BCCC PowerTech Roundtable 2026
Event Overview
Canada and Brazil share strong innovation ecosystems and growing opportunities for collaboration across technology, research and entrepreneurship.
The BCCC PowerTech Roundtable 2026 brings together senior leaders from government, academia and industry to explore how the two countries can further strengthen bilateral ties in applied research, technology commercialization, talent integration and intellectual property governance.
Hosted during Toronto Tech Week at Toronto Metropolitan University, this executive-level dialogue will focus on practical pathways for cross-border expansion, nearshore innovation and strategic market diversification.
Agenda
11:00 – 11:30 | Registration & Networking
11:30 – 11:40 | Opening Remarks
Alexandre Piana, Deputy Consul, Consulate General of Brazil in Toronto
Marcelo Sarkis, Co-Chair of the BCCC IST Committee and Senior Patent Agent & Founder, PrimaIP
Peter Hawkins, Co-Chair of the BCCC and SVP & Managing Director, MELLOHAWK Logistics
Raquel Boechat, Board Director & Co-Chair, IST Committee, BCCC and Founder & CEO, Canada StartHub
Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President Academic, Toronto Metropolitan University
11:40 - 12:10 | Block 1: Applied Research & Co-Development
Andre Bezerra - International Delivery Manager, Instituto Atlantico
Ashnie Badal - Business Development and Commercialization Manager at Ontario Centre of Innovation
Cupertino Freitas - International Business Manager, Instituto Atlântico
Dr. Fereydoon Diba, Ph.D., P.Eng., PMP, FEC - Director and Principal Researcher at Fleming College Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT)
Dr. Ted Hewitt - Professor, Department of Sociology, Western University
Paul Hacking - Senior Manager, Science Discovery Zone
Tarek Sadek - Executive Director, Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (TMU) | Ontario Hub Lead, Lab2Market
Vinicius Morandi, Trade and Growth Programs Manager Toronto Regional Board of Trade - World Trade Centre
12:10 - 12:40 | Block 2: Bilateral Expansion & Market Diversification
Matt Switzer - Director, Investment Attraction, Americas - Toronto Global
Albert Schilling Gomes - Commercial Director, Instituto Atlantico
Alexandra Ali-Dib - Global Programs Manager DMZ, TMU
Andre Bezerra - International Delivery Manager, Instituto Atlantico
Darryl Julott - Director of Economic Development for the City of Peterborough
Greg McNab, Partner at Dentons
Henrique Bilbao - CEO - PlayMove Canada
Inês Gomes -Founding Co-Chair and now Co-Chair Emeritus, Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) – Ottawa Chapter
Munazzah Majoka - Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Sonia Mirbaha - Advisor, SMB Legal Advisors
Susan Baka - Bay Communications & Marketing Inc. and Co-President & VP-International, Organization of Women in International Trade-Toronto and Co-VP, Chapter Support, OWIT-International
Vinicius Morandi, Trade and Growth Programs Manager Toronto Region Board of Trade, World Trade Centre
12:40 - 12:50 | Break
12:50 - 1:20 | Block 3: Bilateral Talent & Strategic Collaboration
Anatoly Dobrovinsky - Founder, Supernova Technology
André Bezerra - International Delivery Manager, Instituto Atlantico
Cupertino - International Business Manager, Instituto Atlântico
Irina Maimust - Founder and Principal Lawyer, Esteri Law
Jesus Venegas, MEng. - Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT).
Kevin Stover - Co-founder, MONIFI
Sri Krishnan - Dean of Engineering, TMU
Susan Baka - Bay Communications & Marketing Inc. and Co-President & VP-International, Organization of Women in International Trade-Toronto and Co-VP, Chapter Support, OWIT-International
Tarek Sadek - Executive Director, Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (TMU) | Ontario Hub Lead, Lab2Market
Ted Hewitt - Professor, Department of Sociology, Western University
1:20 - 1:50 | Block 4: Intellectual Property & Responsible Innovation Governance
Abdi Aidid - Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice
Albert Schilling - Commercial Director, Instituto Atlântico
Beatrice Sze, P. Eng., J.D. - Acting Manager of CIPO’s Intellectual Property Advisors within the Education & Awareness group at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
Jennifer MacInnis - General Counsel at Ontario Tech University
Kevin Stover - Co-founder, MONIFI
Marcelo Sarkis - Co-Chair of the BCCC IST Committee
Tarek Sadek - Director of Innovation Boost Zone, TMU
Victor Castro - Principal Software Engineer, Instituto Atlântico
1:50 – 2:20 | Open Discussion
2:20 – 2:30 | Closing Remarks
2:30 – 3:00 | NetworkingAttendees
This event welcomes professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and institutions from the Technology and Education sectors, as well as organizations whose business activities connect with innovation, digital transformation, talent development, research, or international collaboration.
It is also an excellent opportunity for those interested in learning more about how the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) is helping strengthen the bilateral innovation and education ecosystem between Brazil and Canada.
Organizer
Promoted by the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), and supported by Toronto Metropolitan University, Science Discovery Zone, Canada Starthub and Prima IP, the roundtable is designed to foster meaningful executive dialogue and strengthen long-term bilateral alignment.
Registrations
Apply now to attend the event as an Observer. Attendance is curated to ensure a high-level, focused exchange.
Toronto Tech Week
Toronto Tech Week is a citywide celebration of the people building what’s next. From May 25–29, 2026, founders, investors, and builders come together for hundreds of community-led events across Toronto, connecting tens of thousands of people around Canadian tech. Torontotechweek.com.