Economic readiness in an AI era isn’t a single question, and it doesn’t have a single vantage point. Dr. Lev Gonick and Mark Patterson are joined by Alberto Velasco-Acosta of Winnipeg Economic Development and Tourism and Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry of ECO Canada to examine how regions and sectors are positioning for a shift already underway. With a place-based economic lens alongside a national sector perspective, the conversation explores what it takes to read change early, coordinate across organizations, and build the trust and workforce readiness that durable adaptation requires.

Post-secondary institutions are navigating pressures that would be daunting in isolation: demographic shifts, fiscal constraints, changing immigration policy, and accelerating AI transformation. Dr. Lev Gonick and Mark Patterson are joined by Holland College President Sandy MacDonald for a frank discussion about what leadership actually requires at this moment. Drawing on ASU’s experience of leaning into disruption rather than retreating from it, the conversation explores how institutions can stop waiting for stability that may not come, and start building the partnerships, mindsets, and adaptive capacity the moment demands. 

What does AI adoption actually look like inside the small and medium-sized enterprises? Dr. Lev Gonick and Mark Patterson are joined by Rob Henderson of BioTalent Canada and Jean-Pierre Giroux of EMC to examine where sector leaders genuinely are, and what’s getting in the way. From IP uncertainty in biotech to a widening skills mismatch in manufacturing, the conversation surfaces a shared tension: the tools are increasingly accessible, but the confidence and leadership to act on them aren’t. The discussion points to mindset and sector-level coordination as the levers that matter most, and to Canada’s concentration of nimble SMEs as an underrecognized competitive strength.