Keynote Event
Join Sabaa Quao, founding President of PlusCo Venture Studio, the innovation spinoff launched from Cossette and the Plus Company marketing agency network, for the 2026 Black History Month (BHM) Keynote, One Step Back. Two Steps Forward.
- Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
- Time: 5-8PM (Catered reception 5-6PM, Keynote with Q&A 6-8PM)
- Location: Room 365/370, Donald E. Armstrong Building, McGill University (3420 rue McTavish, Montreal)
Accessibility
- The venue is accessible to wheelchair users.
- Elevators are available and there is an accessible washroom on the same floor as the event.
- English language ASL interpretation and live captioning will be offered for the keynote and Q&A portion.
- Catering will include vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free friendly options.
- Childcare will be available for those who expressed the need in the registration process.
About the Keynote: Words from the Speaker
One Step Back. Two Steps Forward.
The 30th anniversary of Canada’s official recognition of Black History Month is a remarkable milestone. It naturally prompts us to reflect on the time that has passed and what has (or has not) been achieved.
Across many communities, we’re seeing clear signals of growing discontent. These signals point to the end of an era, which is ultimately a good thing. The status quo is long overdue for disruption. As a career entrepreneur, strategist, and creative lead, disruption is my daily assumption. Disruption is essential to meaningful progress.
It can feel as though we’ve taken one step backward on too many fronts. My response is creative, optimistic, and intentionally simple: one step back, two steps forward. In this keynote, I will share a collection of delightful and disruptive ideas inspired by what I’m observing at the intersection of technology, finance, and culture.
About the Speaker
Sabaa Quao is the founding President of PlusCo Venture Studio, the innovation spinoff launched from Cossette and the Plus Company marketing agency network. Sabaa previously held the role of Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Cossette, Canada's largest integrated marketing and advertising agency. He now advises and maximizes the growth of seven AI and fintech companies in the venture studio's first cohort.
Sabaa is also the co-founder of Wealthie.Works, a fintech startup that initiates investment accounts and builds financial resilience for young families. Building a business around kids, long-term investing, and intergenerational wealth is relevant because we all have a lot of kids in our lives: friends’ kids, your own kids, your kids’ friends, some good kids, some rotten kids, some nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. If we build long term stability and well-being for children, we improve the odds of building a better society.
As a creative leader, career entrepreneur, and business strategist, Sabaa has worked on projects and with teams in over a dozen countries. He believes that the "innovation" mandate is urgent, not only for companies and business leaders but also for individuals and communities as we all face disruption.
Sabaa holds degrees in Marketing, Communication and Design, and an MBA. He sits on the Cannes Lions Advisory Board with The Globe and Mail and on the board of Campfire Circle, a camp that supports kids and families affected by childhood cancer or serious illness.
Community Events
Every February, the McGill Equity Team invites all units, departments, and faculties to participate in McGill’s annual Black History Month programming by organizing their own community event. Join the Equity Team and the wider McGill community in celebrating the McGill’s Black community by participating in this important commemorative month.
Partners
This year’s programming is organized by McGill's Equity Team in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic), in partnership with the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management. The Equity Team also recognizes the generous support from McGill Communications and Institutional Relations.
