Schedule and plan your day. Discover key sessions, speakers, and activities to enhance your experience.
Kick off Techskis with a warm welcome (and an even warmer coffee)! Registration is your chance to get the lay of the land, grab your event essentials, and scope out the scene before the action starts. It’s a perfect moment to shake hands, swap stories, and start building connections over a brew. Think of it as your backstage pass to all the magic we have in store—don’t miss it!
TRAIN THE FOUNDER
Think like an athlete. Build like a high performer.
Techskis doesn’t start with tactics.
It starts with capacity.
Just like an elite training day, this opening session is designed to prepare your nervous system, sharpen your mind, and lock you into the right state before the work begins.
Opening + Breathwork: Regulating Before You Perform, with Avery Florence is blending intentional breathing, subtle movement, and live sound to clear mental noise, ground your focus, and energize your body for the day ahead. This is your warm-up. Your reset. Your edge.
Jake Karls is the unapologetic force behind Mid-Day Squares, the breakout functional chocolate brand taking a bite out of the $140B candy industry.
As Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker, Jake has turned authenticity into an unfair advantage building a movement by showing the raw, real, unfiltered reality of entrepreneurship.
From dancing in grocery store aisles to chronicling the emotional rollercoaster of startup life, he's redefined what it means to be a modern business leader. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Jake leads with energy, transparency, and a whole lot of heart. -reminding founders that people don't connect with perfect, they connect with real.
His mantra? Make your story your strategy, and build out loud.
Elite performance doesn’t happen in isolation.
Neither does elite company building.
Founders love to talk about grit, discipline, and execution, but the real edge comes from belonging to something bigger than yourself. Teams. Rooms. Circles where standards are high, honesty is real, and pressure makes you better instead of breaking you.
This session reframes “community” from a soft idea into a hard performance advantage.
We’ll explore why founders who train, think, and build inside the right community:
Make faster, clearer decisions
Recover quicker from setbacks and pressure
Take smarter risks
Stay in the game longer
And consistently outperform equally talented peers
Just like elite athletes, the best founders don’t go it alone.
They belong to environments that demand more, support recovery, and elevate standards every single day.This isn’t about networking.
It’s about performance infrastructure.If you want to operate at your highest level, who you surround yourself with isn’t optional. It’s the multiplier.
What happens when preparation ends and the moment arrives?
In this fireside chat, Canadian Olympian and Paris 2024 competitor Duan Asemota unpacks the mental skills required to perform at the highest level when pressure is immediate, expectations are high, and failure is visible.
From managing nerves on the world’s biggest stage to resetting after setbacks, Duan shares the practical tools he uses to stay focused, composed, and decisive when every second counts.
Guided by Ray Rashed, a former football player who was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and tested for the Canadian Olympic bobsled team before shifting to a career supporting tech founders as a Managing Director at RBCx, this conversation translates elite athletic pressure into actionable insights for founders navigating high-stakes moments in business.
Key Takeaways:
Manage cognitive load and quiet mental noise in high-pressure situations
Regulate emotions before and during critical moments
Prevent decision fatigue when stakes are high and energy is low
Recover quickly from failure without losing confidence or momentum
Founder Lens:
This is for founders preparing for the board meeting, the investor pitch, the product launch, or any moment where performance matters now.
A founder’s story about identity, belonging, and playing the long game
The startup world is obsessed with growth tactics.
Move faster. Scale harder. Do more.
But no one really talks about what that pace does to the person building the company.
In this keynote, James Zhao shares his personal journey as a multi-time founder navigating pressure, isolation, and the mental load that comes with trying to do something that constantly feels impossible.
This isn’t a talk about hacks or frameworks. It’s a real story about:
Identity: how pushing into the uncomfortable and doing things that feel impossible builds real confidence
Community and belonging: where James struggled, why going it alone almost broke him, and how he solved his own problem by building spaces like BuildnChill, team retreats, and Ecom North
Endurance: what it actually takes to stay in the game long-term in a chaotic, overstimulating world
James connects the dots between growth culture and mental fatigue, showing why the traditional playbook quietly drains founders and why endurance, not speed, is the real advantage.
This session is for founders who are tired of pretending the grind doesn’t take a toll and want a more sustainable way to build, lead, and last.
No posturing.
No guru energy.
Just an honest founder story that hits home.
Refuel. Reset. Connect over an unreal culinary experience.
This isn’t a grab-a-plate-and-disappear lunch.This is a full-on reset moment powered by an incredible culinary experience from Food Dudes, designed to fuel both your body and your conversations.
You’ve trained the mind, pushed your thinking, and raised your standards. Now it’s time to eat well, move around, and connect with the people who make Techskis special.
Expect standout food, effortless conversations, spontaneous introductions, and networking that actually feels human. Founders, operators, investors, and builders breaking bread, sharing stories, and forming connections that extend well beyond the room.
No awkward small talk.
No forced pitches.
Just great food, great people, and the right energy.
Refuel properly. Find your people.
Then head into the afternoon ready to perform.
Every meaningful path starts the same way:
with uncertainty.
No guarantees.
No clear finish line.
No applause at the beginning.
In this keynote, world-record endurance athlete Connor Emeny takes you inside what it really means to commit to something before success is visible. Drawing from his journey completing an Ironman on all seven continents, Connor unpacks the mental, emotional, and physical endurance required to keep going when the outcome is unknown and the discomfort is unavoidable.
This isn’t about hype or motivation.
It’s about staying power.
You’ll explore what it takes to choose the harder path on purpose. To sit with uncertainty. To move forward when progress is slow, nonlinear, and invisible to everyone but you. To keep showing up long after the initial excitement fades and the real work begins.
This session is about courage that compounds over time.You’ll learn how to:
Make bold decisions without certainty or external validation
Build endurance for goals that demand sustained effort
Reframe fear and doubt as signals for growth, not stop signs
Stay committed when momentum dips and the finish line feels far away
High performance doesn’t start with more hours or more hustle.
It starts with how well you take care of the system doing the work.
This session brings together fitness coaches, medical professionals, and performance experts to break down the four foundational pillars that elite performers rely on to sustain output, clarity, and resilience over the long term.
This isn’t wellness for wellness’ sake.
This is performance infrastructure.
You’ll explore how movement, recovery, mental health, and physical wellbeing directly impact decision-making, stress tolerance, creativity, and endurance under pressure. When these pillars are neglected, performance degrades quietly. When they’re trained intentionally, everything compounds.
This conversation connects the dots between:
Fitness and energy regulation
Recovery, sleep, and nervous system health
Mental wellbeing and cognitive performance
Preventative health as a long-term performance strategy
You’ll hear practical insights from experts who work with high-performing individuals across sport, medicine, and business, translating science into habits that actually fit real founder and operator lives.
Led by Avery Florence, this guided reset blends intentional breathwork, subtle movement, and live sound to help you drop out of your head and back into your body.
In just a few minutes, you’ll clear mental noise, regulate your nervous system, and reset your energy so you can fully engage with what’s next.
Think of this as a performance recalibration, not a pause.
You’ll leave grounded, focused, and ready to re-enter the day with clarity and momentum.
Breathe in.
Lock in.
Let’s go.
Capital doesn’t win. Endurance does.
In venture, everyone sees the pitch.
Almost no one sees what happens after the check clears.
This session reframes venture success through a different lens: mental endurance. Because the companies that win aren’t always the ones with the best decks, biggest rounds, or loudest narratives. They’re the ones whose founders can absorb pressure, make clear decisions under stress, and stay focused when the timeline stretches far beyond the hype.
We’ll explore how endurance shows up on both sides of the table:
Why founders with mental stamina compound faster over time
How pressure, uncertainty, and long timelines reshape decision quality
What investors actually see when founders are tired, reactive, or overwhelmed
Why resilience is becoming a silent filter in capital allocation
This isn’t about hustle.
It’s about who can perform when the noise fades and the work gets heavy.
Scaling doesn’t fail because of strategy.
It fails because founders break under load.
This panel cuts through the polished growth stories and gets honest about what actually happens when companies scale fast and pressure compounds.
This conversation brings together operators, investors, and builders who’ve seen where founders crack and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
With perspectives from Albert Chen (VC and operator), Ree Kramer (legal and risk), and Cato (growth), the discussion focuses on the moments that matter most:
How decision-making degrades under sustained stress
Where founders most commonly break during scale
Why heroics fail and systems win
How to design structures that protect both the business and the founder
This isn’t about doing less.
It’s about building smarter under pressure.
If you’re scaling a company, thinking about scale, or feeling the weight of growth already, this session replaces vague advice with real-world insight from people who’ve been in the arena.
Scale the company.
Protect the founder.
This is the session where the doors close and the real conversation starts.
No slides.
No filters.
No highlight-reel answers.
In this locker-room–style conversation, Brad May and Kevin Emore go deep on what it actually takes to perform, last, and stay relevant under sustained pressure.
Brad played over 1,000 games in the NHL, not because he was the flashiest player on the ice, but because he understood something most people miss: longevity is a skill. One that’s built through mindset, adaptability, self-awareness, and a deep connection to purpose.
This session isn’t about peak moments.
It’s about staying power.
You’ll hear raw, honest insight on:
How to build longevity into your career, leadership, and identity
Performing when pressure never lets up
Separating who you are from short-term outcomesEvolving without losing yourself
Finding purpose that lasts longer than wins, titles, or external validation
Athletes and founders live in similar worlds: constant evaluation, high expectations, and very little margin for error. This conversation connects those worlds through the lens of endurance, identity, and long-term performance.
This is the talk about what happens after the big moments.
How you keep showing up.
How you stay in the game.
And how you build something that lasts.
Today is about capacity before tactics.
We train the mind.
We challenge comfort.
We raise the standard.
Take the insights.
Recover with intention.
Come back ready to execute.
Day 2 starts strong.
Unwind, connect, and raise a glass to an epic first day! The Welcome Après Evening Event is where the business vibes meet après-ski energy. Think cozy, casual, and packed with opportunities to mingle with fellow game-changers. Share stories, swap ideas, and toast to the magic of Techskis—it’s the perfect way to cap off the day and gear up for what’s next. Cheers to new connections and bold ideas!
Dinner. Drinks. Connection.
And whatever happens next…
Day turns into night, and the vibe shifts.
Great food.
Great drinks.
Even better people.
This is where conversations loosen up, ideas flow, and the night takes on a life of its own. No agenda. No pressure.
Just connection, laughter, and a little bit of chaos in the best way.
Dinner turns into networking.
Networking turns into dancing.
And from there… who knows.
Details coming soon.
Trust us. You’ll want to be there.
While the specific facilitator is yet to be announced, the experience is designed to offer participants a rejuvenating break, promoting relaxation and mental clarity.
Incorporating both cold plunge and sauna sessions can provide numerous health benefits, including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and enhanced recovery. Alternating between hot and cold exposure, known as contrast therapy, has been shown to boost the immune system and elevate mood.
For those interested in exploring this practice further, join Ambassador Jodie from Scandiave Spa and owner of Rooted Woodland Experiences on a Guided wellness adventure through our cold and relaxation circuit. The guided sessions that combine cold plunge, sauna and breathwork to help individuals embrace discomfort and build resilience.
At the upcoming Techskis event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in "The Ultimate Reset: Guided Cold Plunge & Sauna Experience." This wellness activity is scheduled to run throughout the first day, with sessions starting every 30 minutes.
Start your day the Osler way! Join us for a delicious breakfast to kick off your Techskis morning. Whether you’re fueling up for a day of learning, networking, or hitting the slopes, this spread has you covered. It’s the perfect way to energize, connect with fellow attendees, and set the tone for an incredible day ahead. See you bright and early!
Here’s how it works.
Founders pitch their company to a panel, Dragon’s Den–style. It’s fast, direct, and real. You’ll get questions, pushback, and honest reactions. No fluff, no hiding behind slides.
The strongest pitches don’t end there.
The top founders are invited into the lift for extra time with the judges. That’s where things slow down and get more interesting. You go deeper on the business, the thinking, and what actually matters beyond the pitch itself.
It’s less about “selling” and more about having a real conversation with people who’ve built and backed companies before.
If you’re clear, coachable, and can think on your feet, this is where it shows.
It’s intense, but it’s also one of the most valuable experiences at Techskis.
Most founders are optimizing the wrong layer. While everyone's chasing AI and operational efficiency, a growing number of leaders are discovering something else: that consciousness itself is the next competitive moat.
What started as a conversation on a chairlift at last year’s TechSkis has evolved into new ventures, creative collaborations, and a shared mission to explore consciousness as the next frontier of performance.
Marc Champagne and Valentin Randon bridge science, intuition, and mental fitness to reveal how expanding awareness can unlock creativity, clarity, and decisive leadership. As with early AI adoption, we’re at a pivotal moment—those who learn to access higher states of consciousness now will hold a powerful advantage before this becomes the norm.
While the specific facilitator is yet to be announced, the experience is designed to offer participants a rejuvenating break, promoting relaxation and mental clarity.
Incorporating both cold plunge and sauna sessions can provide numerous health benefits, including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and enhanced recovery. Alternating between hot and cold exposure, known as contrast therapy, has been shown to boost the immune system and elevate mood.
For those interested in exploring this practice further, join Ambassador Jodie from Scandiave Spa and owner of Rooted Woodland Experiences on a Guided wellness adventure through our cold and relaxation circuit. The guided sessions that combine cold plunge, sauna and breathwork to help individuals embrace discomfort and build resilience.
At the upcoming Techskis event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in "The Ultimate Reset: Guided Cold Plunge & Sauna Experience." This wellness activity is scheduled to run throughout the first day, with sessions starting every 30 minutes.
Skiing & Snowboarding Lessons
Step outside and get on the mountain.
Whether you’re sharpening your skills or trying something new, these guided skiing and snowboarding sessions are about movement, fresh air, and resetting your energy.
No pressure. Just fun, flow, and the perfect reminder that performance lives beyond the room.
Suit up. Drop in. Reset.
Start the day at the front of the line.
Join an Olympian on the mountain for first tracks, fresh lines, and unfiltered conversation before the world wakes up.
This is about movement, mindset, and momentum, with insights you only get when the lifts are quiet and the air is crisp.
Early rise. First tracks. Serious energy.
Not a full triathlon. Still a serious challenge.
This isn’t about racing.
It’s about going the distance.
The 7 Summits Simulated Triathlon is a multi-discipline challenge designed to push your endurance, focus, and mindset without requiring full triathlon experience. You won’t be swimming, biking, and running an Ironman, but you will be tested in a way that makes you dig deep and keep moving.
This experience is about pacing, mental grit, and staying present when the work adds up. Exactly the skills founders need when the path is long and the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Accessible. Challenging. Addictive.
Slow it down. Warm it up.
Gather around the fire for good conversation, real laughs, and perfectly toasted marshmallows. This is a moment to unwind, connect, and let the day settle in, surrounded by great people and even better energy.
No agenda.
Just fire, sugar, and stories.
NiaHealth is Canada’s leading proactive health program with testing up to 10x more biomarkers than standard checkups, with hyper-personalized human clinician guidance.
Get ahead of your health with detailed preventative health reporting, paired with a personal health action plan for diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
TechSki attendees will have the chance to have a NiaHealth blood drawn onsite on Day 2 with an exclusive discount of up to 42% off their standard program.
Each draw takes less than 15-minutes and you do not need to fast for the draw.
Fire & Flow is an immersive, embodied experience designed to help founders and operators reset their nervous systems, access deeper clarity, and reconnect with the internal energy that drives sustainable performance.
Through guided somatic practices, live drumming, voice, and intuitive movement, Avery Florence and David Stern will lead participants into a state that supports focus, emotional regulation, and creative flow.
Participants will leave with practical, body-based tools they can use to:
Regulate stress and pressure
Restore energy and presence
Unlock creativity and insight
Lead with greater ease and clarity
No movement or embodiment experience required.
Unwind, get creative, and loosen up.
Graffiti & Sip - presented by Prosh Marketing is where art, music, and drinks collide. Grab a drink, pick up a marker or spray can, and let loose with guided graffiti-style art in a laid-back, high-energy setting.
No artistic experience required.
Just good vibes, bold expression, and a chance to create something memorable with the Techskis crew.
Come for the sip.
Stay for the art.
Helmet hair? Sweaty gear? Who cares—it’s all about the connections! Day 2 lunch is your chance to refuel after hitting the slopes and dive into some authentic, no-frills networking. Whether you’re fresh off the mountain or still catching your breath from the trails, this is the perfect time to share stories, swap insights, and bond over the adventure. Because at Techskis, it’s not about how you look—it’s about the ideas and connections you bring to the table.
Andy Mills is a reporter, editor and podcast producer, and co-founder of Longview.
He co-created The Daily at The New York Times and has produced acclaimed documentary series including Rabbit Hole, Caliphate, and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. His most recent series, The Last Invention, explores the AI revolution—from Alan Turing's early dreams to today's fierce debates between accelerationists, doomers, and those seeking to build the technology safely.
A former fundamentalist Christian from Louisiana and Illinois, Mills now champions curiosity, skepticism, and the transformative power of listening to people with different perspectives—values that inform his award-winning journalism spanning politics, terrorism, culture wars, technology and science.
Canada and the world, right now
Entrepreneurship is changing, fast.
Capital is tighter. Timelines are longer. The playbooks that worked five years ago don’t always work anymore. At the same time, new opportunities are opening up for founders who know how to adapt.
This session looks at what’s actually happening in entrepreneurship in Canada and globally, without hype and without doom. We’ll talk honestly about where things are harder, where founders are finding leverage, and how the landscape is shifting across capital, talent, and growth.
It’s not about predictions or buzzwords.
It’s about context.
If you’re building in Canada, thinking about going global, or just trying to understand the environment you’re operating in, this session helps you zoom out, get your bearings, and make better decisions going forward.
Clear picture.
Real talk.
No spin.
Reflections to conclude our event, we will take a few moments to synthesize and reflect on an amazing event. This is a dedicated space to share final insights, revisit "aha" moments.
We’ve covered ground.
Now we raise a glass.
Join us for closing drinks and relaxed networking to wrap up Techskis. This is the moment to reconnect with the people you met, continue the conversations that mattered, and celebrate everything we just experienced together.
No rush.
No pressure.
Just great people, good drinks, and a proper send-off.
Finish strong.
Our event includes keynote speeches from top industry leaders, interactive workshops, engaging panel discussions, and live tech demos. Additionally, there will be extensive networking opportunities to connect with other professionals.
The dress code is casual and ski-friendly—come ready to crush the slopes and transition seamlessly into a relaxed après-ski vibe.
On-site registration will not be available. Please ensure you purchase your tickets online in advance to secure your spot at luma.com/techskisV2
Please refer to our agenda to get more information on the schedule.
Your ticket includes:
Access to the two-day summit
Lunch on Day 1
Breakfast and Lunch on Day 2
your ski lift pass for Day 2
engaging programming across two days featuring speakers and workshops focused on peak performance.
Please note, your summit ticket does not include: accommodations, transportation, evening meals and ski equipment rentals.
Not as of right now. Currently every individual will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Osler Bluffs Ski Club. Once in Collingwood, ubers are prominently available to get you to and from Osler Bluffs Ski Club. We may be offering a cost-effective group transportation method closer to the date of the Summit should there be enough interest.
Olympic and professional high performance mindsets and how ew can adapt them for tech and business to level up attendees.
Most of the programming is immersive and on-site. We will try to make resources available post summit where relevant.
Please refer to the agenda and event schedule.
You are welcome to extend your stay and do some additional skiing after Wednesday. However, no additional time is allocated for recreational skiing in the agenda.
Start up founders, investors, innovators, entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem
Yes please refer to agenda and summit schedule.
Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming events!
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please ensure your availability before purchasing. We appreciate your understanding here.
Yes, there are several hotels and accommodations in Collingwood and the Blue Mountain Village.
We recommend booking early to secure the best rates and proximity to the venue.
Please feel free to book your stay at our preferred hotel partners using our exclusive Techskis booking code at:
Georgian Bay Hotel - (Official Partner)
Blue Mountain Inn
Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain
Yes, we may be accepting volunteers to help with various aspects of the event based on event experience. If you're interested, please contact info@techskis.com
Lunch on Day 1 and breakfast and lunch on Day 2 are included.
Registration for Day One of the Summit opens at 8:00 AM, followed by the welcome and then kickoff keynote at 9:30 PM sharp.
We will provide all conference participants with a recommended packing list, focusing on essentials for a ski trip or weekend getaway—nothing beyond the usual items!
On-site rentals will be available, but you’re welcome to bring and use your own ski gear if you have it!
Yes. Refer to agenda for summit rundown.
There will be a ski run for all participants of various levels.
Yes. We will have some folks on site to support with lessons and will release a sign up form closer to the event.
Osler Bluffs Ski Club offers a variety of outdoor activities for those seeking a more leisurely winter experience. Explore the scenic trails on snowshoes or cross-country skis, or challenge yourself with the exhilarating sport of skinning. These activities provide a unique and peaceful way to connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of the winter landscape.
We’ll also have fun activities for folks who wish to stay in-doors on the Wednesday due to any circumstances!
There will be an optional dinner available for guests on day 1 for an additional charge, however, you are free to use your evenings as you please.
