— Full Schedule
NextGEN Summit agenda.
July 25, 2026 · 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM PST · Anvil Centre, New Westminster, BC
8:00 – 9:00
60 min
Registration
Registration, Morning Coffee, Refreshments & Networking
Check in, enjoy morning coffee and refreshments, and begin meaningful conversations with founders, investors, operators, and business leaders.
All attendees
9:00 – 9:10
10 min
Opening
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement & Knowledge Keeper Address
Talaysay Campo opens the summit by acknowledging the land, its peoples, and the responsibility to build business with respect, reciprocity, and community in mind.
Talaysay Campo
Knowledge Keeper & Founder, Talaysay Tours
9:10 – 9:15
5 min
Founder Welcome
Founder Welcome Address
Jasmeen Kaur Judge opens NextGEN 2026 with the purpose behind the summit and a clear invitation to participate, connect, and put the day's ideas to work.
Jasmeen Kaur Judge
CEO, CoreOrbit Systems Ltd.
9:15 – 9:20
5 min
Special Address
Special Address — Building BC's Next Generation of Business
A focused message for the founders, employers, investors, and community leaders building the next chapter of British Columbia's economy.
Speaker to be announced
9:20 – 9:40
20 min
Government Address
Government Address: AI, Emerging Technology & Government Support for BC Businesses — Live Moderated Q&A
Hon. Rick Glumac examines how AI, emerging technology, and provincial priorities are shaping the opportunities and decisions facing BC businesses.
Live Moderated Q&A
Hon. Rick Glumac
Minister of State for AI and New Technologies, Province of BC
Moderator: Jasmeen Kaur Judge
9:40 – 10:00
20 min
NextGEN Pitch
Round01Pitch CompetitionRound 01/05NextGEN Pitch 2026 — Round One
Founders take the stage in a focused 5-minute pitch plus 8-minute judge Q&A format, presenting the opportunity, the business case, and the path forward.
Live Pitch
Judged live for clarity, market, model, and momentum
Pitch presenters · Names forthcoming
Field
2 founders
Format
5 min pitch + 8 min Q&A
10:00 – 10:30
30 min
Keynote
Keynote: The BC Economic Landscape — Opportunities & Realities for Small & Medium Business
Laura Jones delivers a clear-eyed view of BC's economy, separating the headlines from the conditions that matter most to small and medium-sized businesses.
Keynote
Laura Jones
President & CEO, BC Business Council
10:30 – 10:50
20 min
NextGEN Pitch
Round02Pitch CompetitionRound 02/05NextGEN Pitch 2026 — Round Two
Founders continue the competition with concise 5-minute pitches and 8 minutes of judge Q&A designed to test the problem, the opportunity, and why each solution deserves attention.
Live Pitch
The competition field starts to sharpen
Pitch presenters · Names forthcoming
Field
2 founders
Format
5 min pitch + 8 min Q&A
10:50 – 11:00
10 min
Connection
Connection Moment #1 — Audience Ice Breaker
A guided audience exercise breaks the ice quickly and helps attendees identify the people, ideas, and opportunities worth pursuing throughout the day.
Audience participation
11:00 – 11:45
45 min
Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat: Building and Financing Great Companies — What Actually Matters
Praveen Varshney, Keith Ippel, and a LaunchBC representative examine what makes a company financeable: market proof, disciplined growth, strong operators, and the right capital at the right time.
Fireside Chat
Praveen Varshney + Keith Ippel + LaunchBC Representative (TBA)
Investor and impact-capital perspectives · LaunchBC representative forthcoming
Moderator: TBA
11:45 – 12:45
60 min
MasterMind Lunch
Networking Lunch
A working lunch for purposeful introductions, peer problem-solving, and conversations that can move ideas, partnerships, and opportunities forward.
All attendees
12:45 – 1:05
20 min
Relationship Building
Command the Room — Make Every Relationship Count
Joslyn Young shares practical ways to start stronger conversations, earn trust quickly, and turn a brief introduction into a relationship with lasting business value.
Joslyn Young
CEO, Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade
1:05 – 1:25
20 min
NextGEN Pitch
Round03Pitch CompetitionRound 03/05NextGEN Pitch 2026 — Round Three
The next founders step forward with 5 minutes to make the case, followed by 8 minutes of judge Q&A on market, model, traction, and momentum.
Live Pitch
Midday momentum with the room fully warmed up
Pitch presenters · Names forthcoming
Field
2 founders
Format
5 min pitch + 8 min Q&A
1:25 – 2:15
50 min
Panel 2
Panel 2: The New Face of Franchising: Women, Immigrants, and the Next Generation of Franchise Owners in Canada & Q/A
Norm Friend, Jas Dosanjh Rai, and a Scotiabank representative discuss ownership, financing, operating realities, and the pathways opening for a new generation of Canadian franchisees.
Franchising
Norm Friend + Jas Dosanjh Rai + Scotiabank Representative (TBA)
Franchise expertise, owner experience, and banking perspective
Moderator: TBA
2:15 – 2:35
20 min
NextGEN Pitch
Round04Pitch CompetitionRound 04/05NextGEN Pitch 2026 — Round Four
Founders deliver a sharp 5-minute pitch and then field 8 minutes of judge Q&A on the need, the business, and the route to growth.
Live Pitch
Late-stage pressure as the finalist field takes shape
Pitch presenters · Names forthcoming
Field
2 founders
Format
5 min pitch + 8 min Q&A
2:35 – 2:50
15 min
Break
Coffee, Refreshments & Networking Break
Refuel, reconnect, and continue the conversations that deserve more time before the final afternoon sessions begin.
All attendees
2:50 – 3:30
40 min
Sales & Marketing
Stop Chasing and Start Closing — Win Faster and Bigger with a Revenue Machine That Delivers
Shams Hirani and Nazreen Mohammed connect sales discipline, market positioning, growth capital, and business resources to show how growing companies can build a more dependable path to revenue.
Sales & Marketing Panel
Shams Hirani + Nazreen Mohammed
Sales, marketing, capital, and business-growth perspectives
3:30 – 3:50
20 min
NextGEN Pitch
Round05Pitch CompetitionRound 05/05NextGEN Pitch 2026 — Round Five
The final pitch round gives founders 5 minutes to make a decisive case, followed by 8 minutes of judge Q&A before the winning idea is revealed.
Live Pitch
Final round before the winning idea is revealed
Pitch presenters · Names forthcoming
Field
2 founders
Format
5 min pitch + 8 min Q&A
3:50 – 4:40
50 min
AI & Global Business
AI at Global Scale — What the Next Generation of Business Must Know
Aiman El-Ramly separates practical opportunity from noise, examining how AI is changing decisions, operations, markets, and competitive reach for growing companies.
AI Panel
Aiman El-Ramly
AI, strategy, and global business perspectives
4:40 – 5:00
20 min
NextGEN Honors
NextGEN Honors 2026 — Recognizing Leadership That Moves Business Forward
NextGEN recognizes people whose leadership, execution, and contribution are creating meaningful progress across business and community.
Awards Recognition
Honorees to be announced
5:00 – 5:20
20 min
Pitch Results
NextGEN Pitch 2026 — The Winning Idea Revealed
The winning entrepreneur is announced and recognized for presenting the strongest combination of opportunity, clarity, commercial promise, and execution. Pitch prizes will be announced and presented live on event day.
Winner Announcement
Winner announced live
5:20 – 5:30
10 min
Announcement & Closing
The next chapter: An announcement!
Jasmeen Kaur Judge closes the summit with an important announcement and a direct invitation to carry the day's relationships and decisions into what comes next.
Jasmeen Kaur Judge
CEO, CoreOrbit Systems Ltd.
5:30 – 6:30
60 min
Networking
Networking Reception
Reconnect with speakers, partners, founders, investors, and peers while the day's ideas are fresh and the next conversation can still become a real opportunity.
All attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners
Ready to be in the room for the full day?
Register Here