The Acetech Annual Leadership Retreat

Shifting Gears: A Retreat Built by CEOs, for CEOs

All Tech Founders and CEOs Welcome

April 13–15, 2026 | Fairmont Chateau Whistler Resort

For more than 30 years, Acetech’s flagship event has brought together the visionaries shaping Canada’s tech future — growth‑stage CEOs, senior leaders, and world‑renowned thinkers — for an immersive 2.5‑day experience designed to elevate strategy, leadership, and connection.

Expect high‑impact keynotes, strategic deep dives, and unfiltered peer conversations that challenge assumptions and spark innovation in the brightest minds in tech — all in one of Canada’s most inspiring mountain settings.

Step away with us to step ahead in your business.

Secure your spot before it’s gone.

Why CEOs and Founders Return Every Year

World-Class Insights on Critical Challenges

Gain actionable strategies from renowned speakers like David Yoffie on AI shifts (e.g., Anthropic's LLM-to-agent pivot), Wes Bush on AI-native SaaS transitions, and experts on fundraising, team connection, and sustainable leadership—tailored to immediate business needs.

Peer-to-Peer Breakthroughs Led by You

Step away from daily operations for authentic, CEO-led discussions where you shape the agenda, trade real experiences (wins and failures), and spark collaborative solutions—no slides or spectators, just high-impact conversations with BC tech founders who get your world.

Strategic Reset with Lasting Momentum

Escape the grind at Whistler's Fairmont Chateau for three days of clarity, networking, and fun (like Casino Night), plus tools like Shannon Byrne Susko's action-item workshop and Sean Flaherty's Momentum Framework to ensure insights turn into team-wide execution back at the office.

What To Expect…

Iconic Sessions with Proven Leaders

  • Step into Anthropic's boardroom with Harvard's David Yoffie to unpack AI's shift from LLMs to agents.

  • See Wes Bush reveal three companies that pivoted to AI-native SaaS in just five days.

  • Build connection-first communication with Caleb Spitler through live coaching.

  • Turn relationships into growth metrics with Sean Flaherty's Momentum Framework.

  • Design pressure for performance with Steven Langer, reclaim joy as your edge with Sandy Joy Weston, and more from Miranda Lievers, Shannon Byrne Susko, and other retreat favorites.

Unconference: Peer-Led Breakthroughs

The best insights often spark across the table—not from a stage. Shape the agenda, trade real wins and failures, and tackle your biggest challenges with fellow BC tech leaders.

Action That Sticks

Shannon Byrne Susko workshops your key takeaways into team-ready action plans, ensuring the momentum carries back to your organization.

Unwind & Connect

Balance intensity with fun: Casino Night for high-stakes laughs (with a prize for the top roller), mountain views, and organic conversations that turn peers into allies.

Testimonials

Why Tech Leaders Never Miss the Acetech Retreat

2026 Speaker Lineup

  • Caleb Spitler

    Caleb Spitler

    Keynote Speaker, Executive Communication & Presentation Consultant

    Caleb Spitler is a communication expert and speaker who helps leaders and teams improve performance by strengthening human connection. He’s known for his “Connect First” approach grounded in the belief that most challenges in leadership, sales, and team dynamics are ultimately communication problems.

  • Aidan Madigan-Curtis

    Aidan Madigan-Curtis

    Partner at Eclipse

    Partner at Eclipse investing in robotics, AI, defence tech, and IoT from seed to growth stage. Sits on 11 boards, including Verkada, Stand, and Bedrock Robotics. Former Samsara executive.

    Aidan will share the insider perspective on what VCs look for in 2026, how to build relationships that matter, and fundraising strategies that actually work right now.

  • David Yoffie

    David Yoffie

    Professor, Harvard Business School

    David is a leading authority on competitive strategy and technology, with nearly three decades on Intel’s board and dozens of influential books and case studies to his name. Returning to Acetech, he will deliver one of his signature interactive case studies on day one of the retreat, with a deeper dive to follow during the unconference sessions.

  • Heidi Roizen

    Heidi Roizen

    Partner at Threshold Ventures

    Operating Partner at Threshold Ventures, Stanford lecturer, and one of Silicon Valley's most respected voices on venture capital. Former founder who's been on both sides of the table, now invested in hundreds of companies.

    Heidi will share what VCs actually look for in 2026, how to navigate fundraising successfully, and the relationship-building strategies that separate funded founders from the rest.

  • Wes Bush

    Wes Bush

    Founder & CEO,
    ProductLed

    Wes Bush is the founder of ProductLed and a leading authority on product-led growth. He helps SaaS companies build products that drive acquisition, retention, and revenue, and has supported teams in generating $1B+ in self-serve revenue through practical, no-fluff growth strategies.

  • Steven Langer

    Steven Langer

    Founder, Well By Design | International Keynote Speaker & TEDx Presenter

    Steven is a leading authority on organizational wellness and workplace culture, helping leaders build high-performing teams where well-being and productivity reinforce each other. With a track record of transforming workplace cultures across industries, he brings practical, proven frameworks that tech CEOs can implement immediately. At the retreat, Steven will guide an interactive session on creating the conditions for healthy, sustainable growth for your team and your business.

  • Sandy Joy Weston

    Sandy Joy Weston

    Mental Fitness Coach | International Keynote Speaker & TEDx Presenter

    Sandy is a TEDx speaker, mental fitness coach, and international speaker who empowers individuals and organizations to build positive, resilient mindsets through practical tools and strategies. She’s a former NBC10 fitness expert, the first female trainer for the Philadelphia Flyers, owner of a top Philadelphia gym, and author of mindset books like “Train Your Head & Your Body Will Follow.

  • Sean Flaherty

    Sean Flaherty

    Co-CEO at Advanced Leadership Concepts

    Sean is an award-winning leadership expert and Co-CEO at Advanced Leadership Concepts. With a background spanning Navy service on F-14 Tomcats, molecular genetics, and technology innovation, he brings 25+ years of shaping high-performing teams and software at ITX. A Vistage Top Speaker and creator of The Momentum Framework, Sean will challenge our CEOs to rethink innovation, culture, and trust as he takes the stage at the 2026 Retreat.

  • Miranda Lievers

    Miranda Lievers

    Co-Founder of Thinkific

    Miranda is Canadian entrepreneur and a cofounder of Thinkific a leading platform that helps creators and businesses build, market and sell online courses.

    She played a key role in building Thinkific from an early-stage startup into a global SaaS company used by thousands of entrepreneurs and educators. She is known for her expertise in product development, creator economy strategy and scaling digital education platforms. Today, she continues to support founders and the startup ecosystem through mentorship, investing and community initiatives.

  • Shannon Susko

    Shannon Susko

    Founder of Metronomics

    Shannon Susko is a business advisor, and the founder of Metronomics a strategic framework that helps leadership teams scale their companies with clarity, rhythm and accountability.

    She previously co-founded and scaled Subserveo, growing it to a successful exit. Today, Shannon works with CEOs and executive teams to implement scalable operating systems, align strategy and execution, and build high-performance organizations. She is also the author of the book The Metronome Effect.

Thank You to Our Event Partners

Retreat Highlights

A man in glasses and a gray blazer speaking into a microphone on stage, with another man in a light blazer standing nearby, with a whiteboard and purple curtains in the background, and an audience in front.
Woman with short hair wearing glasses, a black and red checkered dress with exaggerated black textured sleeves, standing in front of a dark blue curtain.
A conference room with round tables and attendees watching a speaker presenting slides with graphs on large screens.
Attendees seated at round tables during a conference, focusing on a speaker at the front, with a large presentation screen in the background.

Previous Year’s Featured Speakers

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with short gray hair wearing a blue collared shirt, smiling subtly against a dark background.

    Jim Collins


    Highly respected American author, researcher, and business consultant known for his work on company growth, leadership, and long-term success.

  • David Yoffie

    David Yoffie


    Harvard Business School Professor Expert in Competitive Strategy and Tech Innovation

  • Shannon Susko

    Shannon Susko


    Serial entrepreneur, CEO coach, and bestselling author known for her expertise in scaling high-growth companies.

  • A middle-aged man with glasses, a beard, and short hair, smiling and wearing a blue collared shirt against a dark background.

    Rich Teerlink


    Former Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, widely credited with leading one of the most remarkable corporate turnarounds in modern business history.

  • Debra Giles

    Debra Giles


    CEO of ExecuPrep, renowned for transforming leaders and organizations through bold, research-backed strategies that turn potential into performance.

  • A smiling man in a blue checkered blazer and white shirt sitting at a table.

    Patrick Lencioni


    Bestselling author, speaker, and founder of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to organizational health and leadership development.

  • Spencer Sheinin

    Spencer Sheinin


    Entrepreneur, finance expert, and the founder of Shift Financial Insights, a firm that provides outsourced accounting and financial insights to entrepreneurs who want to better understand and manage their numbers.

  • Ryan Nadel

    Ryan Nadel


    Senior Leader at Microsoft, leading AI innovation in Microsoft Teams and Copilot to transform how people collaborate and work.

  • Alice Heiman

    Alice Heiman


    Strategic Advisor for Complex B2B Sales Growth

  • Kaihan Krippendorf

    Kaihan Krippendorf


    Business strategist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author known for helping organizations unlock innovative thinking and drive strategic growth.

  • Close-up portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with short gray hair, glasses, wearing a light blue collared shirt, against a dark background.

    Geoffrey Moore


    Helps growth-stage companies navigate the complex path from early market success to mainstream adoption.

  • Dr. Andrew Miki

    Dr. Andrew Miki


    Clinical Psychologist Transforming Workplace Mental Health Through Evidence-Based Innovation

Seats Are Limited. Impact Isn’t.


The Acetech Retreat gathers BC’s boldest founders in one place. Be there!