Passionate about technology since she was young, Claire was the captain and chief programmer of a competitive robotics team which won multiple Western Regional Championship Alliance Awards. At the age of 15, Claire saw the limited learning resources and pressing demand from her high school peers. Claire founded AI4Youth Canada, a federally incorporated non-profit organization, which focuses on connecting high school students across Canada with professors and influential industry leaders in Artificial Intelligence and promotes AI related experiential learning opportunities. She organized Canada’s first nationwide conference about AI specifically for high school students in 2018. AI4Youth Canada has made a huge impact in raising more awareness for over 350 youth in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia.

Claire firmly believes that innovation and technology can make the lives of people better. To solve a 30-year labour issue for CRGC gymnastics club, Claire innovated and built a carpet lifting machine, which can be used in many other public facilities. Claire was recognized nationally on Canada Wide Science Fair 2018, she won Calgary Youth Science Fair Top Intermediate Award 2018 (1st out of 947 participants). She is currently a student volunteer at Project NeuroArm contributing to the advanced research in teleoperation by designing and 3D printing mounts for tilting a flexible-joint robot.

Claire contributes actively to the community by mentoring a rookie community FLL team for 2 years to teach programming, her efforts had been recognized as the Silver Achievement of Duke of Edinburgh International Award. As a student leader, Claire represents her school in CBE on the Chief Superintendent of the Calgary Board of Education student advisory council (CSSAC), seeing her peers and parents suffering the transitional stress from Grade 9 to Grade 10 math, she initiated a campaign cross CBE to improve the math curriculum.

Jeremy James has had senior management positions in the technology industry for more than 35 years. He has co-Founded or founded four high tech companies one which listed successfully on the London Stock Exchange. Companies that he has contributed to are in a variety of market segments such as: mil-aerospace, telecom, medical devices, consumer electronics, semiconductors, education, and robotics; and include Bell-Northern Research, DY-4 Systems, Precise Software and Arc Cores International. He has developed robotic systems for: Krauss-Maffei Vegman, NASA Ames Research Center, the Canadian Space Agency, RCMP, Booz Allen Hamilton, and universities in 16 countries. One of these robots has an honorary degree in Computer Science from the University of Toledo. His current company, Cohort Systems, will be bringing to market in 2019 an Autonomous Patrol Vehicle for outdoor physical security application.

Jeremy co-founded Precise Software which focussed primarily on proving embedded software for consumer communications products. He then co-founded the world’s first chipless fabless semiconductor vender called Arc Cores International and contributed to the simultaneous listing on the London Stock Exchange and NASDQ. He earned the title of Arc Cores Fellow for this contribution and became one level more near sighted.
Jeremy is a Senior Member of IEEE, represents Canada internationally on NATO Stanag 4817 Multi-Domain Control Station protocol development and as a subject matter export in autonomous systems safety at ISO JTC1/SC 7.

Jeremy’s interests include: STEM education, mentoring students in entrepreneurship, Human Robot Collaboration, Goal Based Reasoning, and Verifiable AI. He is building a robot to help his blind, deaf cockerpoo, called ‘Sprocket’, navigate the house and a ubiquitous computing system to simplify everyday life. He has BSc and MSc degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Calgary; and is a graduate of William Aberhart High School in North West Calgary.

Dustin Engen is the Business Development Manager for Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems (LM CDL) in Calgary, Alberta. Dustin is responsible for capture efforts and sales at LM CDL, and further supports marketing and customer engagement.

LM CDL provides the primary ground control software for the US Army’s fleet of unmanned air vehicles, and supports other customers including the Canadian Department of National Defense in addition to other international customers. LM CDL’s software has achieved over 1.5 million of operational flight hours and has been integrated to dozens of vehicle systems.

Dustin has been involved in the design, planning and implementation of unmanned vehicle ground control software throughout his career. Prior to his role as Business Development Manager Dustin has led projects for key defense primes, delivering fielded software that continues to support the US Army operationally today. He participated in the NATO Industrial Advisory group responsible for the design of future multi-domain standards for unmanned vehicle control and has further been active in speaking engagements at a variety of conferences and trade shows.

Dustin holds a Bachelor of Science in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary and has held a P.Eng since 2013 and a Project Management Professional certification since 2014.

Gerald Bartels has worked for over 15 years in the fields of innovation management, investor relations, academia and management consulting. Before co-founding Nexus Space Canada, he held various management roles in the space and consulting industry, where he worked in strategy, organizational development and investor relations.

Gerald also served as a senior advisor for various provincial ministries in Germany.  In Hamburg, Germany, he co-founded two successful startups. Gerald holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in social sciences, law and management. He published academic and professional publications in top-tier journals, based on his doctoral research and consulting work in organizational creativity and innovation.

Kim Smith joined ATB Financial as Senior Manager, Community Partnerships for Business & Agriculture in 2017. Prior to ATB, Kim was the moderator and host of Capital Ideas, where she regularly interviewed some of the most innovative and insightful entrepreneurs in and around Calgary and shared their inspiring stories of struggle, achievement and success in business. She is thrilled to be able to bring those insights and experiences into her role with ATB to continue supporting entrepreneurs across the province.