Prairie Business Summit 2025 Recap
The inaugural Prairie Business Summit, powered by the Edwards School of Business and the BRIDGE Knowledge Centre, brought together industry leaders, academics, and innovators to explore the transformative power of AI in Saskatchewan’s economy. Over two dynamic days, the summit welcomed 360 attendees for thought-provoking keynotes, expert panels, interactive workshops, and faculty presentations, all aimed at uncovering AI’s role in shaping business innovation and the future of work.
The vision for the summit emerged from a desire to connect Saskatchewan’s business community with experts, entrepreneurs and researchers, positioning local businesses to compete and thrive globally. With support from donor Wayne Brownlee, the event created a platform to showcase homegrown success stories in AI adoption while exploring how global strategies can be leveraged in Canada to scale Saskatchewan SMEs and foster long-term economic growth. To ensure the event tackled the most pressing industry concerns, Edwards students conducted market research, which revealed AI as the top issue shaping the future of work. Recognizing both its potential and complexity, AI was chosen as the focus of the first summit, setting the stage for meaningful dialogue, collaboration and innovation.
"AI is reshaping industries, and Saskatchewan is ready to lead the way," said Dr. Marjorie Delbaere (PhD), acting dean of the Edwards School of Business. "The Prairie Business Summit was designed to spark important conversations, foster collaboration and drive real solutions that will shape the future of business in the Prairies."
Day 1: Conversations, culture, and innovative insights
As attendees picked up their conference bags, many noticed the red dress at the registration table, a powerful symbol of remembrance. May 5 is Red Dress Day, a national day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people across Canada. The Prairie Business Summit honoured the occasion with a welcoming song by USask drummers and singers Johnny Cross and Sanford Strongarm Jr. and a moment of silence led by Elder Julie Pitzel, reflecting on the importance of truth, justice and systemic change.
The summit then kicked off with a compelling keynote by Ross Pambrun, 
who framed data as the "new oil" and emphasized the urgency of businesses actively shaping their AI strategies rather than being defined by them. Pambrun also emphasized a critical distinction: consultation is not the same as relationship building. While AI can enhance consultations by providing valuable data and analysis, true understanding comes from meaningful relationships. Businesses must go beyond AI-driven insights to connect with people, grasp their priorities and foster trust. His message set the tone for a day filled with bold discussions and practical insights.Morning panels explored AI’s role in business strategy and its applications in Saskatchewan-based industries, highlighting successful use cases and the policy frameworks needed for implementation. Edwards School of Business faculty members Devan Mescall, Joe Schmidt, and Cheryl Loadman shared future-of-work research on AI adoption, negotiations, and talent management, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of AI’s influence in the workplace.
During lunch, attendees heard from keynote speaker David Chalk, who provided an engaging discussion on AI disruption and its impact on businesses and society. The afternoon sessions featured hands-on workshops led by Chipp AI, SAP AI, and WBM Technologies, offering practical strategies for integrating AI into customer engagement and supply chain optimization.
The first day ended with an evening of culture, connection and local flavours. Lawrence A. Roy Jr. captivated the audience with a stunning hoop dance performance. Guests then had the chance to experience the best of Saskatchewan’s culinary scene, sampling offerings from BlackFox Distillery, Prairie Bee Meadery, Sulu, Odd Couple, Odla and Primal. The evening highlighted local talent and craftsmanship while demonstrating the vital role of community and collaboration in driving innovation forward.
To close out the night, Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri, delivered a captivating keynote that traced the evolution of artificial intelligence. He shared the story of Siri’s early days as an independent app before its collaboration with Apple, offering a compelling look at how AI-driven products evolve and scale over time. Cheyer also explored best practices for businesses leveraging generative AI, touching on AI strategy, enterprise challenges and the missing pieces still needed for a fully developed ecosystem. Cheyer concluded with a bold prediction that generative AI is set to be as transformative as the web and mobile technology, reshaping industries and the way we engage with the world.
Day 2: Practical applications and looking ahead
The second day of the summit began with an energizing keynote from AI strategist and author 
Katie King. She reminded attendees that AI is transforming work, much like past industrial revolutions, and outlined a practical roadmap for adoption. She emphasized the importance of keeping humans in the loop and using data to create personalized experiences. King's message was clear: everyone plays a role in marketing now, and AI is a valuable tool. Her final takeaway was simple—make time for AI, and it will save you time.
Attendees spent the rest of the morning participating in interactive workshops on AI in manufacturing efficiency, ethical AI deployment, and digital asset protection, led by Chipp AI, Ethical Digital, and Open Path Partners. Faculty members Keith Willoughby, Shan Wang, and Trevor Maber explored AI’s role in operational excellence, online consumer behavior, and workplace motivation, offering valuable insights into how technology is reshaping the workforce. Their discussion highlighted key trends influencing the future-of-work, from automation and decision-making to the evolving relationship between employees and emerging technologies.
Expert panels in the afternoon covered AI in research and development and entrepreneurship, equipping attendees with strategies to harness AI for business growth. The momentum carried into the joint conference reception, where participants seamlessly transitioned from the Prairie Business Summit to the Uniting the Prairies event. The reception provided a perfect setting to continue discussions, foster new collaborations and celebrate the spirit of innovation shaping the future of business and technology.
"The Prairie Business Summit confirmed Saskatchewan's readiness to lead in AI innovation,” said Edwards Acting Dean Marjorie Delbaere. “The ideas shared, partnerships formed and strategies explored will continue shaping business in the Prairies. This is just the beginning. The future of AI in Saskatchewan is bright!"
Acknowledgments
We extend our gratitude to Wayne Brownlee, whose generosity helped bring the Prairie Business Summit to life. We also appreciate the support of our partners, including Ag West Bio, Co.Labs, Discover Saskatoon, Innovation Sask, Nutrien, Opus, SaskTel, Sask Chamber, Saskatoon Chamber and Supply Chain Canada as well as KPMG, NSBA, Rawlco, SREDA and WBM Technologies, whose contributions helped make this event a success.
A special thank you to our dedicated volunteers, whose time, energy and commitment ensured a seamless experience for all attendees. Their efforts played a vital role in bringing everything together, and we could not have done it without you.
Continuing the conversation
Be sure to check your inbox for a post-conference recap on AI, curated by the BRIDGE Knowledge Centre at the Edwards School of Business. It will feature key insights from the discussions and takeaways from the event. If you weren’t able to attend but want to learn more, feel free to reach out at bridge@edwards.usask.ca for additional details.