October 30, 2025 | Prairieland Park | Saskatoon, SK
Fuel your next big move at the 2025 PowerUp Summit, where Prairie ambition meets practical strategies for growth.
PowerUp is where ideas turn into action. Throughout the day, you’ll dive into inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, and energizing networking opportunities designed to help you strengthen your business and discover new paths for growth.
This year’s program features keynote speaker Iliana Oris Valiente, Futurist, Corporate Executive, and Digital Twin Innovator, who will share forward-looking insights on harnessing innovation, scaling bold ideas, and thriving in an era of rapid transformation.
With Building Prairie Momentum as our theme, we’re celebrating the creativity and resilience that define business on the Prairies, and equipping you with the knowledge, tools, and connections to keep that momentum growing long after the Summit ends.
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Time: 5:00 – 7:00pm
Location: Saskatoon Club (417 21st Street East, Saskatoon, SK)
Kick off your PowerUp experience a day early at PowerUp Connect, a relaxed evening social where speakers, sponsors, and attendees can mingle, share ideas, and build new connections before the main event. Access is complimentary for all PowerUp Summit attendees, but please RSVP using the link provided in your registration confirmation email!
Bringing a friend? Stand-alone tickets for PowerUp Connect are also available here.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 7:30 – 4:30pm
Grab a coffee, enjoy a light breakfast, and start connecting with fellow attendees. Don’t miss the Studio D Headshot Lounge — the perfect chance to refresh your professional photo before the day begins!
It’s time to kick off a day full of ideas, energy, and momentum. As we get started, take a moment to jot down your growth goals for the Momentum Map Wall and set your intentions for the day ahead.
More information coming soon.
Like an espresso for your next big move – bold, fast, and built to get you moving in the right direction. Everyone’s busy, burned out, and a little AI-fatigued. But what if momentum isn’t about doing more, but doing what matters most? Spoiler alert: motion isn’t momentum.
This talk is your reset button – espresso shots of insight into what’s really fueling the hamster wheel many of us feel stuck on. Step off for a moment, see what’s driving the chaos, and learn how to shift from spinning to making real traction.
Fresh from the Global 2025 Future Festival, Garnet reveals the top trends shaping 2026, and how to turn them into real-world momentum. This isn’t a talk you lean back in, it’s one you lean forward into. Expect bold insights, practical energy, and aha moments throughout.
Garnet McElree, Chief Inspiration Officer at LMNO; Founder of Modern Being
Garnet McElree is the Chief Inspiration Officer at LMNO and recent founder of Modern Being, decoding the human experience — or at least trying to read the fine print for the rest of us
Through his fast-paced, story-rich talks, Garnet explores the behaviors and invisible forces influencing how we shop, scroll, snack, and show up in the world.
Before launching Modern Being, he built a two-decade career as one of Canada’s leading creative directors, collaborating with brands like SaskTel, McDonald’s, Telus, and Gap. His work has earned national and international recognition for creativity, brand strategy, and design — but what audiences remember most is his ability to make the complex feel simple, the serious a little lighter, and the ordinary extraordinary.
Garnet is also the proud founder of Mopop: The Museum of Pop Culture — a remixable museum that playfully reexamines the cultural artifacts and guilty pleasures we pretend not to love (but totally do).
Equal parts strategist, storyteller, and cultural decoder, Garnet brings curiosity, humor, and prairie optimism to every stage he steps on. Whether unpacking AI fatigue or exploring what’s next for human creativity, his mission is simple: to help people and brands move from reaction to traction — one inspired idea at a time.
Take a moment to recharge with refreshments, connect with fellow attendees, and visit the Studio D Headshot Lounge to update your professional photo before diving into the next sessions.
What if your workplace culture wasn’t something to survive, but something that fueled sustainable momentum? Culture lives in how people speak, handle pressure, and make decisions — it’s in every interaction, moment of tension, and recovery when things go sideways.
Culture Catalysts dives beneath the surface to clarify what supports wellbeing, what quietly erodes it, and how organizations can create systems that sustain people instead of wearing them down. Discover what builds belonging, prevents burnout, and strengthens team alignment.
This expert talk is a rallying point for teams ready to stop reacting and start building momentum. When culture is designed with intention, people notice. They trust it. They stay. And just like thriving Prairie businesses, that culture keeps everyone moving forward.
Steven Langer, Founder and CEO, Well by Design
As a trusted international keynote and TEDx speaker, Steven is known for cutting through the noise and shifting the mindset on wellness. He combines compelling stories, thought-provoking data, and practical insight to inspire real change.
Steven leaves audiences with more than inspiration. He equips them with tools to move forward in ways that feel clear, authentic, and achievable. Whether he is speaking to executives, frontline workers, or leadership teams, people consistently say the same thing: they feel seen, understood, and ready to lead, live, and connect with intention.
Marketing success today isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters. The Growth Code reveals how Prairie entrepreneurs can combine strategy, story, and research to drive meaningful business growth.
This session will explore how insight-driven storytelling builds stronger brands, connects marketing to business goals, and delivers measurable results. Drawing on Canadian case studies and proven frameworks, you will learn practical tools to help you reach the right audience, build brand trust, and turn clarity into growth.
Bonus: You will leave equipped to unlock your own Growth Code: learning how to align marketing with business strategy, balance brand and performance, and use data and creativity to build lasting momentum.
Ryan Townend, CEO and Owner, WJ Agency
As CEO and Owner of WJ Agency, Ryan Townend leads a full-service marketing and branding firm that serves clients locally, nationally, and globally.
With over three decades of experience, Ryan is known for blending bold strategy with creative execution to drive meaningful business growth for clients in vast number of industries. He is a trusted voice in the Canadian marketing landscape, having been a marketing expert on Global TV for over 10 years where he offers insight into branding, advertising, and consumer trends. Ryan is also a sought-after keynote speaker, regularly presenting at national conferences, industry panels, and business growth summits.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ryan is a passionate community builder. He hosts Ryan’s Roundup, a monthly corporate social that brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, and the broader public to spark connection and collaboration. He actively supports numerous charities and nonprofit initiatives, helping them elevate their profile and impact. Ryan also lends his expertise as a board member and advisor to a range of organizations across sectors. Ryan’s leadership at WJ is defined by a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and elevating brands that are ready to grow. His work continues to shape how businesses across the globe communicate, compete, and connect.
Rosalie Hughes, Founder & CEO of Hughes Recruitment & Strategy Collective; Co-Founder of Catalyst Talent Solutions
Rosalie Hughes is an entrepreneur, strategist, and trusted advisor who helps organizations scale with clarity and momentum. As Founder & CEO of Hughes Recruitment & Strategy Collective, and Co-Founder of Catalyst Talent Solutions, she has built companies that go far beyond recruitment; partnering with leaders on HR strategy, succession planning, employer branding, and organizational design to create workplaces positioned for sustainable growth.
With nearly two decades of experience in human resources, leadership advisory, and talent strategy, Rosalie has worked with start-ups, scale-ups, and established market leaders to build high-performing teams and equip executives with the tools and clarity to lead with confidence. Her work bridges the gap between people and business strategy, aligning leadership, culture, and brand to accelerate growth.
Known for her bold yet practical approach, Rosalie challenges conventional thinking by reframing HR and recruitment as strategic levers for success. She is passionate about helping organizations unlock the potential of their people while shaping environments where both leaders and teams thrive.
Rosalie holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources Management and professional designations as a Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) and Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR).
Stretch your legs, refuel with refreshments, and keep the conversations going. It’s also a great time to stop by the Studio D Headshot Lounge if you haven’t had your photo taken yet!
A panel of local entrepreneurs and business experts share practical strategies for entering new markets, building strong teams, and accelerating B2B growth.
AI is transforming how businesses operate, lead, and grow, and the pace of change is only accelerating. In this keynote, Iliana explores the future of business through an innovation lens, where digital human clones meet real-world strategy. The session includes examples from across industries and ranges from aspirational art-of-the-possible to practical and grounded, offering business owners and leaders both inspiration and actionable insights to stay competitive in an AI-driven economy.
Iliana Oris Valiente, Futurist, Corporate Executive, ‘Digital Twin’ Innovator
Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA, is a recognized authority on AI, future of work strategy, and global talent mobility. She has been featured in various media outlets, including television, radio, and print, from The Financial Times to Bloomberg and beyond, for her experience as a Fortune 500 executive, board member, and VC investor. As Managing Director and Head of North America Innovation Centers at Accenture, Iliana has built and scaled innovation hubs delivering over $500 million in client impact by leading multidisciplinary teams in design, data, and technology across emergent areas like AI and cross-industry transformations. She serves on the boards of directors at Sunnybrook Hospital and CPA Ontario, advises venture-backed startups, and regularly shares her investor insights with family offices and emerging fund managers. Iliana’s lived experience as a global citizen—working and living across many countries—drives her thinking on flexible-location strategies and has inspired her signature frameworks. She’s the creator of The Potted Plant Theory, a neuroscience-based leadership framework shared with over 1,000 executives, and Iliana is one of the first people to clone herself by building Laila, a fully interactive AI digital twin that she demos on stage.
Iliana translates complexity into human-centered strategy and teaches leaders to:
From C-suite offsites and all-hands employee townhalls to HR summits and investor forums, audiences leave inspired, equipped with signature frameworks, and ready to act on the trends reshaping work, mobility, and human-machine collaboration.
Wrap up the day with key takeaways and a last look at the Momentum Map, and leave ready to turn today’s momentum into action.
Sponsorship Packages
Targeting small and medium-sized businesses, the PowerUp Summit is a perfect fit for organizations looking to get their brand in front of Saskatchewan’s business community of entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders.
Senior Director of Marketing and Events
