over his career, Andrew has worked tirelessly to build bridges between academia, industry, philanthropy, and government to further economic growth and societal impact. Projects that Andrew has worked on have led to close to $700 million in economic impact and Andrew has been recipient of the 2022 Edifier Award for his work with API. In his spare time Andrew serves on the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, Policy Committee, the Province of Alberta Research Commercialization Working Group, the Calgary Life Sciences Innovation Hub Steering Committee, and the Edmonton Health City Steering Committee, and a number of company boards and advisory groups.

Brenda Beckedorf

Executive Director | Alberta IoT

Brenda Beckedorf was selected as Executive Director of Alberta IoT on August 1st, 2019 by the Alberta IoT Board.

Brenda started her career in technology with Graycon Group as Director of Business Development for Canada. Brenda moved on to start her own company “ Launch Strategic Group” in 2017 with a focus on supporting growth in technology companies through sales strategies. She works closely with companies that focus on IoT Solutions across verticals such as mining. farming, and O&G  to increase their markets, adding process and establishing new verticals. She has a vast array of vendor and partner connections that bring increased value to those who work with her.

She has strong business acumen and many years of experience understanding the business issues of clients across a multitude of technologies. Over her many years in building teams, Brenda has demonstrated leadership with both her teams and her strategic partners.

In her role as Executive Director, Brenda’s focus will be to increase government and local industry awareness of Alberta IoT through dialogue, events, and social.  Investing in our IoT business community by highlighting their skills and building a community that can support and grow together will be part of her mandate.

With a strong belief in social giving, Brenda volunteers regularly with the Drop in Centre, Soup Sister and participates in the CIBC Run for the Cure. She is VP of Calgary Women in Energy- a nonprofit focused on professional women in the oil and gas sector with a purpose to continuing education in the energy sector as well as community involvement.

Bryan Slauko, CFA

Managing Partner & Co-Founder | Metiquity Ventures

I work with privately-held, small and medium sized businesses to help accelerate their growth by attracting early-stage risk capital. I also work with investors to mobilize their capital by delivering confidence in our investment expertise and fully vetted investment opportunities.

Crystal Phillips

Health Lead and Community Manager | Thin Air Labs

Former National Level Speed Skater, multiple sclerosis patient advocate and now public speaker and Executive Director of the Branch Out Neurological Foundation, a charity she co-founded in 2010 to accelerate innovative technologies and non pharmaceutical approaches for neurological disorders. The Branch Out Foundation has raised over 2 Million dollars and funds top neuroscientists across Western Canada. It has has become a catalyst for change in neuro health care and is on track to be a global hub for non-pharmaceutical neuroscience.

Crystal’s leadership consulting and nutrition background has given her opportunities to work with professional and amateur athletes including NHL players and Olympic Medalists as well as world class neuroscientists and business executives.

Crystal was recently named one of 18 Canadian change makers by CBC Canada, Top 30 Under 30 by Explore Magazine in 2012 and Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2016. When not moving mountains with the Branch Out Foundation, she’s climbing them in the Canadian rockies with her dog.

Dave Bradley

Chief Revenue Officer | Bitcoin Well

Dave Bradley is a prominent figure in the Bitcoin industry and is widely considered one of the leading experts in Canada on bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Prior to his current role as the Director of Strategy at Bitcoin Well, Dave founded the world’s first bricks-and-mortar Bitcoin store and co-founded the successful company, Bull Bitcoin, which is Canada’s longest-serving bitcoin brokerage. He also serves as a Vice President for the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, Canada’s largest non-profit network of blockchain companies and influencers.

Del Mondor

Chief Executive Officer | Aldon Oils Ltd.

Godard

Chief Operating Officer | Verge

Godard is the Chief Operating Officer of Verge Agriculture and oversees all product and commercial operations for the company. He received his Ph.D, Master’s, and Bachelor’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Ryerson University, Toronto. He has over 10 years of leadership and strategy execution experience specializing in program management.

Prior to joining Verge, Godard served as the Vice President, PMO for the BlackBridge group of companies for 4 years. He was responsible for managing BlackBridge’s project portfolio and future space systems program.

Hubert Lau

President and CEO | Trust Bix

I am a passionate Technology Entrepreneur who wants to continue to make a difference for my customers, partners and the communities. I achieve my goals through “Collaborative Economics”. This means everyone works together to create successes socially and financially. The focus is always triple win. You win, I win and our communities win.

Jade Alberts

Founder | Peer Guidance

Jade is an Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and a Strategist that Tells It Like It Is. He’s had a successful career as a sales Entrepreneur. Yes, he means Sales Entrepreneur. He was allowed to create the sales that allowed him to understand growth, margin and profit. This was extremely handy when he became an Entrepreneur. He now shares his knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs as he believes lack of capital should not get in the way of what you need to succeed. He has exited a business and helped three others exit.

Our team has done the following during our entrepreneurial journeys:

Bootstrapped
Raised Capital
Created Sales Playbooks
Created Budgets
Asked for help
Hired People
Scaled Nationally
Cried
Built Sales Teams
Made Connections
Built Internal Teams
Created Marketing Plans
Wondered when we will make money
Created Content
Create Policies and Contracts
Fired People
Sleepless Nights
Created Positive Cultures
Designed Websites
Failed and Learned from it
Exited Businesses
Sold Businesses
Celebrated Successes

Janine Moir

National Blockchain Assurance Leader, Innovation & Transformation Assurance (I&TA) | Deloitte

Janine is on the cutting-edge of the profession, serving as the National Digital Assurance Leader at Deloitte. Digital Assurance services are designed to help Deloitte’s clients transform their traditional financial reporting cycles, by empowering finance teams with leading-edge innovation and digital technologies. These technologies include blockchain, analytics, RPA and algorithms. Janine is a founding member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (www.cbaw.io), a board member of the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, and a board member for the Horizon Housing Society. Janine is a CPA, CA with over 15 years of experience providing Advisory and Assurance services and working in industry. Janine has worked in various industries with a focus on bringing the finance function and operations together. She loves bringing this expertise and experience to her clients.

Kevin Dahl

Director of Alberta | Plug and Play

My background is peppered with senior roles in community building, ecosystem development, marketing, business development, sales, project management, product development, operations, and HR. I have expertise in several industries including mobile payments, hospitality tech, telecommunications, music, and tech incubation. I’m a geek at heart. I love technology and am fascinated by its impact on society.

Koleya Karringten

President / Founder | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Kris Read

CTO | NEO Financial

Kris Read is a co-founder at Neo Financial – a technology company building a better financial experience for all Canadians. Since its inception in 2019 Neo has raised aprox. $100M and partnered with iconic brands like Hudson’s Bay; their credit card delivers instant cash rewards when you pay at the stores you love. Before Neo, Kris helped build the tech teams at San Francisco startup Lottery.com and at local cryptocurrency startup Vogogo Inc. Kris holds a Master’s degree from the University of Calgary and has worked for top global tech firms like Stripe and ThoughtWorks.

Malcolm Bruce

CEO | Edmonton Global

After spending 30 years in the military living overseas and across Canada, Malcolm chose the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as the place where his children and grandchildren could achieve their full potential without having to move elsewhere. Formerly the CEO of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, Malcolm joined the newly-formed Edmonton Global in 2018. He’s proud of the region’s welcoming and inclusive community. It’s a region where people can grow, enjoy and thrive.

Matthew Burgoyne

Partner | McLeod Law

Matthew Burgoyne is a corporate commercial lawyer and the head of the Cryptocurrency and Blockchain group at McLeod Law. Since 2013, Matthew has advised clients in digital currency law and has assisted in the formation of cryptocurrency exchanges, assisted digital token and coin developers, cryptocurrency ATM providers, cryptocurrency investors, cryptocurrency miners and cryptocurrency related investment funds. Matthew provides legal advice to businesses involved in stable coin and initial coin offerings, along with securities law and anti-money laundering law.

Melissa Smith

Partner | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Melissa is a partner in the Securities and Capital Markets Group in BLG’s Calgary office. Melissa focuses her practice on corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations of public and private issuers including take-over bids, amalgamations and plans of arrangement. She also advises clients on financing transactions including public and private offerings of debt, equity and convertible securities, and compliance with corporate and securities regulatory requirements and drafting of a large number of corporate and commercial documents including governance documents, shareholder agreements and other business agreements.

In addition, Melissa assists with plans of arrangement, mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations, prepares a wide variety of commercial, securities and corporate documents, and conducts due diligence on behalf of issuers, agents and underwriters in a variety of contexts.

Melissa is the Chair of the BLG’s Calgary Student Committee.

Neeraj Gupta

Chief Strategy Officer | Attabotics

Neeraj is expert on AI/ML/IOT, Product Management, Innovation Management, Strategy, International Business Expansion, Patent Consulting, Legal-tech.

Neeraj is Chief Strategy Officer and Advisor to the CEO at Attabotics which is one of the most successful 3D robotics supply chain companies headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.

Neeraj is Chairman at India Alumni Chapter for KTH, Sweden and is on the Board of KTH Alumni Advisory Board. He is Governing Council Member at IIT Alumni Centre Bengaluru, IITACB .

Neeraj is one of the experts at Swissnex India and advises Swiss startups. He is also senior Technology Advisor at Sweden-India Business Council.

Neeraj holds Bachelors of Technology degree from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Metallurgical and Material Sciences and Masters of Science Degree from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden in Scientific Computing and Mathematics. Neeraj is PGPX in General Management from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Neeraj is author of book “Creating & safeguarding a strong Intellectual Property Portfolio” which was written in collaboration with SIDBI, Adelphi and KFW Bank Germany.

Neeraj is senior mentor and visiting faculty in several engineering and MBA colleges.

Pamela Draper

CEO | Bitvo

Pamela is the President and CEO of Bitvo Inc., a Cryptocurrency Exchange launched in Canada in 2018. Prior to joining Bitvo, Pamela spent approximately 14 years with top tier Canadian banks, involved in all facets of investment banking and advisory services. Most recently Pamela held the position of Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Equity Capital Markets group in Toronto where she was responsible for assisting North American corporate clients raising capital in public and private markets. Prior to joining Equity Capital Markets, Pamela was part of BMO’s Debt Capital Markets group where she was responsible for Canadian high yield debt issuers, assisting them in raising capital both domestically and internationally. Pamela brings a wealth of professional banking and capital markets experience to the cryptocurrency business having advised on and been involved in transactions ranging from the very small to in excess of $10 billion. With the Bitvo team, Pamela is looking forward to growing Bitvo into a successful international exchange and expanding the cryptocurrency market into institutions and professional investors.

Richard Jones

Partner | McMillan

My law practice focuses on dispute resolution and risk/litigation management. I enjoy working with clients and helping them with the myriad of issues that come along with commercial transactions and conducting business.

Specialties: complex commercial litigation, water and irrigation, environmental, municipal and planning, and agriculture and agri-food, along with tech and blockchain.

McMillan Vantage is a unique service. We offer strategic advice and messaging in government and media relations.

Zachary Storms

Founder and Chief-Organizer | Startup TNT

Having Fun. Making Friends. Building Companies. Join me every Thursday or at the next Investment Summit.

Alex Szecsy

Business Development Manager | Memory Express

Frank Hepworth

Associate | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

I am an associate at BLG LLP working in the Securities and Capital Markets group. I’m proud that my practice is increasingly focused on businesses utilizing cryptocurrencies. I firmly believe innovation arising from multi-chain infrastructure will drive equality of opportunity globally. To do my part, I 学中文, run a small NFT guild, and try to keep our clients on the good side of Canadian regulators.

Rohit Joshi

CEO | Brightsquid

Rohit Joshi is actively engaged in the top trends in secure healthcare communications. As the CEO of Brightsquid Secure Communications Corp he is at the helm of Canada’s leading compliant communications services provider for the healthcare industry.

Rohit has been working in software and digital security in North America for over 20 years. He has deep insights into the healthcare communications industry, experience creating operational efficiencies, and developing compliant communications strategies – all of which have driven the fast paced growth of Brightsquid.

As a veteran of software design and healthcare communications, Rohit is consistently successful in identifying opportunities for additional healthcare improvements. Brightsquid translates that expertise into systematic process improvements for clinicians and clinics, through the integration of industry best practices and innovations.

Ryan Mueller CFE - CCCI - CAMS

Chief Compliance Officer | Phantom Compliance

I have been active in online payments for 18 years with the majority of that time spent in an investigative/risk management role.

I’ve been a customer service representative and I’ve managed entire call centers with employees in customer services/fraud/collections/investigations roles to name a few.

Very familiar with online commerce specifically in the high risk environment.

I have extensive experience in high risk merchant account provision, placement, and sales as well.

Specialties: Fraud investigation, underwriting of new application risk, fraud prevention, policy generation, compliance, managing 3rd party requests for information, crypto currencies. The list goes on.

Stephen Babour

Chief Executive Officer | Upstream Data

We design, construct and operate modular bitcoin mining solutions for upstream oil and gas facilities. Our mining solutions reduced GHG emissions by monetizing stranded gas such as vented and flared natural gas at oil production facilities.

Deborah Wilson

Chief Industry Engagement Officer | TrustBIX

I am a well-known advocate for both traceability and sustainability, used to working in fast paced, demanding industries. Specialties: Agriculture, data management, mentorship, marketing strategies, business project development, brand management, industry partnerships with a strong sales/marketing background.

My career has been based in the agriculture industry, in livestock production, management, marketing and advertising, sales and administration, or a combination of all. I have lived on a working farm/ranch the majority of my adult life, actively participating in the cattle industry as a hands on producer. This has given me a practical understanding of primary production as well as the challenges producers face in agriculture. I have worked with processors, retailers and restaurant chains, who are facing challenges as well, in verifying chain of custody and production practices, when marketing meat to the consumers of today.