Profound Impact is proud to sponsor the 2023 CS-Can|Info-Can Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Researcher Awards. The awards will be presented at the Second CS-Can|Info-Can Conference Co-Located with CASCON, November 11-14 at York University in Toronto. Congratulations to all three winners!
Roger Grosse of University of Toronto
Dr. Roger Grosse is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. With a robust research focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence, Dr. Grosse’s work explores innovative approaches to learning algorithms and their applications. His research interests span topics such as neural network training, probabilistic models, and scalable learning methods.
Dr. Grosse holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and has contributed significantly to the field through numerous publications and collaborations. His work is instrumental in advancing our understanding of complex machine-learning systems and their practical implementations.
As a leading researcher, Dr. Grosse is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with machine learning technologies, making impactful contributions to both academia and industry.
Ali Ouni of ETS Montréal
Dr. Ali Ouni is a Professor at École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) in Montréal, specializing in computer vision and machine learning. His research focuses on developing advanced algorithms for visual perception, object recognition, and scene understanding.
Dr. Ouni’s work is pivotal in the fields of computer vision and artificial intelligence, where he explores innovative techniques to improve visual data analysis and interpretation. His contributions aim to enhance the capabilities of machine learning systems in understanding and interacting with visual information.
With a robust academic background and a strong track record of research, Dr. Ouni is dedicated to advancing the state of the art in computer vision and its applications, driving progress in both academic and practical contexts.
Liam Paull of Université de Montréal
Dr. Liam Paull is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research at the Université de Montréal. His research focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, with a particular emphasis on developing algorithms that enable robots to perceive and interact with complex environments.
Dr. Paull’s work explores areas such as autonomous systems, robot perception, and human-robot interaction. He is dedicated to advancing the field of robotics through innovative research and applications that address real-world challenges.
With a strong academic background and a commitment to impactful research, Dr. Paull is shaping the future of robotics and AI, contributing valuable insights and technological advancements to the field.
Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone and Dr. Scott Vanstone Inducted into Kitchener-Waterloo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone and Dr. Scott Vanstone in Innovation and Community Leadership
WATERLOO, ON | JUNE 13, 2024 — Profound Impact™ Corporation (“Profound Impact”), a technology company that has developed an AI-powered researcher-to-funding matching platform, is proud to announce the induction of its Founder and CEO, Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, along with her late husband, Dr. Scott Vanstone, into the Kitchener-Waterloo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. This prestigious honour, awarded by the Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in partnership with JA South Western Ontario,recognizes the extraordinary contributions of the Vanstones to entrepreneurship, innovation, and the local community.
Sherry is a visionary leader in business and philanthropy, with a career spanning multiple successful ventures in Silicon Valley and Canada. With a MS in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee, she has held significant positions including Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Certicom Corp., Vice President Electronic Commerce at MasterCard International and CEO of Arcamatrix Corp. Her entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of TrustPoint Innovation and Profound Impact Corporation. Sherry is also renowned for her mentorship and advocacy for women in STEM fields, playing a key role in initiatives such as the Emmy Noether Circle at Perimeter Institute and the Waterloo Region Chapter of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT-WR).
“Sherry was an amazing connector to the whole [tech] community, keeping our company connected to all the people that needed to believe in the technology we had,” said Phil Deck, former CEO of Certicom. “Sherry’s a cryptographer, so she knew the science but she also knew the personalities involved, and that was key. She was an essential part of Certicom right from the beginning. We built a software stack that could be embedded in other people’s software to do elliptic curve cryptography. It was extremely valuable. It was the most advanced cryptographic toolkit in the world. It’s actually the signing algorithm for Bitcoin today,” he adds.
Scott was a prolific researcher and pioneer in Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), with a profound impact on the field of cryptography during his tenure at the University of Waterloo. He supervised numerous Ph.D. candidates and co-founded Certicom, a leader in ECC technology, which was later acquired by Blackberry. His work with TrustPoint Innovation, acquired by the Robert Bosch Group, further cemented his legacy in cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT). Scott’s journey from Ph.D. student to renowned researcher and company co-founder can be traced back to his early recognition of ECC’s potential in 1985. His career, rooted in the academic lineage of distinguished individuals such as William Tutte and Ron Mullin, led to significant advancements in cryptography. Scott was not only an innovative researcher but also a mentor who inspired and guided future leaders in the field. His contributions continue to influence the development of cryptography and cybersecurity, showcasing a legacy of profound impact through connections and collaborations.
Scott’s daughter Andrea Mclean commented: “I am very proud of him for this special recognition for the Kitchener-Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and I think he’s very deserving of that for all the hard work he put in over the years as being a math professor and Certicom and TrustPoint after that. Sherry’s always giving back to the community, supporting the University of Waterloo along with my dad, hosting International Women’s Day events, always wanting to connect people within the region.”
“Being inducted into the Kitchener-Waterloo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame is a deeply meaningful recognition of our lifelong commitment to innovation and community,” said Dr. Shannon-Vanstone. “Scott’s vision and passion for cryptography and information security continues to inspire our work at Profound Impact, and I am honoured to continue our legacy of fostering technological advancement and supporting the next generation of innovators.”
The couple’s contributions have significantly impacted the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Sherry’s leadership in local mentorship programs has empowered over 200 women professionals through WCT-WR Mentoring Circles. Additionally, their philanthropic efforts have supported educational and healthcare initiatives, including the Emmy Noether Council at Perimeter Institute, the University of Waterloo Math Faculty, St. Jerome’s University, the University Health Network and the Milton Hospital capital campaign.
“I think the inevitability of Scott and Sherry co-founding TrustPoint was going to be a legacy for what they were going to create together,” said Dr. Deborah Rosati, Chair of Profound Impact Board and Investor. “Profound Impact was a passion project for Sherry originally. She just leaned in. It started with community impact and as it evolved it became more of we can really create this AI platform to connect researchers with funders.”
Profound Impact’s AI-powered platform, Research Impact, exemplifies the ongoing innovation inspired by Scott and Sherry. The platform facilitates seamless connections between researchers and funding opportunities, streamlining the path to groundbreaking discoveries. “This recognition motivates us to continue driving technological progress and supporting academic and industry researchers globally,” said Sherry.
“To aspiring entrepreneurs in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, I encourage you to pursue your passions relentlessly and leverage the power of community and collaboration. Innovation thrives where diverse minds come together to solve complex problems,” she added.
Dr. Shannon-Vanstone extends her heartfelt gratitude to the mentors, colleagues, and community members who have supported her and Dr. Vanstone throughout their careers. Special thanks to the team at Profound Impact, whose dedication and expertise are vital to advancing their mission.
Dr. Shannon-Vanstone accepts the Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame award at the JA South Western Ontario ceremony, celebrating her outstanding contributions to innovation and business leadership.
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered platform – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $2.5 Trillion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 25 Million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions. To learn more, visit www.profoundimpact.com.
For Profound Impact media inquiries, please contact:
PROFOUND IMPACT AND AI PARTNERSHIPS ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE THE CANADIAN AI ECOSYSTEM
Strategic partnership aims to bring new sources of grants and industry partnerships to AI research projects.
TORONTO, ON | April 25, 2024 — Profound Impact™ Corporation (“Profound Impact”), a technology company that has developed an AI-powered researcher-to-funding matching platform, and AI Partnerships Corporation (“AIP”), an affiliate network of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions providers and researchers, announce their strategic partnership aimed at efficiently and effectively matching available grant funding with AI-focused companies and researchers looking for non-dilutive project funding.
“Our robust AI-driven platform, Research Impact, uses proprietary and patented AI-powered algorithms to match industry and academic researchers to grant funding in an automatic, targeted and timely manner,” said Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, President & CEO of Profound Impact. “We are excited to partner with AIP as this provides an opportunity for AIP’s affiliate network to add their AI-based research projects to Research Impact’s database and engage with the platform.
“At AIP, we have over 80 Canadian companies in our Affiliate Network and approximately 130 worldwide Affiliates, all engaged in providing SaaS-based AI services or products,” said Dr. Tom Corr, cofounder and CEO of AI Partnerships Corporation. “Our strategic partnership with Profound Impact will allow our Affiliate Network to discover additional funding, as well as the possibility of finding a research partner for their projects.”
The partnership also provides the opportunity for the development and facilitation of interactions and collaboration with industry and academic institutions who are already working with or interested in AI.
Through the partnership, both organizations will continue to promote the Canadian AI technology ecosystem, increasing their own presence in the robust AI marketplace and concurrently supporting the growth of Canadian AI companies. Additionally, with AIP’s worldwide reach, this partnership will provide the opportunity for an increased impact on the AI ecosystems in the US and globally.
ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT™ CORPORATION
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered platform – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $300 Billion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 25 Million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions. To learn more, visit www.profoundimpact.com.
For Profound Impact media inquiries, please contact:
AI Partnerships Corp. matches small to medium businesses or enterprises with an Affiliate Network of 130+ companies experienced in delivering Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-powered solutions to solve various business needs. Whether it is a specific task that needs to be automated to increase revenue or a robust set of processes that reduce costs. Together, AIP and its Affiliates develop winning strategies for enterprise customers in the Finance, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Retail, Sales and Marketing, Data Science, and other sectors. Learn more at www.aipartnershipscorp.com.
For AI Partnership Corp. media inquiries, please contact:
A recent partnership between CS-Can|Info-Can and tech startup Profound Impact creates the potential for Computer Science researchers to access new sources of funding.
WATERLOO, ON | JANUARY 23, 2024— Profound Impact™ Corporation, a technology company based in the Toronto-Waterloo corridor, is excited to announce its partnership with CS-Can|Info-Can, an organization with over 60 member Computer Science departments across Canada that aims to foster excellence in Computer Science research and higher education.
As part of this partnership, Profound Impact will provide CS-Can|Info-Can member Computer Science departments and researchers with free evaluations of Research Impact, Profound Impact’s AI-driven researcher to funding matching tool. Research Impact uses proprietary AI-powered algorithms to match industry and academic researchers with the over $300-billion available in funding opportunities worldwide.
“We are thrilled to embark on this transformative partnership with Profound Impact™ Corporation, as it signifies a significant stride forward for our CS-Can|Info-Can members. Profound Impact’s commitment to providing free evaluations of Research Impact, their cutting-edge AI-driven researcher-to-funding matching tool, aligns perfectly with our mission to foster excellence in Computer Science research and higher education across Canada. This collaboration opens doors for our member Computer Science departments and researchers, addressing the funding challenges that often hinder the expansion of vital research initiatives. We believe this partnership marks the beginning of a fruitful series of collaborations, empowering our members to achieve their funding goals and contribute to the advancement of Computer Science research in Canada.” says Gina van Dalen, Executive Director CS-Can|Info-Can.
This partnership with CS-Can|Info-Can is the first of a series of collaborations with researchers across Canada as Profound Impact works with industry leaders and researchers to initiate new research funding connections to help Canadian research institutions and their partners meet their funding goals.
“Computer Science research drives technological innovation. Yet many researchers and departments struggle to find funding to continue and expand their research,” says Profound Impact President & CEO, Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone. “We are excited to offer this solution to the CS-Can|Info-Can membership. We all succeed when researchers get the funding they need to continue to innovate.”
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ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT™ CORPORATION
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $300 Billion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 8.8 Million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions.
About CS-Can|Info-Can
CS-Can|Info-Can counts among its members more than 60 Canadian organizations active in computing research: academic departments of computer science and computer engineering; laboratories and centres in industry, government, and academia; and affiliated professional societies. CS-Can|Info-Can works with these organizations to represent the computing research community and to effect change that benefits both computing research and society at large.
This newly announced partnership provides an exciting benefit to the CS-CAN|INFO-CAN membership! Profound Impact is offering CS-CAN|INFO-CAN members a free evaluation of Research Impact, which uses advanced AI to match researchers with the best research funding opportunities in their field and helps find industry partners to support successful grant applications.
CS-CAN|INFO-CAN and Profound Impact partnered earlier this year to produce two webinars on researcher and industry collaboration. If you missed the live event, you can watch the videos here!
Profound Impact + CS-CAN|INFO-CAN Webinar – Industry Collaboration: Benefits and Challenges, March 24, 2023
Profound Impact + CS-CAN|INFO-CAN Webinar: Industry/Researcher Collaboration Best Practices and Tools for Success, April 20, 2023
LOCAL TECH COMPANY PROFOUND IMPACT ACHIEVES 100 PERCENT STAFF RETENTION OVER TWO YEARS DESPITE TUMULTUOUS MARKET CONDITIONS
Profound Impact attributes a staff retention rate of 100% to employee programs driven by purpose
WATERLOO, ON | NOVEMBER 27, 2023— Profound Impact™ Corporation, a local tech company in the Toronto-Waterloo corridor, has reported in its annual Social Impact Report that it has achieved an employee retention rate of 100 percent (zero percent attrition) while growing the team by 33 percent. This employee retention rate is in stark contrast with tech companies globally, where the average attrition rate sits at 13.2 percent.
“It’s a rarity to see a start-up tech organization embody social impact programs so early in their company journey,” says Renata Rusiniak, who leads People & Purpose programs at Profound Impact. “Our CEO, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, understands the business value of purpose-driven work and invests accordingly. Her early adoption of programs that support her team to engage with community organizations has created a culture of generosity and as a result, an impressive employee retention rate.”
The Social Impact Report highlights strategies the Profound Impact team undertook to maintain and improve a positive environment for their employees. Initiatives included monthly team meetings with team-building activities, virtual social events such as cooking sessions conducted through online platforms such as Zoom, team wellness programs such as team volunteering, professional skills and growth support education programs, matching charitable contributions to community organizations, book clubs, and much more.
Profound Impact’s annual ‘12 Days of Impact’ program encouraging generosity and the impact of small acts of kindness upon others, has also helped employees create a meaningful sense of contribution to their community while increasing bonds of collegiality on the job.
“Our 12 Days of Impact campaign provides great examples of easy and inexpensive ways to be kind and generous,” says Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, the CEO and Founder of Profound Impact. “ We’re encouraging our team members and our whole community to demonstrate the power of many through small acts of kindness that create big impacts in society.”
Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool, Research Impact, offers automatic, targeted and timely grant matching. The company is also passionate about community, environmental sustainability, and employer-supported volunteerism. In addition to giving back through the 12 Days of Impact, Profound Impact has implemented employee donation matching, time off for volunteering, and group volunteering. To learn more about Profound Impact’s purpose-driven business, take a look at our FY23 Social Impact Report.
Individuals and organizations participating in the 12 Days of Impact can download the 12 Days calendar and share their actions on social media using #12DaysOfImpact.
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ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT™ CORPORATION
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $300 Billion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 8.8 Million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions.
CANARIE connects Canada to the world with programs that equip researchers, students, and start-ups in Canada to excel on the global stage. Established in 1993 by the Government of Canada as a non-profit corporation to advance Canada’s knowledge and innovation infrastructure, the organization’s priorities, as established by Innovation, Science and Development Canada, are to:
Provide an internationally competitive ultra-high-speed network for Canada’s research, innovation and advanced education communities;
Develop, demonstrate and implement next-generation technologies;
Bolster Canada’s technology capabilities by assisting Canadian institutions and companies operating in Canada to advance innovation and commercialization of products and services.
CANARIE members include colleges, universities, healthcare facilities, research and post-secondary institutes, non-profit innovation organizations, government agencies and private sector organizations from across Canada.
“The organization’s mandate has evolved over its 30-year history,” says Kathryn Anthonisen, CANARIE President and CEO. Initiatives led by CANARIE since its inception include:
laying the groundwork, with provincial partner networks, for the first commercial Internet in Canada;
incubating the Internet Registration Authority in Canada, now known as CIRA;
working with global peers to align international research and education infrastructures to support globally collaborative research, now formalized via the Global Network Advancement Group (GNA-G);
developing the grid certificate authority in Canada that provides secure access to data generated from the Large Hadron Collider and other advanced digital technologies;
supporting the uptake of cloud technology by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Canada;
identifying gaps in research software and championing the development of powerful research software tools to efficiently enable researchers across many disciplines to accelerate discovery, a program that has transitioned to the Digital Research Alliance of Canada as part of the Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy; and
supporting Research Data Canada to align research data activities within Canada and internationally, now transitioned to the Digital Research Alliance of Canada as part of the DRI Strategy.
CANARIE’s current mandate includes enhancement of the cybersecurity capabilities of Canada’s research and education institutions. “The post-secondary education sector is one of the top three targets in Canada for cybersecurity breaches” notes Anthonisen. “Threat actors from nation-states are sophisticated, well-funded, and well-organized. They target research data, intellectual property and infrastructure to disrupt and disable the peace of mind of Canadians,” she says
To address its cybersecurity mandate, CANARIE launched the Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP) in November 2020. 97% of 220 research and post-secondary organizations that are eligible for the program are now participating in the CIP, which offers funded services to strengthen organizations’ cybersecurity capabilities.
As part of this work, CANARIE and its provincial and territorial partners in the National Research and Education Network (NREN) launched a national cybersecurity assessment service, based on the five key dimensions of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. The goals of the assessment are to provide a clear, comprehensive picture of the cybersecurity maturity of Canada’s research & education sector, and identify risk-based priorities for the planning, investment, and delivery of future cybersecurity initiatives at the organizational, regional, and federal level.
CANARIE, with its partners in the NREN, is also piloting a federated Security Operations Centre for the research and education sector, CanSSOC. Given that many institutions and NREN partners have already invested in cybersecurity expertise, processes and infrastructures, “CANARIE’s goal is to stitch together these existing investments to cost-effectively enable advanced threat detection and response for universities, colleges, polytechnics and CEGEPs across Canada,” says Anthonisen.
To support innovation in the private sector, Canadian companies with fewer than 500 employees have access to CANARIE’s DAIR Cloud Program, which provides resources to assist start-ups and SMEs for rapid and scalable design, development, validation, and demonstration of products and services. Over 1900 start-ups have used the DAIR Cloud program to build and test new products and services. This service is part of CANARIE’s Private Sector Innovation mandate, which recognizes CANARIE’s unique position at the nexus of research, technology, and government policy, and serves to accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies among Canadian businesses.
“CANARIE is an essential service,” notes Sylvie LaPerrière, who serves as Past Chair on the organization’s Board of Directors. “We are very much at the service of the community. We do a lot of listening to uncover future needs. And through this listening comes innovation.”
CANARIE is deeply committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, which is reflected in the diversity of its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors includes members from across Canada, representing research, education and industry from all regions. “A plurality of voices makes the board stronger,” says LaPerrière. “The CANARIE Board, with extensive expertise from both the public and private sectors, strengthens CANARIE’s ability to deliver on its mandate priorities by ensuring a diversity of perspectives that challenge management to maximize the value CANARIE delivers to its stakeholder communities.”
This commitment applies equally to CANARIE’s 84 employees. “When people feel they can bring their whole selves to work, they are able to bring richness and value to the organization,” says Anthonisen.
In late October, Profound Impact founder and CEO, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, was appointed as the Vice Chair of the CANARIE board working with the newly appointed Chair, Larry Rosia, President of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and Past Chair, Sylvie LaPerrière.
Sherry’s appointment as Vice Chair of the CANARIE board reflects the significant contributions she has made to a range of industries, including cryptography, information security, and telecommunications as well as her dedication to the advancement of women in technology. “I look forward to working with my fellow board members to strengthen Canada’s national digital infrastructure and ensure our country continues to inspire ground-breaking innovations and remain globally competitive,” she says.
Our Founder and CEO, Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, joined Sean Weisbrot, host of the We Live to Build podcast, to talk about her previous career in cryptography, her new role encouraging women in business, and the power of female investors.
PROFOUND IMPACT PARTNERS WITH HALTECH TO OFFER TARGETED GRANT MATCHING THROUGH RESEARCH IMPACT
The partnership will allow clients to match with research funding and collaborative partners
HALTON REGION, ON | SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 — Profound Impact™ Corporation and Haltech Regional Innovation Centre are working together to provide targeted and timely grant matching opportunities to Haltech’s roster of clients.
The companies announced the partnership at Haltech’s annual open house on September 19, 2023. The newly announced agreement will offer Haltech clients access to grant matching through Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool, Research Impact. Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely grant matching. With more than $300 billion in funding opportunities, hundreds of thousands of industry partners and 8.8 million researchers available across the globe, it can be overwhelming and time-consuming to find the right matches for academia, industry and grants. Research Impact helps innovators find their perfect match, sending best-fit grant opportunities directly to the inboxes of interested parties.
“Academics and innovators face several challenges when it comes to discovering partnerships and finding suitable funding opportunities for applied research,” says Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, President and CEO of Profound Impact. “Our innovative matching tool, Research Impact, provides a faster, more accurate way to find these resources, saving time and money. We are excited to offer this tool to Haltech’s clients and look forward to helping advance new research projects.”
Haltech is a non-profit organization empowering innovative companies to realize their full potential through education, advisory services and strategic connections. Companies joining the Haltech roster have the opportunity to accelerate their business growth through educational workshops, business advisory services and strategic connections.
“We’re so pleased to be able to connect our clients to grant and research opportunities through this partnership with Profound Impact,” says Shann McGrail, Chief Executive Officer with Haltech. “We know the matches through Research Impact will help companies find new funding opportunities for their internal research and product development.
Anyone interested in learning more about Research Impact can contact the Profound Impact team and book a custom demo here.
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ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT CORPORATION
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $300 Billion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 8.8 million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions.
ABOUT HALTECH
Haltech is a non-profit corporation supported by Ontario’s Ministry of Research, Innovation & Science, Ministry of Economic Development & Growth, and their valued Corporate Sponsors.
Haltech empowers all innovative companies to realize their full potential through education, advisory services, and strategic connections. Haltech launched in 2011 and is the go-to strategic connector and educator for startups in Halton and beyond. To date, Haltech has helped boost more than 1,000 startups and scale ups.
SUSTAINABILITY ADVOCATE, LOCAL RADIO HOST NAMED WINNERS OF 2023 IMPACTFUL ACTIONS AWARDS
Hui Huang Hoe was named the Young Leader award winner, while Mike Farwell took home the Lifetime Achievement award
WATERLOO, ON | SEPT. 14, 2023— Profound Impact is proud to name Hui Huang Hoe and Mike Farwell winners of the 2023 Impactful Actions Awards.
The annual awards, presented by Profound Impact™ Corporation, recognize individuals who are inspiring collaborative solutions to difficult global problems. The winners were announced at the 2023 Profound Impact Day event. Celebrated annually on September 14, Profound Impact Day is a time to commemorate the world’s diverse leaders and changemakers who are leaving their mark on the global community through their initiatives, influence, and impact.
This year the award expanded to include two categories: Young Leader and Lifetime Achievement. Hoe was awarded the Young Leader category, and Farwell accepted the Lifetime Achievement award.
Hoe is a serial inventor of green electrochemistry and the founder of elerGreen, a cleantech startup recovering valuable polymers, metals and chemicals from chemical waste. The company places an emphasis on giving back to the community through mentoring student entrepreneurs through Venture for Canada (VFC) Intrapreneurship projects. elerGreen also works to expose students to diversity, inclusion and corporate social responsibility through company projects and hiring visible minorities, people with disabilities, youth, newcomers to Canada, and survivors of violence and the criminal justice system.
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award and have my work promoting a greener and cleaner world acknowledged,” says Hoe. “We need to act now to protect our planet and ensure future generations will have somewhere safe to live. This award is a wonderful recognition for elerGreen, supporting our eco-friendly endeavour and our goal to take action to protect our climate.”
Hoe encourages youth to learn more about entrepreneurship through VFC coaching. He has also published a free book, Mathematica Particularis, written to complement the syllabus of engineering mathematics, particularly for B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Farwell works as a radio host at CityNews 570 in Kitchener and is a play-by-play announcer for the Kitchener Rangers OHL hockey team. He is a relentless community builder who turned the grief from losing his two sisters to cystic fibrosis into the largest annual fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. In 2014, he began the Farwell4Hire fundraising campaign, getting out into his community and trying new things, from weeding gardens to washing windows. Farwell4Hire has raised more than $1.25 million to date for Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
“I am so flattered and humbled to win this award,” Farwell says. “Profound Impact does so much incredible work in our community and knowing they’ve recognized me in this way makes it all the more meaningful.”
The funds raised through Farwell4Hire have allowed Cystic Fibrosis Canada to bring a transformational drug, Trifakta, to Canada. Trikafta is considered the single greatest innovation in the history of cystic fibrosis, treating 90 per cent of Canadians with cystic fibrosis by addressing the causes instead of managing the symptoms and potentially preventing irreversible damage caused by this progressive disease. It is now publicly available and insurable to all cystic fibrosis patients in Canada six years of age and older, with advocacy in place for younger patients.
“Each year, we receive so many incredible and inspiring nominations for the Impactful Actions Awards, and this year was no exception. Congratulations to our winners, Hui Huang and Mike, and thank you for all the important work you do in your communities,” says Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, Founder and CEO of Profound Impact.
Profound Impact opens up community nominations for the Impactful Actions Awards every year. In 2021, the inaugural Impactful Actions Award was presented to Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, former President & Vice Chancellor (2010-2021) and Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. In 2022, Kehkashan Basu, M.S.M. took home the award. She is the founder of Green Hope Foundation, a global social enterprise working with more than 300,000 people across 26 countries, focusing on water, sanitation, clean energy and food security.
Based in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor, Profound Impact’s AI-powered tool – Research Impact – helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match. With over $300 Billion in research funding opportunities, 100,000s industry partners and 8.8 Million researchers globally, finding the optimal grant for academic and industry innovators is often overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. More than just a search engine, Research Impact offers automatic, targeted and timely matching. Profound Impact’s customers include top North American research institutions, universities and industry partners. CEO and Founder Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is a serial technology entrepreneur with an unparalleled track record. She has had five successful start-ups and exits in Silicon Valley and Canada, including two IPOs and acquisitions.
