AccelerateOTT 2025: Where Legends Take the Stage
📍 June 12 | Lansdowne Park | Ottawa

With less than a month to go until AccelerateOTT 2025 – ticket demand is already high, and the countdown is on!

This year’s one-day entrepreneurship summit is shaping up to be one of the most powerful gatherings of founders, funders, and fearless builders we’ve ever hosted. And no, we’re not just saying that. We’ve worked to create our most impactful program ever, and we’re here to share the details (and the proof) below.

More than a conference, AccelerateOTT is a day-long celebration of ambition in action. Part of Ottawa Innovation Week, this important event is where ideas are stress-tested, new opportunity boosting networks are forged, and legacies begin – long before the headlines are written.

This year, the theme is simple but bold: Legends in the Making.  And every single speaker, session, panel and pitch in this year’s packed program brings that spirit to life.

Here’s what to expect at AccelerateOTT 2025

Opening Fireside Chat: From Startup to Scale with Kyle Braatz

AccelerateOTT 2025 programming opens with a founder who knows a thing or two about what it means to lead with both heart and hustle.

Kyle Braatz, CEO and Co-Founder of Fullscript, sits down with The Globe and Mail’s Sean Silcoff for a candid conversation about growing one of Canada’s fastest-scaling Health Tech companies.

Expect insight into the pivots, digging into team dynamics, and examining values that fuel sustainable growth. This isn’t just a highlight reel – it’s the real story behind building lasting strength and powering growth.

Power Panel: Women Leading the Charge

This powerhouse panel features four trailblazing women who are rewriting what leadership looks like in tech, venture capital and innovation. Including:

• Michelle Scarborough – Championing inclusive investing at BDC
• Erin Kelly – AI visionary and CEO of Advanced Symbolics
• Laura Mindorff – Advocate for clarity and simplicity, COO, Co-Founder at Wicket
• Melissa Allen – From Google to VC founder at Capital M Ventures

Moderated by Manjula Selvarajah, journalist, columnist and radio and podcast host- this session digs into how these leaders are navigating power, purpose, and progress in their respective sectors – and beyond.

This panel isn’t about titles. It’s about action, insight, and showing what it means to lead with intention.

The Founder’s Journey: Grit Behind the Glory

Let’s be honest – the best stories don’t always follow a straight line. That’s why we’re bringing together four of Ottawa’s most compelling entrepreneurs for a panel sharing stories that are raw, real, and rich with takeaways about overcoming challenges to reach new heights. Featuring.

• Mike Potter, Rewind
• Fahim Sheikh, Trellis
• Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau, Welbi
• Jean-Simon Diallo, Virica Biotech

These are the moments behind the milestones: the near-burnouts, the breakthroughs, the midnight oil decisions that changed trajectories. It’s a window into what it truly takes to become a local legend in building a tech success, and a reminder that greatness is often an outcome of the hardest moments.

Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional: Big Ideas, High Stakes

After a full day of inspiration, we shift into competition mode with the Startup World Cup Ottawa Regional – and one of the most exciting entrepreneurship events of the year.

Backed by Pegasus Tech Ventures, this thrilling and inspiring pitch competition gives finalists the chance to win $50,000 in non-dilutive grant funding and move on to compete for $1M USD at the global finals in San Francisco.

This year’s judging panel brings expertise from across the investment landscape:

• Matthew He, White Star Capital
• Kevin Madill, Graphite Ventures
• Sarah Sedgman, LearnExperts
• Andrew Hudon, MaRS IAF
• Inshaal Qadir, Panache Ventures

Twelve high-potential startups will step into the spotlight, including ventures in AI, biotech, cleantech, consumer SaaS, and social impact. This is where investors find their next big bet, and where founders prove they’re ready to take the next step.

Also, be on the lookout for emcees Megan Maltby (Invest Ottawa) and Lindy Ledohowski (RBCx), who’ll be keeping the energy high and the event flowing.

Real Conversations. Actionable Insights.

Between panels and pitches, AccelerateOTT is filled with tactical sessions built for founders:

• Learn how to price and position your B2B SaaS product
• Understand what your customer actually wants (vs. what you think they need)
• Go beyond the pitch deck with Jonathan Lowenhar (Enjoy the Work) as he breaks down how investors think—and how to meet them where it counts

Whether you’re pre-seed, or just beginning to build, this is founder-first programming designed to deliver lasting value that can help you move your business forward.

Networking Fuels the Journey

Throughout the day, you’ll find spaces to connect with VCs, industry and community peers, mentors, and yes, even potential partners. Whether it’s a simple discussion during the facilitated lunch break, a hallway chat, AccelerateOTT is built for meaningful encounters – because great companies aren’t built alone.

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Legends Aren’t Born. They’re Built

The stories shared at AccelerateOTT aren’t about overnight success—they’re about showing up, building forward, and betting on yourself when no one else will.  If you’re ready to be part of a community that believes in ambition, equity, and grit, we’ll see you there.

Because the next great story in Canadian entrepreneurship might start here.

📍 June 12 | Lansdowne Park | Ottawa
🔗 Secure your ticket now