Bridges & Brains:
Stories from Diverse Waterfront Neighbourhoods
TEDxHarbourfront 2026 brings together more than ten extraordinary speakers from fields spanning urban architecture, artificial intelligence, community development, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and local manufacturing — all united by one waterfront address and one mission: ideas worth spreading.
Set at George Brown College's Waterfront Campus on the shores of Lake Ontario, this is not a conference. It is not a networking happy hour. It is something rarer: a room where the right people hear the right ideas at exactly the right moment — and leave genuinely changed by both.
The theme — Bridges & Brains — is not accidental. The waterfront has always been a place of connection: between peoples, between disciplines, between the city and the lake. We honour that tradition through ideas.
We're looking for bold, original thinkers. First-time speakers as welcome as veterans.
Nominate a field that needs to be discussed — and the person you'd like to hear speak on it.
Derek Sivers' "How to Start a Movement" — three minutes that explain why TEDx rooms are where momentum is born. You'll think about it for weeks.
After the closing keynote, the evening begins. Cocktails, curated music, and the Harbourfront as your backdrop. This is where the real conversations start — the ones that don't fit into a structured networking format.
We design for meaningful connection, not small talk. Between sessions, facilitated pairings put you across the table from someone in a completely different discipline. Every introduction has a reason.
An optional post-reception walk along Lake Ontario's edge. No agenda. No slides. Just the water, new people, and whatever conversation finds you. Some of the most valuable things that happen at TEDx happen here.
All registered attendees receive access to the full speaker recording library, slide decks, recommended reading lists, and speaker contact pages — so your learning doesn't end when the lights come on at 7 PM.
Professional ($75): All Student inclusions plus afternoon refreshments, priority networking session, and speaker Q&A access.
VIP ($150): All Professional inclusions plus reserved front-section seating, private speaker meet & greet, exclusive cocktail reception, TEDxHarbourfront gift pack, first access to recordings, and invitation to the Speaker Dinner.
The people behind
the ideas.
TEDxHarbourfront is built by a small, committed team of community leaders who believe that ideas — shared in the right room, with the right people — genuinely change what happens next.
Valentin is the founder and organizer of TEDxHarbourfront 2026. A multidisciplinary project leader and community builder based in Toronto, he holds graduate degrees in science and a PMP designation with a decade of operational leadership across complex initiatives. He created TEDxHarbourfront with one conviction: that Toronto's waterfront communities deserve a stage as powerful as their ideas.
TED Profile ↗Ina brings three years of professional experience in accountancy, financial reporting, and strategic planning to the TEDxHarbourfront team. A Finance and Accounting graduate currently pursuing her ACCA designation at Toronto School of Management, she ensures the event's financial integrity and operational accountability — making certain every dollar serves the ideas.
LinkedIn ↗Lurio oversees the operational backbone of TEDxHarbourfront 2026 — from venue logistics and vendor coordination to day-of execution. He brings a sharp operational mindset, calm precision under pressure, and a genuine passion for building community. He is also an active voice in conversations around AI adoption and business operations.
LinkedIn ↗Jurgena leads the digital presence and marketing strategy for TEDxHarbourfront 2026. With a background in content creation, social media, and digital marketing, she ensures that the ideas coming off the TEDxHarbourfront stage travel far beyond the room — reaching the people who need to hear them most.
LinkedIn ↗