Web Summit Vancouver is almost here—and while the international headliners tend to steal the spotlight, we want to make sure you don’t miss the incredible 60-ish speakers from right here in British Columbia who will be taking the stage.
This list includes nearly 20 founders, 23 executives, 17 media and content leaders, and even a few politicians. Together, they represent the breadth of BC’s innovation economy—from carbon capture to creator platforms, community news to next-gen gaming, and blockchain to battery storage.
We’ve done our best to round up all the BC-based speakers—though let’s call this what it is: a non-exhaustive list of the local voices shaping the conversation. Whether you’re attending to be inspired, make connections, or just cheer on your friends and colleagues, keep this list handy and plan your schedule accordingly.
Note: Sessions are still being confirmed–and some speaking engagements are pitch events–so exact days and times may not be finalized. Check the Web Summit Vancouver app for confirmed details.
Founders
Olivia Bell - Co-founder and CEO, Chunks
Chunks is an AI platform that helps creators find their best moments.
Speaking: TBA
Ethan Clark - CEO and Co-founder, Nationsfirst Technologies
Nationsfirst Technologies uses the blockchain to advance Indigenous economies.
Speaking: May 30, 2:45pm and May 30, 3:30pm
Sim Desai - CEO and Founder, Hiive
Hiive is a global liquidity platform for private companies and their shareholders.
Speaking: May 28, 12:00pm and May 29, 12:40pm
Mohammad Doostmohammadi - Founder and CEO, pH7
pH7 is reducing the environmental impact of metal extraction.
Speaking: May 29, 10:25am
Bethany Edmunds - CEO and Co-founder, Happy Prime
Happy Prime builds software to enable fluid communication for those with atypical speech.
Speaking: May 30, 3:30pm
Yaofei Feng - Co-founder, Fantuan
Fantuan is the largest Asian food delivery platform in North America.
Speaking: May 30, 10:35am
Brett Henkel - Co-founder and SVP Business Development, Svante
Svante is a carbon capture and removal solutions provider.
Speaking: May 29, 10:50am and May 30, 12:10pm
Carol Anne Hilton - CEO and Founder, Indigenomics Institute and the Global Centre of Indigenomics
Indigenomics is a platform for strengthening and building Indigenous economies.
Speaking: May 30, 2:45pm and May 30, 3:30pm
Ryan Holmes - Co-founder and CEO, LOI Ventures
LOI Ventures is a seed-stage venture fund focused on backing founders under 30.
Speaking: TBA
Tanis Jorge - Founder, The Cofounder’s Hub
The Cofounder’s Hub provides cofounders with tools and resources to strengthen their relationship.
Speaking: May 28, 10:20am, May 28, 4:00pm
Doug Lui - Founder and Managing Partner, Misfit Ventures
Misfit Ventures is Canada’s first and North America’s largest LGBTQ+ VC fund.
Speaking: TBA
Max Lytvyn - Co-founder, Grammarly
Grammarly is an English language writing assistant software tool.
Speaking: May 29, 4:00pm
Andrew McLeod - Co-founder and CEO, Certn
Certn is a screening platform that makes background checks easier.
Speaking: May 30, 4:00pm
Erin Millar - CEO and Co-founder, Indiegraf
Indiegraf helps improve access to high-quality community news.
Speaking: May 30, 12:05pm and May 30, 3:10pm
Jack Newton - CEO and Founder, Clio
Clio is a cloud-based software that handles law practice management administrative tasks.
Speaking: May 29, 12:40pm
Jeanne-Marie Owens - Founder and COO, Critical Path Games
Critical Path Games is seeking to create the next video game genre.
Speaking: May 30, 2:40pm
Bryan Pellegrino - Co-founder and CEO, LayerZero Labs
LayerZero Labs enables data to move across blockchains.
Speaking: May 28, 10:20am
Praveen Ramachandran - Co-founder, AOT Technologies
AOT Techologies is a software company that provides tailored solutions to companies and governments.
Speaking: May 30, 3:10pm
Sumreen Rattan - COO and Co-founder, Moment Energy
Moment Energy provides a clean, affordable, and reliable battery energy storage system by repurposing retired EV batteries.
Speaking: May 29, 11:30am
Angus Reid - Founder and CEO, Angus Reid Group
Angus Reid Group is a market research company that provides research intelligence services to businesses and organizations across North America.
Speaking: May 29, 2:25pm
Executives
Natali Altshuler - COO, EA Sports
Speaking: May 29, 10:00am
Ohad Arazi - Board Member and Strategic Advisor, Clarius Mobile Health
Speaking: May 28, 2:00pm and May 29, 3:45pm
Peter Cowan - CEO, Innovate BC
Speaking: May 28, 3:55pm
Steve de Jong - CEO, VRIFY
Speaking: May 29, 10:25am and May 29, 2:00pm
James Delorme - CEO, Indigelink Digital Inc. and Indigenous Infrastructure Fund Corporation
Speaking: May 30, 2:45pm and May 30, 3:30pm
Maninder Dhaliwal - Managing Partner, Startup Studio
Speaking: May 28, 10:30am
Joel Hansen - Head of Marketing, LOI Startup Accelerator and Venture
Speaking: TBA
Corinne Hua - CFO, Thinkific
Speaking: May 28, 10:45am
William Johnson - VP Strategy and Operations, Overstory Media Group
Speaking: Web Summit Vancouver co-host!
Shivam Kishore - Senior Advisor, Digital Transformation at UNEP and D4D Insights
Speaking: May 28, 2:45pm
Bill Lakeland - CEO, Spexi
Speaking: May 29, 2:25pm
Trevor Lanting - CDO, D-Wave Systems
Speaking: May 29, 10:20am
Victoria Lee - Physician Executive and Digital Transformation Strategist
Speaking: May 29, 3:45pm
Marc Low - Director of Innovation, Growth and Emerging Tech, KPMG
Speaking: TBA
Rory McGuire - CCO, Blackbird Interactive
Speaking: May 30, 3:45pm
Sam Mod - Partner and Entrepreneurship, EY
Speaking: TBA
Marco Pimentel - CMO, Redbrick
Speaking: May 28, 11:25am
Jamie Shotton - Chief Scientist, Wayve
Speaking: May 29, 11:30am
Ada Slivinski - Vice President, Talk Shop Media
Speaking: TBA
Greg Twinney - Director, General Fusion
Speaking: May 29, 2:45pm
Politicians
Diana Gibson - Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, Province of BC
Speaking: May 30, 11:30am
Ken Sim - Mayor, City of Vancouver
Speaking: May 27, 6:00pm and May 28, 11:00am
Media and Content
Mo Amir - Host, This is VANCOLOUR
Speaking: May 30, 11:25am
Rina Chandran - Deputy Editor, Rest of World
Speaking: May 29, 10:25am and May 29, 11:20am
Joanna Chiu - China Editor, Rest of World
Speaking: TBA
Penny Daflos - Senior Reporter, CTV Vancouver
Speaking: May 30, 11:05am
Jeff Desjardins - Editor-in-Chief, Visual Capitalist
Speaking: May 28, 3:40pm, May 30, 2:05pm, and May 30, 3:30pm
John Koetsier - Journalist, Forbes
Speaking: TBA
Yvonne Lau - Technology Reporter, Financial Post
Speaking: TBA
Sam Levin - Content Creator, omgheysam
Speaking: Web Summit Vancouver co-host!
Harold Munro - Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Sun
Speaking: May 29, 11:00am
Thomas Seal - Vancouver Bureau Chief, Bloomberg
Speaking: May 28, 12:00pm and May 30, 10:10am
Taylor Simone - Freelance Writer
Speaking: May 30, 3:05pm
Megan Stewart - Executive Producer of News and Digital Video, CBC
Speaking: May 30, 12:05pm
Drew Ray Tanner - Actor
Speaking: May 29, 4:05pm