Okotoks Living Systems Summit: From “Doughnuts” to Deep Roots

• Agenda at a Glance

  April 13 – Opening Night (Optional)

  • Evening welcome and cultural experience featuring Indigenous perspectives.

  • No meals provided.

  April 14 – Full Summit Day

  • Opening remarks.

  • Keynote and interactive sessions.

  • Continuous networking and roundtables throughout the day.

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided.

  April 15 – Closing Summit Day (concludes by 2:30pm)

  • Keynote and interactive sessions.

  • Continuous networking and roundtables throughout the day.

  • Closing reflections and next steps.

  • Breakfast and lunch provided. 

Sessions & Speakers

• Engaging with Everyone for the Common Good (Dr. Paul Atkins)

  Focus: Applying Core Design Principles (Ostrom, adapted by Dr. Atkins) to everyday collaboration.

  This interactive workshop, grounded in Nobel Prize-winning research by Elinor Ostrom and adapted by Dr. Paul Atkins and colleagues, uses real-life local examples to bring theory into practice. You’ll explore eight Core Design Principles that successful groups share, clear purpose, fair participation, trust-building, and conflict resolution, and learn how to apply them to everyday challenges. Walk away with practical tools to strengthen relationships, improve decision-making, and achieve shared goals in your team, organization, or community.

  Learning objectives

  • Clarify group identity and purpose so everyone knows the “who” and “why.”
  • Map fair participation (benefits/costs) and inclusive decision‑making for your team/project.
  • Identify simple ways to monitor agreed behaviors and resolve conflict early and fairly.

  Takeaways

  • Collaboration Conditions Canvas for your team or project (purpose, participation, norms).
  • A draft code of cooperation with practical monitoring and conflict‑resolution steps.
  • One small experiment you’ll run in the next 30 days to strengthen trust and decision‑quality.

  Bio: Dr. Paul Atkins is a Visiting Associate Professor with the Crawford School of Public Policy (Australian National University). His research has focused on interventions to reduce stress while enhancing relationships, wellbeing, perspective-taking, and cooperation in groups and organizations. Dr. Paul Atkins is a registered organizational psychologist with a Ph.D. in Psychology from Cambridge University. He is the lead author of the recently published book Prosocial: Using Evolutionary Science to Build Productive, Equitable, and Collaborative Groups and co-founder and Vice President of Prosocial World, a not-for-profit organization focused on enhancing cooperation and trust in purpose-driven groups. The Prosocial process has been used to help improve group effectiveness in contexts as diverse as slowing the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone, enhancing performance in Australian government agencies, and improving cooperation in public schools.

• The Living Lab and Networks of Opportunity (Dr. Jimmy Chen)

  Focus: Turning learning into action through campus–community networks and partnerships. 

  Explore how communities around the world are learning from each other to more successfully achieve local priorities. This session highlights innovative approaches where education is directly integrated with community initiatives to deliver better social, economic, and environmental outcomes. You’ll discover how these connected communities share knowledge, collaborate, and unlock new economic opportunities, showing the power of linking local action to insights from other communities. Participants will leave with knowledge on how these models can inspire practical solutions for their own organizations and communities.

  Learning objectives

  • Understand the living‑lab model (co‑create, test, learn, iterate within the community).
  • Map local partners and assets (schools, nonprofits, businesses, agencies) to support a pilot.
  • Define feedback loops and simple measures so learning informs action (not just reports).

  Takeaways

  • A stakeholder map with priority partners and clear roles.
  • A 60‑day pilot outline (goal, tasks, measures, permissions/resources needed).
  • A partnership invitation template to initiate collaboration next week. 

  Bio: Dr. Jimmy Chen is the Managing Director at the Precourt Institute for Energy, in Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability, and is an academic and industry leader passionate about advancing innovation and adoption through collaboration across academia, industry, and government to develop scalable, sustainable energy systems that power communities.

• It’s Alive: Seeing Towns Through a Living Systems Lens (Greg Hart)

  Focus: Seeing towns as living systems, working with relationships, flows, and patterns.

  Explore a practical, common‑sense way to understand how towns function, by paying attention to the relationships, flows, and patterns already shaping everyday life. This session introduces the Living Systems perspective, inspired by the natural processes that sustain all life on Earth. You’ll learn the core principles for working with living systems and why they matter for urban planning and community development. Through real-world examples, we’ll explore how this approach differs profoundly from business-as-usual, offering practical insights for creating resilient, adaptive, and thriving communities.

  Learning objectives

  • Practice systems sensing: identify key flows (people, information, materials) and constraints.
  • Spot leverage points where small changes can shift conditions for better outcomes.
  • Design conditions to thrive (not quick fixes) using nature‑inspired principles.

  Takeaways

  • A systems snapshot of your challenge (assets, patterns, constraints, flows).
  • Three leverage points and one first move you can test within 30 days.
  • A simple observation plan to learn and adapt without heavy new processes.

  Bio: Greg is a lifelong entrepreneur who has spent 30 years studying, applying, and innovating in behaviour-based design. He was a founding partner of the ecosystem venture studio Thin Air Labs and the design-focused unschool InceptionU, where he develops and delivers programs. He is the CEO of Future Fit Cities, working towards a regenerative future that integrates social, environmental, and economic activities to create thriving communities. The meaningful design of our cities, institutions, learning systems, and ventures is central to this work. Greg has collaborated with Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands for 15 years. He is also the co-lead of the Doctor of Design program at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape.

• Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist (Kate Raworth)

  Focus: Applying Doughnut Economics to build strong, integrated local economies, plain language, no jargon.

  Join Kate Raworth for an engaging, plain‑language tour of seven shifts in economic thinking that can help communities build stronger, more resilient local economies. This session focuses on practical tools, not theories, that any town or region can adapt to fit its own priorities and challenges.

  Through relatable examples and community‑level insights, you’ll discover how everyday economic decisions, like procurement, land use, budgeting, entrepreneurship, and skills development, can keep value circulating locally and strengthen the foundations of long‑term well‑being. This session zeroes in on what works: small, practical steps that help communities thrive over time.

  Learning objectives

  • Translate the seven shifts into local policy and practice (procurement, zoning, budgeting, entrepreneurship).
  • Identify ways to keep value circulating locally (supplier development, circular practices, skills).
  • Choose simple, people‑centered measures that show progress without complex dashboards.

  Takeaways

  • A Local Value Playbook: 3 policy/practice tweaks to strengthen your town’s economic fabric.
  • A shortlist of projects or partnerships that align with community well‑being goals.
  • A measurement starter set (few meaningful indicators you can track immediately).

  Bio: Kate Raworth is an ecological economist best known for creating the Doughnut, a simple, visual way to think about building strong, healthy local economies that meet community needs while staying within practical environmental limits. Her bestselling book Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist has inspired towns, cities, and regions to rethink how they support local well-being and long-term resilience.

  Kate’s work is valued for its plain-language, common-sense approach: practical ideas that communities can adapt in ways that fit their own priorities, not a one-size-fits-all model. She co‑founded the Doughnut Economics Action Lab to help local governments, businesses, and community groups experiment with small, practical changes that strengthen local prosperity. She also teaches at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, where she focuses on tools that help communities design economies that work for people close to home.

• The End of Economic Development and the Beginning of a Living Local Economy (Michael Schuman)

  Focus: Practical strategies that create cascading local benefits over generations, beyond costly, extractive models.

  Local economic development is often misunderstood, and costly. This session explores how communities can build lasting economic strength by focusing on strategies that create cascading benefits for generations. Instead of relying on extractive, short-term fixes, you’ll learn practical approaches that keep wealth circulating locally, foster innovation, and deliver sustainable success. Through real-world examples, discover how to design economic systems that prioritize resilience, flexibility, and long-term prosperity over band-aid solutions.

  Learning objectives

  • Identify local multipliers (import substitution, local supply chains, main‑street finance).
  • Prioritize high‑leverage sectors (food, housing, energy, care) for community‑level strength.
  • Design low‑cost pilots (procurement shifts, buy‑local campaigns, community investment tools).

  Takeaways

  • A Keep‑It‑Local plan: one sector, three actions, a 90‑day timeline, and the partners you’ll need.
  • A financing/menu of options (co‑ops, community investment funds, anchor procurement) to explore.
  • A simple sponsor/ally list and next‑step outreach script to move from idea to action.

  Bio: Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics.  He is an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City.  He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire, where he performs economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America.  And he publishes a weekly newsletter on local investment called The Main Street Journal that reaches 8,000 readers.  Shuman is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding.  He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books.  His two most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is:  How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs and The Local Economy Solution:  How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity.

Choose How You'll Join Us

• In-Person Experience

  Step into an experience designed to spark ideas and transform how you see collaboration, community, and the future. This isn’t a typical summit; it’s interactive, inspiring, and built for connection.

  You’ll engage in lively conversations, interactive sessions, and dynamic roundtables that turn insights into action. Share ideas with leaders, innovators, and changemakers across sectors, and leave with practical strategies and a renewed sense of possibility.

  From meals that celebrate our region’s roots, sourced from local farms, ranches, artisanal producers, and stores, to sessions that challenge the status quo, every detail is crafted to inspire. Our goal? That you walk away energized, connected, and ready to create the future you imagine for your organization, community, or network. 

  • Full summit access: Keynotes, interactive sessions, and roundtables that turn insights into action.

  • Face-to-face networking: Connect with leaders, innovators, and changemakers across sectors.

  • Live Q&A: Submit questions during sessions and help shape the conversation. We’ll weave in as many as time allows.

  • Opening Night on April 13 (optional): Evening welcome and cultural experience featuring Indigenous perspectives.

  • Regionally rooted meals: A celebration of our agricultural heritage with locally sourced ingredients. Special meal options include the following:

    • Vegetarian 

    • Vegan 

    • Gluten-Free 

    • Dairy-Free / Lactose-free

  • An environment designed for inspiration: Every detail crafted to help you think differently and see new possibilities. 

• Virtual Experience

  Join us live from wherever you are and be part of the conversation. Our virtual option brings you the big ideas and insights from our speakers, streamed in real time so you can engage and learn alongside in-person attendees. 

  What’s Included:

  • Live access to speaker presentations on April 14 and 15, because ideas thrive when shared in the moment.

  • Live Q&A: Submit questions during sessions and help shape the conversation. We’ll weave in as many as time allows.

  • Keynotes and speaker talks only, interactive sessions and roundtables are exclusive to in-person attendees.

  • No recordings, just live energy. Mark your calendar and be part of the experience as it unfolds. 

  Please note: Opening Night is not included in the virtual option. 

Sponsorship & Partner Opportunities

• Sponsorship at a Glance

  Option	Investment	Recognition	Extras
  Title Sponsor	$10,000	Presenting Sponsor on all materials, logo prominence, welcome remarks	Full-page ad, 4 registrations, impact report
  Speaker Sponsorship	$2,500	Highlighted each Summit day, Recognition in event program, webpage & social media	2 registrations
  Community Partner	$1,200	Recognition in event program & webpage	1 registration
  Sponsor Local Farms & Food	$750	Recognition in event program & during primary meal service	Supports local agriculture & sustainability
  Pay It Forward Sponsor	$529	Recognition in event program	Covers registration for a community leader

• Title Sponsor – $10,000

  Be front and center as the exclusive presenting sponsor.

  • Exclusive recognition as Presenting/Naming Sponsor across all event materials.

  • All print ads and materials, including on-site signage, will feature company logo.

  • Opportunity to deliver welcome and closing remarks.

  • Opportunity to set up a booth location during breaks/check-in.

  • 4 complimentary registrations.

  • Post-event impact report with engagement metrics. 

  • Social media recognition: Promotion on main Town socials (5 total across platforms); Logo included on Facebook event page banner.

• Speaker Sponsor – $2,500

  Champion ideas that spark innovation.

  • Recognition on a dedicated “Speaker Sponsors” slide that is shown a minimum of 4x per main Summit Day (April 14 & 15) and a min of 1x on the optional Summit Day (April 13)

    • Your logo will be featured alongside other speaker sponsors

  • Opportunity to introduce a speaker.

  • Recognition through logo placement in the event program and on the web page.

  • Social media recognition: promotion on main Town socials (2 total across all platforms); you will be featured alongside other speaker sponsors.

  • 2 complimentary registrations.

• Community Partner Sponsor – $1,200

  Show your local pride and amplify community impact.

  • Name listed on web page and print program.

  • Social media recognition: promotion on main Town socials (1 total across all platforms); you will be featured alongside other speaker sponsors

  • 1 complimentary registration. 

• Local Farms & Food Sponsor - $750

  Celebrate the deep roots of our region by supporting local agriculture and community food suppliers, a cornerstone of our shared history. Your sponsorship helps cover the cost of meals crafted with ingredients sourced directly from local farms, ranches, artisanal producers, and supplemented by fresh selections from trusted local stores. This isn’t just a meal; it’s a way to strengthen the local economy, honor agricultural heritage, and reduce environmental impact. 

  • Includes Name Recognition in the event program and during primary meal service.
• Pay It Forward Sponsor - $529

  Sponsor a summit attendee! Help make this summit accessible for nonprofits, educators, and community leaders with limited budgets. Your sponsorship covers their registration and ensures diverse voices are part of the conversation.

• In-Kind Sponsor

  Share your brand in a way attendees will love! Provide branded items or locally made products for Summit giveaways, a perfect chance to showcase your business.

  • Recognition during the giveaway moment, with items showcased until they find their new home. 

Your Summit Adventure Starts Here!

• Venue

  We’re gathering at the Vikings Rental Centre, right in the heart of Okotoks, a community that blends small-town charm with big ideas and a deep connection to nature. The space is fully accessible, with barrier-free entrances and restrooms, so everyone feels welcome from the moment they arrive.

• Getting Here

  • By Car: Just a quick 15-minute drive south of Calgary via Highway 2, easy and scenic!

  • Parking: Free parking on-site and in nearby lots.

  • Transit: No regional transit for day trips, but we’re all about green choices, carpool if you can! Within Okotoks, hop on our on-demand or direct-route transit. Details here: https://www.okotoks.ca/your-services/residential-services/okotoks-transit. 

• Accommodation

  Accommodation information and details on block booking will be shared with you in your registration confirmation email.

• Local Attractions

  Make it more than a Summit, make it an experience!

  • Sheep River Valley: Stunning trails and nature walks.

  • Historic Downtown: Boutique shops, cozy cafés, and vibrant art galleries.

  • Okotoks Erratic (“Big Rock”): A jaw-dropping natural landmark just outside town.

  • Okotoks Museum & Archives: Dive into local history through engaging exhibits. 

  Want to dive deeper into what makes Okotoks special? Explore local gems, experiences, and more at: https://www.okotoks.ca/your-community/amenities/visit-okotoks