Local Leader Highlight | July 9, 2026
A Local Brewery Shaped by Global Influences: Madeline’s Story
Local Leader: Madeline Conn
Business: High Key Brewing Co.
Industry: Food and Beverage
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
For Madeline Conn, it was time spent working in Texas that inspired her to open a craft brewery in her hometown of Saskatoon.
I was working for a software company in Calgary but they’re actually based in Dallas, Texas. I lived there for half a year and trained. That’s where I got into the craft brewery scene. It was a lot bigger down there than it was in Canada at the time. It had great tasting beer, very locally focused. It piqued all of my interests.
Madeline is the founder and president of High Key Brewing; a modern brewery and taproom located in the heart of downtown Saskatoon. The growing business is built on community, connection, and a commitment to quality. For Madeline, the name represents her entrepreneurship journey and the risks she took to make her dream a reality.
“I wanted a name that was original and hadn’t been used before. We workshopped a lot of different things and stumbled upon High Key as slang. It means to be all about something, all into it, which fit the bill. I left my corporate job in Calgary, moved back home, and put all of my effort into opening the brewery. It’s also a term in photography for really clean and whited out photos, so I used that as part of our branding inspiration.“
With an undergraduate degree in international studies and an MBA from the University of Saskatchewan, Madeline always expected to establish her career elsewhere but it was the local community that brought her back to Saskatoon.
“I can’t imagine opening a business in a city where I don’t really know people. Just being able to ask questions and bounce ideas off of people who have your best interests at heart has been really important to me.“
Madeline spent most of her twenties travelling, with Beirut, Yangshuo, and Rome being some of her favourite destinations. Her educational background and travel experience have inspired many aspects of the business.
“Every time I travelled, I noticed things that would be cool in Saskatoon. I love the city, my friends and family are here, and I found myself thinking of ways to bring back something that’s new and different.“
Saskatoon’s close-knit community plays an important role in how Madeline lives her life, especially as she raises her young daughter. She encourages other entrepreneurs to create spaces where everyone feels welcome to share ideas and ask questions.
“Make sure you’re creating a space that’s fighting for everybody. You might think about your business in a certain way but be open to suggestions, to people bringing up different ideas that you might not have originally thought of.“
Madeline continues to give back to her community by collaborating with local organizations and industry partners. She enjoys sharing knowledge, building meaningful connections, and contributing to a thriving business ecosystem.
“We do Sour Fest every year, which is always fun. It’s a tap takeover with all the other brewery sours and we get a pretty good turnout for that. We’ve been doing Jazz Fest the last couple of years, so we get live music coming in for that. We’ve also recently started doing puppy patio parties with New Hope Dog Rescue. They host an adoption event; we serve some hot dogs and donate some money back there.“
When she’s not managing her growing business or working on her next idea, Madeline enjoys exploring Saskatoon’s vibrant culinary scene.
“One thing I really love about Saskatoon is the restaurants here. There’s not a lot of chains, it’s a little bit more artistic, artisanal, which is fun.“
High Key Brewing is one of six companies in the Saskatoon Region that participated in the inaugural cohort of SREDA’s Upscale program. The connections and guidance Madeline gained through the program have helped the business refine its operations and pursue new opportunities. Her current priorities include maintaining high quality products while exploring new offerings, including ginger beer, hard herbal teas, and non-alcoholic beverages. She looks forward to seeing the Saskatoon Region continue to grow and evolve.
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