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Summit

CATALYST SUMMIT TORONTO

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

1:00 pm - 6:30 pm ET

BDC Offices
81 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5J 0E7

Join partnership leaders from Toronto for a half day of insights, networking, and hands-on learning at the BDC Offices.


The Catalyst Summit Toronto is your opportunity to connect with top partnership, alliance, channel, and GTM leaders who are building the next generation of ecosystems for their companies. Share strategies, exchange ideas, and explore what it takes to build modern, high-impact partner programs. Whether you're focused on ecosystem growth, co-selling, or unlocking new channels, you'll find valuable perspectives from peers and pioneers in the field.


Leave with more than just ideas—walk away with real strategies, actionable takeaways, and new relationships to fuel your work in 2026 and beyond.

Event Agenda

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Registration and Networking
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Catalyst Summit Keynote

A high-energy opening session designed to kick off the Summit with the latest insights and trends from the Partnership Leaders team and a special guest speaker.

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Thought Leadership

Darren Bibby - Paving Walking Paths: How To Fix Partner Programs 

Ever wonder why partners and partner managers “walk around” your carefully built partner strategies and programs?

Based a 25+ year career in partnerships across IDC, Microsoft, DocuSign and Shopify, Darren will explore the misalignments that create friction, frustration, and workarounds. Learn how to spot “desire paths,” align internally and externally, and design programs partners actually want to follow.
The session will cover practical fixes, real-world examples, and how to avoid being the reason they move to a competitor.

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Power Circles

Hosted by industry leaders, Power Circles are deep-dive group discussions focused on a specific topic. Participants can ask questions, share real challenges, and exchange practical insights with peers and leaders.

Angelica Cugini - Partner Enablement & Engagement
Matt Parkin - AI in Partnerships
Brandon Macaulay - "Service Partners" to "Service-as-Software"
Mila Vukojevic - Technology Partnerships Best Practices
Scott Hamill - Aligning Sales & Partnerships to Drive Revenue
Gloria Castillo - Channel GTM Strategies
Darryl Yearwood - From Affiliate to Performance Partners

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Networking Break

Take a moment to recharge and connect with peers during these dedicated networking breaks.

3:15 pm – 3:45 pm
Thought Leadership

Nikita Zhitkevich - The New Science of GTM: What over 1B data points tells us about Ecosystem-Led Growth

We’ve analyzed the actions, connections, and revenue of the world's most successful companies to uncover the definitive link between ecosystem engagement and accelerated growth. We’ll show you, with hard data, that the number one differentiator isn’t a better product or a bigger sales team, it’s how you leverage your ecosystem.

3:45 pm – 4:15 pm
Power Circles

Brandon Macaulay - Automated Enablement & The End of the LMS
Michael Nussbacher - Getting Executive Alignment and Managing Up 
James Prince - Building the Cross-Collaboration Muscle Internally & Externally 
Layla Khan - Partner Success and Prioritization
Sabrina Papini - Building Consistent, Sustainable Pipeline with Partners
Jainil Sanghvi - Aligning Partner Compensation to Outcomes
Joanne Modugno - Career Development and Leadership Skills

4:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Networking Break

Take a moment to recharge and connect with peers during these dedicated networking breaks.

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Thought Leadership

Adrienne Coburn - I'm Tired: The Case for Doing Less With Your Partner Program

Real world guidance for simplifying and building an MVP partner program that gets you in market fast to unlock more revenue for your company.

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Closing Reception and Catalyst Mixer

Finish the day with a celebratory happy hour.  Spend time with the community, meet our wonderful sponsors, and keep the energy going over delicious food and drinks.

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Speakers

Chris Samila

Co-Founder, Chief Partner Officer

Partnership LeadersPL logo mark

Kyle Feucht Headshot

Kyle Feucht

Managing Director, Growth & Transition Capital

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Jasmin Ganie-Hobbs Headshot

Jasmin Ganie-Hobbs

Director Tech Financing

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Nikita Zhitkevich Headshot

Nikita Zhitkevich

Vice President of Sales

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Darren Bibby Headshot

Darren Bibby

Principal Analyst and Executive Advisor

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Sharon Fox Headshot

Sharon Fox

VP of Partnerships & Enterprise Sales

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Scott Hamill Headshot

Scott Hamill

Vice President, Global Partnerships

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Joanne Modugno Headshot

Joanne Modugno

General Manager

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Mila Vukojevic Headshot

Mila Vukojevic

Chief of Staff & GTM
 

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Brandon Macaulay Headshot

Brandon Macaulay

Head of Strategic Partnerships
 

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Matt Parkin

Matt Parkin

Chief of Staff 

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Sabrina Papini headshot

Sabrina Papini

Marketing Director, Ecommerce & Marketplaces

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Angelica Cugini Headshot

Angelica Cugini

Partner Account Manager
 

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Michael Nussbacher Headshot

Michael Nussbacher

Head of Partnerships
 

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James Prince Headshot

James Prince

Principal, Strategic Partnerships - Embedded Products

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Gloria Castillo Headshot

Gloria Castillo

Senior Partner Account Manager
 

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Adrienne Coburn Headshot

Adrienne Coburn

Director, Product Partnerships
 

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Layla Khan Headshot

Layla Khan

Director, Channel and Alliances - North America

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Darryl Yearwood Headshot

Darryl Yearwood

Senior Affiliate Partnerships Manager

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Jainil Sanghvi Headshot

Jainil Sanghvi

Partnerships & Channel Sales

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Power Circle Hosts

Power Circles are deep-dive group discussions hosted by industry experts

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Interested in Becoming a Speaker or Power Circle Host?

Let’s make it happen—submit the form and we’ll reach out!

Many Thanks to Our Event Sponsors

Premier Sponsors

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BDC

Visit BDC 

We are BDC, the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs.

Our mission is to help create and develop strong Canadian businesses through financing, consulting services and securitization, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.

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PartnerStack

Visit PartnerStack 

PartnerStack enables companies to reach more customers through partnerships. The platform enables some of the fastest growing companies like Asana, Intuit and Freshworks with the tools required to build, manage, and scale channel partner programs. The network brings companies and channel partners together.

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Sponsors

Sponsors

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Just a Few of the Amazing Companies that Attend Our Summits

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Catalyst Around the World

Catalyst travels the globe, hosting events that unite ecosystem builders and innovators, from major conferences to local summits and networking experiences. These gatherings connect partnership professionals in key markets across North America, Europe, and beyond.

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