Canada’s premier annual democracy summit, DemocracyXChange (DXC) 2026, returns to Toronto from April 16 to 18 for its seventh edition.
This year’s theme, Side by Side: Building an Economy That Serves Democracy, opens a dialogue on how leaders and practitioners can rethink the economy’s role in supporting democracy, while exploring ways to work together to secure economic sovereignty, expand opportunity, and deepen civic trust in Canada and beyond.
The three-day summit will open with a keynote by acclaimed author, journalist and activist Cory Doctorow , and will feature addresses from Canadian business leader and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb, MIT Institute Professor and Nobel Prize laureate Daron Acemoglu, and one of Canada’s leading experts in public engagement and deliberative democracy, Peter MacLeod.
On opening night, April 16, H.E. Geneviève Tuts, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada, will offer introductory remarks welcoming guests and marking the continued partnership between the European Union and DemocracyXChange.
She will also introduce the Opening Night artist exhibition, Utopia Rewired: Creative Visions for Democratic Futures, which brings emerging artists from across Canada and EU countries into the conversation—using creative practice to imagine how democracy, culture, and the economy can be re-envisioned together.
Co-presented by OCAD University, The Open Democracy Project and the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, the summit is designed to connect, celebrate and equip people taking action to strengthen democracy.
Participants include leaders and changemakers from public institutions, media, labour, Indigenous governance, technology, academia, business and beyond.
FEATURED KEYNOTES
April 16, 2026
Author, journalist and activist Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow’s keynote will explore how Canada can turn the upheaval of US/Canada relations over the past year into a strategic opportunity to rebuild its tech sector, strengthen digital sovereignty and position itself as a global technology leader. He will outline how Canada can revitalize its innovation landscape, redirect wealth away from entrenched US monopolies and assert policymaking autonomy. His ideas frame technology not simply as an economic driver, but as a critical pillar of democratic resilience, civic trust and shared prosperity.
In Conversation with Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu: What Happened To Liberal Democracy?
April 18, 2026
Daron Acemoglu, MIT Institute Professor and Nobel Prize laureate
Drawing on his forthcoming book, What Happened to Liberal Democracy?, alongside insights from his bestseller Power and Progress, Acemoglu explores the most urgent question of our time: How can we redirect the path of innovation to ensure technology serves the many rather than the few? Join us for a deep dive into how we can redesign our economic systems to foster shared prosperity and, in doing so, reclaim the future of democratic life.
Side by Side: Building the Economy from Place, People, and Purpose
April 18, 2026
Zita Cobb, Founder/CEO of Shorefast
Canadian business leader and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb will reflect on what it takes to build an economy that genuinely serves democracy from the ground up. In conversation with Ilse Treurnicht, an entrepreneur and former chief executive of Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, this session will explore how place-based economies can restore dignity, opportunity, and civic trust – and how communities everywhere can reclaim a stronger voice in shaping their economic futures.
Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public
April 18, 2026
Peter MacLeod, founder and principal of MASS LBP
In his session, MacLeod will offer a hopeful vision of what comes next and explores how citizens can move democracy beyond polarization and political futility—and into its next chapter.
Tickets are on sale now (please visit the DemocracyXChange website for updates on times and locations).
ABOUT DXC CO-PRESENTERS
OCAD University (OCAD U), located in downtown Toronto, is Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university. It is a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. Students benefit from hands-on, practice-based learning and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios for both traditional and digital creation. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, students gain employable skills. Graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.
The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University is a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada.
The Open Democracy Project is working to strengthen and evolve the practice of democracy in Canada through contributing to the growth of Canada’s democracy sector. It is a not-for-profit incorporated in Canada and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Open Democracy Project’s goal is to foster collaborative and sustainable multi-stakeholder programs that convene, connect and share knowledge to build democratic resilience and protect democratic values.