Bruce Croxon and Peter Schwartz – Fireside Chat
This chat will establish the major themes for the day and "set the table" for all attendees and the rest of the day
COVID Recovery, – (Re)establishing Canada's place on the world stage, MACRO THEMES impacting all businesses/leaders.
Synopsis: Recovering from COVID and its impact on society, business and government will require more introspection and more collaboration across all groups. From emerging issues like data privacy to urgent issues like skills retooling and retraining for a WFH world, Bruce and Peter will discuss the driving forces that will shape Canada's economy and society in the decade ahead. Forces that will define Canada's ability to be a world leader once more.
Bruce Croxon
A Digital Innovator Finding & Investing in The Next Canadian Wave
Bruce Croxon made his mark as a digital pioneer by co-founding Lavalife and revolutionizing how people connect. Under his direction, he grew this early tech start-up into the marquee brand in online dating with over two million users. Partner, chairman and CEO, Croxon helped lead the company's growth from four to 600 employees, while achieving revenue of just under $100 million. Since the sale of Lavalife, Bruce has been active as both an investor and advisor in growth stage companies in the technology sector.
As an ex-Dragon on CBC's Dragons' Den, he added a broad range of businesses and products to his portfolio that tapped into his passion for digital media, health and marketing. Croxon currently helms Round13, a company dedicated to investment in growth stage Canadian tech companies. He also co hosts The Disruptors on BNN and CTV, a weekly show spotlighting Canadian business and believes our entrepreneurs can hold their own with anyone in the world
Peter Schwartz
Founder and Executive Chairman at Kognitiv
Peter Schwartz is an accomplished Canadian technology entrepreneur. Peter was the Chairman & CEO of Descartes Systems Group Inc., a $6 billion global logistics technology company with customers in over 160 countries, that he took public in 1998. Peter is also one of the founders of Communitech, Canada's pre-eminent technology hub. Communitech serves as a budding ecosystem for the commercialization of innovative technologies and as a model for start-up incubation in Canada.
Since leaving Descartes, Peter founded Laurence Capital which has made over 30 portfolio investments (17 in the technology sector) with some of Canada's leading entrepreneurs and breakthrough companies. He is presently the founder and Executive Chairman of Kognitiv Corporation which recently completed the successful acquisition of Aimia Loyalty Solutions and Intelligent Shopper Solutions, former business units of Aimia Inc. A founding member of the YPO Great Lakes Chapter, Peter resides in the Waterloo Region and was one of the youngest recipients of the Financial Post's "Top 40 under 40" award.