Jahanzaib Ansari

Co-Founder & CEO @knockrico, past E&I Council @WEF, Contributor @Forbes, Nex- Gen Business Leader @BizCouncilofCan

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

@paulg In complete Awe seeing this!! Thank you for sharing the piece, we've put our heart and souls in the mission and your essays have truly helped @KnockriCo's journey! Thanks again @paulg

@MaazRanaKnockri @5cel

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

They say it takes a village to raise someone...and last night was a beautiful reminder of the village that lifted me up.

What an incredible evening at the Hilton Lac-Leamy, celebrating this year’s Forty Under 40 recipients! Being formally recognized by the @ottawabot and @obj_news is an absolute honor, and the energy in the room was unmatched.

But as I stood on that stage, my eyes went straight to the people cheering the loudest: my parents, my co-founder Faisal and his wife Raisa, our Chief Scientist Dr. Dave, Kin Choi (my Ottawa OG), senior leaders from the military and the public sector, and our incredible customers, partners, and ecosystem friends.

For many immigrants and especially founders, success is rarely a solo story. It’s built on the sacrifices of friends, family, investors, and the early adopting customers who truly believe in your vision when others can’t see it.

Last night, having my village by my side to share this recognition wasn’t just a personal achievement; it was a full-circle moment!

This award doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the Knockri team, our partners, and the innovative risk-takers who bravely adopt technology and continue to move the needle where Canada and the world need it most.

Huge congratulations to all of this year’s fellow recipients! There is still so much more for us to achieve. 🚀

P.s. The celebrations continue on my birthday today. Talk about perfect timing and the ultimate present!

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

A week after Canada’s new AI strategy dropped, I found myself in the West Block sitting with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.

Looking around the room, I couldn’t help but smile at how the universe connected us.

A few weeks ago, while rushing through the airport, a gentleman commented that he liked my green jacket. “I’ll get you one!” I joked as I headed down the escalator and went on my way.

Fast forward to a separate trip, we ran into each other again. It was only when I asked what he does for work that the dots connected.

This deeply humble man was Marc-André Blanchard, the PM's Chief of Staff.

That chance encounter sparked a deep conversation around AI and economic prosperity, that came full circle last week.

Faisal and I had the privilege of sitting down with Marc-André Blanchard and Ramiz Razzaq to talk about how Canada can further economically prosper using responsible, proven, and ethical AI technology.

Here are the massive strategy takeaways every Canadian AI scale-up needs to watch:
• Sovereign AI is central, not decorative
• “Buy Canadian” language is now explicit
• Trust, safety, and certification will matter more than ever
• Federal AI procurement is becoming a major policy lever

Seeing Canada's explicit commitment to trusted, sovereign AI is a massive step forward for our ecosystem.

But looking back, the biggest lesson here has nothing to do with technology; it’s about human connection.

It’s easy to stay in your comfort zone keeping your head down, headphones in, and scrolling through addictive reels.

But when you choose to look up and stay open to the world, the universe has a funny way of connecting you to people who you’d otherwise never know.

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

I was walking back to my car at the Ottawa airport, completely exhausted.

Early morning flight to Toronto. Late night flight back to Ottawa. One of those days where you’re running on fumes and just trying to get home.

And then, in my tired and slightly disgruntled state, I paused for a second.

There it was. My face on the magazine stand.

I honestly did a double take.

For a moment, I was in disbelief.

Me? On a magazine stand at the airport?

It caught me off guard, but put a smile on my face. Not because of the press or the cover itself, but because it forced me to stop and think about how far this journey has come.

I know what it feels like to be underestimated, overlooked, and counted out.

I know what it feels like to wonder whether your name, your background, or the way you speak might quietly shape your access to a job, an opportunity, an important meeting, or simply the chance to be seen for your potential.

And I know what it feels like to keep showing up anyway, because the mission matters more than the doubt.

There have been sleepless nights, rejections, last-minute changes, people who said they would come through and didn’t, hard pivots, moments of uncertainty, and more “no’s” than I can remember.

But we kept going.

And through it all, the mission has stayed the same: building technology that helps ensure every person gets a fair shot and an equal opportunity to be seen for their potential.

That’s what this moment reminded me of.

Being recognized as one of this year’s Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 recipients is deeply meaningful. But more than anything, it feels like a reflection of the work our team at Knockri has continued to push forward with consistency, conviction, and heart.

As one of my favourite artists, Christopher Wallace, once said, “It was all a dream.”

And while I still feel like someone needs to pinch me, this dream is far from over.

We’ll celebrate next week, take a moment to appreciate how far this journey has come, and then get right back to work.

Because there is still much more to do.

Grateful to my team, our clients, partners, advisors, and everyone who has believed in this mission along the way.

To anyone who has ever felt like they were the last person who would end up on a stage, on a list, or on the cover of anything: keep showing up.

You belong there too✨

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

Building AI agents is becoming easier by the day, but engineering governed, bias-mitigating AI agents that dismantle systemic barriers and earn the trust of the world’s most heavily regulated organizations at scale is an entirely different game.

Today marks a significant milestone in our ongoing collaboration with IBM as we operationalize structured behavioural interviews through modular, governed agents.

As organizations globally look to deploy secure and compliant AI in their hiring processes, Knockri is helping set the blueprint. IBM just shared a breakdown of how we have embedded Watsonx technology to help companies handle massive waves of job applications through enterprise ready AI agents.

When applied to enterprise talent pipelines, this agentic infrastructure creates measurable HR impact across the entire hiring journey:

- For Candidates: A fairer, more consistent, engaging, and transparent assessment experience that gives every applicant a more structured opportunity to demonstrate their potential.

- For Recruiters and Talent Teams: Less administrative burden, faster hiring decisions by up to 60%, and the elimination of days of manual screening work so teams can focus on higher value candidate engagement and advisory support.

- For HR Leaders and the Enterprise: A governed, scalable, and defensible approach to talent acquisition that lowers costs, improves throughput, supports workforce planning, and integrates into high volume pipelines processing up to 3 million applications annually.

Recruitment and selection are just the starting point. The same AI agent infrastructure can extend across the broader talent journey, from training to internal mobility, without requiring a new platform each time.

A lot of hard work went into this integration. Thank you to our Founder and CTO Faisal Ahmed, our Chief Scientist, Dr. Dave Mayers, and our entire engineering team for driving this forward, as well as the incredible team at IBM who helped bring this collaboration to life.

The full feature is now live on IBM’s website! https://t.co/rsSYRDFZ6a

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

Catch my opening remarks here! https://t.co/dvDysWjiAe

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d one day be appearing before the @SenateCA as an expert witness on Artificial Intelligence, I would have told you that you're completely losing it. 🤯

Back then, I was just another immigrant sounding name trying to get a foot in the door, literally changing my name on resumes from Jahanzaib to Jacob just to get a fair shot at an interview. It was a slow, exhausting, and fundamentally broken process, but that exact frustration became the spark that led to founding Knockri.

Fast forward to today, and I recently had the distinct privilege of testifying on AI, Economic Security, and the Human Right to Work before the Human Rights Committee.

Amid so much AI hype, inflated claims, and growing scrutiny around solutions built without the proper guardrails, I wanted to anchor the conversation in what it actually takes to build responsible and ethical AI today

No afterthoughts: You can't just hop on the bandwagon with a trendy black-box model and try to patch bias later. Guardrails must be in the core architecture from day one.

The "Glass Box" approach: Pure transparency is non-negotiable. Every single decision must be traceable and trusted.

Integrity at scale: Innovation isn't just about moving at a dizzying pace; it’s about guiding adoption responsibly so technology dismantles systemic inequities instead of reinforcing them.

This is the exact blueprint we committed to a decade ago, and the outcomes across our rapidly growing public and private sector customers speak for themselves.

This is also a huge moment for the entire HR community. For too long, Talent and EDI work has been treated as an internal corporate function. Seeing the Senate elevate it to the level of economic security and human rights is a massive shift. To every HR leader working to make hiring fairer, more objective, and more merit based, this milestone belongs to you too.

Thank you to the esteemed senators of the Committee for hosting such a vital conversation. A special thank you to Chair Senator Paulette Senior for the opportunity to appear, and to Senator Farah Mohamed, thank you for your leadership and for helping create access to opportunities that open doors for others.

While I got to step up to the microphone, this milestone belongs to our incredible teams, customers, and partners. A massive thank you to my co-founder and CTO, Faisal, and our phenomenal team for building a platform that keeps accessibility at its core, giving every Canadian a genuine chance to showcase their best skills.

#ArtificialIntelligence #AIEthics #FutureOfWork

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

After weeks of events and city hopping, I wrapped up May on a high note at CANSEC here in Ottawa.

It was great to be connected with military leadership and industry leaders focused on the future of defense innovation in Canada, and fantastic catching up with familiar faces from the training group, especially Josh Fudge.

A big congratulations to Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee on his appointment as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff! As always, I truly enjoyed our conversation on how sovereign Canadian AI solutions are changing the game for military readiness.

We all agree that building robust, objective AI right here at home is a necessity. The truth is, relying on foreign tech infrastructure is a massive liability. Whether you're in defense or the commercial sector, if you want to protect your operational integrity, you need secure, domestic technology.

It’s encouraging to see Canadian innovation leading the charge and we’re excited to play our part.

#CANSEC #NationalDefence

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

What an incredible fireside chat with Nadim Kara, CHRO at GreenShield, at The Change Leadership Conference in Toronto!
It’s rare to find a leader who deeply understands the behavioral shifts required for complex transformation, especially as we navigate the age of AI.

Three key takeaways from our session:
🔸AI needs a human foundation: It’s at its best when it removes friction and adds capacity, but it only creates value when it puts the human first.

🔸Wellness = Infrastructure: Wellness isn’t a "perk", it is human performance infrastructure.

🔸The growth tax: Scaling (like GreenShield’s jump from 1M to 3M lives) requires protecting people from burnout to avoid the trap of "heroics" over sustainable systems.

I’m incredibly proud of the partnership. We’re proving that you can scale rapidly while keeping the human element at the center of the strategy.

Thanks to Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta and the 300+ change leaders in attendance for the great dialogue! 🤝

#ChangeLeadership #Knockri #GreenShield

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

They say the best ideas and conversations happen over a great meal, and that’s exactly what happened last week.

It was incredibly rewarding to see the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) National Capital Region and the UAE Embassy in Ottawa come together. Watching these two worlds connect alongside leaders from National Defence, Global Affairs, and IRCC reinforced why fostering these cross-border partnerships is so vital.

I left with a full stomach, but an even fuller notebook on how the private sector and governments continue to align around technology, economic growth, and global talent innovation.

It was especially an honour reconnecting with my friend His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Neyadi and picking up right where our last conversation left off.

Always excellent to see so many familiar faces across the Ottawa ecosystem, and a big shoutout to my @IPAC_NCR Day 1 in the capital, Emilie Sauriol whose team did such an excellent job.

Thank you to the Ambassador and the entire Embassy team for the warm hospitality and for hosting such a stellar evening!

#UAECanada #Ottawa

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

Wrapping up the IBM Think highlights with one of my favourite people

What I appreciate most about our partnership with @IBM is that the conversations are always evolving.

Trading notes with Chris Foltz last week on how the talent landscape is shifting was a reminder of why this collaboration works: you don’t have to spend time on the basics. You just dive straight into the deep end of where the industry is going next.

As the scale of what we’re tackling grows, it’s a clear reminder that impactful solutions aren't built in a vacuum. They are the result of momentum, shared vision, and a mutual push to keep raising the bar for HR tech.

Always grateful for the perspective and the opportunity to work alongside such an outstanding global team.

@IBMwatsonx

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on the power of access.

It makes me think of the violin player in the subway.

The talent may be extraordinary, but if she never gets in front of the right audience, or if no one stops long enough to listen and appreciate, that gift may never reach the concert hall.

The same is true for young founders, students, policymakers, and first-generation professionals. The potential is already there. Sometimes the only missing ingredient is proximity to the right room, the right conversation, or the right person willing to say, “Come with me.”

That kind of access can change someone’s trajectory.

It can expand what they believe is possible, shaping confidence, ambition, and even socioeconomic future.

I’ve seen this firsthand through Zabeen Hirji.

She consistently uses her platform not just to lead, but to bring others along, opening doors to networks that many young leaders may not otherwise find.

And the truth is, this is one of the most powerful ways senior executives and people in positions of influence can give back.

It doesn’t always require funding or a big announcement. Sometimes it’s simply making the introduction, extending the invitation, or lending your credibility so someone else has the opportunity to build their own.

That intentional generosity was evident at the Public Policy Forum’s Canada Growth Summit last week, pictured here.

Grateful for leaders who understand that access, when shared intentionally, can become a bridge for the next generation.

Has someone opened a door in your career? Tag them or share your story in the comments.

#Leadership

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

May is shaping up to be a month of deep dives.

AI is moving at a dizzying speed, and the executive conversation has fundamentally shifted. We’ve moved past the "education" phase...leaders know the potential. Now, the focus is on how to adopt it safely.

The shift I’m seeing is clear: leaders aren't looking for more hype; they are looking for proven solutions to help them create efficiencies and objectivity, while managing the risks. If you’ll be at any of these, let’s grab a coffee. I’d love to hear how you’re actually putting these tools to work.

-> May 1 | Mississauga | FAST 92ix Summit – Looking forward to sharing the stage with Aazar Zafar and Aneela Zaib

-> May 4 | Boston | IBM Think

-> May 7 | Toronto | Public Policy Forum Canada Growth Summit

-> May 27 | Toronto | Change Leadership Conference - A candid fireside conversation with Nadim Kara CHRO of GreenShield on reimagining change.

It’s going to be a busy few weeks, but there is nothing quite like the energy of a room full of people trying to solve the same complex problems.

See you out there!

#AI #Leadership

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

In June 2024, I packed up my life in a city I had called home for over two decades and moved somewhere completely new.

Toronto was where I went to school, met some incredible teammates, and built the foundations of Knockri. The city opened a lot of doors for me, which is exactly how I knew it was time to step out of my comfort zone.

Opening a second office in Ottawa felt like a bit of a leap at the time. New city, new network, further away from family, starting from scratch in many ways.

But it also meant being closer to where a lot of important conversations were happening. And that decision has paid off in more ways than I could have anticipated.

Less than two years in, it's gratifying to see how quickly things came together. The people, the partnerships, the momentum, the inclusive community is what makes this city!

Fast forward to June 2026, and I’m getting ready to attend the Ottawa Board of Trade Forty Under 40 Gala as one of this year’s recipients.

Being recognized by the @ottawabot as a top young business leader is meaningful, but more than anything, it feels like a reflection of the work our team at Knockri has been doing.

This isn’t an individual milestone. It’s what happens when a nimble team stays consistent, keeps building ethical technology and pushes forward customer centric solutions.

Grateful to my team that continues to show up every day and make this real: Shaun, Dave, Farheen. Special thanks to Faisal for holding down the fort in Toronto, and to the partners, clients, and mentors who’ve backed us along the way and the rest of the team!

We’re continuing to build and expand with plenty more to come.

Who knows where the next destination might be.

x-x

Congratulations to the other recipients as well, looking forward to celebrating soon!

#Ottawa #Knockri #OTT40

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

Spending 48 hours in London earlier this month really put something into perspective for me.

What struck me most wasn’t just how much you can fit into two days, but how much more impactful everything becomes when you’re in the room with the right people.

The iconic sites, great chocolates, and awesome fish and chips aside, it was a reminder of how quickly things move when you shift from virtual to in-person. After what felt like thousands of hours on Teams, it was great to finally spend time together with the IBM UK team.

It also made clear why Jon Lester, Emily Herbert, and Kate Ashworth are such strong leaders in their areas, constantly moving the needle. I learned a lot from our conversations, especially around what a truly exceptional TA experience looks like at scale.

What stood out most was how intentional everything is.

Supporting a 250,000 employee organization forces you to focus on what actually works and gets adopted, not what just sounds good in a pitch.

Under Jon’s leadership, there’s a clear focus on user experience and productivity to drive adoption. Great user experience drives usage, and usage drives value, something ASK HR is already proving in practice.

Grateful for the time, the insights, and the warm welcome.

#AgenticAI #FutureOfWork #ResponsibleAI

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Neyadi, Ambassador of the UAE to Canada, following my recent visit to the region. We reflected on what a fantastic trip it was as we continue exploring growing business opportunities there.

The Ambassador is a welcoming, humble, and thoughtful individual representing an equally remarkable country. The UAE shares deep trading ties with Canada and is home to a vibrant Canadian community living and working across the Emirates.

Like many nations across the GCC, the UAE began with humble origins rooted in pearl diving, regional trade, and pilgrimage routes into Arabia before later becoming energy rich and evolving into one of the world’s most dynamic hubs for innovation, commerce, and global connection. The people there are among the most welcoming and forward looking you will meet! My thoughts are with the region as it moves through this moment with the resilience and strength that have long defined it.

In Canada, we often take our security for granted. Yet with adversaries increasingly testing our sovereignty in the Arctic and elsewhere, it is worth remembering that Nazi U boats reached Canada’s shores during the Second World War. A powerful reminder that stability and security should never be assumed.

Moments like these remind us that the strength of a country is not defined only by geography or resources, but by the people who step forward to build, protect, and strengthen it.

While our country is making progress, the reality is that Canada continually needs a force that can be recruited, trained, and scaled faster to respond to emerging threats, alongside innovators, policymakers, and citizens across every field who are willing to step forward and contribute.

Strong societies are built when citizens, institutions, and leaders think not only about what their country can do for them, but what they can do for their country.

Because if not us, then who?

#Leadership #Defence

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

An outstanding day at the @BHERCanada Executive Summit in Toronto this week!

I had the opportunity to share the stage with three deeply respected leaders: Vice Admiral Angus Topshee , Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy; Lieutenant Colonel Jason Virtue, who leads training innovation within the Royal Canadian Air Force; and Humber President and former Honorary RCAF Colonel Ann Marie Vaughan, who moderated a candid and substantive discussion on sovereign AI, training efficiencies, maritime blindness, and building a mission ready Defence talent pipeline.

We explored what it truly takes to modernize recruitment and retention systems, accelerate time to readiness, better align post-secondary institutions to strengthen talent pipelines, and ensure veterans transition into the civilian workforce employment ready.

Readiness today is not just about funding. It is about talent velocity, interoperability, and intelligent systems.

Thank you to the BHER team, Valerie Walker, Matthew McKean, Andrew Bieler, Trevor Neiman, and Goldy Hyder from the Business Council of Canada, for continuing to convene leaders committed to strengthening Canada.

For more than a decade, @KnockriCo has supported highly regulated environments, earning trust through responsible AI, thoughtful governance, and consistent real-world results.

We are proud to continue supporting the Canadian Armed Forces with AI that advances talent identification, training innovation, and mission readiness.

#ResponsibleAI #Canada #Defence

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

On February 25, I’ll be joining the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, and Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Virtue, who leads the training innovation team within the Royal Canadian Air Force, at the @BHERCanada Executive Summit to discuss how Canada can build a mission-ready defence talent pipeline.

In a rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological environment, Canada’s security depends on how effectively these departments recruit, develop, and retain skilled people, ensuring readiness in moments where performance, judgment, and adaptability matter most.

The discussion will focus on strengthening recruitment and retention pathways, using technology and responsible AI to accelerate training and readiness outcomes, and deepening collaboration with post secondary institutions to support skills development, credentialing, and talent mobility.

For long term prosperity, defence talent strategies must be practical, shaped by those who understand the forces, and built to sustain long term readiness.

Looking forward to contributing to an important conversation.

📍 The Globe and Mail Centre, Toronto
📅 February 25

#PublicSector #ResponsibleAI #DefenceReadiness

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

As the year comes to a close, it feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on the progress behind us and what lies ahead.

This year took us across Australia, India, New York, Winnipeg, Vegas, and many places in between. Along the way, I had the opportunity to spend time with customers, partners, and leaders navigating complex questions around technology, trust, and decision making at scale.

One stop that stayed with me was Calgary, and a day spent in Banff. Not a typical pause in the middle of a packed travel schedule, but a reminder of the perspective and calm that often exists right in our own backyard.

Stepping away from conferences and back-to-back meetings created space to think more deliberately about the agentic systems we’re building and the responsibility that comes with them.

It reinforced a simple but important truth.

Progress isn’t just about moving faster or scaling bigger.

It’s about intent, judgment, empathy, and building technology that reflects those values.

The most meaningful change rarely comes from tools alone. It comes from teams willing to slow down just enough to ask harder questions about trust, accountability, and long-term impact.

As we head into the new year, I’m grateful for the people who place their trust in us, the conversations that challenged our thinking, and the quiet moments that shaped the journey.

There’s a lot more to build, and I’m excited for what 2026 has in store.

Happy holidays, everyone!

#Technology #Leadership #ResponsibleAI

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

What an incredible evening celebrating with some of Knockri’s closest friends, partners and HR members in the Toronto Community.

It has been a year full of growth and learning and I cannot think of a better way to wrap things up than with a fun filled dinner surrounded by great people.

First, a big thank you to our friends at IBM for making this evening possible, specially Steffi Diamond, Cryus Hira, John Lewis, Cindy Leung.

Special thanks to Brandon-Jo Mouna, Head of HR at @IBMCanada, for highlighting what trusted and tested Canadian innovation looks like through our almost decade-long IBM × Knockri partnership. We deeply appreciate the longstanding relationship, especially with watsonx and Orchestrate now in the mix, and we are excited for the road ahead.

And of course, a special shoutout to Zabeen Hirji for moderating the group so thoughtfully, and for always guiding us with her wisdom and insights. Your leadership continues to reinforce responsible, ethical, and inclusive practices throughout our solution.

A huge thank you to all our esteemed guests, your presence truly meant a lot.

And of course, our team at @KnockriCo and the wonderful folks at the Ritz Carlton for their hospitality and service

Excited for 2026 and everything that we have planned!

#Knockri #Toronto #2026

[Jahanzaib Ansari @_Jansari]

If you had told 10-year-old me that I’d someday sit in a real cockpit, I would’ve sprinted to get here.

Growing up, becoming a pilot was THE dream.

But life had other plans.

9/11 happened, things got complicated, especially for someone with my name and ethnicity, and I never made it to the cockpit professionally.

But things have a way of coming full circle in ways you least expect.

Today, my work lets me support the people and institutions protecting and serving Canadians everyday, including those who pilot these very aircrafts, safeguarding our skies.

Being able to contribute, even from a desk, to the missions and teams that shape Canada’s future is something I don’t take lightly.

Funny enough, 10-year-old me would still be proud.
Not because I made it into the sky, but because I found a way to stand behind the people who do.🍁

#PublicService #RCAF #Canada