Avatar Ignite 2025
Emerging leaders meet the challenge of energy transition head on
Program Overview
The Avatar Ignite program is a proven and successful approach to engaging emerging professionals in the future of energy. The program brings young professionals together to work in cross-functional teams to develop business opportunities that address real industry challenges.
The program provides access to global business leaders and builds internal innovation and entrepreneurial capacity. The most promising innovations from the Ignite program are identified for further development in Avatar Accelerator.
“Avatar doesn’t only help build new technologies and bring them to market. It builds new leaders ready to face and navigate the uncertain path ahead.”
Who is it for?
Avatar Ignite is designed to develop emerging leadership talent in the energy Industry. Candidates are innovation minded, progressive professionals working in the energy sector – upstream, midstream and downstream.
They come from a cross section of professional disciplines and are considered by their companies to have a high potential to contribute to corporate innovation going forward.
The Avatar Program is designed to further develop seven critical leadership competencies for the energy leader of tomorrow:
Entrepreneurial mindset
Managing complexity
Creative problem solving
Adaptability and resilience
High performance teamwork
Change leadership
Stakeholder sensitivity
“Avatar brings a powerful refresher to your career by immersing you with inspired topics and working with smart and motivated colleagues towards the energy transition.”
How does it work?
Participants are divided into multi-functional, semi-autonomous teams that participate in a 14-week program guided by industry mentors and informed by experts in energy innovation and entrepreneurship.
Sessions cover topics ranging from Sustainable Finance and the Geopolitics of Energy to Technology Development and Leading through Change.
Program Onboarding & Launch
February 7 2025, virtually delivered.
Technology Stream Immersions 101
At your pace, virtually delivered.
A Brave New World: Leadership, Teamwork and Opportunities in the Energy Transition.
Friday 21 February 2025, in-person Calgary,
Virtually Enabled.
Pathmakers: Energy Entrepreneurship.
March 7 2025, in-person Houston & Calgary, Virtually Enabled.
Technology Stream Immersions 201
February 21 to March 6, 2025, virtually delivered.
Terra Sapiens: High Performance Teamwork, Diversity & Driving Purpose
March 21 2025, in-person Houston & Calgary, Virtually Enabled.
Robot Dreams: Technology as a Transformational Business
April 4 2025, in-person Houston & Calgary, Virtually Enabled.
When Worlds Collide: Energy, Empires, and Economics
April 17 2025, in-person Houston & Calgary, Virtually Enabled.
The Foundations Edge: Purpose Driven Leadership in Large Organizations.
2 May 2025, in-person Houston & Calgary, Virtually Enabled.
Avatar Ignite: Shark Tanks
May 13 to 15, 2025. More Information Coming Soon.
Our Ignite teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts.
What do participants get out of it?
Participants receive an unparalleled personal and professional development opportunity. They enjoy exclusive access to global experts on topics critical to the energy transition. And they can expand their network and work with like-minded emerging energy leaders and global business leaders to shape the industry. The program also provides a potential pathway to develop innovative ideas into start-up businesses, launching an entrepreneurial career backed by industry.
“Life-changing experience that will changeyour outlook on entrepreneurship.”
Program Expectations
As a participant in the Program, it is expected that you:
With the support of your coach, create a high-performing team to develop a compelling presentation to a panel of business executives of an energy decarbonization problem worth solving with a viable path(s)
Attend all eight-speaker sessions
Attend a minimum of 3 technology application stream
Complete weekly assignments
Program Time Commitment
The time commitment anticipated for the program is:
Approximately 2.5 hours per week attending speaker sessions and coach-led working sessions
Approximately 2 hours per week developing within your stream (outside business hours).
Approximately 0.5 hours per week completing required assignment and preparing for speaker and working sessions (outside business hours).
Legal Requirements
In the event that your team generates a business proposal, technology, or Intellectual Property is selected by a sponsor company for commercialization, Avatar Innovations Inc. will provide you with an agreed-upon framework with the sponsor company so that your team can benefit from the implementation. In order for us to guarantee and protect your idea through the commercialization process, you will be required to sign a legal agreement prior to entering the program that will stipulate your rights and responsibilities. The legal arrangement will ensure:
You are over the age of 18 years old and a resident of Canada or the United States
You have the consent of your manager to participate (if employed)
The information you use to generate your Teams Project is generated solely with public domain information or information provided through the Program.
You are not to disclose any of your company’s confidential or proprietary information
Avatar Innovations will act as the “resting place” of the business proposal, technology, and/or intellectual property developed in your team’s project. However, there will be opportunities to incorporate this in time should the business plan prove to be in a position to be commercialized. The team will then have the opportunity to own the business plan at this stage, and Avatar will become a minority equity holder along with the founding team.
