Grand Opening Ceremonies – 34th Annual ASTech Awards
– Edmonton, Friday October 27 4:30 PM-9 PM
The opening ceremonies welcomes 30 years of past ASTech Award Winners – together with industry, government, academia, entrepreneurs, and innovation champions from across the province to congratulate this year’s ASTech Finalists, in a cross-industry innovation showcase and networking event.
Program: Inspiring Innovation, Growing Networks
– Meet Alumni and Congratulate Finalists and Alumni
The ASTech Awards Grande Opening ceremonies will be held at MacEwan University, and will include the Triffo Theatre. Conversation Areas, Company/Innovation Gallery Showcases, food, cocktails, networking, speaker program – all offer a unique opportunity to connect with SME’s, researchers, Government, Industry, Academia – and our finalists, alumni, and community champions.
Doors Open – Networking Begins
- Conversation Areas and Company Showcases will open for discussion on Life Sciences, Construction/Smart Cities, Cleantech, Energy and Environment, Digital Innovation including AI/ML, Agriculture, and more.
Food and Refreshments Served
- Conversation Areas and Company Showcases continue.
Speaker Program
Opening Addresses
- Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation
- Michele Evans, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Region, PrairiesCan
- Annette Trimbee, President MacEwan University; former GoA Deputy Minister Advanced Education and Innovation
- ASTech Advisory Board Members: Chair, Rus Matichuk; Emissions Reduction Alberta; Alberta Innovates
- Leaders from Industry, Government, and Academia
Panel Sessions: Innovation in Alberta – Past, Present, and Future
- Panel Government
- Panel Academia
- Panel Industry
- Panel Entrepreneurs
- 34th Annual ASTech Awards – Future and Finalists
- Finalists Take the Stage, and offer perspective and inspiration
Closing Remarks – Thank you, and see you at the 34th Annual ASTech Awards Gala – November 3
Conversations, Company Showcase, Networking Resumes
- Dessert and Refreshments Served
- Conversation Areas and Company Showcases re-open
End of Evening – See you Next Week – where the Conversation Continues
Top 10 Reasons to Attend:
– Come Grow your Networks, and Meet and Congratulate Finalists and Alumni
The ASTech opening ceremonies will be held at MacEwan University, and will include the Triffo Theatre. Company/Innovation Gallery Showcases, food, cocktails, networking, speaker program – all offer a unique opportunity to connect with SME’s, researchers, Government, Industry, Academia – and our finalists, alumni, and community champions.
Tom Ogaranko – ASTech Advisory and Community Builder; Principal, Octoco Inc.
Serial Entrepreneur and Innovation System-builder – with strength in working with local and international communities and entrepreneurs in various sectors – from digital to energy, and beyond.
James Keirstead, President, Levven Electronics Ltd.
Nominated for Construction/Smart Cities/Transportation
James is a community-builder, serial entrepreneur and co-chair of the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network. Levven Electronics wireless switches make homes more affordable.
Jennifer Dornstauder, Manufacturing Design Engineer, Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing (CIM-TAC), Red Deer Polytechnic
Nominated for Regional Innovation Champion and Women in Innovation
Professor Nashaat Nassar, Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary
Nominated for Environmental Applications in Energy
Assistant Professor Rafiq Ahmad, Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Laboratory (SMART Lab), University of Alberta
Nominated for Agriculture/Agrifood and Digital
Fervone Goings, Team Lead, WISEST, University of Alberta
Nominated for Excellence in Furthering Inclusive Communities
Myrna Bittner, CEO, RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Dean Bittner, CTO, RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Nominated for Early Adopter of Innovation, Indigenous-led Entrepreneurship and Contribution to Knowledge, and Innovation of the Year
Nominated for Early Adopter of Innovation, on a team with a nominee for Indigenous-led Entrepreneurship and Contribution to Knowledge, and Innovation of the Year Award
Joseph Wang, CTO, Nimble Science
Nominated for Medical/Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals and Innovation of the Year
NeurAlbertaTech Neurotechnologies Ltd.
Nominated for Early Adopter of Innovation and Community Initiatives
With Featured Alumni, Speakers, Community-Builders and Innovators – Including:
Tim Carwell: 2022 Winner – Indigenous-led Entrepreneurship and Contribution to Knowledge
Tim is the President of The CommAlert Group of Companies and a citizen of Beaver First Nation. A social entrepreneur by nature, he devotes considerable time on projects that create goodwill and visibility for under-represented people and communities. He has a keen interest in technology and its ability to create opportunity for everyone, no matter where they reside.
Dr. Robert Burrell: 2010 Winner – Outstanding Leadership In Alberta Technology – Using Nanotechnology To Save Lives
Dr. Robert Burrell saw the potential to apply nanotechnology to medicine and had the exceptional scientific skills to create a successful therapeutic product. Dr. Burrell’s discovery, Acticoat™, was the first therapeutic application of nanotechnology in the world. It revolutionized wound care and saved the lives and limbs of thousands of patients. In 2016, he was one of six Canadians to win the inaugural round of the Governor General’s Innovation Awards
Dr. Tonya Wolfe: 2022 Winner: Recognition Of Regional Innovation – Red Deer
Dr. Tonya Wolfe served as the Manager of the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing – Technology Access Centre, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta. Tonya was responsible for directing the use of the CIM-TAC’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to design, simulate, create, and validate prototypes as well as to solve the processing and productivity challenges faced by Alberta’s manufacturing industry. Now serves as Associate Vice-President of Applied Research at Red Deer Polytechnic.
Andrew MacIsaac, CEO, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation
Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) brings life-saving research to the real world by helping life science innovators bridge the gap between academic research and commercial product development. Alberta is on the cusp of becoming a leader in the life sciences sector, and API is championing this effort by responding to industry needs and closing the gaps that could hinder progress. In 2023, this culminated in several game-changing projects that add needed infrastructure and programs to support innovators looking to commercialize their ideas.
Jeff LaFrenz, President, VizworX
VizworX specializes in transforming large, complex data sets into comprehensive solutions as an enterprise software development company. We integrate immersive technology, custom data visualizations, artificial intelligence and machine learning to create innovative and flexible custom enterprise applications.
Douglas Holt, Associate Vice President, Investments at Alberta Innovates
