Canada's Innovation Capital

Our Vision

Kitchener, Ontario is Canada's Innovation Capital—a city that turned its industrial backbone into one of the country's most powerful engines of applied technology and commercialization.

Located in a vibrant, urban downtown that contrasts a rich entrepreneurial history with a keen eye focused on the future, global firms, scale-ups, and founders amass daily in stunning repurposed factories, cool accelerators, and cutting-edge labs to invent tomorrow.

With intent and purpose, innovators design, build and thrive, not just in creating advanced software but the hard infrastructure that Canada and the world runs on. From smart cities, advanced manufacturing and clean energy to state-of-the-art health innovation, invention flourishes here.

Celebrated to have the country's most concentrated stack of technology talent, incubators, and public–private investment, Kitchener is THE place where governments and investors can test, de‑risk, and scale the next generation of Made‑in‑Canada solutions for ambitious national and global markets.

Applied Technology

From factory floors to global technology engines, building the innovative systems that Canada runs on.

Hard Infrastructure

Smart cities, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and state-of-the-art health innovation.

Made in Canada

Testing, de-risking, and scaling solutions for ambitious national and global markets.

Leadership

Barbara Shackleton, Founder and CEO of HUZZAH AI

Barbara Shackleton

Founder & CEO, HUZZAH AI

Barbara Shackleton is a dynamic leader renowned for leveraging AI and emerging technologies to drive business success and innovation across global markets. Her expertise in competitive market intelligence, sales, and product management, coupled with her passion for innovation and community, makes her an invaluable asset in today's digital landscape.

Throughout her career, Barbara has pushed the boundaries of technological advancement, earning patents for mobile technology across North America and Europe. Her various leadership roles at industry leaders such as Microsoft, Citrix, and BlackBerry further exemplify her ability to drive product innovation and marketing through AI, data, and design thinking.

As President & Chair of the Confederation Club, Barbara has elevated and transformed the organization into Kitchener-Waterloo's premier speaker's platform, hosting influential political, business and community figures.

A community champion, Barbara founded and co-chaired the Strategic & Competitive Intelligence Professionals' (SCIP) Waterloo Chapter. Through this initiative, she empowered Southern Ontario organizations with industry leadership, networking, and education, guiding them to a competitive edge through intelligence.

HUZZAH AI is her next venture into solving big problems for a wide range of industries. From SMB's to the Enterprise, Barbara's dedication to helping companies transform how work gets done is powering HUZZAH clients to supercharge their productivity.

Tom Heiber, President and CEO of HeitechSoft

Tom Heiber

President & CEO, HeitechSoft

Tom Heiber is a dynamic technology executive and AI strategist renowned for leveraging artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to drive measurable business transformation across enterprise and global markets. His expertise in software development, strategic planning, and executive advisory, coupled with his proven track record of delivering at scale, makes him a trusted partner for organizations navigating complex digital change.

Throughout his career, Tom has built and led technology engagements spanning Fortune 500 corporations and high-growth organizations alike. Founded in 2004, Heitech Software Solutions has evolved from a boutique consulting firm into a full-service AI solutions company, forging partnerships across industries and consistently delivering on the promise of technology aligned to business outcomes. His credentials as a Microsoft Certified Professional and Certified Business Analyst, combined with his work as a Fractional CTO, further exemplify his ability to operate at the intersection of enterprise strategy and technical execution.

As President and CEO of HeitechSoft, Tom has run his own organization as a comprehensive AI integration model since 2022, systematically deploying generative AI across strategy, operations, negotiation, and delivery. The insights gained from that real-world experiment have positioned him as one of Canada's foremost AI business strategists, sought out as a panelist and speaker at executive forums and technology conferences across North America.

A recognized thought leader, Tom has been featured on the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast and contributes actively to Canada's executive AI conversation through roundtables, panels, and his widely read "AI's Endgame" publication series.

HeitechSoft is his vehicle for solving enterprise-scale problems with precision and speed. From digital transformation mandates to AI-powered operational overhauls, Tom's commitment to practical, outcomes-driven AI is giving forward-thinking organizations the strategic edge they need to lead in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

Supporting Partners

Join Canada's Innovation Movement

Partner with us to drive innovation, economic growth, and technological advancement in Kitchener-Waterloo. Together, we're building Canada's Innovation Capital.

Become a Partner Learn More
Navigate to the contact section to become a supporting partner
Navigate to the contact section to learn more about partnership opportunities

Get Involved

Join Canada's Innovation Movement

Connect with us to learn more about how Kitchener is becoming Canada's Innovation Capital. Whether you're interested in investment opportunities, policy discussions, or community involvement, we'd love to hear from you.

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Investment Opportunities

Discover how to invest in Kitchener's growing innovation ecosystem.

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Policy Discussions

Engage with policymakers shaping Canada's innovation future.

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Community Involvement

Join local initiatives driving innovation and economic growth.