134th Annual Dinner Celebrates "Dare to Lead" with Distinguished Speakers: Protexxa’s Claudette McGowan and Xanadu’s Christian Weedbrook

'Toronto Talks' – Bright, Bold, Brief!

The event will depart from the traditional keynote format, adopting a fast-paced forum featuring brief, insightful, engaging Toronto Talks from three exceptional speakers who Dare to Lead.

Christian Weedbrook, CEO of Xanadu

Christian Weedbrook, the founder of Xanadu, a Toronto-based quantum computing company, will take the stage to share Xanadu’s journey—from the Creative Disruption innovator lab at UofT to becoming a computational powerhouse. Xanadu’s groundbreaking work in building photonic quantum computers has positioned them as one of the few teams worldwide to achieve the feat of building a quantum computer capable of outperforming the world’s fastest available classical supercomputers. This feat, known as quantum computational advantage is part of Xanadu’s remarkable progress, which has impressed governments and potential partners but also captured investor imagination, so far raising $250M.

Claudette McGowan, CEO, Protexxa and co-founder, Firehood Ltd.

Claudette McGowan, an influential figure in the Canadian innovation ecosystem, assumes the role of the evening’s 'Influencer.' As CEO of Protexxa, she leads a mission to make cybersecurity accessible to everyone. McGowan's dedication to driving change is evident. As the founder of the Black Arts & Innovation Expo and Chair of the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), she has displayed her commitment to creating a healthier and more inclusive tech environment in the Toronto Region. Recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians by Toronto Life, McGowan has received honors from many of Canada’s top institutions, solidifying her as a beacon of leadership and innovation.

‘The Influencer' segment celebrates a game-changing leader whose impact on the region has been nothing short of extraordinary. Stay tuned for the final speaker announcement!