Event Recap: Young Professionals Summit Kelowna 2026

At Kelowna’s Young Professionals’ Summit on September 26, students, early-career professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs had the opportunity to learn from people whose work spans commercial banking, business and academic research. Hosted by Dr. Tolulope Adesina and organized by the Young Professionals’ Forum, Okanagan, the free event was designed to give attendees practical guidance and a chance to build professional relationships in the region.

The summit’s theme, Equipped for Excellence, framed a keynote by Oludare Akinbami, who reflected on his own journey and emphasized the role hard work played in it. The breakout sessions gave that message a more specific focus. In the first round, Sam Akinlusi led the career discussion, Ikechukwu Ibebugwu led the business session, and Dr. Emmanuel Osei led the education session.

In the career room, Akinlusi spoke about his experience building a career as an immigrant and the importance of developing relationships along the way. His account brought a personal perspective to a question that can be especially pressing for someone new to Canada: how do you begin to build a professional network when many of your existing connections are elsewhere?

The program also featured Sherrone Lobban on the challenges and lessons of building a business, Dr. Niyi Asiyanbi on the demands and rewards of academic work, and Segun Fatudimu on how experience in academia can translate to business and corporate roles. That range gave attendees a chance to hear from accomplished people in different fields and consider paths beyond the ones they already knew.

The smaller rooms gave the afternoon a more conversational feel. Attendees could choose a discussion that matched their interests and meet others considering similar decisions. That shared starting point made networking feel more natural. A conversation could begin with a question about graduate school, a business idea or a career move.

For someone still deciding what to pursue, access to people who can speak candidly about their own choices is valuable. So is the chance to meet peers at a similar stage. Events like the Young Professionals’ Summit help build that foundation in Kelowna by giving young people a clearer sense of their options and a place to begin forming the relationships that can support their next steps.