Schedule 2025-2026

Founders come in all forms

Location | Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, 7th floor Winter Garden

Speakers |
Dr. Wayne Pommen - Chief Revenue Officer, Affirm; ex-CEO, PayBright
Dr. Morgan Barense - Professor in Psychology, UofT; founder & CEO, Hippocamera

Fireside Chat | Wayne Pommen is the founder and former CEO of PayBright. Under his leadership, PayBright grew from 5 to 250 employees and became one of Canada’s leading fintech companies, with retail clients including Apple, Hudson’s Bay, Wayfair, Samsung, and Sephora. PayBright was acquired by Affirm, where Wayne currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer. Morgan Barense is a professor at the University of Toronto, Glassman Chair in Neuropsychology, and the director of the Toronto Neuroimaging Facility. She is also the CEO and founder of Hippocamera. Under her leadership, Hippocamera applies advances in basic science to create practical, evidence-based solutions to combat memory loss.

This event is cohosted with the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Arts and Science. Please signup at the CfE website.

50 Lessons from Scaleup Founders

Location | Hart House, Music Room

Speaker | Dan Richards - Professor, Rotman School of Management

Workshop | Dan Richards is a faculty member in Marketing at the Rotman School of Management, where he has taught since 1992 and was voted Best Professor by the MBA class of 2022. He has designed and led courses across the MBA, Executive MBA, and Commerce programs, and directed Rotman’s Flexible Internship Program supporting 250 students annually. Dan also helped launch the FinHub Student Fellows Program and contributes regularly to Harvard Business Review and The Globe and Mail. </div> </li>

Innovation Fair Competition Application Open

Competition | The Innovation Fair marks the first stage of the Innovation OnBoard Pitch Competition. This is your chance to present your groundbreaking business ideas to a panel of judges, entrepreneurs, and esteemed UofT professors. At this dynamic fair, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your vision, gain valuable feedback, and pitch your concept in a competitive yet supportive environment.

Teams will be evaluated on feasibility, innovation, and impact, with the top teams advancing to the next round.

To apply, you need a strong business idea, a cohesive and committed team, and at least one team member who is currently, or has been, a UofT student within the past 2 years.

Take this opportunity to kickstart your journey in innovation. Submit your application now and join UofT’s vibrant entrepreneurial community.

• Apply

Demystifying fundraising for early stage start-ups

Location | Hart House, Debate Room

Speakers|
Eva Lau - General Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures
Dr. Kamran Khan - Founder & CEO, BlueDot; Professor, Temerty School of Medicine

Fireside Chat | Eva Lau is Co-founder and General Partner at Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage VC fund that backs technology startups with the potential to transform user behavior and unlock new value at scale. A recognized leader in Canada’s innovation ecosystem, she mentors through Creative Destruction Lab and UofT’s Hatchery, and contributes to boards and advisory councils including the University of Toronto and the Schulich School of Business. Previously, Eva was Head of Community and Content at Wattpad, where she helped scale the company into a global storytelling platform. She holds an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and a BASc in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Kamran Khan is the Founder and CEO of BlueDot, a global health technology company that uses artificial and human intelligence to detect infectious disease threats early and deliver insights that help governments and enterprises strengthen resilience against outbreaks. He is also a Professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, where he holds a Chair in Health Innovation and Technology. In addition, he serves as a clinician-scientist in infectious diseases at Unity Health Toronto. Previously, he was a medical advisor to the World Health Organization on infectious disease emergencies and global mass gatherings. Dr. Khan earned his MD from the University of Toronto and completed graduate training in public health and infectious diseases at Columbia University and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

From Discovery to Startup: Building Life Sciences Ventures That Last

Location | Hart House, Music Room

Speaker | Dr. Evelyn Pau - Principle, Amplitude Ventures

Fireside Chat | Evelyn Pau is a Principal at Amplitude Ventures, where she invests in and scales leading precision medicine companies. With over a decade of experience in healthcare venture capital and investment banking, she has advised top pharmaceutical and biotech firms on strategy, valuation, and venture creation. Evelyn also serves on the boards of emerging biotech startups, mentors entrepreneurs through the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), and lectures at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine to inspire scientists to explore entrepreneurship. She holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Toronto.

Co-Founders Day

Location | TBA

Teaming Activity | Are you looking for team members to make your idea happen? Are you looking to join a team and gain experience at a pitch competition? Regardless, join us for the Co-Founder's day, where you can register as either a founder or a co-founder. Founders pitch their ideas and co-founders choose a founder to form a team with. The event kicks off with an industry-specific speed-dating session, allowing co-founders to meet and explore ideas with founders. Afterward, attendees can network freely during an open social. The event wraps up with team registration, where teams of 1 founder plus 1-3 co-founders are formed for the final pitch competition.

Make the Perfect Pitch

Location | TBA

Speaker | TBA

Workshop | This interactive workshop is designed to help participants refine their storytelling, master their delivery, and build confidence to make the perfect pitch.

Note: This workshop is exclusive to teams registered for the Pitch Competition.

Innovation Fair Competition Application Closed

Competition | This is the last day to submit your pitch competition application.

Innovation Fair

Location | TBA

Competition | Join us for an exciting showcase where student teams will present their innovative startup ideas on posters. This event offers a unique networking opportunity, allowing you to mingle with budding entrepreneurs, educators, and business professionals. We look forward to seeing you there and connecting with the future of innovation and entrepreneurship!

Final Competition and Reception

Location | TBA</a>

Competition | Get ready to witness some mind-blowing ideas, intense competition, and lots of inspiration. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or just love innovative ideas, this is the place to be! Cheer on the participants as they showcase their creativity and present their business ideas.

What’s Next Workshop

Speaker | TBA

Workshop | Learn what is your next step as an entrepreneur and/or innovator after the big pitch competition. Whether you won it or not, celebrate what you learned over the year, and prepare for the future to come.