Toronto has always been a city full of builders, but Toronto Tech Week feels like the moment all of that energy finally becomes visible.
For one week, the city turns into a massive hub of conversations, networking events, founder meetups, AI panels, hackathons, workshops, and community-driven experiences happening across Toronto — from the Financial District to the Harbourfront and Queen East. Running from May 25–29, Toronto Tech Week is returning for its second year with more than 300 events and over 15,000 expected attendees.
But what makes the week feel different isn’t just the scale of it. It’s the mix of people showing up.
Founders, students, creatives, developers, marketers, operators, and investors all end up in the same rooms, having the same conversations about where technology, creativity, and culture are heading next.
For Founders, Operators, and Big Ideas
The biggest event of the week is easily Homecoming, the official mainstage event of Toronto Tech Week happening at History on May 27. Designed to bring together more than 1,000 founders, builders, investors, and operators, the event has quickly become one of the defining moments of the week.
This year’s speaker lineup includes major names like Tobi Lütke, Nick Frosst, and Alex Danco, alongside leaders from companies like Shopify, Uber, and Cohere.
But beyond the speaker lineup, the appeal of Homecoming is really the atmosphere around it. Toronto Tech Week feels noticeably more community-driven than overly corporate, and that energy carries through the entire week.
For Creatives Curious About AI
One of the most interesting things about this year’s programming is how much it expands beyond traditional startup culture.
Events like Krista Kim’s Heart Space, AI Gatherings, and Lagers and LLMs show how AI conversations are now intersecting with creativity, branding, media, design, and culture.
The AI-focused events especially stand out because they’re not just technical conversations anymore. They’re exploring how AI is reshaping industries people interact with every day, from hospitality and retail to content creation and communication.
And honestly, that broader mix of people is what makes Toronto Tech Week feel exciting. It doesn’t feel like a niche industry conference. It feels like a snapshot of where the city itself is heading.
For Women in Tech and Leadership
This year’s lineup also includes spaces focused on leadership, mentorship, and career growth, including the Women in STEM Leadership Accelerator Lab and the Change Leadership Conference 2026.
As conversations around inclusion and representation in tech continue to evolve, these events feel especially important. They create room for conversations around leadership, burnout, visibility, and navigating industries that still remain heavily male-dominated in many spaces.
What Toronto Tech Week does well is making those conversations feel accessible instead of performative. The community aspect of the week feels genuine, especially for students and early-career professionals trying to find where they fit into the industry.
For Students and Anyone Trying to Break Into Tech
One of the strongest parts of Toronto Tech Week is that not everything feels exclusive.
Events like the TechTO Hackathon, Founder Walk & Talk, and Two Steps Forward: Career Momentum Lab are designed for students, early-career professionals, and people simply curious about the industry.
There’s a strong focus throughout the week on collaboration, networking, and accessibility, whether that’s through startup showcases, community meetups, or smaller events built around specific industries and interests.
And honestly, some of the most valuable parts of the week probably happen in between the scheduled programming anyway. Coffee chats turn into collaborations, networking events turn into opportunities, and entire rooms are filled with people trying to build something meaningful at the same time.
More Than Just a Tech Event
At its core, Toronto Tech Week feels less like a traditional conference and more like a citywide reflection of where Toronto is going next.
It’s ambitious, creative, fast-moving, and increasingly shaped by people who exist outside the stereotypical image of what the tech industry used to look like.
Whether you’re building a startup, working in media, interested in AI, or simply curious about where innovation is heading, Toronto Tech Week feels like one of the clearest snapshots of Toronto’s future, and the people shaping it.
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Jia Kanwar is a Communications student at Wilfrid Laurier University and a writer for HerSide Magazine, with a focus on culture, media, and storytelling.
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