Conference archive · Calgary, Alberta

Inclusive growth became a shared agenda.

The 2025 Alberta Inclusive Growth Conference brought leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and community builders into one room.

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Date10 Sep 2025

StatusArchive

The day

10.09.
2025

8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. MDT

The first edition

Alberta's future needs more voices shaping it.

AIG 2025 connected professionals, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and community leaders committed to building an inclusive, future-ready province.

The program moved from access to capital and skills development to bias, equity, technology, and local economic development.

Alberta Inclusive Growth · 2025

University of Calgary

Downtown Campus

The proposition

Three verbs moved the conversation forward.

The first edition was built to turn broad ambitions into useful relationships, practical ideas, and shared ownership.

Innovate.

A first-of-its-kind gathering of voices from across Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.

Inspire.

Panels, speakers, and intentional networking designed to spark bolder dialogue.

Impact.

Collaborative action and strategic partnerships focused on inclusive economic growth.

Who joined the room

A cross-sector audience with different vantage points on the same provincial opportunity.

Inclusive innovators

Equity-centred organizations

Policy makers and public servants

Youth and emerging talent

Investors and funders

Community and corporate leaders

On the stage

28 voices. One wider view.

Public leaders, economists, entrepreneurs, educators, and practitioners shaped a deliberately cross-sector program.

Jyoti Gondek

Mayor

City of Calgary

Jamshaid Qureshi

President

Canada Maple Foundation

Hubba Khatoon

Founder and Principal Economist

Root Economy

Muhammad Yaseen

Associate Minister of Multiculturalism

Government of Alberta

Dennis Agbegha

Regional Manager, Inclusive Entrepreneurship — Prairies

BDC

April Hicke

Founder and CEO

TOAST

Leann Hackman-Carty

CEO

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA)

Alla Brisky

Regional Manager, Women in Enterprise — Prairies

Wunmi Adekanmbi

Executive Director

Immigrant Techies

Arielle Land

Director of Operations

Movement51

D'Andre Wilson

Executive Director

TalentED YYC

Paula Calderon

Chief Executive Officer

Calgary Immigrant Women's Association

Erin Chrusch

Leader, Business & Local Economy

City of Calgary

Ashley Ronnell

Issue Strategist

City of Calgary

Cherie Bowker

DEAN, School For Advanced Digital Technology

SAIT

Tynan Allan

Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Cultureing

Kailey Armstrong

Director Economic Prosperity

YW Calgary

Desiree Bombenon

Chair Programming Committee

UN Global Compact Network Canada

Bontu Galataa

Entrepreneur Ecosystem Strategist

ATB

Omar Sheikh

Corporate Account Executive

Alberta Blue Cross

Basma Tariq Sheikh

Director Corporate Training

Veritas Solutions

Mo Altaqatqa

Business Development Manager

Futurpreneur

Shannon Pestun

Senior Advisor, Finance

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

Courtney Mo (Hare)

Director of Community Impact

Momentum

Imran Basha

Project Manager - Policy, Calgary Housing

City of Calgary

Elise Konadu Ahenkorah

Lead Culture and Inclusion Strategist

Inclusion Factor

Bilal Rasool

VP of Programming

Platform Calgary

Sabrina Grover

The program

One day, built for movement.

17 sessions moved from insight and dialogue to collaboration and action.

Expand a session to view speakers and discussion goals.

Morning Sessions

8:00 AM

Registration & Morning Coffee

9:00 AM

Land Acknowledgement & Indigenous Prayer

9:15 AM

Jyoti Gondek · Mayor

Speakers

Jyoti Gondek

Mayor · City of Calgary

9:20 AM

Opening Remarks: The Economic Power of Diversity

Speakers

Jamshaid Qureshi

President · Canada Maple Foundation

9:30 AM

Unlocking Capital for Ethnocultural Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Explore how cultural values shape business decision-making and unpack systemic barriers to capital access.

Session goals

Explore how cultural values shape business decision-making
Unpack systemic and cultural barriers to capital access
Assess the role of tailored support ecosystems
Address institutional blind spots in policy and programming
Surface practical, forward-looking solutions

Speakers

Dennis Agbegha

Moderator · Regional Manager Inclusive Entrepreneurship - Prairies, BDC

Alla Brisky

Panelist · Regional Manager, Women in Enterprise, Prairies @ TD

Arielle Land

Panelist · Director of Operations, Movement51

Bilal Rasool

Panelist · VP of Programming, Platform Calgary

10:15 AM

Inclusion Bingo

Session goals

Transform diversity education into interactive gaming experience
Explore unconscious bias through competitive learning
Celebrate diverse perspectives in engaging format
Develop practical workplace inclusion strategies

Speakers

Mo Altaqatqa

Speaker · Business Development Manager at Futurpreneur

10:30 AM

The Future of Inclusion: Cutting Through the Noise in 2025

Speakers

Elise Konadu Ahenkorah

Speaker · Lead Culture and Inclusion Strategist, Inclusion Factor

Morning Break

10:40 AM

11:00 AM

Confidently Wrong: The Quiet Power of Bias

Speakers

April Hicke

Speaker · TOAST, Founder and CEO

11:20 AM

Skills Development for an Inclusive Future

Spotlight successful initiatives bridging the skills gap for underrepresented groups in tech and innovation.

Session goals

Highlight What’s Working
Surface the Barriers
Champion Collaboration
Design Better Policy & Programs
Inspire Action Across Sectors

Speakers

Wunmi Adekanmbi

Moderator

Cherie Bowker

Panelist · SAIT, School for Advanced Digital Technology DEAN

D'Andre Wilson

Panelist · Executive Director, TalentED YYC

Basma Sheikh

Panelist · Director of Corporate Training, Veritas Solutions

Networking Lunch

12:05 PM

12:45 PM

Cultural Creation - Chinese Lion Dance Performance

Presented by Jing Wo Cultural Association

1:00 PM

Co-Creating Growth

Session goals

The future of inclusive growth lies at the intersection of youth leadership, fresh ideas, and intergenerational dialogue. This 60-minute World Café invites conference attendees to engage directly with bold ideas for building a more inclusive Alberta.

Speakers

Omar Sheikh

Panelist · Corporate Account Executive, Alberta Blue Cross

Sabrina Grover

Speaker

2:00 PM

Women, Tech & the New Economy

Session goals

Explore women's role in Alberta's shifting economic landscape
Discuss tech-driven innovation opportunities for women
Address labour market disruptions and emerging job opportunities
Highlight women's critical role in building Alberta's next economy

Speakers

Paula Calderon

Moderator · Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Immigrant Women's Association

Shannon Pestun

Speaker · Senior Advisor, Finance, Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

Bontu Galataa

Panelist · Entrepreneur Strategist ATB

Kailey Armstrong

Panelist · YW Calgary

Desiree Bombenon

Panelist · UN Global Compact Network Canada, Chair Programming Committee

2:50 PM

DEI That Sticks: Strategies That Work Even When People Resist

Session goals

Highlight simple, overlooked systems that quietly build equity and inclusion across the workforce
Show how these strategies succeed even without full buy-in, because they're built into everyday practices
Equip leaders with scalable tools they've likely never considered, but can implement immediately for lasting impact

Speakers