● Lunch & Learn Series
Built for What’s Next: Trends Defining the Future of the Space Industry
WIA-Canada’s Lunch & Learn series returns for World Space Week with a live panel of leaders from Canada’s space sector, talking about where the industry is heading, what’s being built right now, and what it means for the next generation of professionals.
Free for WIA-Canada members · Non-members welcome for a fee · Registration required for all attendees
About the Event
Space is no longer just the domain of governments and astronauts. It’s a rapidly expanding ecosystem of satellites, rockets, data, defence and connectivity. This Lunch & Learn hears directly from leaders at the forefront of Canada’s space sector about where the industry is heading, what’s being built right now, and what it means for the next generation of professionals. Hosted during World Space Week, the conversation brings together engineering and business leaders from across the Canadian space ecosystem to talk innovation, career paths, and what being built for what’s next really looks like in practice. Join us virtually on Tuesday, October 6 for a live Lunch & Learn conversation with Canada’s space industry leaders, free to attend for WIA-Canada members, with paid registration available for non-members.Agenda
12:15 – 1:00 PM ET
Panel Discussion
1:00 – 1:15 PM ET
Q&A
About the Speakers
The following speakers have been announced. The rest of the panel will be announced soon.
Dr. Sarah Gallagher
Moderator
Dr. Sarah Gallagher is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and the Director of the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University.
She is recognized as a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Physicists for her research on the energetic winds from growing supermassive black holes and advocacy for inclusion in science and the space sector.
From 2018-2022, she served as the first Science Advisor to the President of the Canadian Space Agency and is currently the Past President of the Canadian Astronomical Society.
Melissa Cass
Panelist
As Sr Director of Business Transformation, Melissa uses her 27 years in the aerospace industry to lead strategic company-wide business transformation projects that enable the simplification and modernization of how we work at MDA Space.
She is a systems, operations and safety engineering professional with Masters degrees focused in Aviation Safety & Accident Investigation and Space Science, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Diane Burchett
Panelist
Diane has a Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Engineering from the University of Toronto, is a graduate of SSP03 International Space University (ISU) and is a licenced Professional Engineer in Ontario. An advocate for engineering mentorship, she's known for encouraging young engineers to embrace nonlinear career paths, advice drawn from her own journey from materials engineering to executive leadership in the space sector.
Diane is the Vice President of Engineering at NordSpace, a Canadian aerospace company with a mission to advance life on Earth from space, with divisions spanning everything from space robotics to satellites to rockets. With over 25 years of engineering experience across the space industry, Diane has experience in materials engineering, quality engineering, system design, engineering team management and executive leadership.
Prior to joining NordSpace, Diane held senior engineering leadership roles at Kepler Communications, Honeywell and COM DEV International. She was also a Chair of Engineering and Technology at Conestoga College, helping to shape the next generation of engineers.
Ryan White
Panelist
Ryan White is Director of Software and Digital Design at Kepler Communications, where he leads multidisciplinary teams across embedded software, ground and full-stack software, FPGA design, and network engineering for low Earth orbit satellite systems. He brings more than 25 years of experience in aerospace, defence, real-time systems, advanced processing, and engineering leadership.
His current work includes helping explore the use of AI in space-based applications, from onboard processing of sensor data to spacecraft health monitoring and anomaly detection. Ryan is particularly interested in how onboard computing, software-defined architectures, and greater spacecraft autonomy are shaping the future of the space industry.
More panelists will be announced soon.