A key figure in the entertainment industry in Canada, Nick Farkas has been working in the field of concert programming and production in Montreal for more than 30 years. He made his debut in the late 1980s by working with artists from the punk and metal scenes, before co-founding Greenland Productions in 1993.

In 1997, he was recruited by the legendary Montreal promoter Donald K. Donald. Over the next five years, he accompanied the evolution of the company through several major transformations, moving from DKD to DKD/Universal, then to Universal Concerts Canada and finally to House of Blues Concerts Canada.

For more than two decades, Nick has led the Programming, Concerts and Events division, formerly Gillett Entertainment Group. Under his direction, the company presents more than 1,600 shows annually in an extensive network of venues and broadcast sites, ranging from independent venues to arenas and major outdoor events, in Montreal, throughout Quebec, in the Atlantic provinces and in Vermont.

He also supervises all festivals produced by evenko, including OSHEAGA, îLESONIQ, LASSO Montréal, Fuego Fuego, Heavy Montréal and ’77, which contribute to the influence of Montreal as a leading cultural destination.

Recognized for his leadership in the live music industry, Nick Farkas is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Live Music Association. He also sits on the boards of directors of the Evenko Foundation, Goal Initiative and REMI (Grouping of Major Events

As vice-president of the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) at TELUS, Alexandre leads the AI Accelerator composed of more than 120 professionals from the Office of the Head of Information, responsible for guiding the company’s AI transformation strategy.

This team guides the company’s AI transformation strategy by adopting a strategic consulting approach. She works closely with the leaders of TELUS Business, Consumer Solutions, Digital, Health, Agriculture and Consumer Goods and the Office of the Head of Technology Services to modernize business operations and generate practical and measurable value through applied, generative and agent AI.

Under his leadership, the AI Accelerator grew remarkably, from 15 to more than 120 people and generating more than $100 million in value

Annual commercial, validated by A/B tests and approved by managers. The team is distinguished by a turnover rate of less than 10% in a market where the industry average exceeds 28%, and reached a commitment score of 97%. With 15 years of experience in technology, Alexandre has a solid background in software engineering, machine learning and entrepreneurship. Since his arrival at TELUS in 2018, he has gradually climbed the ranks, starting as

Machine learning engineer before becoming director and then head of artificial intelligence. Previously, he co-founded Iknowvations Technology, where he

Held the position of director of technology, and was a partner at C3pH. His approach to leadership is based on results-oriented thinking,

Expanding access to technology and creating a culture that promotes innovation and calculated risk-taking. A recognized speaker in applied AI leadership, he presented at AI4 Las Vegas, AI4Canada by Technation and participated in industry podcasts such as CAIO Connect. He holds an MBA in business administration from HEC Montréal and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. Deeply committed to TELUS’ mission to give where we live, Alexandre actively supports his local technology community as a volunteer at the Creative Destruction Lab in Montreal. He sits on the steering committee of the AI Research Hub in partnership with the University of São Paulo and previously served as an observer on the board of directors of Mona Labs. Alexandre lives in Montreal.

Thomas Payette graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada’s production program. He co-founded mirari in 2015, a multidisciplinary creative studio that creates and produces immersive experiences. Thomas has led the creation of several immersive projects, interactive installations and large-scale projects including the Canadian Pavilion at the Osaka Universal Exhibition in 2025, in addition to collaborating with internationally renowned creators such as Robert Lepage. Recently, Thomas and the Mirari team have been developing many sensory and immersive experience projects for the event, hospitality and wellness world.

Thomas is a member of the board of directors of XN Quebec and also a teacher at the National Theatre School of Canada.

Artist and researcher working at the intersection of living and media arts, as well as artificial intelligence technologies, Marine Theunissen holds a master’s degree in theatrical and cinematographic play (ESACT, Belgium, 2009) and a master’s degree in information and communication (ULG, Belgium, 2012) and a doctorate in arts studies and practices (UQAM, Montreal, 2025). She co-founded the LABORARE collective with interdisciplinary artist Raph Dely after several years of interdisciplinary artistic collaboration. She is also a regular assistant professor in the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of Moncton (New Brunswick), in interpretation and directing.

Trained in research and creation, her work develops mainly around on-stage technologies and new forms of narrative as well as the transformations for performers that their presence allows or generates. His artistic and academic activities in recent years have been dedicated to the partnership between humans and non-humans (technologies) in the context of interpretation and the development of acting in fields other than cinema or theater, including technology. Working with collaborators from various disciplines, its creative teams bring together algorithmists, interactive designers, composers and performers around interdisciplinary projects.

During her doctoral studies, she collaborated with the international research-creation network HEXAGRAM, the L.A.V.I. (dance department of UQAM), the research group Interartistic Practises & Contemporary Scenes (PRint), the Interdisciplinary research group in Living Arts (G.R.I.A.V.). Currently, she collaborates with the Strategic Research Chair in Multimedia and Electroacoustic Music Creation directed by Jason Noble.

Jérôme Monceaux is a French entrepreneur in the field of robotics, known for having designed and deployed robots on a large scale to interact with the public, as well as experiments combining utility and enchantment. He advocates a fluid integration of technology into daily life, in the service of improving the human experience.

He is the founder and CEO of Enchanted Tools, creator of the Mirokaï. These robot-characters are designed to provide on-site assistance in care environments, guiding and reassuring patients and residents, while independently taking charge of small logistical tasks to support teams.

Co-founder of Aldebaran Robotics, acquired by SoftBank Robotics, Jérôme Monceaux helped bring Pepper and NAO to market, among the first humanoid robots widely adopted. These robots have gained international recognition for their ability to interact with people in educational, therapeutic and commercial contexts. Their work has contributed to changing the standards of robot-assisted social interaction. Driven by the desire to create more empathetic human-machine interactions, he also founded SPooN, a software company combining AI-generated languages and 3D avatars. Jérôme Monceaux has been at the forefront for several years in the development of robots capable not only of performing functional tasks, but also of creating emotional and social links with their users, making technology more accessible and better adapted to everyday environments.

A regular lecturer on robotics, artificial intelligence and product design, Jérôme speaks at major events dedicated to technology and innovation. He also regularly lectures at schools and universities in Europe and the United States, where he shares lessons learned from the deployment of large-scale robotic solutions.

Leader of the Data and Artificial Intelligence practice at KPMG in Quebec and a key contributor to the national AI strategy, David Marotte has a strong experience in technology, data, advanced analysis and artificial intelligence. He leads initiatives spanning the entire AI value chain, from strategy and governance to risk management, talent transformation and the implementation of technological solutions in the enterprise.

Recognized for his ability to support management teams and boards of directors, he designs and conducts executive training and strategic sessions in artificial intelligence, including generative AI. Prior to taking the leadership of AI practice at KPMG, he led national mergers and acquisitions as well as technology investment initiatives.

A serial entrepreneur and investor, David has more than 25 years of experience in information technology and leadership in various sectors. Co-founder of FXinnovation, which he started in 2002 in a garage, he led the company to more than 650 employees and $90 million in revenue, with a presence in Canada and Africa. Under his leadership, the company has developed cutting-edge practices in ServiceNow, Microsoft Azure and AWS, and delivered national projects.

Since his release, he has sat on several advisory boards and invests in various companies. This double perspective, strategic consulting and operational experience, allows it to offer a pragmatic, concrete and results-oriented approach, adapted to the real challenges of leaders and organizations.

Vicky Boudreau is co-founder and CEO of Heylist, a technology platform that transforms the way brands collaborate with content creators. With more than 15 years of experience in communications and entrepreneurship, especially at the head of its first company, the public relations and marketing agency bicom, it is distinguished by its ability to bridge the bridge between innovation, influence and impact.

A dynamic and committed to the place of women in business, Vicky leverages her strategic vision and in-depth knowledge of the industry to reflect on the evolution of marketing, the creative economy and new ways of building trusted relationships between brands, creators and communities.

Jahel Côté, MDM, B. Des., Lecturer, Planning, architecture, art and design – School of design, Université Laval

Jahel Côté is a product designer and lecturer at the École de design de l’Université Laval, where he teaches technology and design. Holder of a master’s degree in design with a thesis, he was first creative director in retail for almost ten years. His research interests focus on the integration of generative AI in design and on the issues of agency and intentionality it raises.