Agenda - Immersion Week 2023 | entrepreneurship@UBC

Hear from thought leaders and innovators as they share their journeys moving innovation to impact.

Entrepreneurship Immersion Week 2023 will take place September 26-28 across UBC Point Grey and Robson Square (and online) packed with keynotes, panels, workshops, our Regional Ecosystem Showcase and more!

This year, our theme is “Climate and the Public Health Crisis: Systems Changes and Actions Needed”. Let’s take action together! Learn more about this year’s conference theme.

Plan your EIW experience using our agenda below, being updated in real time.

Full Agenda (Sorted by Day)

Tuesday, September 26

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Innovation Showcase Opens	9:00AM	Theatre-level Foyer
Grounding Ceremony	9:30AM	Theatre	Led by Elder Roberta Price, member of the Coast Salish peoples. For over 30 years, Elder Roberta Price has actively shared her leadership, wisdom and teachings at UBC and throughout the Lower Mainland. We are grateful to have her open EIW for the second year in a row through the spiritial practice of helping us prepare to learn and deepen our understanding of the critical issues we are facing as a society today.	Elder Roberta Price, Member of the Coast Salish Snuneymuxw and Cowichan Nations, Elder Adviser and Research Partner at University of British Columbia	Grounding Ceremony
Welcome Remarks	9:50AM	Theatre		Dr. Sean Lumb, Interim Managing Director, entrepreneurship@UBC	Welcome Remarks
Fireside Chat with Chief Ian Campbell, Chief of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw	10:00AM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Chief Campbell will share his insights on the work that the Squamish Nation and Indigenous Peoples have been doing around Land Planning for Climate Mitigation and Community Prosperity.	Host: Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead & Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speaker: Chief Ian Campbell, Hereditary Chief of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)	Keynote Fireside Chat
Accelerating Adoption of Critical Solutions in Today’s Economy	10:55AM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from some of BC’s fastest growing companies on how they built and scaled their health tech and climate tech solutions. These high-impact founders will share their insights on some of the key ingredients that founders and teams need to build the kind of companies we need today. When examining the critical support currently available to startups, what’s working, what isn’t, where must we evolve? Is there a role for government to play in supporting growth stage companies from funding to policy, and if so, what should that look like? Is there anything really preventing us from mass adoption of critical solutions to solve the climate/health crisis?	Moderator: Michelle Sklar, Head of Venture Growth Strategy, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Samantha Mathews, Founder & CEO, LOCI Dr. Farah Nourmohammadian, Chief Science Officer and Founder, Lucent Bio Sciences Raj Gulia, Co-Founder & CEO, Pocketpills	Panel Discussion
Lunch Break	11:45AM
Lunch Roundtable: Climate Venture Studio Discussion	12:00AM	Room: C400	Come and bring your lunch and enjoy this informal discussion on climate venture and innovation pathways.	Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead & Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Simon Donner, Professor, Climate Scientist, UBC Sara Nelson, Senior Research Manager, Centre for Climate Justice	Studio Roundtable
Inspirational Talk: Women's Health and Gendered Justice	1:30PM	Theatre	Our Inspirational Talks series are stories rooted in founder journeys, innovation opportunities and passion projects that will hopefully leave you inspired and empowered to follow your own pathway to impact.	Lanna Last, Co-Founder & CEO, AIMA	10 Minute Inspirational Talk
Building a World-Class Innovation Ecosystem to Solve the Climate & Human Health Crisis	1:45PM	Theatre	Notably, BC has a long history of producing global leaders in the life sciences and cleantech sectors, but are our systems set up to sustain us as a global hub for innovation? Are we moving fast enough to address the urgent needs of our environment, population and economic sustainability? In this session, you will hear from BC’s leading economic and industry builders around how might we accelerate BC’s role in building a world-class innovation ecosystem in Climate Solutions and Human Health. We will explore whether or not our innovation ecosystem is indeed poised for growth, or where are there gaps? And, are we doing everything we can to get homegrown critical solutions to market, and is industry adoption a barrier we also need to be considering?	Moderator: Dr. Sean Lumb, Interim Managing Director, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Todd Sayers, Deputy Executive Director, B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy Ali Ardakani, Founder & Managing Director of Novateur Ventures and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Life Sciences British Columbia Suzanne Gill, President & CEO, GenomeBC Leah Nguyen, Chief Investment Officer, InBC Investment Corp.	Panel Discussion
A City in Crisis: Pathways to Addressing Climate and the Public Health Crisis	2:45PM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from some of Vancouver’s leading change-makers and policy leaders who will share strategies and tactics around their work in creating the necessary pathways to support entrepreneurship and innovation to address the urgent climate and public health needs of our city. We will explore what are some of our biggest challenges, where are we seeing inroads, how do we tackle these problems in a polluted digital media environment, and what examples can we draw from globally, as we grapple with driving towards a sustainable future?	Moderator: Christie Stephenson, Executive Director, Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, UBC Sauder School of Business Panelists: Christine Boyle, Vancouver City Councillor Dr. Melissa Lem, President, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Chris Tenove, Director, UBC’s Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions	Panel Discussion
Break	3:45PM
Fireside Chat with Tamara Vrooman, CEO, Vancouver International Airport	4:00PM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Tamara Vrooman will share some of the ground-breaking innovations that she and her team have led at one of Canada's largest airports to make it climate resilient, while ensuring that their approaches are rooted in Climate Justice and Reconciliation. YVR airport is located on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musquem) First Nations, on an Island, surrounded by a fragile ecological system. This discussion will include how YVR airport has incorporated traditional knowledge and land use, to what does the future of the aviation sector look like, and how is YVR creating pathways for continuous innovation.	Host: Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead & Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speaker: Tamara Vrooman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Airport Authority	Keynote Fireside Chat
Pitching the Triple Bottom Line: VC Insights on Aligning Profit, People, and Planet	4:50PM	Theatre	In today’s dynamic investment landscape, the integration of profit, social impact, and environmental sustainability has become a crucial consideration for both startups and venture capital investors. This panel discussion brings together experienced venture capitalists and industry experts to delve into the concept of the triple bottom line and its significance in impact investing. The panelists will share insights, strategies, and real world examples that shed light on how startups can effectively align profit, people, and planet in their investment pitches while also providing valuable perspectives from VC investors on evaluating and supporting such ventures.	Moderator: Kookai Chaimahawong, Co-Chair, Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum (VEF) & Executive Director, Centre for Climate and Business Solutions Panelists: Graham Day, Chief Investment Officer, Spring Activator & Managing Partner, Spring Impact Capital Ka-Hay Law, Partner, TELUS Pollinator Fund Jotham Chow, Senior Analyst, Amplify Capital	Panel Discussion
Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum Networking Social	5:45PM	Room: 1900	VEF September event social in collaboration with EIW, is open to conference attendees and VEF members only.		Networking Social

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Innovation Showcase Opens	9:00AM	Theatre-level Foyer
Welcome Remarks	9:30AM	Theatre	Fernanda Whitaker, Director, Partnerships, Innovate BC	MCs: Chang Han & Michelle Sklar	Welcome Remarks
Fireside Chat with Jessica Hu, Co-Founder & CEO, Gene BioMedical (sponsored by McMillan Law)	10:00AM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Jessica Hu will share her insights on scaling one of BC’s fastest growing healthcare companies, including what are some of the corporate strategies accelerating their success, global marketing strategies and strategic IP planning, and lastly, the current crisis in the healthcare supply chain crisis and how regulations are impacting mass adoption. This is a story of resilience and adaptability. This session is being presented by McMillan Law, we are grateful for their support of this year's EIW.	Host: Robert Piasentin, Partner, Technology, McMillan Speaker: Jessica Hu, Founder & CEO, Gene Bio Medical	Keynote Fireside Chat
Break	10:45AM
Pathways for Converting Research to Action	11:00AM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from leading researchers on the game-changing innovations being worked on in some of the foremost academic institutions across BC. You will learn about trends, opportunities and pathways for translating climate and human health research to impact.	Moderator: Karen Chu, Innovation Partnerships Manager, UBC Panelists: Simon Donner, Professor, Climate Scientist, UBC Aislinn Sirk, Research Partnerships and Innovation Manager, UVic Alison Shaw, Executive Director, Community-Centred Climate Innovation, SFU	Panel Discussion
Inspirational Talk: Empowering Communities through Indigenous Languages	11:45AM	Theatre	Our Inspirational Talks series are stories rooted in founder journeys, innovation opportunities, and passion projects that will hopefully leave you inspired and empowered to follow your own pathway to impact.	Speaker: David Sigrist, Co-Founder & CEO, Immersio	10 Minute Inspirational Talk
Lunch Break	12:00PM
Lunch Roundtable: Human Health Venture Studio	12:00PM	Room: C400	Come and bring your lunch and enjoy this informal discussion with Jon Jafari, Lead of entrepreneurship@UBC's Human Health Venture Studio; others to be announced soon	Jon Jafari, Entrepreneur in Residence, Human Health Venture Studio Lead, entrepreneurship@UBC	Studio Roundtable
Inspirational 10-minute talks	1:15PM		Adapting to change, historic business pivots across Turtle Island Nathan Grandjambe, Senior Manager of Indigenous Economic Prosperity, Vancouver Economic Commission SCI Climate Futures: Meeting the challenge of heatwaves for our most vulnerable Arushi Raina, Director of Commercialization, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute Paul Tubbe, Owner, Phoenix Rising Solutions		10 Minute Inspirational Talk
Climate Career Panel	1:15PM	Room: 1900	In this session the climate community come together to talk about roles, skills and trends in climate hiring. They will talk about their climate careers, the current pulse of hiring within the climate space, relevant skills and roles needed, followed by Q&A. Come mingle, listen and learn with your local community. Register at: lu.ma/whfzi6id	Moderator: Hiroki Kudo: Organizer, PNW Climate Week Panelists: Andrew Fu, Head of Finance, Patch Gillian Orris, Senior Advisor, Sustainability and Impact, Canada Games Council Elyse Crowston, VP of Operations at Active Impact Investments Kel Coulson, Policy and Engagement Lead - International Organizations, Carbon Engineering Ltd. Yin Lu, Partner, MCJ Collective	Panel Discussion
Workshop: Getting The Love You Deserve - How story and brand multiply business impact	1:45PM	Theatre	Your brand and story work hand in hand. And when they’re clearly defined, you can make better decisions faster, communicate more easily, increase marketing efficacy, attract customers and talent who are a great fit, and increase company valuation. In this session, participants will learn what a brand is and why it matters, the key characteristics of a successful brand, the difference between a founder’s story and a brand story, and the steps involved in building a brand.	Vanessa Richmond, Co-founder and Principal, Vigilantes	Workshop
Break	2:45PM
Today’s Innovators Getting Ready to Scale Tomorrow’s Solutions	3:00PM	Theatre	Meet the next generation of company builders and innovators tackling the climate and human health crisis! In this session, you will hear from one founder improving the quality of life and community living in senior care homes, another who is saving people from drowning, and finally how a world-class institution has developed life-saving solutions, initially developed for people with spinal cord injuries, and now being adopted by firefighters fighting BC wildfires. These exceptional leaders will share some of the significant milestones of their journeys and what drives them everyday to pursue their vision of solving some of the most imminent environmental and social issues of our time.	Moderator: Colin Weston, Director of Foresight Canada's BuildNEXT program Panelists: Kunal Sethi, Co-Founder & CEO, UVX Carlyn Loncaric, Founder & CEO, VodaSafe Arushi Raina, Director of Commercialization, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute	Panel Discussion
The Climate Crisis and the State of our Healthcare System	4:00PM	Theatre	In this session, our esteemed panelists will dive into the current state of our healthcare system and what populations are at the greatest risk in our current environment of crisis. What approaches are needed to ensure our most vulnerable communities are able to access the necessary services and supports to live their lives with dignity. A crisis in care is a crisis in mental health, what role do communities, government and the private sector play in getting not only to the root cause of the most urgent needs, but to the understanding that the solutions are not a one-size fits all.	Moderator: Jon Jafari, Entrepreneur in Residence, Human Health Venture Studio Lead, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Dr. Michael Schwandt, Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health Oona Krieg, Chief Operating Officer, Brave Technologies Cooperative Lanna Last, Co-Founder & CEO, AIMA Meghan Wise, Climate Hub Coordinator, UBC	Panel Discussion
Regional Ecosystem Showcase Networking Opens	5:00PM	Theatre-level Foyer
Showcase: Regional Ecosystem Showcase	5:30PM	Theatre	The Regional Ecosystem Showcase will feature 10 companies across the province who’ve proven market traction and are ready to scale. The objective of the Showcase is to create awareness and connections for the companies across the province and demonstrate the tremendous impact BC entrepreneurs are having on Canada and the world at large.	MC: William Johnson, Founder, Canadian Tech Journal	Showcase
Social: Regional Ecosystem Showcase Afterparty: EIW Lounge Networking Event	7:30PM	UBC Robson Square (1900)	With musical performances from musician Jacob Weil, Tom Urban, MJ Araujo, and hosted by Ky Sargeant.		Networking Social

Thursday, September 28

UBC Point Grey - Graham Lee Innovation Centre

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Welcome Remarks	9:00AM	UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)		MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC	Welcome Remarks
Fireside Chat with Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO, AbCellera, hosted by Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC	9:10AM	UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)	BC is home to some of the world’s leading heathcare companies, and UBC has been at the forefront of incredible research inventions whose commercialization and impact has saved millions of lives. We are beyond thrilled that UBC spinout company, AbCellera, is one of those success stories. In this session, Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO of AbCellera, will dive into the impact AbCellera is having on helping to solve the critical human health issues of today. What are some of the global trends they are seeing at the intersection of human health and climate, and how might we think about solving them at scale?	Host: Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC Speaker: Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO, AbCellera	Keynote Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat with Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems, hosted by Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Osler (Sponsored by Osler)	10:00AM	UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)	Aspect’s recent announcement of their partnership with Novo Nordisk, a deal valued at US$2B+, has quickly accelerated them to BC’s next anchor company. In this session Founder and CEO, Tamer Mohamed will share his experience in building a university based venture and then scaling a high-impact start up in BC. From Tamer’s point of view, what does it take to build a world-class innovation ecosystem, expecially one poised to address our most pressing issues of the climate crisis and human health? What have been the biggest advantages and challenges of scaling in BC? Tamer will discuss some of the global trends seen across markets. Now, in hindsight, was there anything Aspect may have done differently knowing the state of global crisis we are facing today?	Host: Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Osler Speaker: Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems	Keynote Fireside Chat
Break	10:45AM
Sparking Policy Change: How to get policymakers to listen	10:55AM	UBC Point Grey (Graham Lee Innovation Centre)	Successful entrepreneurship often requires engaging government and influencing policymakers. Drawing on research on policy communications and his own experience as a policy advocate in India and Canada, Kshitij (KJ) Sharan from the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI) will conduct a 60-minute workshop on Communicating with Government. We will discuss different strategies for communicating with and influencing the government to create policy change. You will leave the workshop with the ability to identify the right audiences and understand their incentives, concrete tips to understand and engage with decision-makers through clear messaging, templates of policy products such as policy briefs, and resources on policy communications. Register Here Topics will include: Identifying & understanding your audiences Using the right policy communications product Developing creative messages to promote change Formatting and design Writing tips	Speaker: Kshitij (KJ) Sharan,Head of Strategy and Development, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions	Interactive Workshop - Register Here
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Getting Started with entrepreneurship@UBC	12:10PM	UBC Point Grey (Graham Lee Innovation Centre)	In this session, you will hear from UBC founders about how they took their idea to impact. In the early stages of company building, these entrepreneurs will share what it took for them to get their ideas off the ground, what supports and resources have made the difference in getting them to where they are today, and what were some of their key learning moments along the way.	Moderator: Michele Wallcraft, Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speakers: Negin Farivar, Co-Founder & CTO, SnapCyte Alexander Dungate, Founder & CEO, OnDeck Fisheries AI	Panel Discussion
Lunch Break	12:45PM
Research Innovation Spotlight	1:15PM		The next generation of climate and human health innovations are happening right in the heart of UBC’s dynamic research community. Come and meet the students leading the development of game-changing solutions right on Point Grey campus. From a compostable mushroom toilet to leak-detecting robots, (plus more to come!) what will they think of next!	Moderator: Angelique Pilon, Director, Urban Innovation Research, UBC Speakers: Zhengbo Zou, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, UBC Lorena Polovina, Research Assistant, UBC Isobel Mclean, Master of Architecture Student, UBC	Panel Discussion
EIW Closing Party & Book Launch: INNOVATE Vancouver Vol. 2 (at UBC Robson Square)	5:00PM	UBC Robson Square: Room 1900 Please note this event will take place downtown at UBC Robson Square.	Join us for a party with Global Village Publishing celebrating the launch of INNOVATE Vancouver Vol. 2!		Networking Social

Fireside Chats

Tuesday, September 26

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Fireside Chat with Chief Ian Campbell, Chief of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw	10:00AM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Chief Campbell will share his insights on the work that the Squamish Nation and Indigenous Peoples have been doing around Land Planning for Climate Mitigation and Community Prosperity.	Host: Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead & Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speaker: Chief Ian Campbell, Hereditary Chief of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)	Keynote Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat with Tamara Vrooman, CEO, Vancouver International Airport	4:00PM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Tamara Vrooman will share some of the ground-breaking innovations that she and her team have led at one of Canada's largest airports to make it climate resilient, while ensuring that their approaches are rooted in Climate Justice and Reconciliation. YVR airport is located on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musquem) First Nations, on an Island, surrounded by a fragile ecological system. This discussion will include how YVR airport has incorporated traditional knowledge and land use, to what does the future of the aviation sector look like, and how is YVR creating pathways for continuous innovation.	Host: Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead & Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speaker: Tamara Vrooman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Airport Authority	Keynote Fireside Chat

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Fireside Chat with Jessica Hu, Co-Founder & CEO, Gene BioMedical (Sponsored by McMillan Law)	10:00AM	Theatre	In this Fireside Chat, Jessica Hu will share her insights on scaling one of BC’s fastest growing healthcare companies, including what are some of the corporate strategies accelerating their success, global marketing strategies and strategic IP planning, and lastly, the current crisis in the healthcare supply chain crisis and how regulations are impacting mass adoption. This is a story of resilience and adaptability. This session is being presented by McMillan Law, we are grateful for their support of this year's EIW.	Host: Robert Piasentin, Partner, Technology, McMillan Speaker: Jessica Hu, Founder & CEO, Gene Bio Medical	Keynote Fireside Chat

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

Fireside Chat with Jessica Hu, Co-Founder & CEO, Gene BioMedical

(Sponsored by McMillan Law)

10:00AM

Theatre

In this Fireside Chat, Jessica Hu will share her insights on scaling one of BC’s fastest growing healthcare companies, including what are some of the corporate strategies
accelerating their success, global marketing strategies and strategic IP planning, and lastly, the current crisis in the healthcare supply chain crisis and how regulations are impacting mass adoption. This is a story of resilience and adaptability.

This session is being presented by McMillan Law, we are grateful for their support of this year's EIW.

Host: Robert Piasentin, Partner, Technology, McMillan

Speaker: Jessica Hu, Founder & CEO, Gene Bio Medical

Keynote Fireside Chat

Thursday, September 28

UBC Point Grey - Graham Lee Innovation Centre

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Fireside Chat with Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO, AbCellera, hosted by Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC	9:10AM	UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)	BC is home to some of the world’s leading heathcare companies, and UBC has been at the forefront of incredible research inventions whose commercialization and impact has saved millions of lives. We are beyond thrilled that UBC spinout company, AbCellera, is one of those success stories. In this session, Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO of AbCellera, will dive into the impact AbCellera is having on helping to solve the critical human health issues of today. What are some of the global trends they are seeing at the intersection of human health and climate, and how might we think about solving them at scale?	Host: Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC Speaker: Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO, AbCellera	Keynote Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat with Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems, hosted by Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Osler (Sponsored by Osler)	10:00AM	UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)	Aspect’s recent announcement of their partnership with Novo Nordisk, a deal valued at US$2B+, has quickly accelerated them to BC’s next anchor company. In this session Founder and CEO, Tamer Mohamed will share his experience in building a university based venture and then scaling a high-impact start up in BC. From Tamer’s point of view, what does it take to build a world-class innovation ecosystem, expecially one poised to address our most pressing issues of the climate crisis and human health? What have been the biggest advantages and challenges of scaling in BC? Tamer will discuss some of the global trends seen across markets. Now, in hindsight, was there anything Aspect may have done differently knowing the state of global crisis we are facing today?	Host: Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Osler Speaker: Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems	Keynote Fireside Chat

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

Fireside Chat with Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO,
AbCellera, hosted by Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC

9:10AM

UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)

BC is home to some of the world’s leading heathcare companies, and UBC has been
at the forefront of incredible research inventions whose commercialization and impact has saved millions of lives. We are beyond thrilled that UBC spinout company, AbCellera, is one of those success stories. In this session, Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO of AbCellera, will dive into the impact AbCellera is having on helping to
solve the critical human health issues of today. What are some of the global trends they are seeing at the intersection of human health and climate, and how might we think
about solving them at scale?

Host: Professor Gail Murphy, Vice President, Research & Innovation, UBC

Speaker: Dr. Véronique Lecault, Co-Founder & COO, AbCellera

Keynote Fireside Chat

Fireside Chat with Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect
Biosystems, hosted by Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High
Growth Companies, Osler

(Sponsored by Osler)

10:00AM

UBC Point Grey (Jack Poole Hall)

Aspect’s recent announcement of their partnership with Novo Nordisk, a deal valued at US$2B+, has quickly accelerated them to BC’s next anchor company. In this session
Founder and CEO, Tamer Mohamed will share his experience in building a university based
venture and then scaling a high-impact start up in BC. From Tamer’s point of view, what does it take to build a world-class innovation ecosystem, expecially one
poised to address our most pressing issues of the climate crisis and human health?
What have been the biggest advantages and challenges of scaling in BC? Tamer will discuss some of the global trends seen across markets. Now, in hindsight, was there anything Aspect may have done differently knowing the state of global crisis we are facing today?

Host: Justin Young, Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Osler

Speaker: Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems

Keynote Fireside Chat

Panel Discussions

Tuesday, September 26

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Accelerating Adoption of Critical Solutions in Today’s Economy	10:55AM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from some of BC’s fastest growing companies on how they built and scaled their health tech and climate tech solutions. These high-impact founders will share their insights on some of the key ingredients that founders and teams need to build the kind of companies we need today. When examining the critical support currently available to startups, what’s working, what isn’t, where must we evolve? Is there a role for government to play in supporting growth stage companies from funding to policy, and if so, what should that look like? Is there anything really preventing us from mass adoption of critical solutions to solve the climate/health crisis?	Moderator: Tiffany Hamilton, Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Samantha Mathews, Founder & CEO, LOCI Dr. Farah Nourmohammadian, Chief Science Officer and Founder, Lucent Bio Sciences Raj Gulia, Co-Founder & CEO, Pocketpills	Panel Discussion
Building a World-Class Innovation Ecosystem to Solve the Climate & Human Health Crisis	1:45PM	Theatre	Notably, BC has a long history of producing global leaders in the life sciences and cleantech sectors, but are our systems set up to sustain us as a global hub for innovation? Are we moving fast enough to address the urgent needs of our environment, population and economic sustainability? In this session, you will hear from BC’s leading economic and industry builders around how might we accelerate BC’s role in building a world-class innovation ecosystem in Climate Solutions and Human Health. We will explore whether or not our innovation ecosystem is indeed poised for growth, or where are there gaps? And, are we doing everything we can to get homegrown critical solutions to market, and is industry adoption a barrier we also need to be considering?	Moderator: Dr. Sean Lumb, Interim Managing Director, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Todd Sayers, Deputy Executive Director, B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy Ali Ardakani, Founder & Managing Director of Novateur Ventures and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Life Sciences British Columbia Suzanne Gill, President & CEO, GenomeBC Leah Nguyen, Chief Investment Officer, InBC Investment Corp.	Panel Discussion
A City in Crisis: Pathways to Addressing Climate and the Public Health Crisis	2:45PM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from some of Vancouver’s leading change-makers and policy leaders who will share strategies and tactics around their work in creating the necessary pathways to support entrepreneurship and innovation to address the urgent climate and public health needs of our city. We will explore what are some of our biggest challenges, where are we seeing inroads, how do we tackle these problems in a polluted digital media environment, and what examples can we draw from globally, as we grapple with driving towards a sustainable future?	Moderator: Christie Stephenson, Executive Director, Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, UBC Sauder School of Business Panelists: Christine Boyle, Vancouver City Councillor Dr. Melissa Lem, President, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Chris Tenove, Director, UBC’s Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions	Panel Discussion
Pitching the Triple Bottom Line: VC Insights on Aligning Profit, People, and Planet	4:50PM	Theatre	In today’s dynamic investment landscape, the integration of profit, social impact, and environmental sustainability has become a crucial consideration for both startups and venture capital investors. This panel discussion brings together experienced venture capitalists and industry experts to delve into the concept of the triple bottom line and its significance in impact investing. The panelists will share insights, strategies, and real world examples that shed light on how startups can effectively align profit, people, and planet in their investment pitches while also providing valuable perspectives from VC investors on evaluating and supporting such ventures.	Moderator: Kookai Chaimahawong, Co-Chair, Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum (VEF) & Executive Director, Centre for Climate and Business Solutions Panelists: Graham Day, Chief Investment Officer, Spring Activator & Managing Partner, Spring Impact Capital Ka-Hay Law, Partner, TELUS Pollinator Fund Jotham Chow, Senior Analyst, Amplify Capital	Panel Discussion

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Pathways for Converting Research to Action	11:00AM	Theatre	In this session, you will hear from leading researchers on the game-changing innovations being worked on in some of the foremost academic institutions across BC. You will learn about trends, opportunities and pathways for translating climate and human health research to impact.	Moderator: Karen Chu, Innovation Partnerships Manager, UBC Panelists: Simon Donner, Professor, Climate Scientist, UBC Aislinn Sirk, Research Partnerships and Innovation Manager, UVic Alison Shaw, Executive Director, Community-Centred Climate Innovation, SFU	Panel Discussion
Climate Career Panel	1:15PM	Room: 1900	In this session the climate community come together to talk about roles, skills and trends in climate hiring. They will talk about their climate careers, the current pulse of hiring within the climate space, relevant skills and roles needed, followed by Q&A. Come mingle, listen and learn with your local community. Register at: lu.ma/whfzi6id	Moderator: Hiroki Kudo: Organizer, PNW Climate Week Panelists: Andrew Fu, Head of Finance, Patch Gillian Orris, Senior Advisor, Sustainability and Impact, Canada Games Council Elyse Crowston, VP of Operations at Active Impact Investments Kel Coulson, Policy and Engagement Lead - International Organizations, Carbon Engineering Ltd. Yin Lu, Partner, MCJ Collective	Panel Discussion
Today’s Innovators Getting Ready to Scale Tomorrow’s Solutions	3:00PM	Theatre	Meet the next generation of company builders and innovators tackling the climate and human health crisis! In this session, you will hear from one founder improving the quality of life and community living in senior care homes, another who is saving people from drowning, and finally how a world-class institution has developed life-saving solutions, initially developed for people with spinal cord injuries, and now being adopted by firefighters fighting BC wildfires. These exceptional leaders will share some of the significant milestones of their journeys and what drives them everyday to pursue their vision of solving some of the most imminent environmental and social issues of our time.	Moderator: Colin Weston, Director of Foresight Canada's BuildNEXT program Panelists: Kunal Sethi, Co-Founder & CEO, UVX Carlyn Loncaric, Founder & CEO, VodaSafe Arushi Raina, Director of Commercialization, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute	Panel Discussion
The Climate Crisis and the State of our Healthcare System	4:00PM	Theatre	In this session, our esteemed panelists will dive into the current state of our healthcare system and what populations are at the greatest risk in our current environment of crisis. What approaches are needed to ensure our most vulnerable communities are able to access the necessary services and supports to live their lives with dignity. A crisis in care is a crisis in mental health, what role do communities, government and the private sector play in getting not only to the root cause of the most urgent needs, but to the understanding that the solutions are not a one-size fits all.	Moderator: Jon Jafari, Entrepreneur in Residence, Human Health Venture Studio Lead, entrepreneurship@UBC Panelists: Dr. Michael Schwandt, Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health Oona Krieg, Chief Operating Officer, Brave Technologies Cooperative Lanna Last, Co-Founder & CEO, AIMA Meghan Wise, Climate Hub Coordinator, UBC	Panel Discussion

Thursday, September 28

UBC Point Grey - Graham Lee Innovation Centre

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Getting Started with entrepreneurship@UBC	12:10PM	UBC Point Grey (Graham Lee Innovation Centre)	In this session, you will hear from UBC founders about how they took their idea to impact. In the early stages of company building, these entrepreneurs will share what it took for them to get their ideas off the ground, what supports and resources have made the difference in getting them to where they are today, and what were some of their key learning moments along the way.	Moderator: Michele Wallcraft, Entrepreneur in Residence, entrepreneurship@UBC Speakers: Negin Farivar, Co-Founder & CTO, SnapCyte Alexander Dungate, Founder & CEO, OnDeck Fisheries AI	Panel Discussion
Research Innovation Spotlight	1:15PM		The next generation of climate and human health innovations are happening right in the heart of UBC’s dynamic research community. Come and meet the students leading the development of game-changing solutions right on Point Grey campus. From a compostable mushroom toilet to leak-detecting robots, (plus more to come!) what will they think of next!	Moderator: Angelique Pilon, Director, Urban Innovation Research, UBC Speakers: Zhengbo Zou, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, UBC Lorena Polovina, Research Assistant, UBC Isobel Mclean, Master of Architecture Student, UBC	Panel Discussion

10 Minute Inspirational Talks

Tuesday, September 26

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Inspirational Talk: Women's Health and Gendered Justice	1:30PM	Theatre	Our Inspirational Talks series are stories rooted in founder journeys, innovation opportunities and passion projects that will hopefully leave you inspired and empowered to follow your own pathway to impact.	Lanna Last, Co-Founder & CEO, AIMA	10 Minute Inspirational Talk

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Inspirational Talk: Empowering Communities through Indigenous Languages	11:45AM	Theatre	Our Inspirational Talks series are stories rooted in founder journeys, innovation opportunities, and passion projects that will hopefully leave you inspired and empowered to follow your own pathway to impact.	Speaker: David Sigrist, Co-Founder & CEO, Immersio	10 Minute Inspirational Talk
Inspirational 10-minute talks	1:15PM		Adapting to change, historic business pivots across Turtle Island Nathan Grandjambe, Senior Manager of Indigenous Economic Prosperity, Vancouver Economic Commission SCI Climate Futures: Meeting the challenge of heatwaves for our most vulnerable Arushi Raina, Director of Commercialization, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute Paul Tubbe, Owner, Phoenix Rising Solutions		10 Minute Inspirational Talk

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

Inspirational Talk: Empowering Communities through Indigenous Languages

11:45AM

Theatre

Our Inspirational Talks series are stories rooted in founder journeys, innovation opportunities, and passion projects that will hopefully leave you inspired and
empowered to follow your own pathway to impact.

Speaker: David Sigrist, Co-Founder & CEO, Immersio

10 Minute Inspirational Talk

Inspirational 10-minute talks

1:15PM

Adapting to change, historic business pivots across Turtle Island
Nathan Grandjambe, Senior Manager of Indigenous Economic Prosperity,
Vancouver Economic Commission

SCI Climate Futures: Meeting the challenge of heatwaves for our most
vulnerable
Arushi Raina, Director of Commercialization, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute
Paul Tubbe, Owner, Phoenix Rising Solutions

10 Minute Inspirational Talk

Workshops

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Workshop: Getting The Love You Deserve - How story and brand multiply business impact	1:45PM	Theatre	Your brand and story work hand in hand. And when they’re clearly defined, you can make better decisions faster, communicate more easily, increase marketing efficacy, attract customers and talent who are a great fit, and increase company valuation. In this session, participants will learn what a brand is and why it matters, the key characteristics of a successful brand, the difference between a founder’s story and a brand story, and the steps involved in building a brand.	Vanessa Richmond, Co-founder and Principal, Vigilantes	Workshop

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

Workshop: Getting The Love You Deserve - How story and brand multiply business impact

1:45PM

Theatre

Your brand and story work hand in hand. And when they’re clearly defined, you can make better decisions faster, communicate more easily, increase marketing efficacy,
attract customers and talent who are a great fit, and increase company valuation.

In this session, participants will learn what a brand is and why it matters, the key
characteristics of a successful brand, the difference between a founder’s story and a brand story, and the steps involved in building a brand.

Vanessa Richmond, Co-founder and Principal, Vigilantes

Workshop

Thursday, September 28

UBC Point Grey - Graham Lee Innovation Centre

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Sparking Policy Change: How to get policymakers to listen	10:55AM	UBC Point Grey (Graham Lee Innovation Centre)	Successful entrepreneurship often requires engaging government and influencing policymakers. Drawing on research on policy communications and his own experience as a policy advocate in India and Canada, Kshitij (KJ) Sharan from the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI) will conduct a 60-minute workshop on Communicating with Government. We will discuss different strategies for communicating with and influencing the government to create policy change. You will leave the workshop with the ability to identify the right audiences and understand their incentives, concrete tips to understand and engage with decision-makers through clear messaging, templates of policy products such as policy briefs, and resources on policy communications. Register Here Topics will include: Identifying & understanding your audiences Using the right policy communications product Developing creative messages to promote change Formatting and design Writing tips	Speaker: Kshitij (KJ) Sharan,Head of Strategy and Development, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions	Interactive Workshop - Register Here

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

Sparking Policy Change: How to get policymakers to listen

10:55AM

UBC Point Grey (Graham Lee Innovation Centre)

Successful entrepreneurship often requires engaging government and influencing policymakers. Drawing on research on policy communications and his own experience as a policy advocate in India and Canada, Kshitij (KJ) Sharan from the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI) will conduct a 60-minute workshop on Communicating with Government. We will discuss different strategies for communicating with and influencing the government to create policy change. You will leave the workshop with the ability to identify the right audiences and understand their incentives, concrete tips to understand and engage with decision-makers through clear messaging, templates of policy products such as policy briefs, and resources on policy communications.

Topics will include:

Identifying & understanding your audiences
Using the right policy communications product
Developing creative messages to promote change Formatting and design
Writing tips

Speaker: Kshitij (KJ) Sharan,Head of Strategy and Development, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

Interactive Workshop - Register Here

Networking Socials

Tuesday, September 26

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum Networking Social	5:45PM	Room: 1900	VEF September event social in collaboration with EIW, is open to conference attendees and VEF members only.		Networking Social

Wednesday, September 27

UBC Robson Square

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
Social: Regional Ecosystem Showcase Afterparty: EIW Lounge Networking Event	7:30PM	UBC Robson Square (1900)	With musical performances from musician Jacob Weil, Tom Urban, MJ Araujo, and hosted by Ky Sargeant.		Networking Social

Thursday, September 28

UBC Point Grey - Graham Lee Innovation Centre

MCs: Michelle Sklar and Chang Han, entrepreneurship@UBC

Event Title	Time	Location	Description	Confirmed Speakers	Event Type
EIW Closing Party & Book Launch: INNOVATE Vancouver Vol. 2 (at UBC Robson Square)	5:00PM	UBC Robson Square: Room 1900 Please note this event will take place downtown at UBC Robson Square.	Join us for a party with Global Village Publishing celebrating the launch of INNOVATE Vancouver Vol. 2!		Networking Social

Event Title

Time

Location

Description

Confirmed Speakers

Event Type

EIW Closing Party & Book Launch:
INNOVATE Vancouver Vol. 2 (at UBC Robson Square)

5:00PM

UBC Robson Square: Room 1900

Please note this event will take place downtown at UBC Robson Square.

Join us for a party with Global Village Publishing celebrating the launch of INNOVATE
Vancouver Vol. 2!

Networking Social

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Locations

We are located across UBC Point Grey and Robson Square Campus. Learn more about our locations

We acknowledge that the UBC Point Grey and Robson Square campuses are situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.

About us

entrepreneurship@UBC propels UBC innovations out into the world through venture creation, providing UBC students, researchers, faculty members, alumni and staff with the resources, networks, and funding they need to succeed.

We are a part of Innovation UBC in the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) portfolio

Agenda - Immersion Week 2023

Hear from thought leaders and innovators as they share their journeys moving innovation to impact.

Full Agenda (Sorted by Day)

Tuesday, September 26

Wednesday, September 27

Thursday, September 28

Fireside Chats

Tuesday, September 26

Wednesday, September 27

Thursday, September 28

Panel Discussions

Tuesday, September 26

Wednesday, September 27

Thursday, September 28

10 Minute Inspirational Talks

Tuesday, September 26

Wednesday, September 27

Workshops

Wednesday, September 27

Thursday, September 28

Networking Socials

Tuesday, September 26

Wednesday, September 27

Thursday, September 28

Get in touch

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Locations

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