Reserve your seat today
Oct 28 to 29, 2026 · UTM
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Reserve your seat today
Oct 28 to 29, 2026 · UTM
Find your people at the summit
Access evidence-based research, success stories, and best practices to future-proof your learning environment and empower every learner in an AI-powered age.
1Gain insider knowledge on the latest global and national trends, from AI adoption in classrooms to digital equity strategies, with concrete case studies you can apply tomorrow.
3Connect in person and virtually with top education leaders, industry visionaries, policymakers, and startup founders.
2Senior Level Leadership K-12, Post secondary & EdTech Industry Partners, Policymakers, Teacher Leaders, Investors, Students, Parents & EdTech startups, who are passionate about refining the future of learning to help all students thrive
4Founder & Conference Chair
Robert Martellacci (MA EdTech) is president of MindShare Learning Technology, Canada’s leading EdTech strategy, news & events company he founded in 2001. Mr. Martellacci is also president & co-founder of C21 Canada—Canadians for 21st Century Learning & Innovation.
Mr. Martellacci is a lifelong learner who is committed to connecting business and education to transform learning in the 21st century to support student success. He completed a transformational learning journey as a mature student earning a master’s in educational technology from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California which inspired the creation of the MindShare Learning Report—Canada’s Learning & Technology eMagazine.
Mr. Martellacci has over 25 years of expertise and thought leadership in education as a former university administrator at York University; he also launched The Learning Company School Division for Kevin O’Leary which was the catalyst to forming his start-up MindShare Learning following the Mattel acquisition.
One of Martellacci’s signature slogans, “until next time, keep the learning curve steep.”
Award | Honouree |
|---|---|
K–12 EdTech Leader of the Year | Rashmi Swarup, Peel District School Board |
K–12 EdTech Leaders of the Year | Katrina Gouett and Whitney McKinley, Waterloo Catholic District School Board |
K–12 District of the Year | Surrey Schools, Surrey, British Columbia |
Post-Secondary Leader of the Year | Wilfrid Laurier University, Faculty of Education |
CanAm EdTech Leader of the Year | Keith Krueger, CoSN |
EdTech Company of the Year | Dell Technologies, recognized through Katina Papulkas |
“…there is no better place to be for the last two days than MindShare Learning Media & Consulting 17th Canadian Edtech Leadership AI Summit!”
Robert Martellacci, M.A. EdTech
Founder & President, MindShare Learning Media & Consulting/MindShare Workspace
Chief Digital Publisher: The MindShare Learning Report
Chair, Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit
Co-founder & CEO, C21 Canada—Canadians for 21st Century Learning & Innovation
M:416-569-2106
Assistant Director, ICUBE University of Toronto Mississauga
Originally from Uruguay, Ignacio moved to Canada in 2010 and earned a Master’s of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) from the University of Waterloo.He worked at the Waterloo Accelerator Centre as Director of Client Services where he led the JumpStart funding program and other strategic initiatives. Ignacio also worked at Haltech Regional Innovation Centre supporting clients and community members by managing a range of business advisory programs, including the Haltech HEAT™ startup services program, and specialty programs to support scaleup of high-growth ventures. Ignacio is also an entrepreneur at heart and co-founded and exited a real estate start-up (Apartmint). Ignacio is currently the Assistant Director at ICUBE – and chair of Positive Space at the University of Toronto, advocating for LGBTQ2S+ students, staff and faculty.
Ignacio Mongrell is Assistant Director of ICUBE at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he supports entrepreneurs, innovators, students, and startups through experiential learning, mentorship, programming, and venture development. ICUBE has supported more than 500 startups and works to build an inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Ignacio has helped develop interdisciplinary innovation programs that connect students with industry and real-world challenges. His work has included initiatives focused on sustainability, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning, including the Sustainable Innovation Challenge, which engaged more than 200 students across 70 teams in developing solutions to food waste and food insecurity.
He has also been recognized for his commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, receiving the UTM Principal’s Staff Award for Advancing Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for his work expanding access and opportunities for students, alumni, entrepreneurs, and members of the broader community.
Sponsor Canada’s Top EdTech Leadership Event!
Join us October 28-29, 2026, at U of T Mississauga for the 17th Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit, presented by MindShare Learning. Showcase your brand, connect with education leaders, and support the future of AI-inspired, inclusive learning. Check our Sponsorship Package Here.
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Explore All Trends & Tools For Future Proofing Education From the World Class Speakers and EdTech Industry Experts!
University of Toronto Mississauga Campus & Mindshare Workspace
Room: Rotunda
Locations:
1. University of Toronto Mississauga, Address: 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga
2. MindShare Workspace, Address: 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy, Suite I3, Mississauga
The visit to MindShare Workspace will highlight Canada’s first shopping mall-based coworking and innovation hub, where startups, educators, and business leaders collaborate. Participants will see how the space fosters creativity, digital literacy, and future-ready skills through a flexible, tech-enabled environment.
Room- KN 112 (Kaneff)
Dr. Julie Mueller
Dr. Keri Ewart
Robert Martellacci
Josh Chernikoff
Peter Singh
Curtis Carmichael
John Della Fortuna
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt
Dr. Gina Cherkowski
Michael Cooper
Dr. Gail Markin
Derek Tangredi
Room: Rotunda
The Panellists:
Dr. Tom D'Amico
Dr. Gina Cherkowski
Dr. Michael Fullan
Ryan Donaghy
Bill Hogarth
Dr. Richard Olumide Oyefeso, MD, FAAP,
Ignacio Mongrell
Room: Rotunda
Room: Rotunda
Room: KN 137
Robert Martellacci
Victoria Clarke
Ignacio Mongrell
Dr. Peter Balyta
Director for Education and Skills at the OECD. He initiated and oversees the Progrmme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and created a global platform to innovate and transform education and skills policies
Andreas Schleicher
Minister Evan Solomon
Room: KN 137
Moderators: Robert Martellacci & Katina Papulkas
The Panellists:
Robert Martellacci
Katina Papulkas
Dr. Steve Joordens
Karl Hildebrandt
Jill Kowalchuk
Heather Campbell
Dr. Keri Ewart
Clarke Hagan
An interactive recharge zone where delegates can connect, explore hands-on EdTech, AI tools, STEM maker demos, and wellbeing innovations.
Room: KN 137
Topic: Technology for good: How ASU is designing an AI-ready university
Description: Recognized as the most innovative university in the United States for over a decade, Arizona State University is meeting the moment of artificial intelligence. In this session, ASU Chief Information Office Lev Gonick will explore emerging themes and outline how ASU is approaching the rapidly evolving world of AI, remaining on the cutting-edge while also staying grounded in responsible and principled innovation.
Dr. Lev Gonick
Room: Rotunda
Room: Rotunda
Topic: TBD
Steve Brown
Room: Rotunda
Room: KN108
By Invitation Only
Please Select one of the options below
Room: KN 137
Topic: The State of EdTech—Navigating AI, Screen Time and Mobile Phones for Human Flourishing
Moderators: Dr. Tom D'Amico
Dr. Tom D'Amico
Geoff Edwards
Dr. Steve Joordens
Randolph MacLEAN
Dr. Jessica Rizk, PhD, OCT
Dr. Lisa Walsh
Room: KN 130
Topic: AI as a Creative Tool: Hands-On with micro:bit and Canadian-Built MicroChat
MicroChat turns AI into a creative design tool for the micro:bit. Students use it to bring their own ideas to life on real hardware, learn through inquiry as they test and refine what they build, and develop the skills they will need to make the most of AI in their careers. Most Canadian school boards already own micro:bits. MicroChat, built in Canada, unlocks their creative potential inside a safe sandbox of coding apps that never touches the wider internet and keeps student data sovereign and safe.
This session is for system and school leaders who want to get hands-on and see for themselves what students can create when AI is used as a powerful design tool rather than a shortcut. At the end of the activities, Jeremy Hedges will close with a presentation on Forward's MicroChat AI grants for boards and schools. Bring a laptop to take part in the activities.
Jeremy Hedges
Room: KN 108
Topic: Past the Hinge Point: What Classroom AI Must Prove Before It Reaches a Child
Ashish Gupta
Please Select one of the options below
Room: KN 137
Topic: What Responsible AI Scaling Actually Looks Like in a Canadian Classroom
The Presenter : Rob Long
This hands-on breakout session shows what responsible AI scaling looks like in practice, using real-time visibility and equitable access for younger learners as concrete proof points. Participants test an AI learning tool live and instantly see that interaction appear in a teacher/administrator-facing view, making "human in the loop" tangible rather than theoretical. Canadian privacy expectations are woven in as genuine discussion prompts. The session closes with a simple truth: human potential meeting AI possibility only holds up in a real classroom if the human stays visibly in control.
Rob Long
Room: KN 108
Join us for an engaging discussion with Trade Commissioner and EdTech founders on how the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) supports Canadian companies in expanding internationally. Learn how the global TCS network provides valuable market insights, strategic guidance, and connections to help you enter new markets and broaden your export horizons. We'll also highlight funding opportunities and key programs, such as our EdTech Accelerator, that can help drive your business forward.
Hanif Inami
Abigail Sobin
Room: KN 130
Topic: Beyond the Prompt: Using AI to Power Creativity in the Modern Makerspace
Derek Tangredi
Room: Rotunda
Topic: Key Global Takeaways on the Future of AI in Education
The Panellists:
Robert Martellacci
Dr. Tracey Burns
Maxim Jean-Louis
Jennifer Womble
Fernando Valenzuela Migoya
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt
Ashish Gupta
Topic: Closing Reflections
Room: Rotunda
The Panellists:
Robert Martellacci
Ignacio Mongrell
Dr. Peter Balyta
Ideal for founders, executives, and professionals from EdTech companies seeking to connect with decision-makers in education. Includes: Full access to all summit sessions and networking breaks.
Tailored for principals, superintendents, deans, and education policy makers driving digital transformation in schools and institutions. Includes: VIP access to leadership panels, roundtable discussions, and exclusive networking with EdTech visionaries and policymakers.
Designed for K–12 and post-secondary educators passionate about leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning. Includes: Access to keynotes, breakout sessions, and classroom innovation showcases.
