On November 13th, Canada’s most innovative business leaders gathered at The Globe and Mail Centre for Growth Camp: Innovation Summit, an event celebrating Canada’s Top Growing Companies and Deloitte Canada’s Technology Fast 50 winners. The day was packed with insights, inspiration, and connections designed to help ambitious Canadian companies chart their next chapter of growth.
The summit opened with an interview on growth forecast, which unpacked the realities of entrepreneurship in a volatile environment and highlighted strategies for resilience. A panel discussion focused on resilience in action followed, featuring veteran CEOs who shared experiences and lessons on thriving through uncertainty. Afterwards, the patriotism pays session explored how leveraging a Canadian identity can strengthen brand positioning and attract customers, talent, and investors.
Interactive workshops brought practical value to the day. From AI and automation, to funding strategies, and talent retention, participants gained actionable insights to tackle their most pressing challenges. In addition, peer-to-peer roundtables added a collaborative dimension, fostering meaningful dialogue among entrepreneurs.
The event culminated in an award presentation recognizing Canada’s Top Growing Companies, and was capped off by a powerful keynote, urging businesses to embrace ambition and rewrite the rules of success.
Growth Camp 2025 wasn’t just a celebration, it was a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, and bold thinking. As Canada’s growth leaders look ahead, one thing is clear: the future belongs to those ready to innovate and lead with confidence.
Speakers:
- Dawn Calleja, Editor, Report on Business Magazine
- Cheryl Manuel, CPA, Relationships Officer, Deloitte Canada
- Marwa Abdou, Senior Research Director, Business Data Lab, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Deborah Aarts, Co-founder, Apid Inc.
- Nicky Senyard, CEO & Founder, Fintel Connect
- Helen Smith, Founder & CEO, Roo & You Inc.
- Sally Daub, Co-Founder & CEO, BorderPass
- April Fong, Deputy Personal Finance Editor, The Globe and Mail
- Joycelyn David, Owner & Chief Executive Officer, AVC
- Fiona Collie, Senior Program Manager, Business and Financial Products, The Globe and Mail
- Dan Rowe, National Leader, Value & Sales Excellence, Deloitte
- Vlad Stesin, CEO & Co-Founder, Optable
- Amanda Perran, National Technology Sector Leader, Deloitte Canada Technology Fast 50 Program Co-Lead
- Sina Afrooze, CEO and Co-founder, Apera AI
- Sean Silcoff, Technology and Life Sciences Reporter, The Globe and Mail
- Dhruv Sood, Co-founder and co-CEO, Fresh Prep
- Lorraine Telesford, CEO & Chief Solutions Architect, On Track Accounting Solutions Inc.
- Jameson Berkow, Capital Markets Reporter, The Globe and Mail
- Darrell Keezer, Founder & CEO, Candybox Marketing
- Tamara ElSahyouni, Founder & Talent Strategist, Talent Engagement Consulting
- Jordan Chittley, Editor, Globe Drive and Work Life, The Globe and Mail
- John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner, Maverix Private Equity
- Tyson Jones, Senior Vice President, Ontario, BDC
The Globe and Mail presented the event with sponsor support from Deloitte. To learn about upcoming Globe and Mail events, visitwww.globeandmail.com/events.
Event summary produced by The Globe and Mail Events team. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.