May 12, 2026
Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations / Vancouver, B.C.
Today, Vancity and Frontier Collective are welcoming innovators, founders and global leaders to the second annual Vancity Innovation House, a curated one-day event during Web Summit Vancouver that brings together local and international voices for panels, fireside chats and networking focused on the future of technology, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth. Building on its 2025 debut—which attracted more than 2,700 attendees and speakers from organizations including Google, Grammarly and the United Nations—the event has quickly become one of the most talked-about gatherings of Web Summit week.
“Vancity Innovation House is about bringing the right people into the room to have the conversations that actually move things forward,” said Tim Skelley, Director of Innovation at Vancity. “As a values-based financial co-operative, we believe innovation should be grounded in community impact. This event creates space for founders, investors and leaders to connect around ideas that can build a more inclusive, sustainable economy.”
Co-presented by Frontier Collective, the event is intentionally designed as a complementary space to the scale of Web Summit, offering a more focused environment where founders and decision-makers can exchange ideas and build meaningful relationships.
Programming throughout the day explores some of the most pressing questions shaping today’s economy including the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence to how capital flows through Canada’s innovation ecosystem. Panels and discussions feature a mix of global voices and local leaders, including Vancity participants such as Newsha Siouffi, Chief Strategy Officer, in a fireside chat on values and the business of doing good; Gurpreet Jhaj, Vice-President, Marketing, moderating a panel on artificial intelligence; and Judith Bosire, Chief Economist, speaking on navigating a chaotic economy, alongside experts working across sectors such as AI, climate technology, advanced computing and inclusive technology.
A highlight of the event is the Vancity Innovation House Pitch Competition, where 10 early-stage Canadian startups compete live on stage for $20,000 in non-dilutive funding. The competition reflects Vancity’s ongoing commitment to supporting entrepreneurs who are tackling complex challenges and building solutions with real-world impact.
By supporting spaces where ideas, capital and talent intersect, Vancity is helping to shape a more resilient and inclusive innovation ecosystem in British Columbia and beyond.
Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its 588,000 member-owners and their communities, with offices and more than 60 branches located in Metro Vancouver and Squamish, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, the Vancouver and Gulf Islands and Alert Bay, within the territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw Peoples. With $41 billion in assets plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada's largest credit union. Vancity uses its assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while at the same time helping to develop healthy communities that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
