Schedule

Registration will take place on the second floor.

For founders, please arrive on time to set up your spot in the Startup Zone.

Welcome to CDL Super Session 2025, the grand finale of the CDL 2024/25 Program Year.

Four leading innovators explore the evolving frontiers of cognition for learning, experiencing, and controlling

“Journey into the Mind” brings together four leading innovators to explore the evolving frontiers of cognition for learning, experiencing, and controlling: Rich Sutton explains his simple but radical idea about how to translate the way learning works in our minds to learning by machines: Instead of reinforcing behaviors using actual rewards, what if you reinforced behaviors using predicted rewards?; Suzanne Gildert shares the motivations for her recent investigations into quantum processes and their possible connection to consciousness – how do our minds experience the world?; and DJ Seo describes his state-of-the-art neural interface technology that was used last year to demonstrate mind control – how a person could control their device with only their thoughts. Then, transitioning back from mind control back to AI control, Patrick Pilarski highlights the machine learning techniques he invented for continual sensorimotor control and prediction learning on prosthetic devices.

How will our species change once we begin interacting with AIs through our thoughts? We kick off this year’s CDL Super Session by exploring a future that seems alien but may be less than a decade away.

Visit the Startup Zone, the buzzing core of CDL Super Session where the future is on full display. This is where CDL’s most promising graduate ventures converge, representing every innovation stream in CDL’s program.

Celebrating the science-driven companies shaping what’s next – from oceans to orbit, and everything in between.

Featured ventures from across the CDL network take the main stage to share the breakthroughs they’ve built – and the bold paths ahead. From AI and health to manufacturing, oceans, agrifood, climate, neurotechnology, quantum, supply chain, space, and digital society, these founders represent the next wave of world-changing science- and technology-based companies graduating from CDL’s 2025 program year.

On tough calls, first principles, and staying agile while scaling globally.

Tobi Lütke is the Founder and CEO of Shopify, one of Canada’s most iconic tech companies. From writing the first lines of code to steering a global platform serving millions, Tobi has led through inflection points with a commitment to first-principles thinking, team-building, and unconventional decision-making. In this fireside chat, hosted by Sonia Sennik, CEO of Creative Destruction Lab, Tobi reflects on the leadership lessons and core convictions that have guided his journey.

Celebrating the science-driven companies shaping what’s next – from oceans to orbit, and everything in between.

Featured ventures from across the CDL network take the main stage to share the breakthroughs they’ve built – and the bold paths ahead. From AI and health to manufacturing, oceans, agrifood, climate, neurotechnology, quantum, supply chain, space, and digital society, these founders represent the next wave of world-changing science- and technology-based companies graduating from CDL’s 2025 program year.

Visit the Startup Zone, the buzzing core of CDL Super Session where the future is on full display. This is where CDL’s most promising graduate ventures converge, representing every innovation stream in CDL’s program.

Celebrating the science-driven companies shaping what’s next – from oceans to orbit, and everything in between.

Featured ventures from across the CDL network take the main stage to share the breakthroughs they’ve built – and the bold paths ahead. From AI and health to manufacturing, oceans, agrifood, climate, neurotechnology, quantum, supply chain, space, and digital society, these founders represent the next wave of world-changing science- and technology-based companies graduating from CDL’s 2025 program year.

Join us for the Torys Closing Reception. Unwind, reflect, and connect after a day of high-energy programming. Mingle with founders, mentors, and guests from across the global CDL community. Light refreshments and good conversation guaranteed.