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Two prominent Calgary voices join international voices like Margaret Atwood and Lord David Cameron, Tyler Cowen at the September 28–29 summit
CALGARY, AB – September 2, 2026: Energy Disruptors: UNITE has announced two more prominent Canadian leaders joining its 2026 summit: celebrated entrepreneur and venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson and Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.
Taking place September 28–29 at Calgary’s BMO Centre, Energy Disruptors: UNITE will bring together thousands of founders, investors, policymakers, executives, entrepreneurs and innovators for two days of provocative conversations about energy, technology, economic competitiveness, leadership and the forces shaping Canada and the world.
The two newly announced speakers bring distinctly Calgary perspectives to a global stage, adding voices rooted in entrepreneurship, investment, civic leadership and community building to a lineup designed to challenge conventional thinking about what comes next.
Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most recognized entrepreneurs and business leaders. She is the Founder and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund investing in innovative companies in the food and beverage and health and wellness sectors. A three-time bestselling author, philanthropist and longtime Venture Capitalist on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Dickinson has spent decades helping entrepreneurs turn ambitious ideas into successful businesses. Her many honours include induction into the Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame and Marketing Hall of Legends, recognition in Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Awards.
At Energy Disruptors: UNITE, Dickinson will bring a Canadian entrepreneurial lens to conversations around innovation, investment, leadership and what it takes to build and scale companies in a rapidly changing economic environment.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas, Calgary’s 38th mayor, will bring the perspective of the city hosting the global summit and one of the world’s most significant energy centres. Born and raised in East Calgary, Farkas was first elected to Calgary City Council in 2017, becoming one of the city’s youngest councillors. He went on to serve as a non-profit director, community volunteer and CEO of the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation before being elected mayor in 2025.
His appearance comes as Calgary navigates a period of significant growth and transformation, and as cities increasingly find themselves at the centre of conversations around infrastructure, investment, affordability, talent and economic competitiveness.
“There is a reason this event is held in Calgary. Calgary has always been a city built by people willing to take risks, solve hard problems and think bigger about what’s possible,” said Graeme Edge, Co-Founder & CEO of Energy Disruptors: UNITE. “Arlene and Mayor Farkas represent two different parts of that story: one through entrepreneurship, investment and building companies, and the other through civic leadership and building a city. We’re incredibly proud to welcome both of them to the UNITE stage in their hometown.”
Dickinson and Farkas join an expanding lineup of global thinkers, leaders and innovators coming to Calgary for Energy Disruptors: UNITE 2026.
Previously announced featured speakers include:
- Margaret Atwood, one of Canada’s most celebrated authors and public intellectuals, whose work has spent decades exploring the intersection of technology, power, democracy, human behaviour, environmental stewardship and societal change.
- Lord David Cameron, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who will bring lessons from leading through periods of economic uncertainty, political polarization and complex questions around energy security, competitiveness and national unity.
- Tyler Cowen, one of the world’s most influential economists and public intellectuals, whose work examines innovation, artificial intelligence, productivity, economic growth and the increasingly important relationship between AI and access to abundant, reliable and affordable energy.
A full lineup of speakers is available at EnergyDisruptors.com/speakers.
Together, the growing lineup reflects the premise at the heart of Energy Disruptors: UNITE: that the future of energy cannot be separated from the broader forces reshaping economies and societies, including technology, geopolitics, entrepreneurship, public policy, infrastructure, human behaviour and leadership.
Energy Disruptors: UNITE is an award-winning event that convenes founders, investors, policymakers, executives, entrepreneurs, and innovators to explore one of the defining questions of our time: how do we build energy systems that are resilient, competitive, secure, and capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly changing world?
Hosted in Calgary, Alberta, one of the world’s most significant energy capitals, Energy Disruptors: UNITE has earned an international reputation for bringing together voices that do not always agree, but whose ideas help leaders better understand the forces reshaping economies, industries and societies.
Additional speakers and programming announcements will be released in the coming weeks.
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