AI-Powered Automation: Reducing Costs and Increasing Efficiency in Startups

We’re kicking off the new year with an exciting Founders Lunch session, brought to you in partnership with The YYC Data Society!
Join us for an engaging session on AI-Powered Automation: Reducing Costs and Increasing Efficiency in Startups, where we’ll explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way startups operate. Discover how to leverage cutting-edge automation tools to optimize processes, reduce operational costs, and unlock new levels of efficiency.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or part of a growing team, this event will provide actionable insights to help you harness AI for smarter decision-making and scalable growth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand how AI-powered automation can streamline workflows and reduce overhead costs.
2. Explore real-world examples of startups achieving operational efficiency through AI.
3. Learn practical steps to implement AI solutions, even with limited resources.
4. Gain insights into selecting the right AI tools for your specific business needs.

Panel:

• Josh Rainbow, Director, YYC DataCon - moderator
• Drew Gillson, Co-Founder, Gravity Foundation
• Wish Bakshi, Founder, Quant AiQ
• Akbar Nurlybayev, Co-Founder, CentML

Panelist Bios:

🎤 Drew Gillson is currently spearheading the creation of an AI-powered data analyst at his startup, Gravity Foundation. Drew is a technology executive, entrepreneur, and community organizer with over two decades of experience in digital. Formerly at Google Cloud AI, holding various roles, Drew worked for Google following the acquisition of Looker in 2019. At Looker, he led a team to drive enterprise adoption of Looker’s SaaS product. Drew is an investor in Thin Air Labs, a member of the Board of Directors for the YYC Data Society, and has been active in the Calgary startup and technology community since 2001.

🎤 Wish Bakshi is an expert in AI Systems Engineering who has made significant contributions to the energy and utilities industry.

Wish has applied 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 to optimize 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 operations, improve 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, and enhance the performance of 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 and 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 assets. His work has helped some of the largest companies in energy and trading achieve measurable results.

In addition, Wish has developed 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, which have reshaped how the industry approaches efficiency and decision-making in commodities markets.

Throughout his career, Wish has combined business insight with technological expertise, ensuring that machine learning is not just a theoretical tool but a practical driver of profitability and operational efficiency.

🎤 Akbar Nurlybayev is the Co-founder and COO of CentML, the Generative AI Platform. With the CentML platform, developers can deploy GenAI endpoints, fine-tune GenAI models, and build applications on top of the GenAI application with flexibility and stack cost-effectiveness. CentML is funded by investors like Gradient Ventures, Radical Ventures, NVIDIA, Thomson Reuters Vectures, Deloitte Ventures.

Akbar is an industry veteran with decades of experience building large-scale B2B applications in different industries. In the last few years of his career, Akbar focused on performance optimization of large, distributed ML workloads. He's excited to share what he's learned about how to scale modern GenAI workloads without breaking the bank.

🎤 Josh Rainbow, an expert in data science, has applied advanced analytics and machine learning to extract actionable insights, optimize energy markets, and refine quantitative finance models. His strategic approach to data-centric product development ensures technology drives measurable business results.

As Executive Director of YYC DataCon, Josh fosters a thriving community, mentoring professionals to leverage data for sustainable progress. His work ensures data remains a practical driver of innovation and growth.

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This event is part of the monthly Founders Lunch Series, which aims to empower and support entrepreneurs. Organized by Innovate Calgary and supported by Alberta Innovates, ElevateIP Alberta, and the TD Ready Commitment Program, this dynamic platform connects entrepreneurs, fosters knowledge sharing, and inspires collaboration. Be a part of this transformative experience to expand your network, learn from industry leaders, and confidently navigate your entrepreneurial journey.

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Lunch will be provided.

Parking is $1.50 /every 30m or $9/day, and the building is accessible by transit. The Brentwood Train station is about a 10-minute walk away.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Social Innovation Hub, Unit #290, 3553 31 St NW, Calgary, Canada