When we launched the first ScaleUP Week in Calgary in 2024, we weren’t trying to create a conference. We were trying to solve a problem. Western Canada is full of companies with the ambition and potential to scale, but the ecosystem isn’t yet designed to support them. The result was familiar: promising firms plateauing too early, leaders feeling isolated and growth stories underrecognized.
ScaleUP Week started as a simple idea: what if we created a place where the companies achieving growth and scale could learn from each other, be celebrated and be connected to the people and resources that would help them take the next leap? What if Calgary—a city built on reinvention—became the home for Western Canada’s next generation of scale-ups?
“Calgary has a way of pulling people in. What ScaleUP is building isn’t just an event — it’s a community that truly sees and supports the leaders driving our growth story.” —Jenn Delconte, Community Engagement Lead
From that first week in 2024, something sparked.
In 2025, ScaleUP expanded across Western Canada, drawing more than 1,500 participants, 80 speakers and the support of 24 partners committed to building a stronger regional economy. We celebrated companies like SOLVET—winner of both International ScaleUP of the Year and ScaleUP Company of the Year—whose story is now inspiring others to think globally from right here at home.
And this January in Calgary, ScaleUP will partner with TEDxCalgary to host The Quest for Scale, featuring four 2025 ScaleUP Award winners sharing the ideas, insights and turning points that shaped their growth journeys.
But our evolution reflects our community’s reality: scaling doesn’t happen one week a year. It requires sustained capability, connection and confidence. That’s why in 2026, ScaleUP becomes a year-round program—introducing quarterly socials, private dinners and advisory experiences that meet leaders where they are in their scaling journey across Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
At the center of 2026 is our new Summit theme: Future Proofing for Scale—Anticipate. Adapt. Accelerate. Companies across Western Canada are asking the same questions: How do we prepare for what’s coming? How do we build teams and systems that won’t break under growth? How do we stay resilient in the face of disruption?
“One conversation during ScaleUP Week reframed how I see my business and I left that day knowing exactly where to focus my energy.” —Tiffany Petite, Virtuous Circle Counselling
“I had no idea of the scope and significance of what had been built. I can’t convey in words how impressive this is from my perspective. This work is critical to the future of Western Canada.” —Aly Khan Musani, ex CFO & COO, Symend
Calgary gave ScaleUP its foundation: a city that believes in building, backing and scaling the companies that will define our next economy. What began here is now shaping Western Canada—and just getting started.
Simon is the Founder and Executive Director of ScaleUP Week, the Founder & Director of Growth Compass, Founder & Academic Director, Growth Catalyst, Professor, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at MRU
