The Lethbridge Polytechnic speaker series is back, featuring Juno Award-winning musician, bestselling author and founder of Reimagine AI, David Usher. Students, employees and community members are invited to attend a fireside chat on Artificial Intelligence and the Power of Creative Thinking at 6 p.m. March 12 on campus.
The series’ return is thanks to a generous financial gift from long-time Lethbridge businessman Bruce McKillop. In addition to championing the speaker series, his gift also underpins dozens of student awards and scholarships, many of which support students who have overcome academic or personal challenges on their journey to success.
“When we first developed the speaker series concept in 2018, it was important to me that the community understood that Lethbridge College was more than a trades school,” says McKillop. “Now, it’s Lethbridge Polytechnic and that important message still needs to be repeated.
“The polytechnic benefits so many people in our community through its practical approach to education. Students learn more than theory; they gain practical experience that prepares them for a career.
"I feel compelled to reach out to my fellow community leaders and ask them to support our local post-secondary centres. These cornerstone institutions have transformative impacts on not just students but also businesses and the greater community that have come to rely on such innovative and creative future leaders. I believe that with our support, we can foster the vibrant, skilled workforce that will propel our community forward.”
Alongside his incredible music career, David Usher has also worked with large language models and generative AI for the past eight years. He is the founder of Reimagine AI, a company that builds interactive AI-powered virtual beings for entertainment and healthcare, specifically for memory and Alzheimer’s patients. His journey from musician to AI CEO mirrors the journey that every person, company, and institution must undertake today. The world is at a technological inflection point, and we all need to understand and embrace this new technology… but how?
Through sharing his story, Usher empowers audiences to join him in this technological revolution, leveraging his experience as an AI CEO; lead singer of the multi-platinum, four-time Juno award-winning band Moist; and bestselling author. He not only illustrates why audiences need to embrace new technology but lays out a roadmap to actually doing it.
Usher will demonstrate that accessing one’s innate creative thinking is the key to unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence in this new era. His dynamic presentations, which feature live music, technology, and humour, are not only entertaining but built to inspire audiences and ignite their creativity by showing them how they can be part of the AI revolution, both personally and professionally.
Lethbridge Polytechnic’s speaker series celebrates diverse stories and perspectives from world-renowned speakers. This series aims to educate attendees, engage the community and provide opportunities for thoughtful dialogue on important issues impacting our students and community. Previous featured speakers are former White House speech writer and political pundit David Frum and world-renowned Canadian cave diver and underwater photographer, Jill Heinerth.
McKillop says he wanted the speaker series – like the polytechnic itself – to benefit both students and the community at large, by providing access to people with big ideas on a variety of topics including creativity and innovation. McKillop says he’s excited for students and the community to hear Usher’s ideas on artificial intelligence.
“On behalf of Lethbridge Polytechnic, I would like to extend sincere gratitude to Mr. McKillop for his selfless contributions over the years toward helping students succeed here at the polytechnic," says Ben Kwan, Development director at Lethbridge Polytechnic. “Thanks to Bruce’s gift, the speaker series returns to Lethbridge, providing students and the community with thoughtful speakers on timely, relevant topics.”
Tickets for the Lethbridge Polytechnic speaker series featuring David Usher are now available. Quantities are limited and can be purchased through the Lethbridge Polytechnic website by visiting lethpolytech.ca/event/speaker-series-2025. Tickets are $20 for the public and $10 for Lethbridge Polytechnic alumni and employees, with free student admission.
Located on the traditional land of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Lethbridge Polytechnic offers more than 65 certificate, diploma, degree and apprenticeship programs that are industry-responsive and encourage learning by doing. A leader in education and innovation since its founding in 1957, the institution is home to career-ready programs in health care, business, public safety, human services, environmental and agricultural sciences, trades, design and technology. With clear pathways to other institutions, work-integrated learning opportunities with community partners and cutting-edge applied research, Lethbridge Polytechnic students gain the skills and experience they need to move into the careers they love.