Toronto Innovation Bridge Forum 2026: Connecting People Across the Innovation Ecosystem

Toronto Innovation Bridge Forum 2026 is the premier Canada–Ireland innovation forum, bringing together leaders from business, technology, research and development, finance and investment, entrepreneurship and government to strengthen collaboration across two of the world’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems.

Presented by the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce Toronto, in partnership with TD Bank, sponsored in part by TD Asset Management Inc., and in collaboration with George Brown Polytechnic Alumni Relations, the Forum provides a platform to explore the ideas, partnerships and investment opportunities shaping the future of innovation across Canada and Ireland.

The evening will feature a moderated panel discussion, interactive audience Q&A and an extended networking reception, creating opportunities to connect with founders, executives, investors, researchers, finance leaders and policymakers from across both markets. Moderator and panel speakers will be announced shortly.

Whether you're a founder, executive, investor, researcher or innovation leader, this is an opportunity to connect with the people, ideas and capital driving innovation forward.

Event Details

📅 Date
Thursday, September 10, 2026

🕠 Time
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

📍 Venue
TD Bank Tower
66 Wellington Street West, 10th Floor
Toronto, ON M5K 1A2

Tickets

Members: $40

Non-Members $55

Forum Themes

The Forum explores four key pillars driving innovation and economic growth:

• Technology Advancement
• Research & Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance & Investment

What to Expect

• Engage with industry leaders, founders, investors, researchers and policymakers.
• Discover emerging technologies, innovation trends and commercial opportunities.
• Build valuable cross-border relationships between Canada and Ireland.
• Explore new pathways for collaboration, investment and international growth.
• Ticket includes light refreshments and beverages

Our Mission

Build Connections
Bringing together leaders from business, academia, government and the investment community.

Bridge Markets
Creating new opportunities for cross-border collaboration, commercialisation and international growth.

Unlock Opportunity
Transforming conversations into partnerships, investment and long-term impact.

The Panel

Joining the discussion:

Keynote Speaker: Kevin Hebner, PhD, Managing Director & Global Investment Strategist at TD Epoch.

Kevin will set the stage for the Forum by examining the forces reshaping the global economy and investment landscape, from the extraordinary capital being deployed into AI infrastructure to the intensifying technology race between the world’s major economic powers.

🔬 Dr. Krista Holmes | George Brown Polytechnic: Research & Innovation
Bringing the applied research perspective and exploring how academia, industry and talent connect to move ideas from research into real-world impact.

💻 Gavin Roberts | Topsec Cloud Solutions: Technology Advancement
Bringing the technology lens across AI, cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure, and the practical realities of adopting, protecting and scaling emerging technologies.

🚀 Haitham El-Hanafi | SpeechLogix: Entrepreneurship
As Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Haitham brings the founder journey to the conversation, building from the grassroots into an international technology company with 50+ people across multiple countries. He’ll share the realities behind entrepreneurship: building teams, winning customers, navigating growth and the sacrifices required along the way.

💰 John Cassidy | SVG Ventures | THRIVE: Finance & Early-Stage Investment
Bringing the venture capital perspective on how early-stage companies access capital, what investors look for and how the right investment and ecosystem support can help emerging companies move from potential to growth.

📈 Ahmed R. Korayem | MaRS Discovery District: Investment & Later-Stage Venture Growth
Working with MaRS’ Momentum portfolio of high-growth companies, Ahmed brings the scale-up perspective, what changes as ventures mature, how later-stage companies navigate their next phase of growth, and what it takes to build toward global scale.

Guiding the conversation will be Michael Barton | Invest Northern Ireland, connecting these perspectives and exploring how each part of the flywheel must work together to build stronger innovation ecosystems.