Agenda - Immersion Week 2024

Opening Reception

• Grounding Ceremony by Elder Roberta Price, Member of the Coast Salish Snuneymuxw and Cowichan Nations, Elder Adviser and Research Partner at University of British Columbia
• Welcome Remarks by Dr. Sean Lumb, Associate Director, entrepreneurship@UBC at Innovation UBC

In this session you will hear from key partnership leaders who have helped translate cutting edge research to solving some of our most pressing problems.

• Jade Salazaar,  Partnerships & Innovation Lead at Rogers Communications Inc.
• John Steen, Director, Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) at The University of British Columbia
• Moderator: Walter Mérida, Associate Dean of Research and Industry Partnerships, Faculty of Applied Science at UBC and CSO and Founder, VulcanX 

Keynote Panel: Deep Tech Spinouts: The translation journey with a focus on Relationships and IP strategy 

Finding the right expertise, building trust, learning together, can not be underestimated. 

In this session, you will hear from some outstanding company builders who have navigated translating game-changing inventions to commercial success.

• Bethany Ladd, Head of Operations and Co-Founder, Arca Climate Technologies
• Barry Yates, Cofounder and CEO, CarboNet
• Erika Siren, CEO, SeraGene Therapeutics
• Walter Mérida, Associate Dean of Research and Industry Partnerships, Faculty of Applied Science at UBC and CSO and Founder, VulcanX 
• Moderator: Tiffany Hamilton, Entrepreneur in Residence, Innovation UBC

Panel: Building Innovation through a Social Impact Lens

 An exploration of resources, supports and frameworks, that underpin the human experience of how ideas are nurtured and brought to fruition. In this session, our panel of experts will share their approaches to addressing gaps and barriers that impact innovation translation, along with what it means to be stewards of the communities they serve.

• Abigail Okyere, Program Lead for the Black Advisory Hub at Innovation UBC
• Danika Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO, My Normative
• Gen Crieghton, Manager, UBC's Knowledge Exchange Unit
• Ryan St Germaine, 4x Founder, Executive in Residence, Tech Circle Founder at Indigenous Tech Circle
• Moderator: Andrea Lloyd, Associate Director, Engagement at Innovation UBC

Climate Innovation Pitch Event, powered by Spring

Four ventures will deliver 5-minute pitches to a panel of industry leaders, investors, and funders. Our panel of distinguished judges will provide feedback related to how founders can improve their pitch, go-to-market strategy and business model. Learn more.

• MC: Nathan Percy, Investor Relations Manager, Spring
• Judges:
• Alicia Lenis, Vice President, Chrysalix Venture Capital
• Darren Love, Associate, Evok Innovations
• Hilary Kilgour, Managing Partner, Audax Adventures
• Presenting Ventures include: FIBR.BIO, Fibernx, Sanicure and MycoFoundry

In the Innovation UBC Co-Working Space (Room 1900) 
Climate Innovation Investor Meetings (by invite only)

• Crystal Lo, Investment Associate, InBC Investment Corp.
• Lizzie Hnatiuk, Associate, UBC Ventures Management Inc.

In the Innovation UBC Co-Working Space (Room 1900) 
Due Diligence Workshop

• Jonathan Conlin, Partner, Fasken
• Vivian Kan, Partner, BDC

In the Innovation UBC Space
Submitting Your Invention Disclosure Workshop: What you need to know and who can help

• Paul Cyr, Technology Transfer Manager, Innovation UBC

Innovation Spotlight Series: Stories of Impact

Come and meet some of the emerging leaders who are innovating in areas of new materials, mental health, decolonizing research and diversifying talent and access to opportunities. 

• Kev Kokoska, Founder, Otherside Health

Panel: From Leading Research in the Lab to Becoming an Entrepreneur

In this session you will learn about different approaches to spinning out innovations while maintaining academic pursuits.

• Johan Foster, NSERC Canfor Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Bioproducts in the Dept of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC and CTO and Co-Founder, ReAct Materials Inc
• Patricia Janssen, Professor at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and Founder of SmartParent
• Matthew Mitchell, Senior Scientist at Dream Photonics
• Moderator: Sarah Fernando, Innovation & Translation Lead, School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC's School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME)

Afternoon Keynote: Adoption of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the University Environment.

Exploring the dynamic role of universities in fostering innovation and driving societal progress is our theme at this year’s Immersion Week. We are fortunate to have one of the foremost thought leaders for how universities can adopt inclusive recognition of innovation and entrepreneurship impact through the university faculty in promotion, tenure & advancement systems and practices.

• Rich Carter, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Faculty Lead for Innovation Excellence - Office of Research at Oregon State University

Panel: Bridging the Innovation Gap with funding and resources

In this session you will hear from the funders helping our innovations take flight.

• Anoush Poursartip, Co-Director, Composites Research Network and Professor, Department of Materials Engineering at UBC
• Marcelo Mora, Senior Advisor, Innovate BC + Mitacs
• Omar Mawji, Portfolio Manager, B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE)
• Richard Sones, Director, Partner Innovations at UBC's BioProducts Institute 
• Moderator: Sean Lumb, Associate Director, entrepreneurship@UBC at Innovation UBC

Innovation Spotlight Series: Stories of Impact

Come and meet some of the emerging leaders who are innovating in areas of new materials, mental health, decolonizing research and diversifying talent and access to opportunities. 

• Yasmine Abdin, Assistant Professor at The University of British Columbia, President and COO at Fibernx Technologies

Closing Keynote: How to Get to Exit with Deep Tech Companies, presented by VEF and Spring

Miru Technologies recently announced a $27M Series A investment to commercialize their technology. They are one of many amazing BC-grown investment stories we have seen as of late. 

• Are we perhaps on the upswing of an economic downturn that has been a dark cloud for the post-pandemic years?
• Are we beginning to see a tide shift in how deep tech companies are being financed? 
• What were the inflection points that catalyzed this innovation to such a trajectory? 

In this session you will hear from serial entrepreneur and UBC academic leader, Curtis Berlinguette in conversation with Mark Longo, Managing Partner with Osler who has been on this journey with Curtis and his team.

• Curtis Berlinguette, CEO and Co-Founder, Miru Smart Technologies
• Mark Longo, Co-Chair of Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Group and Managing Partner at Osler

In the Innovation UBC Co-Working Space (Room 1900) 
Evening Networking Social and VEF Mingler

An evening networking event in collaboration with VEF, Spring and entrepreneurship@UBC, held in the entrepreneurship@UBC co-working space.

Opening Keynote: A Global Lens on Working With University Innovation Ecosystems

Changing the Global Landscape of Entrepreneurship. How building strong ecosystem partners creates more equitable access to economic and social prosperity.

As a voice for change Dr. Olutoyin Oyelade, President and CEO of Casa Foundation for International Development, is driven by the mission of building ecosystems that can inspire and support the next generation of business and community leaders.

• Dr. Olutoyin Oyelade, President at Casa Foundation and Partner at Invcap Corporation

Panel: The Pedagogy of Entrepreneurship

The methodologies and processes for how we approach the teaching and learning of entrepreneurship underpin how academic institutions support the next generation of entrepreneurs. 

From experiential and problem-based learning, connecting peer communities, design thinking, formative feedback, and service learning, these are some of the fundamentals of the educational content that support entrepreneurial pathways. 

In this session you will hear from experts in the field of entrepreneurial education, ranging from research translation, the intersection of creative design and innovation, to building the capacity to support the next generation of innovators.
 

• Angele Beausoleil, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Entrepreneurship + Innovation at UBC's Sauder School of Business
• Rich Carter, Professor of Chemistry & Faculty Lead for Innovation Excellence at Oregon State University
• Kookai Chaimahawong, Executive Director at UBC Sauder’s Centre for Climate and Business Solutions
• Cemre Demiralp, Project Manager, Partnerships + Creative Entrepreneurship at Emily Carr University of Art + Design
• Moderator: Christie Stephenson, Executive Director at Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at UBC's Sauder School of Business

Panel: Next Gen Innovators

In pursuit of entrepreneurship, stepping out of the lab and into the ring of building an early-stage company. These leaders are poised to change the world with their innovations. In this session you will learn about what led them to consider entrepreneurship as a pathway. Our speakers will share their insights around how to balance the complex work done in the lab with the business mindset required to meet with customers and investors.
 

• Ellie Rahmani, Co-Founder & CEO at CNANO
• Lorena Polovina, Co-Founder, MycoFoundry
• Louis-Philippe Bernier, Chief Executive Officer at CereCura Nanotherapeutics Inc​​​​​​.
• Moderator: Lynn Kulli, Venture Founder Stream Lead, Innovation UBC

Morning Keynote Panel: Pathways, Opportunities and Challenges to Innovating in Women’s Health

UBC affiliated researchers have had a significant impact on women's health in BC and across the globe. Join us to discuss some of the major advances and outcomes of the latest research, and what’s next as we are faced with an aging population and the imminent care required.

Speakers:

• Dr. Lori Brotto, PhD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at UBC, Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health, and Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute
• Deborah Baker, Member of the VCH Board of Directors and Member of the Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council
• Nadia Shaikh-Naeem, Vice President of Programs at Digital
• Robin Coope, Group Leader, Instrumentation, Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer
• Moderator: Jonathon Jafari, Entrepreneur in Residence, Innovation UBC

Lunchtime Panel: Navigating UBC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

In Pitchbook’s recent report ranking the top 100 schools for founders, 6 were Canadian. Of those, UBC ranked #3, and in the Top 50 overall. Rankings were based on the number of founders it produced and companies that secured a round of venture financing.

• What are the resources and pathways that lay the foundation for venture potential in the university environment?
• What makes UBC an attractive place for students who want to change the world through entrepreneurship?

In this session you will hear from some of UBC’s most active entrepreneurship champions. They will share their insights around the entrepreneurial student experience and the activities they support to help you along the way.
 

• Mikah L'Ecuyer Morison, President, Innovation OnBoard Education Society
• Arnav Agrawal, Co-Founder and President, UBC Startups
• Saumyaa Gandhi, Co-Founder and Marketing Lead, UBC Startups
• Smruti Savkur, Engagement Specialist, Innovation UBC
• Shanda Williams, Manager, International Student Experience
• Bree Stanlake, Site Director, Creative Destruction Lab
• Borna Shani, BC Director of Investments, Front Row Ventures
• Moderator: Francis Steiner, Entrepreneur in Residence, Innovation UBC

In the Innovation UBC Co-Working Space (Room 1900) 
Women’s Health Translation and Investment Mini-Symposium
The Women's Health Translation and Investment Mini-Symposium will include short presentations from leading professionals in research translation and funding. These sessions will take place in the Innovation UBC Co-working space (Room 1900) at UBC Robson Square.

Speaking on the topic of Research Translation:
The translation, communication and knowledge translation of research findings into therapeutics and treatment pathways can be complex and may require different partnerships (commercial and academic) in order to get to patients.
 

• Dr. Lori Brotto, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at UBC, Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health, and Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute
• Nicole Prestley, Manager, Research + Knowledge Translation at Women's Health Research Institute
• Jesse Coleman, Manager, Programs at Digital
• Moderator: Jon Jafari, Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovation UBC

Speaking on the topic of Accessing Capital:
Funding innovation is a critical component of how life-saving discoveries can make the biggest impact. In this session you will learn about the fundamentals of fundraising.  

• Saif Hashmi, Principal, BDC Capital Seed Venture Fund
• Vivian Wang, Investment Associate, Nimbus Synergies
• Kenndal McArdle, Principal, Pender Ventures
• Tara McCarville, Director at WELL Health Technologies and Principal at Brighton Group Health
• Moderator: Tiffany Hamilton, Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovation UBC

Learn more.

Innovation Spotlight Series: Stories of Impact

Come and meet some of the emerging leaders who are innovating in areas of new materials, mental health, decolonizing research and diversifying talent and access to opportunities. 

• Ella Meyer, Project Manager, Diversifying Talent in Emerging Technologies initiative at the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute
• Qian Chen, Assistant Professor, Construction Integration and Digitalization lab

Afternoon Keynote: Canada’s Innovation Landscape: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges

From building deep-tech spinouts, where IP strategy takes shape, to the role university systems play in fostering cultures of innovation and entrepreneurship. How ecosystems and partnerships underpin our ability to commercialize those innovations.This closing Keynote will bring many of the conference themes back together for a discussion on the state of Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

• Brett Sharp, Associate Director, Technology Transfer at Innovation UBC
• Kyle Briggs, Entrepreneur in Residence, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa and Former CEO, Northern Nanopore Instruments Inc
• Maria Pacella, Founding Partner at Pender Ventures
• Moderator: Chang Han, Lead Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovation UBC