Burlington, ON, June 5, 2026 – Over 130 people celebrated the achievements of women in business and entrepreneurship at the ninth annual HERhalton Women In Business Breakfast by Innovation Factory, held at the Holiday Inn Burlington Conference Centre.

As the region’s go-to networking event for women-identifying innovators and professionals, HERhalton provides a supportive environment for making meaningful connections, exchanging ideas and gaining new perspectives on the challenges facing entrepreneurs.

This year’s event, supported by Town of Milton and Burlington Economic Development and Tourism, explored the theme ”Unfiltered Innovation” with an agenda focused on demystifying tech, reframing the narrative around “soft skills” and understanding that being an innovator is not only a job title but a perspective.

Highlights included keynote speaker Tanuvi Bali, Senior Manager, Data & AI at PwC. In her talk titled “AI Without the Jargon,” Bali pulled back the curtain on artificial intelligence to help the audience move past the buzzwords to understand what AI can actually do to help their businesses, and what it can’t.

The event also featured panel discussions with engaging speakers including a “fireside chat” with Dr. Kelly Dore, co-founder and VP of Science and Innovation at Acuity Insights. Dore discussed how adapting to an increasingly automated world isn’t about learning new technical skills, but recognizing that “soft skills” are the hard skills needed to lead the future of work.

“Everyone in business feels the pressure to keep up with the latest tech trends, and with all the hype and fear surrounding AI, it can be overwhelming,” said Karen Linesman, Innovation Factory’s VP of Operations. “But the reality is that, by building and strengthening our connections, we all have the expertise to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities that new technologies bring. Our mission at Innovation Factory is to foster an inclusive environment where those important connections and conversations happen.”

About Innovation Factory

Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator serving the Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk regions since 2010 and is dedicated to growing the regional economy by accelerating start-up and scale-up companies. Innovation Factory provides innovators with business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to resources, opportunities and world-class institutions — driving market adoption, leveraging intellectual property, and increasing revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources, including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data, and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.