Founder Action Table: September Session
About this Event
Founder Action Table
Pitch Your Problem. Leave With Solutions.
📅 Thursday, September 17th
🕕 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Platform Calgary, Classroom 1
🎟 Limited Capacity | Curated Room | High-Impact Conversations
What Is the Founder Action Table?
The Founder Action Table is a collaborative forum designed to strengthen Calgary’s innovation ecosystem by shifting from traditional pitching to real-time problem solving.
Instead of pitching your company for investment or sales, selected founders pitch their biggest current barrier and the room responds with actionable support, connections, and navigation.
This is not a networking mixer.
This is not a demo day.
This is structured, founder-first problem solving.
The goal: build a more connected, efficient, and founder-centric ecosystem through direct, constructive collaboration.
Two Ways to Participate
1️⃣ Apply as a Featured Founder (Present Your Challenge)
Are you a founder facing a real barrier right now?
Selected founders will:
- Deliver a 5-minute “problem pitch” (not a sales pitch)
- Share one specific, pressing challenge
- Receive live insights, resources, and warm introductions
- Have feedback captured and shared post-event
Presenting founders must submit an application form to be considered.
We will select up to 10 founders based on:
- Diversity of stage and sector
- Clarity of challenge
- Opportunity for meaningful ecosystem collaboration
👉 Apply here: https://wkf.ms/4sEwQXI
Application Deadline: Friday, August 28th
If selected, you’ll receive support preparing your pitch and a summary of insights after the event. Participants will hear back from us by Friday, September 4th.
2️⃣ General Admission (Audience + Contributors)
Not presenting? Join as part of the Action Table.
As an ecosystem partner, advisor, founder, service provider, or community member, you will:
- Offer specific connections and resources
- Provide tactical, actionable advice
- Help remove real barriers for Calgary founders
- Build meaningful, solution-focused relationships
This is active participation, not passive listening.
Reverse Pitch (5 Minutes Per Founder)
Founders pitch their challenge — not their company.
Action Table Response
Immediately after each pitch, the room offers:
- Named connections
- Specific programs or resources
- Tactical next steps
- Warm introductions
Real-Time Navigation
The focus is eliminating friction and reducing the complexity of navigating the ecosystem alone
Who Should Attend?
- Early-stage founders
- Growth-stage founders
- Scale-ups
- Innovation-driven entrepreneurs
- Service providers
- Post-secondary representatives
- Funders & ecosystem partners
We are intentionally keeping this event small (50 total attendees) to ensure depth, focus, and high-quality engagement
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Arrival & Networking
🕑: 05:30 PM - 05:45 PM
Welcome + Purpose
🕑: 05:45 PM - 06:45 PM
Founder Round 1
🕑: 06:45 PM - 07:00 PM
Break
🕑: 07:00 PM - 07:45 PM
Founder Round 2
🕑: 07:45 PM - 08:00 PM
Closing + Next Steps
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 0.00
