CEO Message

Message from the CEO

Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing sector received a huge boost in February with a new investment of $177 million from the Government of Canada to the Global Innovation Clusters program, which includes NGen, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada. This month’s Research Spotlight focuses on advanced manufacturing in Canada and how NGen projects build and expand innovation in manufacturing through collaborations between industry and researchers that provide solutions to challenging, real-world problems.

March is Women’s History Month and, as a female-founded company with female-identifying individuals comprising 60% of our staff, Profound Impact is delighted to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women in this issue of Profound Connections.

Dr. So-Ra Chung, Professor and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Smart Manufacturing at Conestoga College is also profiled as part of our Research Spotlight on Advanced Manufacturing this month. So-Ra is passionate about teaching her students via hands-on, project-based learning and working with industry partners on tangible problems.

Wendy Powley, Associate Professor in the School of Computing at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario is the subject of this month’s Impact Story. Wendy has inspired and supported thousands of young women as a professor and mentor and through CAN-CWiC, the annual celebration of Canadian women in computing. You’ll meet Wendy and learn more about how she founded the CAN-CWiC conference in 2010 and has single-handedly worked to make it the most important and prestigious Canadian conference for women in computing.

Profound Impact is a proud sponsor of the program developed by the Waterloo Region Chapter of Women in Communications and Technology to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) throughout the month of March. Check out the Women Empowering Women Digital Community (WEWDC) at https://wewdc.com/iwd2023wr to
join sessions related to this year’s IWD theme of #Embrace Equity.

Happy Women’s History Month and IWD 2023 and, as always, thank you for your engagement and support.

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

Message from the CEO

Spring is in full bloom and the team at Profound Impact is looking forward to everything this season has to offer. 

In honour of Earth Day on April 22nd, a movement in the making since 1970, the Profound Impact team has accepted the challenge to spend at least one hour doing something to help the planet. This includes activities such as taking a walk (alone or with your family) to pick up litter in your neighbourhood, planting your garden using pollinator-friendly plants, taking care of your indoor plants by giving them some extra water or sunshine, or finding a recipe to make your own cleaning products with non-toxic, natural materials. Please join us in accepting this challenge!

With the success of our International Women’s Day event in March, we are taking the time to integrate all attendees’ positive feedback and sentiments into the Women Empowering Women Digital Community, which is hosted on the Profound Impact platform.

On that note, we are moving forward with our next Profound Insights webinar in the month of May. The webinar titled “The Future of Work: Lifelong Learning & Networking with Digital Communities,” will explore how employees and employers are evolving in their expectations of longevity of employment and talent resilience. In addition, there will be discussions on how some corporations are launching alumni digital communities to keep connected with ex-employees.

We are thrilled to announce that Sherryl Petricevic, our Account Executive, has been chosen as a finalist for the Fresh Innovators Award presented by Leadership Waterloo Region. After a call to the community for nominations, a panel of community members evaluated and carefully selected the three finalists who on May 6th will vie for a cash prize and the honour of being the Top Fresh Innovator in Waterloo Region.  Congratulations Sherryl!

As we step up and continue to accept the challenges presented by COVID-19, we encourage you to learn more about how online virtual events will continue to play an important role in your future stakeholder engagement. If you haven’t already, check our free self-assessment tool to learn how Profound Impact’s platform for digital engagement communities align with your organization’s strategic goals.

We look forward to the month ahead and would like to thank you for your continuous engagement as we transition into a season that celebrates growth and change. 

CEO Message

Happy Women’s History Month to all of our Profound Impact ambassadors! March is a time to celebrate nationwide the historical achievements of women around the world.

On March 8, 2021 Profound Impact was honoured to host the first virtual #ChooseToChallenge International Women’s Day event for Waterloo Region in collaboration with Women in Communications and Technology — Waterloo Region and other participating organizations and female leaders. The day was filled with inspiring conversations and meaningful connections  celebrating the trailblazing women that enrich our Waterloo Region community every single day.

Thank you to my team and the group of corporate, academic, non-profit and community leaders from across Waterloo Region who came together virtually and safely this year to recognize and celebrate the profound impact women have made and continue to make within our community. 

This month we are pleased to highlight the impactful journey of Adele Newton. Not only is she an inspiration and mentor to young women, she has also been a valuable contributor as a business development professional at Profound Impact. We wish her continued success in her retirement.

As we step up and accept the challenges presented by COVID-19, the success of the Waterloo Region International Women’s Day virtual event showcased how online virtual events continue to be on the rise and will play an important role in our future due to the uncertainty that lies ahead. Hosting your next virtual event exclusively on the Profound Impact platform ensures a safe and secure platform for not only your organization, but all of your attendees as well! If you’re interested in learning more about the Profound Impact’s digital engagement communities, check out our free self-assessment tool here. 

Warmest regards, 

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone