Inspire Conference

Future-Proof: Skills and Mindsets for a Disrupted World

The Inspire Conference is an opportunity for industry and students to network, promote technology and innovation, and be inspired.

For the fourth year, the Inspire Conference is back! Hosted by RRC Polytech’s Applied Computer Education department, the Inspire Conference is a premier industry event, bringing together students from diverse programs and industry professionals for a day of networking, speaker sessions, and more.

This conference allows students to gain an understanding of a variety of career paths before graduation and provides industry the opportunity to meet the next generation of educated, skilled and determined employees.

In a world shaped by constant disruption — AI, automation, climate change, shifting job markets — students need more than just hard skills. They need agility, curiosity, and a bold innovation mindset to chart their course. Future-Proof is a theme about building enduring skills, embracing ambiguity, and preparing for career paths that don’t even exist yet.

Conference Details

Date
Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Time
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Location
RRC Polytech – Exchange District Campus
160 Princess St.
Winnipeg, MB

Registration

Agenda

• 8:30 AM: Welcome and greetings
• 9:00 AM: Keynote speaker – Steve Lerch
• 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Various sessions aimed to inspire curiosity and innovation
• 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Industry Networking and Exhibitor Lounge, providing attendees with opportunities to make connections, ignite passion, and explore new possibilities

Keynote Speaker – Steve Lerch

Steve Lerch is an award-winning international public speaker, consultant, and former Google Executive, and has become a highly respected voice in the world of digital strategy, marketing, consumer behaviour, and innovation. While at Google, Steve served as a digital strategy advisor to prominent brands like GoPro and Roku, respected nonprofits like the YMCA and Save the Children, and even major branches of the Federal Government, like the Census and FEMA. He spent years helping hundreds of organizations better understand their customers, tell more compelling stories, and leverage data more strategically.

In addition to building digital marketing strategies, Steve also served as a Culture and Innovation Evangelist during his time at Google. In this role, Steve was one of the first voices heard by hundreds of new employees, teaching them about the important cultural building blocks that drive innovation and that have led to Google’s success.

Steve leverages his nine years at Google serving as a digital strategy consultant to dozens of the world’s most well-known brands to bring independent consulting services to companies of all sizes and across all industries. He offers an outside perspective on a company’s vision and strategy, challenges organizations to evolve past strategies, and helps brands embrace a digital-first world.

His many areas of focus include marketing, digital/web/social strategy, customer insights, attribution, strategic planning, and team dynamics.

When on a stage, Steve’s high-energy style perfectly blends humor, inspirational stories, and actionable advice, which makes him a perfect choice for larger, more aspirational keynote addresses as well as more specific breakout and education sessions. Steve is obsessed with data, patterns, and trends, but believes data isn’t useful when it’s boring.

Audience

Over 1000 attendees, from industry professionals, subject matter experts, and students with various backgrounds and disciplines from the following program areas:

• Application Development and Delivery
• Business Information Technology
• Cybersecurity
• Data Science and Machine Learning
• Full Stack Web Development
• Game Development – Programming
• Information Security 
• IT Operations
• Pathway to IT Programs (Indigenous)

Speakers

We are looking for session speakers to speak for 45 minutes on a technical topic or related to the following topics.

• Agile for Everyone: Mindsets and habits for fast-changing careers
• Innovation Sprints: Mini challenges in design thinking and rapid ideation
• Embracing Uncertainty: Navigating non-linear career paths
• The Story You Tell: Building a career narrative that evolves with you
• Soft Skills, Strong Impact: Collaboration, emotional intelligence, and leadership
• The F Word (Failure): How innovation requires risk, and what to learn when things go wrong

Contact us at aceinfo@rrc.ca if you would like to be a speaker at the Inspire Conference!

Sponsors

Thank you to our Event Sponsor RRC Polytech; Session Room Sponsors NorthfieldIT and Canada Life; and Exhibitors Manitoba Blue Cross, ID Fusion, Exchange Technology Services, Johnston Group, ISACA Winnipeg, New Media Manitoba, CME (Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters), Pollard Banknote Limited, along with RRC Polytech Bits and Bytes Association, ACE Project Space, and Career Services.

Sponsorship Opportunities

This is your opportunity to connect with current and future industry leaders, create new partnerships, and bring brand recognition to your organization. Participation in the Inspire Conference means that you can get in front of the future IT Workforce. It means you can provide your first-hand knowledge and experience for students starting out.

The Inspire Conference offers Sponsorship opportunities such as Exhibitor Lounge Sponsor, Session Room Sponsor, and Exhibitor.

To unlock the benefits of Inspire for your organization contact Cristy Kubara at ckubara@rrc.ca.

Sponsor Packages