KWIPS - September 2026 Edition

Human Intelligence (HI) is a Waterloo Tech Week mixer celebrating the people behind Waterloo Region’s technology and innovation community. In a year when so much of the conversation around technology is focused on artificial intelligence, HI takes a step back to focus on something equally important: human connection, collaboration, and community. Hosted by Workhaus, the event brings together founders, entrepreneurs, developers, designers, students, investors, operators, and technology professionals from across the region for an evening of food, drinks, conversation, and connection. Rather than another panel or keynote, HI is designed as an informal and engaging environment where people can meet others outside of their usual networks, exchange ideas, discover opportunities to collaborate, and build relationships. The evening will include interactive elements designed to spark meaningful conversations and make networking feel natural - not transactional. Whether you're building a company, working in the tech sector, exploring your next opportunity, or simply interested in connecting with Waterloo Region’s innovation community, there will be an opportunity to participate. At its core, Human Intelligence is a celebration of the people who make Waterloo’s tech ecosystem what it is. Because while technology continues to evolve, the most valuable connections are still made face-to-face.

For people using AI agents to get real work done. Claude Code, Codex, Hermes Agent, and other harnesses are shipping very fast. Every agent is good at something and bad at something. People will show how they use different agents for ordinary work - automating workflows, building internal tools, managing communications, and turning ideas into working prototypes. You'll meet CEOs, founders, students, and consultants - all exploring how AI agents fit into their day-to-day. What to expect A short opening talk about building on context that every agent can use, six demos from people using different harness, and time to talk with other builders in KW area! Agenda 5:30 - 6:00 | Arrivals and networking 6:00 - 6:10 | AI Agents for Everyone opening talk 6:10 - 6:45 | Demos 1, 2, 3 6:45 - 7:10 | Pizza break and networking 7:10 - 7:45 | Demos 4, 5, 6 7:45 - 8:00 | Final message and networking Each demo is 10 minutes, with time for questions and setup between them. Pizza and drinks provided. Want to present? Demo your workflow with AI Agents, no slides required. No pitches. Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfL6QZgb_KKU93kbaL-q5J_8AGPmbFsSM73_PSmcM2f2lXNhg/viewform Looking for sponsors We're looking for community-minded companies to sponsor food and drinks. Reach out to Artem to see what we offer in return.

Where commercial innovation meets defence opportunity. Dual-use technology is opening new pathways for Waterloo Region companies to work in defence and this is where those opportunities come into focus. The Dual-Use Tech Summit brings together founders, tech workers and operators working at the intersection of commercial and defence technology. From AI to Quantum to advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, this is your chance to explore how dual-use innovation is shaping what’s next and how your company can be part of it. Agenda Keynote address: Christine Hansen, North American Director, NATO DIANA Session 1: Follow the Money - Canada's Defence Funding Landscape John Barry, Managing Director, EY-Parthenon Peter Suma, Managing Partner, BDC StrongNorth Fund Devon Galloway, General Partner, Garage Capital Session 2: Procurement & the Path to Contract LCol Amanda Whalen, Director, RCAF Digital Hub Mike Peasgood, Co-founder & CEO, ENVGO Adam Gryfe, Co-founder & COO, CSMC Session 3: Securing the Advantage — IP, Standards & Strategic Control Khanjan Desai, Co-founder & CEO, Alchemy Jim Hinton, Founder, Own Innovation By the end of the day, you’ll: Gain real-world perspectives on building and selling dual-use technology Direct exposure to NATO DIANA companies and programming Conversations with founders, operators, tech workers and defence stakeholders A curated, high-quality group of attendees and speakers Who is this for? Founders building advanced or dual-use technologies Tech workers working in the defence or dual-use sector Tech Leaders exploring defence applications Investors and organizations working in defence innovation In partnership with: Sponsored by:

Every startup faces defining moments. The difference between those that scale and those that stall often comes down to a handful of critical decisions. Join us for an honest, founder-focused conversation with leaders who have collectively advised hundreds of startups through fundraising, hiring, scaling, legal challenges, and financial growth. Rather than telling you what should happen, we'll share the real patterns we see every day—the costly mistakes founders make, how to spot them early, and what you can do differently. You'll hear from: Robert Bowness – RBCx Radhika Vaidyanathan – Pulse Law Alex Hardy – BDO Moderated by Shawn Chance, Partner and head of Go-To-Market services, BrightIron and former VC. We'll tackle questions like: What are the biggest mistakes founders consistently make—and why do they keep happening? Which problems start small but become incredibly expensive if ignored? When is the right time to engage legal, finance, banking, or HR partners? What separates the startups that scale successfully from those that struggle? If each panelist could give every founder one piece of advice, what would it be? Whether you're raising capital, hiring your first team, or preparing for your next stage of growth, you'll leave with practical insights you can apply immediately—and a chance to ask your own toughest questions during an interactive discussion. We are official event hosts with Waterloo Tech Week 2026, a celebration of what’s been built here, and what’s still to come. We’re building something great together. September 12-17, 2026. waterlootechweek.ca

End Waterloo Tech Week with a fun meetup and live Devin builds. $20 usd credits to all check-ins. $200 usd for selected demos. Ship for kicks. Let's have some fun. Agenda: Socialize at 6pm or start building w/ Devin. Demos start at 8:30pm Event continues to 10pm Who it's for: ai curious, anyone who builds, students, staff engineers, founders, career-switchers. What happens Connections are made Live demos from local builders, working software only, demo or it didn't happen A live Devin build session: watch an agent take a real task from ticket to PR Time to actually talk to the people whose demos you just saw Same floor, same bar. If you've shipped something with Devin (or any agent) and want to demo it, say so when you RSVP. The details: 6pm, Builders Club, Waterloo. Free food, drinks, and DJ. RSVP takes ten seconds and we do check it at the door. Part of Waterloo Tech Week. Devin is built by Cognition. kick003 Hosted by DevKick · co-hosted with Builders Club