A Holiday Evening on AI: What Worked in 2026, and What's Next
Every organization we talk to spent this year trying something with AI. Some of it paid off, and plenty of it didn't. Before the holidays, join us for an evening of food, drinks, and straight talk about which was which, and what comes next.
Whether this is your first AI Open House or your fifth, we're inviting everyone back to wrap up the year together and meet peers from financial services, retail, technology, professional services, and beyond. Complimentary food and drinks will be served.
We'll start with a short presentation, drawn from our client work, on what separated the AI projects that delivered from the ones that stalled, and what we expect in 2027. Then a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A, with plenty of time to keep the conversation going over drinks.
Agenda
4:00 PM: Doors open
4:30 PM: Welcome and AI in 2026. What separated the AI projects that delivered from the ones that stalled, and our predictions for 2027.
5:00 PM: Moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A. Where AI is headed, where the hype is ahead of reality, and what to do about it. Bring your questions.
5:45 PM: Networking reception. Food, plus alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
7:30 PM: Wrap-up
You'll leave with
A one-page checklist of questions to ask before funding an AI project in 2027.
Perfect for
Business and technology leaders, and the teams they work with, in any industry.
Our speakers and panelists
Rahul Raina, VP Business Development, Celestial Systems
Rahul Raina has spent more than 15 years at Celestial Systems helping Fortune 100, mid-market, and growth-stage organizations build and run mission-critical applications in the cloud. He works with leadership teams on moving AI from promising pilots into production, embedded in the applications and workflows they already run, and has helped lead Celestial’s own transformation into an AI-native services company. Previously, he served as President of Antrix Technologies, running a dedicated offshore software development centre through its acquisition by NICE in 2021.
Michael Ryan, PhD, C. Ped (C), VP Brand & Innovation, Kintec
Michael Ryan works where sports medicine, epidemiology and the factory floor meet, pulling a centuries-old craft into the digital age. At Kintec, he has led the company’s move into 3D printing and CAD-driven design engineering. His latest work is an industry first: an automated orthotic shell platform that deliberately runs against convention. Where the field has long treated more design variables as better care, Michael is stripping out degrees of freedom and complexity to build elegant operational workflows that remain clinically effective. Equally at home with clinicians, engineers, boardrooms and retail teams, he knows the hardest part of innovation is usually the translation, not the technology. At this session, Michael will share what it takes to move AI and advanced manufacturing from compelling prototype to everyday production. He’ll also explain why bringing your people along matters as much as the tools.
Trevor Palmquist, Strategic Advisor - FSI Consultant
Trevor has spent two decades working inside private debt and capital markets, raising capital across Canada, the US, and the Middle East, and watching deals move at the speed of whoever had the fastest process. At this session, Trevor will walk through where AI is actually compressing timelines in production environments, what separates real capability from demo-ware, and how financial institutions can build the internal case for adoption without overhauling their culture.
Our moderator
Cyril Kowaliski, Head of Marketing, Celestial Systems
Cyril has spent over 20 years on different sides of the technology industry. He began his career as a technology reporter, chasing breaking stories and putting the latest products through their paces, before moving into marketing, where he worked in-house at global companies like Intel and ASUS, launched a sports wearable startup, and led strategy for tech, finance, and consumer goods clients at agencies. Today, he leads marketing at Celestial Systems.