A conference to learn about practical technology for real business productivity

Join business leaders and technology experts to explore practical applications of AI, automation, ERP systems, robotics, and modern software , all focused on improving productivity and business performance.

The Southern Manitoba Technology Conference 2026 is a focused, one-day, in-person professional conference tailored for manufacturing and operations leaders who are responsible for advancing business transformation through technology adoption. The event is designed to move beyond theoretical discussion and deliver practical, actionable insights from industry-leading practitioners, with an emphasis on real-world implementation of Robotics and Automation, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Attendees will:

  • Gain clear, actionable guidance on adopting key technologies in manufacturing environments
  • See firsthand how leading manufacturers approach automation, ERP, and AI
  • Build professional connections with industry peers and technology solution providers
  • Leave with practical strategies for addressing real operational and technological challenges
  • Have the opportunity to network with peers and subject matter experts while gaining insights

Featured Sessions

  • Live Hackathon Kickoff: Hands-on demonstration of real software solution development
  • Keynote Address: Why technology adoption is essential for modern manufacturing
  • Robotics & Automation Workshop: Practical robotics use cases and adoption strategies
  • ERP in Practice: Tools and support available, with implementation insights
  • AI in the Workplace: Real use cases showing how AI improves production outcomes

Panel and Interaction

  • Industry Panel: ERP, Automation, and the path forward with industry leaders
  • Hackathon Demo & Awards: Showcase of solutions developed throughout the day
  • Networking Breaks: Purpose-driven interaction to establish connections and share insights

 

Breakfast and Lunch included in ticket price.

Sponsorship opportunities available, $500 – $1,200.

Lower TCO. Zero busywork. Infrastructure that runs itself—so your business can run ahead.

Who it’s for: Business owners, C‑suite leaders, and decision makers who want IT to be a force multiplier—not a distraction.

Why attend?
Because every hour spent managing infrastructure is an hour not spent growing your business. Walk away with a clear, understanding of the financial and operational levers available to you with a Private Cloud adoption —what to shift, what to keep, and how to realize outcomes quickly.

PLUS: All those in attendance will receive complimentary SWAG (and we don’t mean pens & notebooks), and if you speak to one of the EPIC team during the event you’ll also be entered to win one of our exciting prizes!

Grand Prize: Lenovo Laptop

Second Prize: 2 Tickets to Techapalooza (Saturday Feb 28th, 2025)

What to expect:

EPIC in 90 seconds
A concise snapshot of who we are and why organizations trust us to keep mission‑critical infrastructure running—so they can focus on growth.

Private Cloud, Simplified
A practical look at how EPIC Private Cloud (IaaS) shifts you to a predictable OPEX model, reduces TCO, and eliminates administrative overhead that slows teams down.

Proof in the Numbers
A real‑world case walkthrough showing how moving off on‑prem infrastructure reduces operating effort and cost—freeing capital and people for innovation and expansion.

Don’t take it from us…
Hear it straight from leaders already realizing the benefits. In a candid fireside chat, customers will share tangible outcomes—what changed, what they saved, and how their teams now move faster with fewer operational roadblocks.

And that’s not all…
We’ll close with an exclusive reveal that promises to change the way you think about productivity and flexibility. This launch is designed to unlock new levels of agility, empower teams to work smarter from anywhere, and accelerate business outcomes—all without adding complexity. Be among the first to hear what’s next, followed by networking, delicious food, and refreshments.

 

Kicking off during MbTech Week,  Launch Coworking Space will host Founders Coffee, a weekly gathering designed to foster entrepreneurial community, connection, and collaboration. This event will be lead by 360 Coaching Group with coffee from Muse Café.

Chris Johnson – Three Mistakes I Made Building (and Exiting) a Startup in Winnipeg

THE TALK

Three Mistakes I Made Building (and Exiting) a Startup in Winnipeg

This is a short coffee conversation about three themes that slowed us down while building a SaaS startup — all things that felt reasonable at the time and only became obvious once the dust settled on the other side of an exit.

In ten minutes, I’ll share a few decisions that weren’t catastrophic, but in hindsight had us running with one of those weighted vests strapped on without knowing it. The kind of calls founders make every day while trying to be careful, scrappy, and “do the right thing,” without realizing the trade-offs.

THE SPEAKER

 Chris Johnson is a repeat enterprise SaaS founder and operator who has led multiple successful exits. He was the Founder and CEO of Permission Click, a K–12 workflow and forms platform acquired by SchoolMessenger in 2021. Following the acquisition, Chris became President of SchoolMessenger, where he led the business through its next phase of growth and operational maturity, culminating in a $300M acquisition by PowerSchool in 2023. Across these roles, Chris has built and scaled product-led organizations, overseen go-to-market transformations, and navigated the complexities of post-acquisition integration. Beyond operating roles, Chris is a co-founder of North Forge Technology Exchange and an active supporter of the Manitoba startup ecosystem as a mentor, advisor, and early-stage investor.

 

ABOUT FOUNDERS COFFEE

Beginning February 24th during Manitoba Tech Week, our Launch Downtown location will host Founders Coffee, a weekly Tuesday-morning (8 am to 9 am) gathering designed to foster entrepreneurial community, connection, and collaboration. Founders Coffee provides a welcoming space where local entrepreneurs can share their stories, present their ventures, and receive meaningful feedback from peers, mentors, and community partners.

Each session features:

  • A 10 min spotlight presentation from an early-stage founder or small business.
  • A guided 20 min Q&A and community feedback discussion.
  • Open Mic & networking (30 min) to help build relationships, spark ideas, and support the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Our goal is to cultivate a consistent, inclusive gathering that brings together innovators, creators, small-business owners, and community champions.

Presented by Futurepreneur, hosted by Launch Coworking, lead by 360 Coaching Group, and fueled by Muse Cafe, Founders Coffee strengthens the connective tissue of our local business community and helps entrepreneurs access the insight, encouragement, and resources they need to grow.

Founders Coffee will serve as a weekly ritual—a place where relationships are built, ideas take shape, and founders feel supported on their journey.

🚨 Sold Out! 🚨

The next frontier of Artificial Intelligence is here: the shift from passive tools to active agents. Join us for a high-impact panel discussion exploring how Generative AI and the rise of autonomous AI agents are fundamentally redefining operations, leadership, and value creation in the enterprise.

Experts from our local Transformation Consulting team—spanning Finance Transformation, Organizational Change & Culture, and Technology & Cloud Strategy—will unpack the practical realities of the “Age of With,” where humans and machines collaborate to solve complex business problems.

Following the panel, join us for a networking session with the local consulting team to discuss your specific challenges and opportunities.

Key Discussion Topics

  • The Agentic Shift: Moving beyond simple prompts to managing hybrid teams of humans and AI agents.
  • Tackling Technical Debt: Strategies to modernize legacy systems to support an AI-enabled future.
  • Funding the Future: Practical frameworks for securing capital and ROI for high-potential AI initiatives.
  • Leading Through Change: How cross-functional collaboration is evolving in an automated workplace.

Do you have a business that collects personal information? Join us for an overview of PIPEDA and to ask your questions!

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) provides information to help businesses comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and better protect the privacy of Canadians, their clients, and customers. This information session will provide an overview of PIPEDA and its 10 Privacy Principles, illustrating how these principles apply to businesses and answering questions regarding Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law.

What you will learn:
· What is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
· What are the privacy responsibilities of small businesses?
· How can the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada assist small businesses comply with privacy legislation?
· What are the 10 Privacy Principles of PIPEDA?
· How might these 10 Privacy Principles apply to my small business?

Join us for an overview of PIPEDA to better understand how privacy laws might impact your business.

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is an Agent of Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights of individuals. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) oversees compliance with the Privacy Act, which covers the personal information-handling practices of federal government departments and agencies, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law.

Advisory services for businesses https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/about-the-opc/what-we-do/advisory-services-businesses/

Manitoba is behind the curve when it comes to understanding how blockchain and crypto technology can improve business and create new opportunities for artists or entrepreneurs.

This virtual event will include an introduction to blockchain technology, with a focus on how Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) can help businesses or creators improve their revenue and brand loyalty.

We will hear from:

  • NFTipi (Clarina), an internationally-known artist in the NFT community
  • David Koroma (host, Web3 Warriors Podcast and Fintech Specialist)
  • Grayson Smart (De-Fi expert)

Each speaker has 5 years or more experience working in the blockchain space and they belong to the board of directors for On-Chain Manitoba, a registered non-profit organization.

This presentation aims to help connect more communities and industries with blockchain technology going over the creation of blockchain-based crypto-currencies Bitcoin and Ethereum then discussing how they are impacting business globally and locally.

On-Chain Manitoba is a registered non-profit with the goal of connecting communities with blockchain technology, and this event aims to promote the benefits of blockchain for companies, artists and entrepreneurs across the province.

This session is designed for business leaders, operations teams, and decision-makers actively exploring how technology can improve efficiency, scale, and outcomes. Join Focused Forward for an interactive, station-based workshop designed to show you exactly how custom tech solves real-world bottlenecks.

This isn’t a sit-and-listen lecture. The Efficiency Lab is a high-energy “open house” where you can get under the hood of modern business tech. We’re opening up our toolkit to show you how we build, automate, and scale.

The Innovation Stations
• The Command Centre (Dragonfly CRM): See our custom-built CRM in action. Discover how to stop losing leads and start automating your sales pipeline with a tool built for growth.
• The Automation Alley (AI & Power Platform): Bring us a real operational challenge, and we’ll show you how we’d approach solving it using AI and automation.
• The Product Studio (Web Apps & Ottory): Explore the world of custom web development. From high-performance websites to specialized platforms like Ottory, see how we build intuitive user experiences that solve complex problems.
• The Strategy Clinic: Meet our architects to map out your digital roadmap. Get a “tech prescription” for your business’s specific challenges.

You’ll Leave With:
• Clarity: A clearer understanding of where AI and automation actually fit in your business.
• A Roadmap: A shortlist of processes worth automating first.
• A Framework: A mental model for evaluating when to build custom apps vs. buying off-the-shelf tools.
• Real Examples: Practical, local case studies and examples you can apply to your operations immediately.

What to Expect:
Live demos, expert strategy sessions, and direct access to Focused Forward’s developers and strategists in a collaborative, professional environment.

 

Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we learn, work, and innovate—but with rapid adoption comes significant governance challenges. From privacy and bias to transparency, accountability, and the rise of “shadow AI,” organizations must navigate complex risks while unlocking AI’s full potential.

Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring IT community leaders who share real-world experiences and lessons learned in governing AI responsibly. This session will explore practical strategies to maximize value while mitigating risks related to ethics, misinformation, and data security.

Why Attend:

  • Gain actionable insights from experts who have implemented AI governance frameworks
  • Understand emerging risks and how to address them effectively
  • Network with peers and thought leaders shaping Manitoba’s technology landscape

Manitoba knows how to build great ideas. What happens when those ideas, curious minds, and a great breakfast come together? You get a morning fueled by innovation, and a little bit of magic.

As part of MbTech Week, CGI invites you to a welcoming, interactive breakfast celebrating local innovation and the people shaping it.

Discover the Unicorn Academy, CGI’s innovation ecosystem, through real stories from start-ups and clients who are turning ideas into meaningful impact.

What’s on the menu?

• Breakfast, coffee, and great conversations
• The Unicorn Academy — where ideas meet experience and start-ups meet clients
• Panel discussions with start-ups sharing their journey and clients driving innovation in Manitoba
• An interactive session designed for questions, connections, and collaboration

Whether you’re part of Manitoba’s start-up community, a client exploring innovation, or simply curious about what’s next, come for the breakfast, celebrate Manitoba innovation and leave inspired.

⚠️ Space is limited — please register early

 

Expanding into the U.S. market can feel overwhelming for software startups, but it doesn’t have to be. Join us for an interactive fireside chat designed to help founders and growth leaders move faster with confidence. We’ll break down what trade readiness really means for software companies and share a simple framework to assess your readiness in minutes, not months.

You’ll learn how to identify and close the most common U.S. expansion gaps quickly, balance speed with complexity, and leverage lightweight market research to reduce risk while accelerating decision-making We’ll also highlight practical support options—like IRAP’s Virtual Trade Accelerator from Tech Manitoba and WTC Winnipeg’s advisory services, trade training, and market intelligence —designed to help you scale faster and smarter.

What You’ll Discover:
• How to assess U.S. trade readiness fast using a clear, practical framework
• The four critical readiness areas: market, product, compliance, and go-to-market execution
• Proven strategies to close gaps and build a lean export plan that actually gets used
• When to move fast and when to slow down strategically
• How structured supports can help you expand with fewer mistakes

Key Takeaways:
• Trade readiness is about clarity, not complexity
• Lean, targeted market intelligence accelerates decisions
• A simple export plan beats a long one that gathers dust
• Support programs can help you scale faster and smarter

Presented by Juliano Goulart, Program Manager, Virtual Trade Accelerator by Tech MB | IRAP and Tamir Maharaj, Trade Advisor, World Trade Centre Winnipeg