On Tuesday night, Ensemble Co. held Volume 8 of their increasingly popular speaker series.

The event brought together forward-thinkers, leaders and the like to hear nine of the best and brightest discuss “The Future of Cities.”


Branded #Ensemble8 on social media, the event focused on the sustainability of city-building, the role data, privacy and technology play in city landscapes and the social issues and concerns that arise from population influx. In other words, the event couldn’t be more timely following the overpopulated, albeit joyous, mess that was the Raptors Parade.

READ: Toronto’s Rapid Population Growth Could Cause Housing Crisis: Expert

Mike Wilson, Head of Sales and Country Manager at Waze Canada; Andrea Delzotto, Director and VP at Tridel; and Gregory Henriquez, Managing Partner at Henriquez Partners, were the three brilliant key speakers of the evening.

Each speaker offered unique takes on how to manage, build, own and move around cities. From phasing out ride-sharing in favour of carpooling to ensuring cities are built with inclusivity in mind, the ideas were endless and inspiring.

“With population growth, the city is destined to be the reservoir of humanity, bursting at its seams," Henriquez noted at the end of his talk. "Global warming is warning us that the world's resources are finite. With the opportunity, as Canadians, we have to set an example on how the vision of this future of inclusivity can embrace this diversity of this planet… I honestly believe this is our only hope.”

READ: Designing The Landscape Of Toronto’s Unpredictable Future

Although the discussion was definitely serious, the vibe was always energetic. Toronto Storeys’ very own Danny Roth closed out the night by moderating a panel of five experts. Panellists included Stackt Market founder, Matt Rubinoff, as well as Michelle German, Jamie Grossman, Lanrick Bennett Jr. and Ana Serrano.

Ensemble events offer learning experiences to emerging leaders at a fraction of the price. A portion of ticket-proceeds go towards Ensemble's charitable partner the WE Charity.

Check out some photos from the event below.

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