Welcome to our first TEDxCalgary Salon for 2026... The Quest for Scale!

When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 4 p.m to 8 p.m. (includes post-event social, if attending)

Where: The Ampersand Conference Centre | 140 - 4 Avenue SW, Upper Level

Click here to buy tickets for the event!

In today's world, scale is key... from ideas to the products and services that may be derived from them, they need to scale to a point of gravity and momentum in order to be noticed and become part of our shared ideas space.

We're featuring four individuals that won ScaleUp Week awards in 2025, as each symbolizes an important idea baked within their scaling journey. That the outcome was scale is important, but we're focusing on the idea behind the business or initiative!

Meet the speakers...

Dr. Anmol Kapoor | BioAro - Rising Star ScaleUP of the Year

Same-day genome insights that shift care from reactive to proactive.

Jennifer Massig, P.Eng. | MAGNA Engineering - Women-Led ScaleUP of the Year

Nature-based water infrastructure that scales people, planet, and profit.

John Evans | EverLine Coatings & Services - Sustainable ScaleUP of the Year

Franchising IP and playbooks at scale while keeping unit economics healthy.

Wade (Tyler) Eno | ONSITE3D - BIPOC ScaleUP of the Year

Robotics and digital twins that move construction work upstream and off-site.

Carolyn Stern - Emcee and Facillitator

Carolyn Stern is a certified Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development Expert, award-winning author, professional speaker, and university professor. Carolyn’s emotional intelligence courses and modules have been adopted by top universities in North America. Learn more about Carolyn

Click here to buy tickets for the event!

What is a Salon event?

In the TEDx licencing system, a Salon is a smaller, more intimate 75-150 person event with a maximum of 4 live speakers whose talks are being recorded, as is the format for this Salon event.

The term "Salon" takes its name from the famous salons held during the Enlightenment, with particular relevance from the 1700s to mid-1800s. Salons were a focus of learning and debate, full of deep conversation and new connections among participants, and personified by civility of debate and shared curiosity. Most often they were curated and moderated by powerful women in society who otherwise couldn't participate in some of the vibrant scientific, artistic, and philosophical forums of the time.

Our TEDxCalgary Salons follow those principles, with the speaker talks sparking our shared curiosity and giving us ample material to focus on for our structured small group discussions after the talks are delivered. Be prepared to participate and share YOUR own ideas!

TEDxCalgary recognizes that true mastery and creativity can only be achieved when we cultivate an environment that celebrates the diverse perspectives and unique abilities of all participants.

Through intentional design and a steadfast commitment to accessibility, TEDxCalgary invites each participant to contribute their authentic voice, confident that their unique contributions will be welcomed and amplified.

By embodying the guiding principle of pluralism, this year's event will provide a seamless, inclusive experience that empowers neurodiverse individuals, accommodates sensory needs, and fosters a sense of belonging — unlocking the flow state where innovation and breakthrough thinking can thrive.

Diversity + Inclusion = Belonging

● Diversity is a Fact - Inclusion is a Choice. Belonging is an Outcome.
● To create a space where everyone feels they belong, we must consider what contributes to the well-being of our participants. This requires understanding the different needs of different diversity groups.
● Diversity comes in many forms.
● Inclusive events benefit everyone by allowing all participants to engage fully and feel welcomed.

Here are some examples of groups that will be positively impacted by the accommodations we have included in this year’s event:

○ Neurodivergent Individuals
○ Non-First English Language Speakers
○ Deaf or Hard of Hearing Individuals
○ People with Physical Disabilities (Visible or Invisible)
○ Individuals with Sensory Processing Disorders
○ Individuals with Mental Health Disorders
○ Individuals who benefit from taking in information utilizing multiple learning styles
○ People of all age groups
○ TEDxCalgary Team in expanding our understanding of inclusivity

Our Accommodations and Sensory Support

1. Registration desks will have:

• QR Code for access to agenda, map & accommodation details on personal devices
• Ear plugs (we encourage you to bring your own favourite brand, but will have spares available)
• Stickers for folks who want to identify their:

○      Pronoun preferences

○      Support buddies

○      Need for a break from social interaction

2. Sensory Support Desk with a couple of Volunteers working to support folks with extra services like:

○      For a tour of the sensory spaces

○      For support requests

○      To ask questions

○      For a Sensory Buddy

○      For a printed agenda with map

3. Quiet Room with self-regulation tools, and activities for people who need a quiet space to retreat.

4. Sensory Friendly Food Table outside of the Quiet room for folks who struggle with Grab & Go food stations, or eating while standing and/or talking to others.

As an organizing team, we celebrate the amazing support shown to us by the entire Aspen Properties team as a Visionary level partner. Our home base is in The Ampersand, which is an inspired re-imagining of an iconic Calgary office complex from the early 1980s that is now a world-class destination exemplifying a modern approach to working in community.

To show our thanks, we have a special set of discounted tickets for all tenants of The Ampersand and other Aspen Properties buildings across the city... we're neighbours and friends!

Note: We request information on what company or organization you work with within the Aspen Properties portfolio, but providing this information is optional.

Don't they always say a picture is worth a thousand words?

Our photographic team captured an amazing variety of stunning images that show the dynamic nature of our event, and we're grateful for their efforts through a long day!

If you have an image from our Flickr album that you like and want to share, please go ahead and download it. All photos are posted and shared under a Creative Commons "Attribution - NonCommercial - NonDerivative" licence (see link here). We ask that you give the photographer(s) in question a credit in your post or in any other use (that's the "Attribution" part). And, if you're ever looking for photographic services, please consider one of our photography team!

Audio-Visual Team

The team at Alberta Bass provided our audio-visual (A/V) throughout the 2024 "FLOW: Connecting the Dots" event, and provided superb support. Consider them for your next event!

About our Creative Commons licence

Ideas should be shared far and wide, and we support Creative Commons licencing to ensure that this happens with appropriate respect for the creative genius of those who are doing the creative part!

Learn more about our BY-NC-ND licence...