Here are the key points from Dr. Irwin Adam's presentation "Feeding the Future": - By 2050 we will need to feed 10 billion people, 3 billion more than we are currently feeding. Food produced needs to be nutritious while also protecting the climate. - Currently we waste 1/3 of all food produced globally, and 1/2 of food produced in Canada is wasted. - Agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at levels similar to the energy and transportation sectors. - Exponential technologies like AI, blockchain, robotics and synthetic biology are transforming the food system and how we produce, distribute and consume food. - The dinner table is no longer just about eating, but about the

1. 1

2. In April 2019, more than 8000 Canadians came together in-person in Edmonton and at 61 satellite events
across Canada to share in the second SingularityU Canada Summit.
Hosting the Summit in Alberta catalysed the community in a dynamic new ecosystem and allowed us to
bring so many more people into this important conversation. From the 1000 students and 1100 senior
executives who joined us on-site to the 6000 innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers who joined at
innovation hubs across the country - the SingularityU Canada community came together to explore and ask
questions about our (possible) future.
As we engaged with more than 40 of the world’s leading experts in AI, Robotics, Biotech, Energy,
Blockchain, Governance, Organizational Design and more, we learned that how quickly technology will
change our future (so much that we frequently find ourselves surprised by the rate of change). Similarly, we
discovered how quickly our own small idea can grow beyond what we originally expected.
This is why we came together. This is what the Summit is about. Convening uncommon partners and
providing the content, inspiration, and space to discover some of the biggest ideas about the future.
None of this would have been possible without the vision and support from ATB and Epcor who were an
integral part of this co-creation and helped make this idea a reality. Together with Deloitte, EEDC, KPMG,
Suncor, and Telus who joined as well, we were able to bring many academic institutions and local and
national partners from across all sectors. Truly a group of uncommon partners who together brought this
conversation to life and allowed us to welcome all of you to the SingularityU Canada Family.
Oren
Oren Berkovich
CEO, SingularityU Canada
Welcome to the
SingularityU
Canada
Community
2

3. Table of Contents
Who We Are 6
By The Numbers 7
Highlight Video 8
Satellite Events 10
The Summit 16
The Forum 23
The Lab 27
The Youth Stage 30
SU After Dark 32
Press 37
Social Media 38
What People Are Saying 40
Presentations 47
Media 86
3

4. SingularityU Canada
4

5. Our Purpose
To improve the future of Canada, and the world, by
inspiring and enabling Canadians to take on the BIG
ideas that address humanity’s greatest challenges
5

6. Singularity University (SU) was co-founded in 2008 at the
NASA Research Park in Mountain View, California.
We are not a “traditional academic university,” but rather a
think-tank and an ecosystem of world-renowned technology
experts, social entrepreneurs and leading futurists.
We help inform, inspire and transform individuals and
organisations to create a more abundant future and shape our
collective future.
SingularityU Canada is a Canadian not-for-profit that was
founded in 2017 together with a group of Founding Members
in an effort to bring more Canadians to this strategic
conversation.
Today, SingularityU Canada continues the Founding Members’
vision to bring more Canadians to this strategic conversation.
Who We Are
6

7. 2019
April
23 & 24
Edmonton
Alberta
By the Numbers
1100 Attendees
1000 Students
61 Satellite and Livestream Events
30 Community Partners
+6000 Participants Across Canada
23 Partners Founding Members
18 Cities Hosted Local Events
+103 Million Social Media Impressions
50 Media Stories
+2.5 Million Media Impressions
+34 Lives Saved
Gender Ratio on Stage: 50:50
Gender Ratio in Audience Male: 65 Female: 35 7

8. Watch the Highlights Video
8

9. 50/50 Men &
Women On
Stage
4 Stages
+40 Speakers
and
Performers
9

10. 31 Community
Partners
+6000
Participants
61 Satellite and
Live-Stream
Events
10

11. Who Is In the Room
11

12. Who Is In the Room
12

13. Thank You to
Our Partners
The SingularityU Canada
Summit would not be possible
without the incredible
partnership and leadership of a
diverse group of strategic
partners who teamed up to
bring the SU mindset to more
people
13

14. 14

15. Camille
Weleschuk
VP Comms & Strategic
partnerships
ATB
Stuart
Lee
President & CEO
EPCOR
Martin
Kennedy
Public & Government
Affairs
EPCOR
Cheryll
Watson
Vice President
EEDC
Paul
Craig
Strategy
Transformation Lead
Suncor
Munir
Patel
Partner, Risk Advisory
Deloitte Canada
15
BIG THANK YOU to the SingularityU Canada Summit – Advisory Board
Ryan
Vestby
CEO
Compuvision
Joan
Hertz
Vice President & Corporate Counsel
NorQuest
Reg
Joseph
CEO
Edmonton
Heath City
Bill
WhiteLaw
President & CEO
JWN Energy
Warren
Johnston
Director
Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
(Amii)
Shane
Sabatino
President, TELUS Employer Solutions
VP, TELUS Health, Public Sector
15

16. The Summit 16

17. 17

18. 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast and Registration
Opening 9:00am - 10:30am
Opening Performance Toshi Anders Hoo & Daniel Berkman
Welcome to SingularityU Canada Summit Oren Berkovich
Exponential Canada Shawn Kanungo
Exponential Mindset interactive session Lisa Solomon & Jeffrey Rogers
10:30am - 11:00am Break
Prosperity 11:00am - 12:30am
Learning About Humans Through Robots Suzanne Gildert
Moonshots in Education Dr. Taddy Blecher
Feeding the Future Dr. Irwin Adam
12:30pm - 2:00pm Lunch
Citizenship 2:00pm - 3:50pm
Introduction to Citizenship Mayor Don Iveson
Blockchain & the Future of Decentralized Societies Anne Connelly
Digitally Gated Communities Neil Desai
Governance in an exponential age David Bray
Who Owns Power? (Panel Conversation) David, Neil, Anne, Mayor Don Iveson
3:50pm - 4:30pm Break
Our Inclusive
Future
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Mobility Reimagined Nick Dechev, Tilly Lockey & Lisa Solomon
Technology and Reconciliation Gabrielle Scrimshaw
Augmented Inclusion Jody Medich
Seeing Opportunities in Toilets Jack Sim
6:30pm - Late SU After Dark
Day 1 | April 23
18

19. Day 2 | April 24
19

20. 20

21. 21

22. 22

23. The Forum
Stage
23

24. The Innovator’s Mindset 11:00am - 12:30am
Creating an Innovator's Mindset Shawn Kanungo
Driving Innovation
- From ideas to execution
Cynthia Goh
Thing From the Future
- Interactive workshop for teams Nick Kindler
12:30pm - 2:00pm Lunch
Hacking Healthcare 2:00pm - 3:50pm
What's Your Gut Feeling?
- Using microbiome as Your Secret Tool
Dr. Tiffany Vora
Moonshot Ideas in Health + Demo Dr. Sonny Kohli
Biology & Ethics Dr. Divya Chander
FORUM STAGE
Day 1 | April 23
24

25. Robots & Society 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM
Why Self Driving Cars Won't Save The World Ryan Gariepy
Synth and Biology
- Which Will Be Our Future?
Suzanne Gildert,
Anupra Chandran
Robots & Society
- How is that going to work?
Ryan, Suzanne, Jody
Medich
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Lunch
Becoming an
Exponential Leader
2:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Being an Exponential Thought Leader Denise Brosseau
Your radical toolbox for an exponential future Pascal Finette
FORUM STAGE
Day 2 | April 24
25

26. The Forum
Space for exploration,
discussion, and hands on
application of the ideas and
technologies set out on the
main stage.
A dozen presenters, more than
600 attendees, 1 synth, and a
lot of hands on learning led to
two transformative days.
26

27. The Lab
27

28. A curated group of 16
technology companies
gave the audience an
opportunity to experiment
with the cutting-edge
technologies that are
changing the way we live
and work
Getting Hands On
28

29. 29

30. The Youth
Stage 30

31. Youth Stage
Presented by EPCOR - 1000
young people were invited to a
curated youth stage with SU
speakers, demonstrations, a
youth lab, and the opportunity
to transform their energy into
lifesaving Mana Nutrition
packs.
31

32. SU After Dark
32

33. Hosted at the
Historic Rossdale
Power Plant
1
Unforgettable
Night
+15 Uncommon
Performers and
Speakers
Click to Play
Click to Play
33

34. SU After
Dark
34

35. The Experience
35

36. 36

37. 50 Media Stories
Press
Over 2.5 million
Impressions
37

38. Social Media
Over 103 million
social
impressions
Trending to #2 In
Canada
38

39. More...
39

40. Chantell Ghosh
Executive Director,
Citadel Theatre & Academy
Ryan Vestby
CEO, CompuVision
SingularityU is ground zero when it comes to learning about the future. To
have this caliber of content in my hometown talking about where humanity
and technology intersect, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wasn’t going to
miss it.
As a leader working in the arts and business I know we need to transform how we
think and speak about our economy, our community and how we are preparing for
the future. Attending the Summit is a great way to expose myself to the ideas and
people who are going to create a step change in the world, so I can be part of it,
rather than an observer
40

41. Cheryll Watson
VP, Innovate Edmonton
Singularity translates for me into inspiration, focus, doing the impossible,
reaching for the stars and proving that we can live longer, better and healthy
lives and every obstacle can be overcome. The reason I attend is to remind me
and inspire me into taking the next step in innovation and helping to change
the world for the better.
Ashif Mawji
Rising Tide VC
Innovation is the future of our economy. It’s time to expand our focus. We
advocated for SingularityU to happen IN EDMONTON, a game-changer for
our city. A summit that provides the opportunity for leaders from all
sectors to connect and gain a deeper understanding of how exponential
technology will benefit nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It’s one of 15
international SU Summits happening across the globe, putting Edmonton
on the global stage.
41

42. Malcolm Bruce
CEO, Edmonton Global
As we have been working to transform ATB, we also recognize our role in
supporting Alberta's technology ecosystem. We are pleased to support
the Singularity Summit to inspire Albertans to play an even bigger role in
shaping the future of our world.
Wellington Holbrook
Chief Transformation Officer
ATB Financial
A very important mentor of mine once told me the importance of carving out what he
called ‘intellectual space’. An opportunity to think, not do. I am looking forward to the
Summit in order to create some of that space.
42

43. Wendy Gnenz,
Chief Information Officer,
City of Edmonton
Sam Pillar
CEO & Co-founder, Jobber
The City of Edmonton is a global leader in open data, open government and digital
innovation due to its commitment to being a progressive and collaborative
learning organization. As a Smart City, Edmonton continues to challenge the
status quo in order to build an inclusive and digitally-enabled community.
We have both the challenge and the chance in Alberta to build a more resilient
economic future. Having the SingularityU Summit in Edmonton is a great
opportunity to think about some of the ways we can do that. Looking forward
to it
43

44. Shane Sabatino
President, TELUS Employer Solutions
VP, TELUS Health, Public Sector
Ruth McHugh
Chief Operating Officer | Office of the Auditor General of Alberta
Using the power of technology to enhance experiences for Canadians is at the
centre of everything we do at TELUS and TELUS Health. I’m looking forward to
attending SingularityU to connect and grow with innovation leaders from across
Canada and leverage our connecting healthcare capabilities.
Here in Alberta, and around the globe, our future requires challenging the status quo.
SU provides an unprecedented opportunity for a pan-Canadian exploration of our
possible future, and how we can work together to tackle the global grand challenges of
Health, Energy, Prosperity and Citizenship.
44

45. In 2017, a grassroots movement of
Canadian SU alumni and a group of
impact driven organisations came
together to establish a non-profit
educational institute aimed at
bringing the transformative mindset
of SU to more Canadians.
Born of a Shared Vision for Canada
45

46. 46

47. Presentations
47

48. Video Link
Welcome To SU Canada Summit
Oren Berkovich
The President and CEO of SingularityU Canada, Oren Berkovich, set the stage for the
SU Canada 2019 summit.
● Everyone brought together by SingularityU Canada share similar
characteristics; everyone recognizes that technology is changing
exponentially fast, we are all becoming increasingly curious about the future,
all feel compelled to be prepared, and feel responsible to be informed.
● While technology is evolving at a rapid speed, the thing that is exponential is
really us. People with passionate ideas who realize that they do have the
potential to put their work into motion are the ones creating real change.
48

49. Video Link
Exponential Canada
Shawn Kanungo
Shawn Kanungo, an edmonton native, focused on how Edmonton and Canada is the
future of innovation on a global scale, and why we need to begin to fundamentally
change how we think about innovation.
● The lens on innovation can be linear and short sighted at times, and the
talent crisis and economy can often act as barriers. Are we preparing our
talent for the future?
● Leveraging the global ecosystem through automation, partnerships,
freelancers, and social media allows an individual to act as a million dollar
company. The future of business will no longer be a team of 80 plus
employees. The individual is one of the most powerful entities, and Canada
needs to work together towards contagious innovation.
View
Slides
49

50. Learning About Humans Through Robots
Suzanne Gildert
This session focused on breakthroughs that are enabling robotics and AI minds to
become more and more indistinguishable from human intelligence.
● Dr. Suzanne Gildert is exploring if you can build machines that capture the life
like essence and put it into robots. Her work at Sanctuary AI is creating
synths, ultra human like robots, that are the same as us physically, cognitively,
and emotionally.
● Creating and working with human like robots, in turn teaches us what makes
us human. Are we able to capture this essence and then put it in robots?
Exponential technologies are allowing robots to be made more human like
than ever before.
● Accepting these technologies will take time, and the adjustment period will be
rocky for both synths and humans. However, through robots we can directly
learn and feel what it means to be human.
View
Slides
50

51. Moonshots In Education
Dr. Taddy Blecher
Taddy Blecher believes it's not just time to change our education system, but it's
time to change education by creating a new system that capitalizes on technology
and capability.
● The future of Canada will depend on the quality and innovation we bring into
our education systems. The education system in Canada is content
dominant, exam based, and is an industrial revolution based system from the
19th century that did not work then, and will not work now.
● Technology is changing the education system like never before through
scalability and accessibility.
● We need to look at the entirety of a person when it comes to education, and
technology gives us the capability to personalize each individual’s learning,
which is truly the greatest gift we have from technology for education.
View
Slides
51

52. Feeding The Future
Irwin Adam Eydelnant
Food is at the epicenter of exponential technological transformation and being
redefined by artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, and synthetic biology. The
dinner table is no longer just a place to eat, it is also a place where we are all making
decisions on our collective future.
● Everything we eat has much larger implications on the global system. By the
year 2050 we will need to feed ten billion people; three billion more than we
are feeding today. The food we produce needs to be nutritious while also
protecting the climate.
● Today we waste ⅓ of food produced on a global scale, and ½ of it in Canada
alone. Agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at the same
levels as energy and transportation.
● Food has become a nexus of all technology whether automation, synthetic
biology, machine learning, or blockchain.
View
Slides
52

53. Introduction to Citizenship
Mayor Don Iverson
The role of Citizenship is changing in an exponential age. We all need to begin to be
more adept at innovation. This is being called forth from all decision makers and
leaders across all sectors.
● Today there is a need for old institutions and old methods of decision making
to keep up with the disruptive change that is happening all around us.
● With this call to be more innovative, we need to develop a greater comfort with
failure. Right now, we are hesitant to failure and if our citizen’s tolerance for
failure is none, then we should expect the exact amount of risk taking that
would come with that.
● We need to think about how more people can be a part of these
unconventional conversations of disruption and technology to flourish as a
community.
53

54. Decentralized Power
Anne Connelly
A look at how blockchain changes the way we structure our societies and what that
means for corporations, governments, and humans as a species.
● Blockchain technology is now enabling decentralization to take place by
disintermediating trust providers. It is now serving as a single source of
trust, serving as the new centralized trust powers.
● Every time you have a transaction where your identity needs to be verified,
the government sits in that transaction with government ID. Blockchain
technology can allow individuals to attest to their own identities, rather than
needing a government body.
● We no longer have to worry about government mismanagement as a means
of fluction or inflation.
● 99% of the disruption that blockchain will cause is yet to come, which
means that this is only the beginning of the exponential shift we will see due
to blockchain.
View
Slides
54

55. Digitally Gated Communities
Neil Desai
Cybersecurity is often thought of as a white collar victimless crime, this couldn't be
further from the truth. Crime and cyber crime is on the rise and shows us how
business, government and individuals can work together to address this growing
problem and how it’s possible to do business or to exist online safely.
● There has been a massive increase with crimes such as fraud, human
trafficking, and online child sexual exploitation.
● Our law enforcement is being stopped in its tracks, as we are building up
virtually impenetrable walls in the name of cyber security to the point that
victims of crime do not get justice.
● We are coming to a crossroad in the digital age. Were being sold a false
dichotomy that we have to choose between security or privacy, and
democracy and advanced technologies. We have to start asking better
questions, and we have to always put trust and rule of law at the centre of
every product.
View
Slides
55

56. Citizenship in an Exponential Age
David Bray
The session focused on what the future looks like if exponential trends continue
their impact on governance, security and stability in a networked era and what new
strategies private and public sector leaders will need to employ to be effective.
● Living in open societies, we are increasingly fragmented and polarized and
are dealing with challenges regarding cybersecurity and misinformation.
● We need to recognize that we will see more change in the next 7 years than
the last 20 combined. Having so much data will challenge questions on
security, privacy, and civil liberty.
● Autocratic societies will be able to set laws to deal with the data age much
quicker, which will put democratic societies at risk. Will exponential changes
empower new governments? Or will nation state governments fade?
● Democratic countries will need to build bridges across sectors; no one sector
will be able to tackle our approach to data and AI. Our openness and plurality
can be a liability if we don’t figure out how to come together to shape the
future.
View
Slides
56

57. Who Holds Power? Panel
Moderated by Pascal Finette with David Bray, Mayor Don
Iverson, Anne Connelly, and Neil Desai
A panel discussion on citizenship in an exponential world. Who holds power and
how do we (and should we) balance privacy and security.
● We are now at a time where technology is seizing power in a subtle and
blatant way, and technology is being dominated by those who understand
law, those who understand technology, and those who understand narrative.
● Technology organizations are often hesitant to government regulation.
However, there is a need for government regulation in these spaces.
● Government is often looked at as inhibiting, regulatory, or limiting. Good
government needs to align incentives to allow the market to flourish.
57

58. Video Link
Mobility Reimagined
Nick Dechev
Professor Nick Dechev shared how technologies like 3D printing are redefining the
future of mobility.
● The hand project is a low cost, highly functional 3D printed prosthetic hands
for the developing world. Leading prosthetic hands can cost up to $100,000,
which is simply not a possibility for thousands
● By using emerging technologies like 3D printing, these enormous costs can
be cut down to a fraction of the cost, resulting in reaching a far broader
audience.
View
Slides
58

59. Video Link
Mobility Reimagined
Tilly Lockey and Lisa Solomon
An exciting interview with a young woman, Tilly Lockey, whose life has been
positively impacted by advances in robotics and technology.
● From the UK, Lockey serves as a true source of inspiration and possibility.
She was diagnosed with meningococcal at a young age, and sadly lost both
of her arms.
● She now has hero arms made by Open Bionics, which are completely 3D
printed, and fully customizable to fit her needs. She has had a huge role in
working with different updates to the technology as she has grown up.
59

60. Video Link
Technology and Reconciliation
Gabrielle Scrimshaw
Gabrielle Scrimshaw explored the role technology plays for first nations
communities in reconciling the past and transforming future.
● In a world with AI, decentralization, and smartphones, what is going to
happen with the diverse array of indigenous languages, cultures, and
traditional ways of life?
● Reconciliation with indigenous communities is the responsibility of
everyone, and technology has an exciting role to play.
● When we think about the different futures possible with technologies , we
need to bring indigenous voices into it. Technology exists for indigenous
communities, technology exists made by indigenous communities, and
what we need to start focusing on is working with indigenous communities
in a collaborative approach.
View
Slides
60

61. Video Link
Augmented Inclusion
Jody Medich
We have reached what many are calling the 4th industrial revolution. It will have a
radical impact on nearly every aspect of our lives from health, to work, to education,
to government as we witness the emergence of a 5th dimension: data.
● So much of our computing is frustrating today, and this is largely due to the
human machine interface. This was initially designed to work back in 1973
and was designed to work with 5 kilobytes of data.
● Since that time our world has started to radically dematerialize and this is
resulting in a lot of data - 44 zettabytes by the end of this year.
● While technology has served a great purpose for us, a lot of today’s world is
still not being served by technology. ½ of our world is living in poverty, and 1
billion people are differently abled.
● What would happen if we focused on these two groups to reimagine the way
our human machine interfaces were developed? This would allow technology
to be fully inclusive, and would challenge it’s capabilities resulting in
amplification.
61

62. Video Link
Seeing Opportunities in Toilets
Jack Sim
Diarrhoeal diseases – a direct result of poor sanitation – claim more children every
year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. What would it take to mobilise our
society and see social change in this sorely neglected issue, and what can we do
about it?
● Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization, has dedicated his work
to bringing proper sanitation to the world. Today 2.4 billion people don’t have
access to proper toilets.
● If we put proper sanitation in place now, we will save thousands in
healthcare dollars down the road. Simply by sharing stories and information,
this cause made its way to the United Nation, which then declared November
19 world toilet day.
● Sim was able to bring social change to a sorely neglected issue, which will
impact billions in the future.
View
Slides
62

63. Video Link
Your Future Ready-Mindset
Frederik G. Pferdt
Digital technologies have accelerated the pace of transformation, demanding a new
mindset. Every leader is facing times of increasing uncertainty which call for
creativity and innovation to survive.
● The session highlighted the importance of reprogramming one’s mindset to
adapt to exponential change and learn how to innovate to create a desirable
future.
● Embracing an optimistic, empathetic, and explorer mindset helps us to shift
our perspective and have exposure to new ideas.
● Frederik challenged the audience to ask the big questions, as these
questions help us inspire others and create a movement to help people find
solutions, and can challenge the status quo.
View
Slides
63

64. Video Link
Your Vision for the Future Panel
Cassia Attard, Ananya Chadha, and Anupra Chandran from
The Knowledge Society
Anupra Chandran, 15, studies gene editing, and how this can be used to eradicate
disease. Cassia Attard, 18, focuses on cellular agriculture (lowering the cost of lab
grown meat to decrease the carbon footprint of meat). Seventeen-year-old Ananya
Chadha focuses on brain computer interfaces and machine learning.
● These three young innovators are part of The Knowledge Society (TKS), a
human accelerator that develops unicorn people to solve the world’s most
important problems, using exponential technologies.
● All are passionate about making an impact on a large-scale. In this
inspirational session, they shared with the audience lessons they have
learned along the way, demonstrating that, really, anything is possible.
64

65. The Future of Your Health
Dr. Tiffany Vora
Although the application of digital biology raises profound ethical, governmental,
and environmental questions, these technologies provide a great opportunity to
solve some of humanity’s global grand challenges, such as health, food, water,
energy, the environment, and even space.
● What does the patient experience look like and how it will transform in the
coming years? Exponential technologies will transform this, as we shift from
a reactive paradigm towards a more proactive future.
● Healthcare solutions are going to become increasingly personalized and
real-time, for diagnosis, discovery as well as therapy.
● The notion of abundant information will give us personalized insights. With
this, important questions arise, such as: who owns your health data? Who
protects you and your health data? Of gene-editing technologies, she asked:
is there a need for this technology? Can it be done? Is it legal? Should it be
done? These are important questions that need answers now.
View
Slides
65

66. DNA Cooking Show
Julie Legault
Julie Legault demoed how anyone from the ages of 10 & up can now learn and do
gene editing and biotechnology from the comfort of their own home.
● Using amino bio technology, she showed how to insert a DNA program into
bacteria, and how to grow that bacteria. This simple exercise has enormous
impacts - engineered bacteria like this are being used in cancer research labs
across the world.
● The biggest breakthroughs not only happen in labs, but are also happening in
dorm rooms and basements. This also helps people consider some of the big
ethical questions from a knowledgeable place and “not get left behind by the
technology, as it matures.”
View
Slides
66

67. The Doctor's Challenge
Philip Edgcumbe
Philip Edgcumbe is striving to positively impact the health of a billion people by
connecting medicine, biomedical research, and entrepreneurship.
● Exponential technology is leading to the digitization of our health, which will
result in earlier diagnosis and better treatment. In these changing times, the
doctors challenge is to adapt and stay relevant, and also create a future of
deep medicine and healthcare abundance.
● Currently, we are facing healthcare scarcity, as there are many barriers in
access to healthcare and wait times to see a doctor are lengthy. The ultimate
goal is to have quality, timely and efficient access to care for all.
● These challenges also present the opportunity for doctors to enhance their
professions and create a better future for healthcare. How will the humans in
medicine evolve along beside these new technologies? Those doctors that
are successful in adapting are ones who embrace AI, yet they must retain
relationships with their patients on a human-to-human level.
View
Slides
67

68. The Healthcare Shift
Zayna Khayat
Zayna Khayat, Future Strategist with SE Health, explored the overall shift in
healthcare in an era of digitization, democratization and severe fiscal constraint.
● Healthcare has traditionally been resistant to change, it has had one business
model, and rapidly advancing technologies present a challenge for the
industry. Statements such as ‘medicine will advance more in the next 10
years than it did in the past 100’ are frightening, as the industry does not have
the mindsets, toolsets and infrastructure to adapt at this scale.
● There is a power shift occurring - from the healthcare provider to
‘people-powered health care.’ In this ‘patient revolution’, patients are taking
matters into their own hands, now that they have more information as well as
the means of production. Employers are also starting to become healthcare
organizations, rather than waiting for or trying to fix the current healthcare
system.
View
Slides
68

69. The Future of Cleantech
Jane Kearns
Our global energy system is undergoing significant change. Technologies that were
once considered uneconomic have seen a dramatic drop in price, which is reshaping
how energy will be produced globally.
● Renewable energy and clean technology are now here, and they are
cost-effective, and cheaper than fossil fuels. By 2030, we expect that to be
the case across the world. We are amidst an energy transition, and this is
happening very quickly.
● She provided some examples, such as the fast pace of electric vehicle sales,
to show the speed at which times are changing. These changes also present
a tremendous opportunity - they can both help get us closer to net zero GHG
emissions, and at the same time, allow Canada to retain its place as a global
energy leader.
● Challenging us to be bold, we need to find opportunity in this energy
transition, rather than perceiving it as a threat, as this is the economy of the
future.
View
Slides
69

70. Fossil Futures and Transformative Innovation
Chad Park
Chad Park proposes that we use our resources and know-how to help enable the
transition to a carbon-competitive economy, and that our oil and gas industries can
become the development ground for the latest renewable energy, storage and
efficiency technologies
● Alberta will be a leader in the transition to a low-carbon emissions future, not
in spite of, but because of, its fossil fuels. This transformation is happening,
and we should be paying attention to the rate of change. We need to consider
how these resources will remain relevant and useful in a low-carbon
emissions future.
● As there will still be a need for oil and gas in the years ahead, we need to do
as much as we can to reduce the emissions intensity of oil and gas
production.
● This drive for innovation is only going to continue, and our oil and gas
industries can become the development ground for the latest renewable
energy, storage and efficiency technologies.
View
Slides
70

71. Energy in an Interconnected World
Arash Aazami
We should put all of our efforts into inventing entirely new technologies, economies
and societies. This is how we can live and prosper in harmony with our infinite and
abundant cosmos.
● Energy is the foundation of the real economy, as everything we touch, use,
and produce exists due to the flow of energy. Globally, energy use is surging,
and there are 2.9 billion people who are living in energy poverty.
● All driven by digitization, We are seeing four models shift our economy:
○ The move from volume-based to value-based business models (what
value are you bringing into the system?)
○ The move from holding assets, as the access is what truly counts
○ The move from scarcity to abundance
○ Many companies may be commonized, due to this abundance
● We are moving away from a typical hub and spoke model, and towards a
distributed model. Just like the internet provides connectivity, so does energy.
View
Slides
71

72. Canada’s Energy Future Panel
Bill Whitelaw, Jane Kearns, Arash Aazami, Chad Park
A panel discussion, moderated by Bill Whitelaw, CEO of JWN Energy, discussed
Canada’s energy future. Who owns energy, and what does that ownership dynamic
mean? How do we keep the economy in line with energy systems evolution? What
can all of us do, as “energy agents?”
● We are becoming the owners of assets that are converting energy, such as
wind turbines and solar panels.
● Citing the high cost of damages caused by disasters such as Hurricane
Harvey and the wildfires in California, we can’t afford not to transition in
energy.
● The challenge does not just lie in finding new technologies - social innovation
is just as important as technological innovation. As things unfold, we need to
adapt our strategies. We need to be thinking of this as an entrepreneurial
endeavour - how do we stay relevant?
72

73. Video Link
What’s Next
Krista Pawley
Krista Pawley, CMO and Head of Impact at SingularityU Canada, emphasized
choosing to use the mindsets, tools, and networks gained throughout the Summit to
drive positive transformation for yourself, your organization, and your community.
● Now that you know, what are you going to do with these big ideas? We all
have the ability to make a positive impact, and SingularityU Canada is here
with the experts, tools and platforms to support all on this journey.
● Highlighting some success stories, Krista provided some examples of
real-life impact, demonstrating the power of the SingularityU Canada
community.
73

74. Video Link
Disruption, Dystopia and Decisions
Pascal Finette
The world is changing faster than ever, and disruptive change has become the new
norm. For the first time in human history, individuals, people and communities have
the same innovation power as large companies and even nations. How will we
thrive and capitalize on the change we’re all experiencing? How will the decisions
you make affect us all? What truly matters to you, on a personal level?
● Pascal helped the audience better comprehend the true change we are
seeing in the world. He provided examples of tech companies (Apple, Nokia,
Amazon), and how these companies are thriving in an era of exponential
change.
● Touching on the topic of dystopia, there is a dark side to social media (such
as China’s social credit scoring system), and the tremendous powers of AI
may seem frightening. However, technology is enabling discovery allowing
people to doing great things, as they work towards a better society for all.
74

75. Forum Stage
75

76. Creating an Innovator’s Mindset
Shawn Kanungo
Today’s world is changing exponentially fast as we have so many technologies that
are evolving, which is exactly why we are seeing the most chaotic era in e-commerce.
Shawn’s session took a look at how we can all adopt an innovator’s mindset, and
what skills we can work on to be more open to the quickly changing future.
● Expect the unexpected. Innovators looks at problems as the new normal. Look
at everything from an automation landscape, and how you can leverage
different ecosystems.
● We have designed our organisations to be efficient, and we now have to be
more experimentative. We need to double down on experimentation, not just
efficiency, as this allows organizations to not merely survive, but to grow in the
era of disruption.
View
Slides
76

77. From Ideas to Execution
Cynthia Goh
How do we define innovation? Having knowledge, and having that knowledge end in
value added for society. This session focused on how science and knowledge are
they basis for disruptive products.
● Understanding how science can get out to the world. Understanding how
ideas get to be real objects.
● Execution in physical sciences is hard. It can take years for scientific research
to get to a product stage.
● Knowledge needs to be turned into technology, and technology needs to be
turned into a product. It’s this research based technology that gives us the
promise of an abundant product, and the potential to solve some of the
worlds greatest challenges.
View
Slides
77

78. Using Microbiome as Your Secret Tool
Dr. Tiffany Vora
Diving deep into the microbiome, Dr. Tiffany Vora looked at bacteria and how life
science technologies have so much to offer as an innovation space. Bacteria is a
living medicine, and we need to now view biology as technology, the same way we
look at artificial intelligence.
● The Microbiome is your ecological community. This refers to looking at the
bacteria and fungus of a human, and not just their DNA. Everything we do as
humans affects our microbiomes, and they tune the way we feel and behave
as humans.
● We will soon be able to see bacteria as a programmable living thing, where
biology is now a form of technology. We can now program bacteria to make a
molecule, and use this as a living medicine.
● The future of healthcare will change dramatically in the years to come, as
drugs will be tailored to the entire ecosystem of a human. Not only human
DNA, but one’s bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
View
Slides
78

79. Moonshot Ideas in Health
Dr. Sonny Kohil
Dr. Sonny Kohil dives into moonshot ideas in the healthcare industry, what we need
to achieve them, and challenges us to reconsider how we approach them.
● A moonshot is a long term audacious goal attempting to solve a big problem.
● A device alone does not solve any problem. Devices can be named as
breakthroughs, but does not always solve the problem at hand.
● Leveraging all the devices we already have should be our priority. From our
fitbits, to apple watches, health applications, sensors, and the cloud, we have
the capabilities to lower our costs on healthcare and eliminate our siloed
tendencies.
● For an idea to go from a breakthrough to a moonshot, we require stakeholder
partners, and upper management from hospitals to take a chance on
technology.
View
Slides
79

80. Biology and Ethics
Dr. Divya Chander
What ethical questions do we need to consider while we are going forward with
biology? From gene editing, to crispr, we have so many new technologies emerging
in this realm, and we need to start thinking about ethical implications that come
along with it.
● Crispr, a technology that can be used to edit genes, is being used all over the
world to edit gene drives and is being used in different studies to treat
hereditary illnesses, and attack cancer cells,
● The World Health Organization has called for an advisory panel for all future
experiments using Crispr.
● We are in the middle of a bioethics storm, and we as a global community
need to consider the ramifications of everything that we are doing.
80

81. Why Self Driving Cars Won’t Save The World
Ryan Gariepy
How can technology and machines change the way we work? Ryan Gariepy took a
deep dive into automating the world’s dullest, dirtiest, and deadliest jobs, and how
embracing robotic solutions for assembly lines doesn’t focus on taking away manual
jobs but how it takes away dangerous jobs.
● Today, manual labor such as auto assembly lines can mean no schedules
breaks, limited access to the washroom, and limited flexibility at home. As we
continue to build exponential technologies, we are relying on people working
essentially as robots.
● We need to build intelligent machines in an exponential way. We are able to
take humans out of dangerous jobs, and we will start to also slowly begin to
see this transition with construction and farming.
● This will result in safer jobs, a capability to create cleaner jobs, and jobs will
be more humanized.
View
Slides
81

82. Synth and Biology - Which will be our future?
Suzanne Gildert and Anupra Chandran
This session focused on what digital and biological longevity looks like in the future,
and which technologies will help us get there.
● Suzanne Gildert gave a demonstration with her synth, and how different
technologies are allowing her synth to become even more indistinguishable
from herself. For example, using machine learning Suzanne’s voice is
currently being cloned, and through motion capture data, the synth will be
able to learn her own mannerisms and even micro expressions.
● Anupra Chandran highlighted that biological longevity is also developing
exponentially. In the future, we will be able to do enhance ourselves at the
biological level, rather than merely treating our cells for illness.
View
Slides
82

83. Robots & Society - How Will That Work?
Ryan Gariepy, Suzanne Gildert, and Jody Medich
Robots will be very present in society in the years to come, and they will not be
limited to one role. Coming from different robotic specialties, Ryan and Suzanne
discussed the role of robots in our future and how they will be integrated into
society.
● Robotic solutions for manual labor will be the next societal step. We will be
able to use them as a smarter tool, as it is easier to start getting value and
validation from them in this role.
● Robots will not only take one form in the upcoming years, and synths may
come after embracing robotic solutions for manual labor. However, we need
to start thinking about how society will embrace indistinguishable synths, and
the implications that come along with it.
83

84. Being an Exponential Thought Leader
Denise Brosseau
Thought leaders are informed opinion leaders, and those who inspire us to move
forward. Thought leaders have the opportunity to scale change. Technologies that
are emerging need to be scaled up from labs, and leaders are the ones responsible.
● There are four types of exponential leaders.
○ Be an Amplifier: Talk about big ideas
○ Convener: Bringing people together
○ Funder: Bring financial funds to different initiatives
○ Spokesperson: Willing to put reputation on the line to spread
information
● Skills we need as thought leaders
○ Practising Storytelling: We can move big ideas by telling good stories.
○ Developing a Point of Views: Where are you on this continuum?
○ Building Your own Ecosystem: We need people to inform our ideas
○ Fostering Resilience: Develop an iron front
View
Slides
84

85. Your Radical Toolbox for an Exponential Future
Pascal Finette
How do we apply exponential thinking to our own organizations? We are at an
intersection point of linear thinking and exponential nature of change.
● Operational organizations operate with a 7 layer model. Change will trickle
down into each layer, and change the way you need to do business.
○ The Market
○ Business Model
○ Operation Model
○ Organizational model
○ Culture
○ Mission
○ Purpose
● Organizations tend to focus on the first few layers, but it is important to not
neglect the bottom layers. A sense of culture, mission, and purpose allows
employees to be more engaged with their organization, leading to a better
operating business.
85

86. Media
86

87. Launch
October 10, 2018
● Edmonton Journal - Thousands Expected in Edmonton for National Tech Summit NExt April
● https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/thousands-expected-in-edmonton-for-national-tech-summit-next-april
● Canoe
https://canoe.com/news/local-news/thousands-expected-in-edmonton-for-national-tech-summit-next-april/wcm/9d49c3
cb-63bb-42e4-a6bb-64525a49107c
● TechVibes SingularityU Canadian Summit Heads to Edmonton for 2019
https://techvibes.com/2018/10/10/singularityus-canadian-summit-heads-to-edmonton-for-2019
● Global News ( 5 and 6pm shows - rerun 11 and Morning news) Summit is Boost for Edmonton’s Tech Community
● https://globalnews.ca/video/4535312/summit-is-boost-for-edmontons-tech-community
● CTV Noon News Sit-down Interview Segment SingularityU Comes to Edmonton
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1510403&binId=1.1203436&playlistPageNum=1
● CTV News clip at 6:56 https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1506571&binId=1.1203466&playlistPageNum=1
● 630 CHED- Ryan Jespersen Show
https://omny.fm/shows/ryan-jespersen-show/singularityu-another-boost-to-edmonton-s-tech-sect
● BetaKit https://betakit.com/singularityu-canada-summit-coming-to-edmonton-in-2019/
● Canadian Tech News https://www.canadiantechnews.ca/singularityu-canada-summit-coming-to-edmonton-in-2019/
● CBC Edmonton Radioactive - October 11, 2018 -Oren Berkovich and Cheryll Watson chat with CBC Radio host Adrienne
Pan (no clip available)
● CBC Edmonton Radio - news story (no clip available)
● 630 CHED - news story (no clip available)
87

88. Summit
● Multiple articles in Disruption Magazine - https://disruptionmagazine.ca/
● CBC Edmonton AM - Jack Sim and Anne Connolly
● https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-17-edmonton-am/clip/15691612-mr.-toilet-on-tech-innovation
● Global Edmonton Morning - Krista Pawley and Tilley Lockey
● https://globalnews.ca/news/5190876/singularityu-canada-summit-2019-edmonton/
● Edmonton Journal - Edmonton Snags Tech Crowds for SingularityU Summit
● https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-snags-tech-crowds-for-singularityu-canada-summit
● 630 CHED Radio -Youth and Tech Panel
https://omny.fm/shows/ryan-jespersen-show/singularityu-summit-the-next-generation-of-innovat
● Radio-Canada 12:21 https://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/le-telejournal-alberta/site?mediaId=8078360
● CTV Edmonton - Report by Dave Ewasuk https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1666707
● Global Edmonton health report by Su-Ling Goh (medical tech feature) https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1666707
● 630 CHED Afternoon Show - Singularity U Shawn Kanungo and Anne Connolly
https://curiouscast.ca/podcast/162/630ched-afternoon-news-with-jlyn-nye-andrew-grose/
● 630 CHED Afternoon Show Event at Rossdale creating buzz
https://curiouscast.ca/podcast/162/630ched-afternoon-news-with-jlyn-nye-andrew-grose/
● 630 CHED Afternoon Show - Mana Nutrition interview with Active for Good -
https://open.spotify.com/show/7FtbGSmAAfpA4xDbkL5xE2
● Tech E-News
https://tech.einnews.com/article__detail/482981555-singularityu-canada-summit-hosting-bright-tech-minds-in-edmonton?v
code=XIbw
● Global Edmonton - Youth and Tech (Epcor mention)
https://globalnews.ca/video/5200460/passionate-youth-present-at-singularityu-summit-in-edmonton 88

89. ● Global Morning News - Jack Sim - clip not available
● CBC Radioactive - Interview with Suzanne Gildert (no clip available)
● CBC Television with Oren https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1507431491607
● Global News - Event at Rossdale has people buzzing
https://globalnews.ca/news/5199805/edmonton-rossdale-power-plant-epcor-redevelopment/
● CBC Edmonton Web Story -
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/summit-tech-edmonton-singularityu-1.5109864
● CTV Edmonton - Rossdale Plant a Beautiful Piece of Architecture
● https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/it-s-a-beautiful-piece-of-architecture-inside-look-at-rossdale-power-plant-1.4392233
● EP& T https://www.ept.ca/2019/04/singularityu-canada-invites-canadians-to-experience-the-summit/
● Calgary Herald https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/brookman-its-about-time-we-started-talking-again
89