Room: Mississauga AB
Sponsor(s)
 
Session Description
From Hype to Impact – AI and Transit Operations
Stream: Operations Stream
Moderator: Josh Colle – Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
AI and MiWayÂ’s Voice of the Customer Program
Speaker: Suzanne Holder – MiWay
With over 55 million annual passenger boardings, you can expect to receive a significant volume of customer feedback. Â Layer in multiple channels for customers to provide input and it can be challenging to draw comprehensive conclusions. Hear about MiWayÂ’s journey over the past two years to ramp up their Voice of the Customer program and their experiences in bravely embracing and learning to navigate AI to holistically bring together disparate sources of data to gain new customer insights.
Speaker: Pat Gregory – Spare
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond hype and into practical application for public transit agencies. As systems face increasing demand, limited resources, and growing operational complexity, AI presents an opportunity to improve efficiency, service quality, and staff effectiveness, when applied thoughtfully. This session explores where AI is already delivering real value in transit operations, from accelerating access to insights in data-rich environments to automating routine workflows such as rider communications and trip confirmations. Rather than replacing human expertise, AI can augment staff capacity by handling repetitive tasks and supporting faster, more informed decision-making. Drawing on recent industry discussions and real-world use cases, this session examines how incremental, context-aware AI implementations can create meaningful operational impact. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of practical AI applications, considerations for responsible adoption, and concrete ideas for AI within their own agencies.
Speaker: Naina Dewan – Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Naina Dewan, Manager of New Technology and Innovation at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will share how the organization is leveraging the current wave of AI to address real operational challenges through practical, transit?driven applications. She will also highlight how TTC is building a culture of innovation and walk through the innovation pipeline process created to identify, vet, pilot, and scale new solutions and emerging concepts – ensuring they deliver real value in a complex public transit environment
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s)
Bio:
Suzanne Holder serves as the Manager of Customer Experience and Innovation for MiWay, City of Mississauga. As an inspiring leader, she guides a skilled team in delivering forward-thinking programs focused on strategy development, customer and employee experience, service excellence, and internal communications. She is driven by a passion for creating inclusive, purpose-driven environments. Suzanne is dedicated to creating environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves. She actively champions cultural transformation to support business innovation, using a variety of business improvement approaches—especially human-centered design—to deeply understand user needs and deliver exceptional experiences. She is known for her positivity, professionalism, and creativity, Suzanne is a strong driver of positive change and continuous improvement.
Naina Dewan – Manager, New Technology & Innovation, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Bio:
Naina Dewan is the Manager of New Technology and Innovation at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), where she leads the exploration, piloting, and scaling of emerging technologies to drive meaningful outcomes for public transit. She oversees innovation strategy, applied technology initiatives, cross?sector partnerships, and the translation of new ideas into operational impact across the organization. Naina brings extensive experience establishing and scaling corporate innovation labs across the banking and retail sectors, having worked with organizations including Scotiabank, Loblaw, and Walmart. Her work focuses on building enterprise innovation capabilities developing operating models, governance, and portfolios that move beyond experimentation to sustained value. She also serves as a Director on the Bus Design Innovation Program, a first?of?its?kind labour?management initiative in partnership with ATU International and ATU Local 113, advancing future bus design with a focus on enhancing operator safety and rider experience.
Bio:
Pat Gregory serves as Senior Product Manager at Spare, where he drives the creation of AI-powered solutions that automate workflows, optimize operational efficiency, and minimize administrative burden across transit agencies.
Moderator(s)
Josh Colle – Chief Strategy & Customer Experience Officer, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Bio:
Josh Colle is the Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer for the TTC. In his role at the TTC he oversees the organizationÂ’s communications, marketing, customer experience, transportation planning, research, strategy, fare payment, innovation, sustainability, stakeholder relations, and FIFA World Cup readiness mandates. He has over 20 years of experience in the transport and municipal sectors, with extensive strategy, stakeholder, communications, and transit experience. Prior to the TTC, Josh was a partner at EY, where he led CanadaÂ’s national transit practice and worked with transit systems and municipalities across North America to help them improve service delivery, find efficiencies, design operating models, and restructure organizations. He is also is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and acted as Vice Chair of Integrated Mobility. Josh previously served for eight years as a Toronto City Councillor that included sitting for six years on the Board of the TTC, including four years as Chair. JoshÂ’s public and private sector experience has also included management roles at an infrastructure and energy consulting firm and Toronto Pearson International Airport.