One of Canada’s most accomplished explorers is heading to Calgary’s BMO Centre as Energy Disruptors: UNITE adds another high-profile name to its 2026 lineup.
Artemis II astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen and his wife, women’s health and wellness expert Dr. Catherine Hansen, will appear together on stage at the September 28 to 29 summit, which is expected to bring approximately 3,000 business leaders, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to Calgary.
Hansen made history in April as the first Canadian to travel around the Moon, joining a mission that carried its crew farther from Earth than any humans had travelled before.
His journey offers a fitting backdrop for a Calgary conference built around ambitious ideas, complex problems, and technologies capable of reshaping industries.
A decorated fighter pilot and Canadian Space Agency astronaut, Hansen will share lessons from a career that required years of preparation for an extraordinary goal. He and Catherine Hansen will also discuss the less visible side of that journey: balancing careers, family, uncertainty, and the demands that come with pursuing ambitious goals.
Dr. Hansen is a Canadian-trained and U.S. board-certified OB/GYN, certified menopause practitioner and women’s health expert with more than 25 years of clinical experience. Her work explores how health and life stages affect leadership, workplace performance, and talent retention.
The Hansens join a summit lineup that is becoming increasingly notable for its mix of international names and prominent members of Calgary’s own business and civic community.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is among the featured speakers, bringing a local perspective on growth, competitiveness and the future of a city whose economy continues to evolve alongside the global energy industry.
Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson, one of Calgary’s most recognizable business leaders, will also take the stage. Dickinson has built much of her career from Calgary while becoming a national figure through entrepreneurship, investment, and her long-running role on Dragons’ Den.
Other speakers include Canadian author Margaret Atwood, former U.K. Prime Minister Lord David Cameron, economist Tyler Cowen, geopolitical strategist Bruno Maçães, and battery technology expert Bob Galyen.
For Calgary, the gathering represents more than another major conference. It places the city at the centre of conversations spanning energy, artificial intelligence, geopolitics, investment, and innovation — with one of Canada’s most remarkable recent achievements in space now part of the discussion.
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