Program Overview
FOUNDER(S): This is you and any / all of your co-founders.
FOUNDER(S) + TEAM: This is you and anyone from your team for which the session is relevant and / or interesting!
PRODUCT LEAD | TECHNICAL LEAD | GROWTH/MARKETING LEAD | SALES LEAD: These are members of your team who make key product, technical, or growth decisions for the company.
OPTIONAL: This is anyone on your team for whom the content is relevant.
Week 1: Diagnostics
Diagnostic week is designed to kick off your accelerator experience. The goal is straightforward: information gathering! This is your opportunity to introduce your startup and team, showcase your technology, and highlight the key opportunities and challenges where Google's expertise can make a real difference for you over the next 10 weeks.
Week 2: Welcome, OKRs & Tech Week 1
9:30AM - 9:45AM EST
Arrive at Google Montréal
10:00AM - 12:00PM EST
Welcome to the Program + Startup Showcases with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s) + Team]
Meet your fellow founders, startup teams and the Accelerator team! Learn everything you need to know about what's in store for the next 9 weeks, and hear from your fellow Google for Startups Accelerator: Canada cohort and the companies they have built!
12:00PM - 1:30PM EST
Lunch
1:30PM - 2:00PM EST
How to Schedule Office Hours with Alice Kawka
[Founder(s) + Team]
This program gives you access to dozens of Google mentors with various subject matter expertise. Learn how to schedule office hours with them and get familiar with the Google for Startups Accelerator: Canada - Advocu Platform.
2:00PM - 3:00PM EST
OKR Labs with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s) + Team]
OKR Basics Training: History, Creating OKRs, OKR Success Factors:
Definition and examples: Overview of OKRs basics including examples from our clients we can discuss as a group
Characteristics of effective OKRs: Here we go deeper into both objectives and key results to ensure participants understand what makes for an effective OKR
Generating alignment with OKRs: Both strategic (vertical) and horizontal (facilitating cross-functional collaboration)
The OKRs creation process: 7-step method for creating OKRs
3:00PM - 3:30PM EST
Break / Working Session
3:30PM - 4:30PM EST
Media Training 101 with Simon Langlois
[Founder(s)]
In this session, you'll get a general overview of the media landscape, learn the basics of succinctly delivering your company narrative and tips on interview techniques and how to work best with journalists.
4:30PM - 5:00PM EST
End of Day Reflections with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s) + Team]
Reflect on Day 1 and today's OKR Labs session. We'll discuss key takeaways, challenges, and opportunities for implementing OKRs in your startup and what’s to come for the week!
5:00PM - 7:00PM EST
Happy Hour with cohort & Googlers
9:00AM - 10:00AM EST
Arrive at Google Montréal & Breakfast
10:00AM - 11:00AM EST
Ask Me Anything with Shibl Mourad
[Founder(s) + Technical Leads]
Shibl Mourad, Research Engineering Director at Google DeepMind sharing his personal experience in a causal Ask-Me-Anything session.
11:15AM - 11:30AM EST
Break
11:30AM - 12:30PM EST
Tech Session - Hands on Gemini / Deepmind with Michael Phelan and Julien Coupez
[Technical Leads]
In this session you will discover how Google can help you in your startup journey. From Alphafold to Gemini, see how Google's Deepmind labs can bring ideas to life.
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Lunch
2:00PM - 3:00PM EST
Tech Session - Security
[Technical Leads]
More details to come!
3:00PM - 5:00PM EST
GCP / Deepmind Office Hours [In Person Only]
Details on how to schedule office hours will be shared via email.
6:00PM - 9:00PM EST
Cohort Dinner
9:00AM - 10:00AM EST
Arrive at Google Montréal & Breakfast
10:00AM - 11:00AM EST
A Turning Point For AI and Creativity: Complimenting Human Ingenuity With Technology with Kory Mathewson
[Founder(s) + Technical Leads]
AI is playing an increasingly significant role in disrupting the creative field. Learn how teams can responsibly build technology that empowers artists and addresses industry concerns, by taking a user-centric approach to co-designing and developing AI technologies. Join Kory Mathewson, Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, who will discuss how AI is fueling the creative process.
11:00AM - 12:00PM EST
From inference to training: Secure LLMs and agents against cyberthreats with Nicolas Bédard
[Technical Leads]
Discover the latest advancements in AI security. This session explores techniques for protecting LLM models and Agents, from training to inference, and highlights innovative tools for securing the input and output of models in production.
12:00PM - 1:00PM EST
What’s Next and Ask Me Anything + Lunch with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s) + Team]
During this session we'll discuss the following 9 weeks of the program and how to ensure you and your team success in achieving your OKRs.
1:00PM - 3:00PM EST
GCP / Deepmind Office Hours [In Person Only]
Details on how to schedule office hours will be shared via email.
Week 3: Tech Week 2
12:00PM - 3:00PM EST
OKR Working Session with Mentors
[Founder(s) + Team]
Prepare a draft of your program OKRs with the help of your dedicated Google for Startups Accelerator mentors. (Please set up time with your dedicated mentors for OKR drafting - to be scheduled ideally during this block/before Tuesday's feedback session.)
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
OKR Presentations with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s)]
If no one ever knew your OKRs, did they really happen?” We kick off the content of the week with a final presentation of program OKRs by each of our startups... because #accountability.
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Building with Google's Most Advanced AI: Leveraging Gemini and Vertex AI with Bon Sethi
[Technical Leads]
Dive into building next-generation AI applications leveraging Gemini, Google's most advanced model family, and the comprehensive Vertex AI platform. This session explores how developers can harness Gemini's state-of-the-art capabilities – including multimodal understanding, sophisticated reasoning, long-context processing, and native tool use – directly through Vertex AI. Discover how the unified platform accelerates development, providing seamless access via the Model Garden, tools for experimentation and tuning, robust MLOps features, and enterprise-ready deployment options.
3:00PM - 5:00PM EST
AI Pitches with Peter Norvig
[Technical Leads]
In “AI Pitches", each founder / technical lead team will select one (1) representative to present a 2-3 min overview of their proposed AI/ML solution / use case - followed by 3 min of Q&A / feedback from Peter Norvig. Peter will focus his feedback on actionable insights from his experience and takeaways for each of our founding teams to refine their implementation of AI/ML.
12:00PM - 12:30PM EST
Google Pixel & the Future of AI with Amir Gorgan
[Founder(s) + Team]
This presentation unveils the transformative power of Gemini, Google's cutting-edge AI, within Google Pixel devices. We'll explore how Gemini elevates the Pixel user by showcasing real-world examples and the latest advancements. Discover how this synergy between AI and Pixel devices can empower your business.
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Serverless Infrastructure with Yu-Hua Yang
[Technical Leads]
Discover how you can accelerate your business by not having an infrastructure to manage. Using Google Cloud's Serverless product offerings, you can focus on development of your application and offload the infra operations to Google that is ready to scale when you need it, and scale down to 0 when you don't.
Week 4: Tech Week 3 & Demo Day Prep
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
AI/ML Deep Dive (301) with Ashish Chauhan
[Technical Leads]
The session will discuss the Google Cloud AI portfolio and how to leverage Vertex AI platform to build and deploy AI/ML solutions. This session will also discuss tools to build agents like agent developer kit, Agent 2 agent, Model Context protocol.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
From Idea to Impact: Turbocharging Your SDLC with Gemini Code Assist with Vadim Kacherov
[Technical Leads]
The landscape of software development is undergoing a profound transformation driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. This presentation delves into the burgeoning role of AI in streamlining and accelerating the software development lifecycle, with a specific focus on the capabilities of Gemini Code Assist. We will explore how AI-driven tools are revolutionizing key development areas, including intelligent code generation, automated testing, and efficient code reviews, thereby significantly enhancing developer productivity. Emphasizing the critical importance of speed and time-to-market in today's competitive environment, this talk will demonstrate how AI empowers teams to deliver software at an unprecedented pace. Furthermore, we will examine the enterprise-grade features of Gemini, including robust code customization options and seamless integration capabilities, highlighting their potential to tailor AI assistance to specific organizational needs and workflows. This presentation will provide actionable insights into leveraging AI to optimize software development practices and secure a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving tech industry.
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Startup Storytelling: How To Build Your Story with Enjoy the Work
[Founder(s)]
Every founder or CEO must have a 30 second narrative to intrigue and educate any audience. I recommend watching this video and reading this article. A good story can be delivered at any time without props or slides. For additional reference, below is an example of stories we've helped craft for Enjoy The Work clients.
Ahead of our session, please start thinking about your own story. If you feel stuck, start with the construct - there is some imbalance in the world, it has created this void/opportunity/challenge, and we are here to solve it in a unique and meaningful way.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Life’s a Pitch with Long Story Short
[Founder(s)]
Life’s a Pitch – How to write and deliver persuasive presentations. Crafting and delivering an engaging pitch is no easy feat; throw technology into the mix and you’re really asking for trouble. This workshop aims to educate you on how to write, build and deliver persuasive presentations. We’ll address key pitch challenges you have faced to date, before exploring narrative and structure, and how to best communicate your offering.
This includes discussing best practices for messaging and keeping audiences engaged both in-person and online. We’ll round out the session by participating in a mix of exercises designed to help you overcome any fears, nerves, or anxiety when it comes time to present. This includes direct feedback and coaching on body language, pitch, and tone to help deliver your presentation in a confident and impactful way.
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Fundraising is Much More than a Pitch Deck with Enjoy the Work
[Founder(s)]
Raising capital is a discipline that when mastered, can fuel a startup’s potential; and when ignored, can doom a venture before it starts. Contrary to most of what a young entrepreneur reads, there is a method to the madness of fundraising... and it involves a great deal more than just a pitch deck.
This talk will cover revealing topics such as “The 28 Questions All Investors Ask” and what represents a “Minimum Viable Investor Funnel”, providing the audience with frameworks from which to construct a professional fundraise no matter if your startup is barely off the ground or well beyond product-market-fit.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Data & AI with David White
[Technical Leads]
Description coming soon!
Week 5: Sprint Week
This week is Sprint Week, a dedicated period of intense focus designed to drive substantial progress on one of your technical OKRs. Drawing directly from your program goals, this sprint will be centered around building out a key AI, tech, or product objective. Individual startup workbooks are located in the program gated hub.
Expect to achieve significant milestones within this one-week timeframe. Both your startup team and Google mentors will be fully committed to ensuring the sprint's success. Let's make this week count!
Week 6: Product, UX & Design
1:00PM - 2:00PM EST
Design / UX Labs: Design Thinking for Startups with Jenn Pretti
[Product Lead]
"Focus on the user and all else will follow.” Building great products first requires getting a deep understanding of the people you are designing for and the challenges they face. Following a people-centered approach to design allows you to build empathy and find innovative and effective ways to meet the needs of your users. This session will teach you the principles of Design Thinking and Google’s approach to innovation.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Product Labs: Journey Mapping with Aparna Satoor and Ruchi Mahajan
[Product Lead]
Journey mapping articulates user goals and needs in the context of the broader ecosystem and helps identify opportunities. During the workshop, we will go through the process of mapping a customer’s journey for a sample problem.
12:00PM - 1:00PM EST
The 10 Things I Learned Working With Startups with David White
[Founder(s)]
More details to come!
1:30PM - 2:30PM EST
Innovation and 10X thinking with Uday Ghatikar
[Founder(s)]
Success in startups isn’t just about ideas: it’s about mindset, strategy and having the right tools. This interactive session focuses on Google's 10X thinking and the founder's mindset, a powerful approach to innovation that aims for exponential impact in the age of AI. We'll explore how founders can best partner with Google for success and get an inside look at an exclusive Innovation Workshop designed to fuel creativity and prioritization. We'll wrap up with a Q&A.
3:00PM - 4:00PM EST
Mid-Program OKR Check In & Demo Day Logistics with Iran Karimian and Alice Kawka
[Founder(s)]
Mid-program OKR check in... because #accountability. Let’s walk through an effective way to think about checking in and grading OKRs mid-cycle.
Ask Me Anything on all things Demo Day logistics. Join this session to learn everything you need to know about Demo Day: travel, Demo Day promotion, rehearsal, live Demo Day, Graduation and more!
Week 7: Growth/Business
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Foundations of Brand Building with Léa Elbilia
[Growth / Marketing Lead]
We will share several tips and guidance on how to effectively build your brand through your most important channel: digital. We will go through the different aspects of brand guidelines and how to adapt these to the different digital platforms and media in order to keep a strong, unified online storytelling.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Fundamentals of Advertising on Google with Juana Mahadik
[Growth / Marketing Lead]
This session is designed to help startups understand the fundamentals of advertising Google search, introducing them to upper funnel tactics and providing a guide to building organic content on YouTube.
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
The Art of Data-Driven Decision Making with Jason Yang
[Founder(s) + Growth / Marketing Lead]
This session is designed to help entrepreneurs and startup teams harness data for smarter, more informed decisions. You'll explore essential concepts like data literacy, identifying key startup metrics, and building a data-driven culture.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
The Science of Story with Ben Wise and Darren Chiu
[Founder(s) + Growth / Marketing Lead]
Stories have the power to change minds, shape cultures, and even move mountains. But why do some stories stick with us while others are quickly forgotten? In this talk, we'll decode the psychology behind compelling narratives and teach you how to harness its power to communicate more effectively, build stronger connections, and inspire lasting impact.
12:30PM- 2:00PM EST
Market Expansion & International Export with Uchechi Udeoka
[Growth / Marketing Lead]
Join us as we walk through a framework for international expansion including a walk-through of new Google tools, best practices and case studies. Opportunity for live Q&A following the content to answer any questions you may have about entering new markets.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Make More Sales Today with Jyll Saskin Gales
[Founder(s) + Growth / Marketing Lead]
Ready to double your revenue? In this workshop, Marketing Coach and Ex-Googler Jyll Saskin Gales will teach you how to optimize your conversion rate, so you can squeeze more sales out of your website visitors. She'll show you how to analyze your conversion rate, and share a dozen concrete things you can do to improve it. Before the hour is up, Jyll will audit your website LIVE, providing specific, personalized recommendations for you to make more sales today.
Week 8: Breakout Week
Mentorship is an integral part of the Accelerator program to help guide you and open opportunities to dive deeper into your specific question and needs. During Breakout Weeks startups can work with their dedicated mentors to reserve office hour slots for invaluable one-on-one sessions with Google experts across a variety of topics - from technical areas like App Engine, Kubernetes, Cloud through to growth strategy, Google Ads, digital marketing, YouTube best practices and more!
Also, don't forget to book office hours with our fantastic external mentors this week: Enjoy the Work, Jyll Saskin Gales, and Long Story Short! You'll find all the details on how to book time located in the program's gated hub.
Week 9: People & Leadership
12:30PM - 2:00PM EST
Leaders Lab: Intro to Effective Founders with Martin Gonzalez
[Founder(s)]
Leaders Lab helps founders explore their leadership style and understand why it's never too early to think about leadership, culture, and values in your startup.
What makes an effective founder? To kick off Leadership Week, Jason Scott will lead a discussion on what we’ve learned in helping hundreds of the most promising startup founders across the world deal with their toughest people challenges.
3:00PM - 4:30PM EST
Leaders Lab: Working Session
[Founder(s)]
Blocking off time for you to complete some independent exercises and reflection before our Day 2 sessions.
12:30PM - 1:30PM EST
Leaders Lab: Deep Dive - Invite Disagreement with Ashley Francisco
[Founder(s)]
Leaders Lab helps founders explore their leadership style and understand why it's never too early to think about leadership, culture, and values in your startup.
3:00PM - 4:00PM EST
Leaders Lab: Building a Winning Team: Culture, Talent & Retention with Ashley Francisco
[Founder(s)]
For startups, people are everything. This session dives deep into the crucial people elements that fuel startup growth: culture, talent, and retention. We'll explore why these elements are vital to your success and provide actionable insights.
1:00PM - 2:00PM EST
Ask me Anything with Accelerator Alumni
[Founder(s)]
Join us for a casual ask-me-anything session with Accelerator alumni!
3:00PM - 4:00PM EST
Demo Day Know Before You Go with Iran Karimian & Alice Kawka
[Founder(s)]
Join us for a "Know Before You Go" session outlining all things week 10 in Toronto - Toronto Tech Week, networking opportunities, OKR presentations, rehearsals, and Demo Day! This session is an opportunity to ask any remaining questions and receive final detailed information about week 10 in Toronto.
Week 10: Demo Day & Graduation
9:00AM - 10:30AM EST
Executive Roundtable
[Founder(s)]
More details to come!
10:30AM - 11:30AM EST
OKR Presentations with Iran Karimian
[Founder(s) + Team]
“If no one ever knew your OKRs, did they really happen?” We conclude the program with a final Debriefing & Retrospective of Program OKRs - Review Scoring, Assess Learnings, and Celebrating Wins.
…And with that, the fifth cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Canada comes to a close! Join us for some final celebrations, well deserved callouts, and an overview of how you can stay connected with Google ongoing.
11:30AM - 12:30PM EST
Lunch
1:00PM - 5:00PM EST
Demo Day Rehearsal with Iran Karimian and Long Story Short
[Founder(s)]
Get Ready to Shine! This is your chance to get comfortable in the event space where Demo Day will be taking place and find your light on the Google Stage. Each startup will have an opportunity to practice their pitches, receiving invaluable feedback from the storytelling experts at Long Story Short and refining their presentations before the big day.
8:30AM EST
Arrive at Google Toronto & Breakfast
9:00AM - 12:00PM EST
Demo Day Technical Rehearsal
[Founder(s)]
Alright everyone, today's the day for our full tech rehearsal! We're going to run this just like it's the real deal, so you can feel confident and ready to shine this afternoon. Each startup will get a chance to present once, with all the lights, music, and mics in action.
11:30AM - 12:30PM EST
Lunch - Cohort Only
1:30PM - 4:00PM EST
Google for Startups Accelerator: Canada - Demo Day
[Invite Only]
4:00PM - 5:00PM EST
Networking & Happy Hour
[Invite Only]
Demo Day is in the books – congratulations to everyone! Now it's time to relax, connect, and celebrate all the hard work you've put in. Join us for a networking happy hour!
