Hi CEOs,

This might sound like a Tourism Ottawa ad, but if you’re looking to make the most of a business trip to the nation’s capital, book an extra night. Meetings in Ottawa can move right up until the last minute, often for reasons entirely beyond anyone’s control.

A meeting that’s been on the books for weeks is cancelled that morning because everyone has been pulled into a minister’s briefing. An MP can’t meet because the bells are ringing for a vote in the House. A reporter races away from coffee to catch a minister’s scrum and promises to call once they’ve filed. Someone texts to ask whether you’ll be at a reception at the Métropolitain that evening — at precisely the time you’re due to head to the airport.

Having another day in town gives you options. A cancelled afternoon meeting can become breakfast the next morning, rather than setting off another round of emails to find a date three weeks from now. More importantly, it signals that you aren’t simply flying in and out to get something. You’ve made the trip because showing up in Ottawa matters, and you’re prepared to invest the time to build relationships with the people and institutions that shape our country.

Stay a little longer and the city begins to work in your favour in other ways, too. Spend more than forty-eight hours in the capital and your view of Ottawa starts to widen. Make time for a meeting in Kanata, home to one of Canada’s most important technology clusters, and plan a nice dinner in Hintonburg, Little Italy or The Glebe. In the evening, take a walk along the newly redeveloped path to Kìwekì Point, which has restored access to one of the most spectacular lookouts in the National Capital Region, with panoramic views of Parliament Hill as its buildings undergo one of the most significant transformations in their history. An analogy for Canada, some might say.

For this week's edition of Field Notes, we're spending a little more time in the nation's capital. CCI's Director of Federal Affairs, Daniel Perry, shares what we're hearing from Parliament Hill. We introduce you to Mike Matta of Solink, spotlight Ottawa innovator Knak, and share a few of our favourite places to work, meet and spend an extra day the next time business brings you to town.

Happy reading,

Patrick

Patrick Searle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a national member-based organization reshaping how governments across Canada think about innovation policy, and supporting homegrown scale-ups to drive prosperity. If you are interested in learning more about the Council or joining our cause, get in touch.

ON THE GROUND

Because Ottawa is where the policies shaping every innovator — from Victoria to St. John's — are debated and decided, CCI has built a permanent presence here to ensure Canada's most ambitious companies have a voice in those conversations. Browse our recent pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance or our testimony before Parliament, and you'll hear ideas drawn directly from entrepreneurs building companies across the country.

Much of our recent work has focused on helping government see the opportunity before it. Through reports, campaigns and direct engagement, we've argued that procurement should be treated as economic policy by redefining "Buy Canadian" around intellectual property ownership and domestic economic impact, positioning government as an anchor customer that helps Canadian firms secure their first major reference customers and attract private capital. We've also called for a sovereign AI strategy and a defence industrial base rooted in Canadian companies, with domestic compute capacity and procurement rules that keep intellectual property and strategic control at home.

We're also advocating for government-backed capital to focus on the Series B financing gap, where Canada's scale-up challenge is most acute, alongside a QSBS-style tax incentive that helps more high-growth companies remain Canadian-owned. We've proposed modernizing the Start-Up Visa Program by granting temporary residency first, with permanent residency tied to measurable outcomes such as job creation, company growth and intellectual property retention.

Ottawa is often thought of as the city where policy is made, but it has long been one of Canada's most important innovation centres. From the technology companies that transformed Kanata into North America's largest technology park to the entrepreneurs building globally competitive firms today in towers near Sparks Street, innovation has always been part of the city's story. The next federal budget should recognize that Ottawa isn't simply where Canada's economic rules are written. It's also home to many of the companies those rules are meant to help succeed.

Daniel Perry is the Director of Federal Affairs at the Council of Canadian Innovators. He can be reached at daniel.perry@canadianinnovators.org or via LinkedIn.

BUILT HERE

Knak

Enterprise marketing teams spend enormous amounts of time producing emails, landing pages and digital campaigns, often relying on developers or outside agencies to turn ideas into finished products. Ottawa-based Knak has built software that puts that work directly into the hands of marketers, allowing global brands to create digital campaigns without writing code.

Founded in 2015 by marketers Pierce Ujjainwalla and Brendan Farnand, Knak was built around a simple idea: make campaign creation faster while preserving brand consistency across large organizations. Today, the company's platform is used by thousands of marketers at many of the world's largest enterprises to produce emails, landing pages and other digital assets that integrate with leading marketing automation platforms.

Knak has continued to expand its platform as artificial intelligence reshapes enterprise marketing, recently introducing AI-powered tools that make campaign production callable by AI agents while maintaining the governance and brand controls large organizations require. The company has also been recognized among Ottawa's fastest-growing technology companies and Canada's Top Growing Companies, reflecting the momentum of a business that has quietly become one of the capital's standout software success stories.

Learn more about Knak and explore other Ottawa-based companies in the CCI Directory.

ONE TO WATCH

Mike Matta, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Solink

Before founding Solink, Mike Matta worked in corporate strategy at Bell Canada, helping lead major transactions and their integration. In 2010, he turned his attention to a different challenge: helping businesses make better use of the information they were already collecting every day.

Matta co-founded Solink to connect video with operational data, giving businesses a clearer picture of how their locations are running. Rather than replacing existing security cameras, the Ottawa-based company's platform helps organizations investigate incidents, improve operations and identify patterns that can inform better decisions.

Today, Solink is applying artificial intelligence to help businesses interpret activity across thousands of locations in real time. While the platform began in security and loss prevention, it has expanded into day-to-day operational insights, helping businesses understand everything from staffing and customer flow to operational performance. As Matta explained in a recent CCI Five Questions interview, the opportunity reflects Canada's ability to build globally competitive software companies by solving practical problems for businesses.

Learn more about Mike and other Ottawa-based innovators through CCI’s CEO Directory.

SEEN & HEARD

As Canada increases its focus on defence and economic security, more attention is turning to the companies developing technologies with both commercial and defence applications.

Earlier this spring, CCI and Brion Raffoul LLP brought founders, policy leaders, legal experts and government stakeholders together in Ottawa for an Innovator Exchange on dual-use technology and defence procurement. Moderated by CCI Chief Strategy Officer Dana O’Born, the discussion featured Natalie Raffoul, Managing Partner at Brion Raffoul LLP, and Josh Ogden, Chief Executive Officer of AVSS.

The conversation focused on a persistent gap. Canadian companies are developing globally competitive capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and drones, but many still face complicated procurement processes, uncertainty around intellectual property and limited opportunities to secure customers at home.

Participants discussed how government can create clearer paths from development to deployment while ensuring Canadian innovators retain the assets and expertise that generate long-term economic value. For companies working in fast-moving strategic sectors, procurement speed, intellectual property ownership and access to domestic customers will help determine whether Canadian technologies scale here or elsewhere.

Read the full Seen & Heard recap.‍

THE CCI DIRECTORY

Keep these places in mind the next time business brings you to Ottawa, whether you are meeting with federal officials, hosting a board dinner or finding somewhere to work between meetings.

Where to Take an Investor for Coffee

Equator Coffee inside the National Arts Centre offers natural light, plenty of space and is just a stone's throw from the Prime Minister's Office. It is, however, something of a fishbowl, so don't be surprised if your coffee meeting is spotted by someone you know. For a quieter conversation, The Commons on Sparks Street is good, as is Bar Robo inside the foodhall Queen St. Fare.

Where to Host a Board Dinner

The private dining room at Arlo Wine & Restaurant in Centretown (pictured above) can host a small private table or meals served family style for up to 30 people seated or 50 standing. For steak, Harmon's on Elgin is the perfect spot for private groups of 10-18. Riviera on Sparks Street is a reliable choice, with two private dining rooms inside a converted 1930s bank and a contemporary Canadian and Mediterranean menu.

If the evening is less formal, head to The Manx or Pure Kitchen, both on Elgin Street. At Pure, order the cauliflower wings for the table and thank us later.

Where to Work Between Meetings

The Collaboration Centre, housed inside Shopify's former headquarters on Elgin Street, has quickly become one of Ottawa's most useful meeting places for the innovation community. Little Victories on Elgin Street is a popular meeting place for people working in and around government, although it does not offer Wi-Fi. Café Laurier inside the Fairmont Château Laurier becomes a comfortable place to work once the morning rush subsides. Ottawa Bike Café on Sparks Street, near the Prime Minister’s Office, offers excellent coffee and a relaxing patio. Hungry? Head to La Bottega in ByWard Market where you can make a delicious Italian sandwich to order at the back deli.

Where to Gather After the Event

Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar is known for its atmosphere and creative cocktail list, so booking ahead is worthwhile during busy conferences. Rabbit Hole on Sparks Street offers several distinct spaces, including a basement dance floor, main-floor bar and rooftop. Its quieter sister speakeasy, Jackalope, is tucked beneath it.

Where to Stay

Downtown, The Fairmont Château Laurier remains Ottawa's landmark hotel, overlooking the Rideau Canal and located just steps from Parliament Hill. For a more contemporary stay, Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market offers modern rooms, a rooftop bar and easy access to the restaurants and cafés of the market. If your meetings are in Kanata or at National Defence Headquarters, the Brookstreet Hotel is a good spot to stay.

Next week, our summer road trip continues down Highway 401 to Toronto. Have a great weekend!