​HealthTech Ignite is an event series hosted by Pender Ventures to bring together top innovators, investors and other healthcare leaders. 

​Focused on building and scaling HealthTech companies, it provides insights for entrepreneurs building in the healthcare technology sector. 

​Join Pender Ventures as we kick off our 2025 event series in Calgary on June 19 at the Platform Calgary National Bank Investor Hub. This half-day morning event is all about scaling in the healthcare space, and we’re bringing in experienced operators who’ve been through it to share their stories, lessons learned, and what it really takes to grow a venture in this space. 

​Agenda:  

​8:30 - 9:00 - Registration and Networking Breakfast 

​9:00 - 9:30 - Welcome and Pender Ventures Overview of the Canadian HealthTech Market  

​9:30 - 10:15 - Fireside Chat with Erkan Akyuz, CEO of Circle Cardiovascular Imaging 

​10:15 - 11:00 - Scale-Up Panel with John Gardiner, Chief Growth Officer at PurposeMed and Peter Smith, President & CEO at Strata Health

​11:00 - 11:30  - Closing Networking and Wrap-Up 

​Fireside Chat: Erkan Akyuz  

​Erkan brings extensive leadership experience in healthcare and imaging technology, having served as President and CEO at major healthcare and medical systems companies including Rhapsody, Change Healthcare and Toshiba Medical Systems, where, under his leadership, the companies experienced improved profitability, customer retention and growth. Recognized for his ability to transform business models, Erkan combines his technological background with his strategic prowess to drive operational excellence. In conversation with Pender Ventures, he will share successes and lessons learned from his years of experience in healthcare technology.  

​Scale-Up Panelists:

​John Gardiner:

​John is the Chief Growth Officer at PurposeMed which operates virtual telehealth services for underserved communities and has helped over 50,000 patients access HIV prevention and treatment, behavioural health and gender-affirming care. John's role encompasses ownership over the company’s expansion, marketing and new services, which includes working with all functional teams in the organization to scale services and impact. In the Scale-Up panel, John will share insights on selling to the consumer market, marketing, go to market and much more.

​Peter Smith:

​Peter Smith is President and CEO of Strata Health Solutions, the leading provider of intelligent, digital tools for resource allocation, patient transitions, and patient flow innovation across the care continuum. Peter has over 25 years of experience working with information technologies and we look forward to hearing his insights on healthcare reform, innovation, social determinants of health and more.

​Sponsored By 

​Alberta Enterprise Corporation 

​Alberta Enterprise’s mission is to foster a thriving venture capital industry in Alberta, one that provides access to venture capital and other resources to create successful Alberta companies. 

​Who Should Attend?  

• ​HealthTech Founders and CEOs 

• ​Investors  

• ​Ecosystem Partners  

​Spaces are limited.  

​Register now to secure your spot. We look forward to hosting you on June 19th!