ST. JOHN’S CONVENTION CENTRE, OCTOBER 19-20
INNOVATION WEEK IS NOW TECHNL SUMMIT 2026.
Early Bird 2 Pricing: Member $399 | Non Member $749 | Students & Recent Grads $249
ST. JOHN’S CONVENTION CENTRE, OCTOBER 19-20
INNOVATION WEEK IS NOW TECHNL SUMMIT 2026.
Get your brand in front of NL’s growing tech sector. Email Hayley at hayley@technl.ca to explore sponsorship opportunities.
Speakers
Meet some of the voices joining us at the Summit. More speakers will be announced soon.
Big idea? Great speaker? We want to hear about it. Click the button to send us your pitch.
Pricing
A stronger ecosystem starts with getting more people in the room. That’s why we’ve lowered Summit pricing this year — by more than 20% for members and non-members, and by 50% for post-secondary students. We want to make it easier for more of our community to show up, connect, learn, and be part of what we’re building together.
Your Summit pass is more than just access to the conference. Registration includes a light breakfast and lunch, access to our techNL Summit Networking Social, and admission to techfest 2026: Battle of the Tech Bands — giving you even more opportunities to connect with Newfoundland and Labrador’s tech community throughout the Summit experience.
| Tiers | Early Bird I | Early Bird 2 | Last Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Sept 1 – 24 or 125 passes sold |
Sept 25 – Oct 10 or 100 passes sold |
Oct 11 – 19 or remainder sold |
| techNL Members | $349 | $399 | $449 |
| Non-techNL Members | $549 | $749 | $799 |
| Post Secondary Students | $149 | $249 | $249 |
Agenda
An experience built around high-value learning, meaningful connections, and the people shaping Newfoundland and Labrador’s thriving tech sector. techNL Summit 2026 is for founders, leaders, tech professionals, and anyone who wants a closer look at what’s driving one of Canada’s most dynamic tech ecosystems.
More Agenda Details Coming Soon…
MondayOctober 19
-
9 AM – 10 AMStudent Event Registration and Networking
-
10 AM – 1 PMPost-Secondary Student Event
-
1 PM – 2 PMNetworking Break + Breakout Registration
-
2 PM – 3:30 PMBreakout Sessions
Breakouts A
The Assumption Trap: How Founders Move from Hype to Reality
James Geneau
CEO, Propel
Steph Burry
Startup Coach, Propel
Chelsea O'Hara
Co-Founder, DCXIX
Kyle Hickey
VP Coaching, Propel
Legal Without the Handbrake: How Smart Lawyering Helps Tech Companies Grow
Chris Hickey
Founder & General Counsel, Navigate Law
AI and EDI in Hiring: Finding Talent and Getting Noticed
Hayley McLellan
RISE Project Coordinator, AMAL
Ameerah Mallam-Hassam
People & Culture, mysa
Breakouts B
LinkedIn That Works
Freddie Pike
Engineering Manager, CoLab AI
Internal Innovation: Building a Startup Within Your Company
John Atkins
CEO, JAC
Curtis Jennings
Commercialization Lead, Angler Solutions
Sheena Fiander
Managing Director, DischargeHUB
Leaving Money on the Table: What Tech Companies Get Wrong About SR&ED
Joshua Martin
Senior Director of Business Development, Boast
Keeping Pace with Change: The Unseen Cost of Reinventing Yourself Over and Over
Stu Greenoff
Co-Founder, Headcase
Dean MacIsaac
Co-Founder, Headcase
-
3:30 PM - 5 PMEssential AI Tools, with Jan Mertlik of Get Building, in partnership with GenesisJoin Jan for a quick introduction to the AI tools that matter most for exploring, starting, or growing a startup. It's useful for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and the perfect way into Genesis' event, T-Minus30.
Jan Mertlik
Co-Founder & CEO, Get Building
-
The Official Launch of T-Minus30: GenesisWhat could you build in 30 days? T-Minus30 is a free AI builder sprint that challenges you to make a working demo or take a first run at real, paying customers, then show what you made at Demo Night on November 25 at the St. John's Farmers' Market.
Ed Martin
CEO, Genesis
-
5 PM – 7 PMtechNL Summit '26 Networking Social O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (Open to all Conference Pass Holders)
TuesdayOctober 20
-
8 AM – 9 AMtechNL Summit Registration and Networking
-
Morning SessionsSummit Launch Leading from the Edge
-
Tech at the Table: A Conversation with Premier Tony Wakeham Newfoundland and Labrador’s tech sector has incredible momentum — and an important role to play in what comes next. techNL CEO Andrea King sits down with Premier Tony Wakeham for a candid conversation about the province’s economy, opportunities for growth, and how government and the tech community can work together to build an even stronger Newfoundland and Labrador.
Honourable Tony Wakeham
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Andrea King
CEO, techNL
-
Unicorns in the Making What do you focus on when everything is growing at once? Go inside two of Newfoundland and Labrador’s fastest-growing AI companies to unpack how they set priorities, stay focused, and scale with intent. From talent and sales to customers, product, and global growth, this is a candid look at the strategy behind extraordinary momentum.
Taylor Young
Chief Strategy Officer, CoLab AI
Chris Gardner
Chief Strategy Officer, Spellbook
Amanda Perran
National Technology Sector Leader, Deloitte
-
Build in Canada. Stay in Canada. Canada knows how to launch great companies. The bigger challenge is keeping them here as they scale. This frank conversation asks what it will take to build global giants at home — from late-stage capital and investor risk to policy, ambition, and ownership. What has to change if we want more Canadian companies to stay Canadian?
Lucy Hargreaves
Co-Founder, CEO, Build Canada
-
Eyes on Velocity: How AI Is Changing the Fundraising EquationAI is changing how fast companies can build, sell, and scale — and changing what investors and lenders expect in return. This session looks at what matters now: growth, productivity, headcount, capital efficiency, and risk. When AI lets companies do more with less, what does “fundable” look like now?
Sarah Murphy
Partner, Pelorus Venture Capital Ltd.
Shelley Kuipers
Co-Founder, CEO and General Partner, The51
-
Sales That ScaleGreat sales don’t happen by accident. Funnel Clarity’s Tom Snyder has helped tech companies at every stage turn sales into a capability they can build, repeat, and scale. Drawing on his work with some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s biggest tech success stories, he will share practical lessons on what drives sales performance, how growing teams get better at selling, and how to build a sales engine that keeps pace with your ambitions.
Tom Snyder
Founder, Funnel Clarity
-
The New Org Chart: Humans + AIAI is already changing who does what inside fast-growing companies. This candid conversation explores what gets automated, what still needs people, and how leaders build teams for what comes next. Expect a frank look at productivity, hiring, AI fluency, critical thinking, creativity, and one big question: what do humans still do best?
Jon King
Co-Founder & CEO, Milk Moovement
Zach Green
Co-Founder & COO, mysa
-
AfternoonBehind the Headlines They spend their days chasing the stories shaping Canadian tech. Now, we’re turning the questions on them. Journalists from The Globe and Mail, The Logic, and BetaKit share the stories, trends, and shifts they’re watching most closely — and what they think deserves more attention. What surprised them? What worries them? And what should we all be watching next?
Sean Silcoff
Globe and Mail
Catherine McIntyre
The Logic
Betakit
-
Beyond VC: Building Big Without Venture CapitalVenture capital gets a lot of attention, but it isn’t the only way to build a great tech company. Hear from Newfoundland and Labrador leaders who chose different paths to growth — and made them work. From bootstrapping and profitability to ownership and patience, discover what building big can look like when VC isn’t the playbook.
Emad Rizkalla
Founder and CEO, Bluedrop ISM
Joe Teo
CEO, HeyOrca
Gerard Duggan
VP, Marketing, eGovernment & Enterprise, VIsion33
Josh Taylor
Founder and CEO, Carrick
-
Customer Success in the Age of AI Winning a customer is only the beginning. What happens next can determine whether they stay, grow, and become your biggest advocates. Explore how global companies are approaching customer success — from strong relationships and listening to customers to the growing role of AI and automation.
Amanda Harris
VP of Customer Support, Airtable
Susan Byrd
Director of Customer Experience, Trudell Medical Limited
-
Go Broad or Go Deep? Build something every company could use, or become indispensable to one market? There’s no single playbook. Hear from tech leaders who have taken different paths as they explore when specialization creates an advantage, when staying broad pays off, and what founders should consider before choosing — or changing — their path.
Aswinkumar Rajendiran
Co-Founder & CEO, Measure
Carlos Coelho
VP of Sales & Marketing, Boast
-
7 PM – 9 PMtechfest 2026: Battle of the Tech Bands
techfest Returns
Battle of the Tech Bands returns for techNL Summit 2026. Bands from techNL member companies will take the stage to play live for NL’s tech community, and the partners and supporters who help it grow.
Each band contributes an entry donation, and the winning band chooses a charity that receives the full pot.
techfest is included with every full conference pass. Just joining for the bands? techfest passes are also available on their own.
Pricing
| techNL Member | Non-techNL Member |
|---|---|
| $25 | $35 |
techNL Summit 26 Sponsors
Thank you to our Partners
Post-Secondary Student Networking Event
Students and recent grads are invited to join us on October 19 from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM at the St. John’s Convention Centre for an exciting opportunity to explore careers, meet local tech companies, and discover what’s happening in Newfoundland and Labrador’s growing tech sector.
Whether you’re already considering a career in tech or just curious about what’s out there, this is your chance to learn about different career paths and start building your network.
We’ll kick things off with a panel of local tech professionals sharing how they got started, what their careers look like, and what they’ve learned along the way. Then, students will jump into a speed networking session to meet company representatives, ask questions, and learn more about the exciting work happening across NL’s tech sector.
This isn’t a job or career fair, so no résumés required — it’s a chance to learn, connect, and discover where a career in tech could take you.
Space is limited, so register early to secure your spot!