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2026 IP Summit

Thursday, April 30

Returning On April 30, 2026

Presented by New Ventures BC, Innovate BC, and the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth. 

We’re gathering BC’s most forward-thinking founders and innovation leaders for a high-impact half-day conference. Join us as we explore practical IP strategies designed to drive growth for scaling companies.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Innovate BC and the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth. 

View the 2026 IP Capacity Framework

Morning Agenda:

*Please note: Attendance is by application or invitation only.

8:30 AM - Registration & Breakfast

Registration begins for morning session.

9:20 - 9:30 AM - Opening remarks

Speaker: Sheila Schindel, Managing Director, Commercialization & IP Programs, Innovate BC

9:30 - 10:10 AM - From Assets to a Competitive Advantage: Keynote on IP Maturity Journey

Panelists:

  • Natalie Dakers, CEO, A2O Advanced Materials Inc.
  • Ali Ardakani, Founder & Managing Director, Novateur


Moderator: 

  • Mike McLean, CEO, Innovation Asset Collective

10:10 - 10:50 AM - Icebergs Ahead: The Unseen IP Issues That Matter at Scale

Speaker:

  • Todd Bailey, Chief IP Officer & General Counsel, Scale AI

*Followed by 10-minute break

11:00 - 11:40 AM - Making IP Investable: Showing Returns to Boards and Capital

Panelists:

  • Lally Rementilla, Lead Partner, IP Investment Partners
  • Jason Robertson, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & CEO, Nimbus Synergies


Moderator:

  • Graeme Herring, VP, Intellectual Property Strategy, Terramera

11:40 AM - 12:00 PM - Closing Fireside Chat

Speaker:

  • Brian J. Lally, President and COO, Ford Global Technologies

Moderator:

  • Peter Cowan, President and CEO, Innovate BC

Afternoon Agenda:

1:00 PM - Registration Opens

Registration begins for afternoon session.

1:30 - 1:55 PM - Opening remarks

Emcee: Chang Han, EiR, Innovation UBC

1:55 - 2:40 PM - AI, Open Source, and IP Rights - Where is the Common Ground?

Panellists:

  • Rachel Heller, Senior Corporate Counsel, Microsoft
  • Joel Semeniuk, CEO, Primal

Moderator:

  • Byron Thom, Partner, BDC Industrial Innovation Venture Fund (I2VF)

*Followed by 10-minute break

2:50 - 3:35 PM - The New IP Playbook: Optimize, Defend, and Compete

Panellists:

  • Erin Pisko, VP, Strategy, Innovation Asset Collective (IAC)
  • Brian J. Lally, President and COO, Ford Global Technologies
  • Kerry Hillier, Vice President & General Counsel, Ballard Power Systems

Moderator: 

  • Conor Sheehan, VP, Global IP Business Development UnitedLex

*Followed by 10-minute break

3:45 - 4:30 PM - Building the Right IP Team: Strategy & Metrics for Every Growth Stage

Panellists:

  • Jessica Yip, COO & Co-Founder, A&K Robotics
  • Karn Manhas, Founder & Executive Chair, Terramera
  • Maryam Sadeghi, CEO, MetaOptima


Moderator:

  • Houston Brown, IP Executive & Registered Patent Agent

*Followed by 10-minute break

4:40 - 5:30 PM - IP, Finance, and Valuation: Structuring for Long-Term Value

Speaker:

  • Derek de Laat
    President & CEO, FIN IP Group

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Networking Hour

Connect with fellow founders and ecosystem partners after the summit.

IP Resources:

2025 IP Summit

Watch last year’s IP Summit sessions.

BC IP Hub

Developed in alignment with the Province of British Columbia's Intellectual Property Strategy, this is a one-stop-shop destination for relevant and dynamic IP resources in support of B.C. companies and entrepreneurs.

2025 IP Whitepaper: Why Canada Needs a Unified Approach to IP Education

A proposal for national alignment on the approach to the creation and delivery of IP education for Canadian innovation businesses and post-secondary institutions, to address long standing systemic IP literacy gaps.

IP Capacity Framework

This Framework represents a shared baseline for IP capability development and certification outcomes - one that can be used or adapted by IP programs across the country.

Event Partners:

New Ventures BC acknowledges that we gather and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

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