​BC’s got the brains, the talent, and the startups—but scaling hardware in this province still feels like an uphill climb. To become a global technology hub, we need to be harder, better, faster, stronger—from public funding to local manufacturing and strategic partnerships.

​​HardTech Forum (formerly Vancouver Hardware Meetup) is assembling a panel of leaders from government, innovation hubs and industry who are working to make that a reality. Organized by MistyWest, this HardTech Forum will share how to keep BC-born innovations scaling at home—not just south of the border.

​With rising trade tensions and tariff battles, there’s never been a better time to declare “No More Mr. Soft Tech” 💪

​AGENDA
​​Doors open at 5:30pm
Panel Discussion starts at 6:30pm
Networking from 8pm until close

​TICKETS
​​Early Bird Pricing (Until April 22): $20
General Admission: $30

​​All tickets include food and beverages.

​​​Panelists

​Keith Ippel, Founder and Co-CEO of Spring the Spring Collective

​With over 25 years in tech and impact businesses, Keith has trained 400+ impact entrepreneurs on investment readiness and raising capital, supported companies like Hootsuite, SocialNature, and Foodee, and helped raise over $80M in funding as an angel investor. He holds an MBA from Ivey Business School and a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.

​Byron Thom, Partner at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)'s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund

​Byron Thom is a Partner at BDC’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, investing in hardware and software across sectors like advanced manufacturing, agtech, and mining. A former founder of industrial IoT company Optigo Networks, Byron helped build and deploy its hardware platform across North America. He's also a trained lawyer and named inventor on multiple patents.

​Reynald Hoskinson, VP of Technology at FORM Swim

​Reynald Hoskinson began their career as a Teaching and Research Assistant at UBC, before moving into industry roles including Sound Programmer at Radical Software and Researcher at Brightside Technologies. From 2009 to 2014, they led R&D at Recon Instruments, developing prototypes in sensing, display, and optics. Reynald later held research roles at Simon Fraser University and served as VP of Technology and VP of Engineering at Form starting in 2016.

​Michael Ansara, Mid-Market Tech Lead at Export Development Canada (EDC)

​Michael Ansara is a Senior Relationship Manager at Export Development Canada, supporting Metro Vancouver’s mid-market businesses with cross-border growth through financing, risk mitigation, and strategic connections. With 12+ years of experience—primarily in digital industries and cleantech—he’s a Certified International Trade Professional and a senior resource for EDC across Western Canada.

​About MistyWest

​MistyWest is a product development firm accelerating the world’s transition to a sustainable future with technology. We help our clients develop market-ready solutions for mining, infrastructure, and clean tech in half the time compared to ramping up an equivalent internal team.

​Our Sponsors

​​​MistyWest extends our massive thanks to our platinum sponsor Memfault, gold sponsors Manning Elliott LLP, Edge Impulse and Intent, and silver sponsor Nordic Semiconductor, whose contributions enable us to offer bigger and better hardware meetups for our community.

​​​Land Acknowledgement

​HardTech Forum acknowledges that this event takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

​​​Accessibility

​​​Manning Elliott's office is on the 17th floor, accessed by elevator. The event capacity will be 100 attendees, including 50 seats and the rest standing-room.

​​​Code of Conduct

​​​We promise a welcoming environment at our events for all, regardless of gender, identity, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, race, age, or religion. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated, and any attendees in violation of our code will be asked to leave.

​​​About HardTech Forum

​HardTech Forum brings together tech enthusiasts, industry experts, and entrepreneurs for panel discussions on commercialization, funding, and scaling deep tech innovations. Our goal is to bridge the gap between emerging startups, established companies, and the broader tech ecosystem in a relaxed, informal setting.