CEO Message

Welcome to the October edition of Profound Connections.

In this issue of the newsletter, we launch Early Career Spotlight, where you’ll meet outstanding young researchers working on topics ranging from AI (Artificial Intelligence) to theoretical astrophysics to sustainable agriculture. This month we feature Computer Science PhD candidate, Domenic Rosati, who is conducting pioneering research on AI safety at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

This issue’s Researcher Spotlight profiles Kate Larson, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo and Research Scientist at DeepMind. Kate’s research focuses on multiagent systems and reinforcement learning, and applications of AI to support sustainable development and climate-related initiatives. 

September was a busy month for the Profound Impact team. We celebrated the fifth annual Profound Impact Day on Monday, September 16, 2024. Inaugurated in 2019, Profound Impact Day is a celebration of the world’s diverse leaders, changemakers, and researchers who are leaving their mark on the global community through their initiatives, influence, and impact.

This year we recognized Roger Grosse, University of Toronto, Ali Ouni, ETS Montréal, and Liam Paull, Université de Montréal, the three winners of the CS-Can|Info-Can Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Researcher Award. Professors Ouni and Paull participated in a panel discussion with Feridun Hamdullahpur, former President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Waterloo and inaugural winner of the Impactful Actions Award.

Celebrations also included a conversation between Dr. Kelly Lyons, Professor, Faculty of Information and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, and Chair of the CSCan-InfoCan Awards Committee and Profound Impact’s Sherryl Petricevic. Kelly and Sherryl talked about the vital importance, challenges and benefits of industry-academia collaboration and the challenges of early-stage career research.

Check out the conversations with Kelly Lyons and the award winners on Profound Impact’s YouTube channel.

Profound Impact participated in the launch of Women Funding Women Inc. (WFW) Waterloo Region on September 18. This exciting event featured passionate conversations with forward-thinking investors, ambitious founders, and dedicated ecosystem leaders. We’re proud to be part of the powerful movement to bridge the funding gap for women-led businesses and reshape the future of angel investing. 

We were pleased to sponsor the Accelerator Centre’s She Talks Tech event, a conversation focused on fostering a supportive environment for the next generation of women in STEM, on September 26. I participated in a panel conversation with other women entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, and academics who have overcome barriers in their STEM careers. A full recording of the event can be found here.

Profound Impact team members Jacqueline Watty and Sherryl Petricevic were present to support our partner, Innovation Factory, southwestern Ontario’s business accelerator for tech innovation, at the 14th annual LiONS LAIR pitch competition in Hamilton on September 26.  LiONS LAIR showcases the best local talent and innovation in Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk. Congratulations to prize winners Infinite Harvest Technologies, Yellowbird Diagnostics, Inc., Maman Biomedical and DOUBL.

Want to see firsthand how the revolutionary matchmaking features of our AI-powered platform, Research Impact, can transform your research projects by finding the perfect funding match? Join us for University Research Impact Demo Day on 23rd. Sign up here to participate.

As always, thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

Profound Impact is continuing to work with eVision Inc. to finalize the details of our partnership, which will embody our joint vision to disrupt the US $2.5 trillion annual Research Tech industry by offering the first-ever AI-enabled end-to-end Research Grant Management solution. Canadian technology is taking the lead on the global stage to transform end-to-end Research Grant Management while creating an AI-enabled grant system that matches workflow and compliance effectively. 

Profound Impact is also proud to partner with Vector Institute’s FastLane program as a member, along with an amazing group of like-minded innovators. FastLane enables Canadian start-ups to accelerate their AI commercialization journey and compete more effectively in the global economy. You can learn more about the FastLane program and what Vector Institute has to offer here.

The Profound Impact team has been busy with presentations on the use of AI to strengthen technical communities and uncover innovative ways to align people with opportunities. Last month, I was a guest on The Smart Connector’s livestream to discuss the intersection of AI and funding and to provide insights into innovative funding strategies and the latest technological advancements. You can hear my conversation with Jane Bayler at AI for Impact: Transforming Research Funding with Technology.

Brian Romansky, Profound Impact’s Chief Strategic Advisor, led a session on effective policy-compliant AI use cases for research administrators at the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) conference in Washington, DC on August 6th.

The Profound Impact team is working on plans for the 5th Profound Impact Day, a time to commemorate the world’s innovative researchers and changemakers who are leaving their mark on the global community through their research, innovation, and impact. As the proud sponsor of the CS-Can|Info-Can Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Researcher Award, we will celebrate on September 16th by honoring the award nominees and three award winners. Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, the former President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, will lead a virtual fireside chat with Professor Ali Ouni and Professor Liam Paull, two of the award winners. Register to attend this free event here!

On September 17, at 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST, Brian Romansky will review how AI technology stands poised to revolutionize the research funding ecosystem at a webinar presented by CARA, the Canadian Association of Research Administrators. You can get more information and register to attend the webinar here.

In this month’s issue of Profound Connections, you’ll meet Lisa Lambert, CEO of Quantum Industry Canada. Lisa is a versatile and dynamic leader and mentor who has dedicated her career to driving innovation, execution, and business growth in high-velocity, ever-evolving environments. And you’ll learn about Alfred Menezes’ career as a world-renowned cryptography researcher, industry advisor, outstanding teacher, and YouTube content creator in this month’s Researcher Spotlight.

As always, thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

Profound Impact is thrilled to announce that we are joining forces with eVision Inc., a leading research tech company located in Montreal and known for its innovative solutions in research administration, compliance workflow and grant management. We are excited to combine our strengths as two leading research tech companies to make finding and managing research funding easier and more efficient than ever before. We’ll be announcing more details about this powerful collaboration and how it will redefine the future of research funding.

Profound Impact is proud to sponsor the 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. In this issue of Profound Connections, you’ll meet award winners Richard Grosse, Liam Paull and Ali Ouni and learn about the research they’re conducting in areas including AI, Neural Networks, Robotics and Software Engineering.

Profound Impact team member, Adele Newton, was honoured by ACM SIGGRAPH, the global non-profit organization serving the evolution of computer graphics and interactive techniques, at the SIGGRAPH 2024 conference in Denver on July 30. Adele received the Outstanding Service Award for her forty years of outstanding service to the computer graphics community and the SIGGRAPH organization and conference. Congratulations, Adele!

Our team is working on plans for the 5th Profound Impact Day, usually held on September 14th, but this year we will be celebrating on September 16th. Profound Impact Day is a time to commemorate the world’s innovative researchers and changemakers who are leaving their mark on the global community through their research, innovation, and impact. Check out Profound Impact’s social media channels and next month’s issue of Profound Connections to learn how you can join us to celebrate these researchers and their ground-breaking achievements.

Are you ready to revolutionize your research process? To learn how you can use the power of our AI-driven platform, Research Impact, watch our demo to see how we automatically match researchers with the perfect funding opportunities, saving time and boosting success.

As always, thank you for your support and we hope that you enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

September was a month of celebration and new partnerships at Profound Impact.

We were proud to name Hui Huang Hoe and Mike Farwell as winners of the 2023 Impactful Actions Awards on September 14, Profound Impact Day. 

Profound Impact Day is a time to recognize 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. 

Hui Huang 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. 

Mike Farwell is a radio host at CityNews 570 in Kitchener and is 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 Farwell4Hire, the largest annual fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, through which he has raised more than $1.25 million. 

You’ll learn more about Hui Huang and Mike in the profiles in this month’s newsletter.

We were also pleased to announce a new partnership with Haltech Regional Innovation Centre in September.  Haltech is a non-profit organization launched in 2011 and is the go-to strategic connector and educator for start-ups in the Halton Region of Ontario and beyond. The partnership between Profound Impact and Haltech is designed to discover a range of funding and research opportunities for internal research and product development for Haltech’s clients through access to Research Impact, our AI-powered tool.

Profound Impact is proud to be a woman-founded and led company. Last month, I joined Sean Weisbrot, host of the We Live to Build podcast, to talk about my previous career in cryptography, my ongoing passion for encouraging women in business and the power of female investors.  You’ll find the podcast here.

Thank you for connecting with us and the Profound Impact community.

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

Impactful Actions Awards Winners for 2023 Announced on Profound Impact Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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. 

A recording of the event is available on Profound Impact’s YouTube Channel.

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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.

Website: www.profoundimpact.com 

Facebook: @aprofoundimpact

Instagram: @aprofoundimpact 

LinkedIn: Profound Impact Corporation

Twitter: @aprofoundimpact

YouTube: @profoundimpactcorporation

For media inquiries, please contact:

Durrell Communications

media@profoundimpact.com 

CEO Message

The Profound Impact team is looking forward to announcing the 2023 Impactful Action Award winners on September 14th during Profound Impact Day. This annual virtual event honours the late Professor Scott A. Vanstone and celebrates the impact and legacy of collaboration and innovation developed through the Profound Impact community.  


Profound Impact Day 2023 will commence at 12 noon EDT on Sept. 14th and feature a fireside chat with past Impactful Actions Awards winners Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, former president of the University of Waterloo, and Kehkashan Basu M.S.M., Founder of Green Hope Foundation. 

Learn more about the finalists in both the Young Leaders and Lifetime Achievement categories in this month’s newsletter and register for Profound Impact Day 2023 here.

The Profound Impact team had a productive time at the NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators) annual meeting in Washington, DC last month. There was tremendous interest in Research Impact and everyone loved the Canadian maple syrup candy! We also conducted a survey of attendees about their areas of concern regarding research funding and industry partnership. We will analyze the responses and make the report available on our website soon.

As Profound Impact continues its growth in the Canadian market and expands into the United States and internationally, we are pleased to announce that the company surpassed our goal of raising $3 million in two tranches this summer, for a total of $3,125,000.  A group of female investors, including many who were first-time investors, led the way for Profound Impact’s pre-seed round of financing, which closed on May 5, 2023 and August 4, 2023 respectively. The participation of first-time female investors sends a clear message of confidence in Profound Impact’s vision and the team’s leadership. 

We’re excited about how we continue to connect great people to do great things and look forward to seeing you at our noon event – Profound Impact Day on September 14.

Thank you for connecting with us and the Profound Impact community!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

The Profound Impact team is proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Impactful Actions Awards.  We were inspired by this year’s nominees and are excited to recognize two recipients for the first time this year (listed below in alphabetical order).

The finalists in the Young Leaders category are:

  • Leigh Zachary Bursey
  • Hui Huang Hoe
  • Tabatha Laverty

The three Lifetime Achievement finalists are:

  • Mike Farwell
  • Lynn Smith
  • Stephanie Thompson

Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations. The winner from each category will be announced on Profound Impact Day on September 14. 

Canada is renowned for having brought important innovations to the world, including Banting and Best’s discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto, the development of the IMAX camera projector, and the Canadarm robotic arm used in space shuttle orbiters. Less known is Canada’s fundamental role in the development and evolution of computer animation and visual effects.  This month’s Impact Story introduces you to Marceli Wein, who came to Canada in 1952 after surviving Nazi Germany as a hidden child, became an “accidental graduate student” at McGill University, and, with his colleague Nestor Burtnyk and director Peter Foldes, created the first fully computer-animated film in 1974.

Canada’s computer science departments and software companies are responsible for much of the technology behind the computer animation and special effects seen on today’s screens.  You’ll read about those contributions, including the pioneering researchers and software developers whose work is used in major studios around the world, in this issue’s Research Spotlight.  And in the Researcher Spotlight you’ll meet Mark Jones, the educator, producer, and writer who has spent more than two decades working to train many of those award-winning artists.

This issue also features results from the survey of polytechnics, colleges, and universities across Canada conducted by Profound Impact to gather feedback on information sharing between partners, understanding grant funding and partnership opportunities, and helping build grant partnerships.

Thank you for connecting with us and the Profound Impact community!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

CEO Message

Two of Profound Impact’s core values are open collaboration and making a positive impact. This month, we’re proud to feature stories about how researchers and communities are working together to address issues like mental health, climate change, refugees and asylum and the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools.

This month’s Research Spotlight on Social Innovation and Collaboration focuses on how researchers from a range of disciplines are working with social agencies, businesses and not-for-profits to develop programs to improve the health and well-being of communities across Canada and internationally. And we look at how the Government of Canada has broadened its understanding of innovation beyond traditional research funding to include resources for collaborations that engage charities and community groups who are addressing complex social challenges.

One of these researchers is Georgina Martin, an Indigenous scholar who is heeding the guidance provided by her grandfather as she was growing up by working with her community of origin to address the significant issues in physical and mental health and culture caused by residential schools and Indian hospitals. You’ll meet Georgina and learn how the team she leads will not only address these issues but will also inspire Indigenous youth to follow her path as a scholar and researcher.

This month’s Impact Story features technology entrepreneur, investor, CEO and philanthropist Jim Estill, who is also a longtime friend and one of my treasured mentors. Jim’s commitment to doing the right thing provides inspiring leadership to his employees at Danby Products and the community in Guelph and across Canada. His work in personally sponsoring refugees from Syria to come to the safety of Canada and of setting up networks, systems and resources for the community at large to sponsor people from around the world has been recognized through a range of awards and accolades.  But it’s the work that’s important to Jim as he describes himself as “a regular person doing a tiny bit and even doing that imperfectly.”

Do you also know someone who has or is continuing to make a great impact? Nominations are now open for Profound Impact’s Impactful Action Awards, the annual program that recognizes leaders from around the world who are making a profound impact on the global community by inspiring collaborative solutions to difficult problems. Learn more about the award criteria and how to nominate in either the Young Leader or Lifetime Achievement category.  Nominations are open until June 14 and the winner will be announced on September 14th, Profound Impact Day.

Finally, are you interested in learning how our Research Impact product can help your institution get more research funding?  You can sign up here for a Demo Day to see Research Impact live.

We can’t wait to review the nominations for the Impactful Action Awards and look forward to meeting you at one of our Demo Days.  As always, thanks for connecting with us and the Profound Impact community!

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

Impactful Actions Award Nominations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IMPACTFUL ACTIONS AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2023

The Impactful Actions Award recognizes leaders making a profound impact in communities globally. 

WATERLOO, ON | MAY 1, 2023 — Profound Impact is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Impactful Actions Award. 

The annual award presented by Profound Impact™ Corporation recognizes leaders who are making a profound impact on the global community by inspiring collaborative solutions to difficult problems. The award launched in 2021 and has now grown to include two categories–Young Leader and Lifetime Achievement – in hopes to attract and honour a wider range of nominees. 

“We received so many incredible nominations for the Impactful Actions Award last year and we wanted to expand the award to honour a second nominee and their work to make our world a better place. It’s truly inspiring to see the calibre of accomplishments from members of our community,” says Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, Founder and CEO of Profound Impact. “At Profound Impact, we’re passionate about collaboration and making an impact, and our nominees all showcase the absolute best of those core values.”

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 2021. In 2022, Profound Impact presented the Impactful Actions Award to Kehkashan Basu, M.S.M., who is the Founder and President of the Green Hope Foundation. 

“Our past winners truly exemplify what it means to make a profound impact through their actions and career achievements,” says Shannon-Vanstone. “We can’t wait to meet this year’s nominees and learn more about their impressive work.”

Nominations are open now until June 30. The top three finalists will be contacted on July 20, and the 2023 Impactful Actions Award winners will be announced during the Profound Impact Day virtual event on September 14, 2023. Please take a moment to review the award criteria and nominate someone you feel is making an extraordinarily positive impact.

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ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT CORPORATION 

Profound Impact is a female-founded Canadian company located in the Toronto-Waterloo technology corridor. Profound Impact’s data, AI and analytics driven solutions help education, research and social impact organizations automate their processes, measure program impact, tell their story and inform strategy. 

Profound Impact’s products include Research Impact, which automatically matches researchers to funding opportunities; Career Impact, which provides organizations with actionable insights by analyzing the career trajectory of program participants; and Connection Impact, which provides a platform for connecting organizations’ stakeholders to measure and visualize impact. These three products involve different stakeholders, but all work towards the important goal of connecting great people to do great things and maximizing their worldwide impact.

Website: www.profoundimpact.com 

Facebook: @aprofoundimpact

Instagram: @aprofoundimpact 

LinkedIn: Profound Impact Corporation

Twitter: @aprofoundimpact

For media inquiries, please contact:

Durrell Communications

media@profoundimpact.com 

2023 Impactful Actions Award Nominations Open May 1st

Nominations for Profound Impact’sTM Impactful Actions Awards will open May 1st! 

The Impactful Actions Awards is an annual awards program recognizing leaders worldwide who are making a profound impact on the global community by inspiring collaborative solutions to difficult problems. This program brings together two of Profound Impact’s core values: open collaboration and making a positive impact. 

New for 2023

Now in our third year, the 2023 Impactful Actions Awards will include two award categories:

  • Young Leader
  • Lifetime Achievement

The winner will be announced annually on September 14th, Profound Impact Day, which is a celebration of the world’s diverse leaders and changemakers who are leaving their mark on the global community through their initiatives, influence, and impact.

Award Criteria

To meet the judging criteria for the Impactful Actions Award, the Nominee must: 

  1. Significantly contribute to the area(s) of leadership, mentoring, gender equality and inclusiveness, academic excellence, or research;
  2. Be a living person over the age of 18 years old;
  3. Have achieved professional recognition in their field of study or expertise;
  4. Exemplify the core values of open collaboration and positive impact;
  5. Demonstrate innovative ideas or actions for solving challenging problems with the scalable potential for global impact.

Award Timeline

Key dates in this annual award cycle for 2023 include:

  • MAY 1 – Award nominations open
  • JUNE 30 – Award nominations close (nominations will be accepted until 11:59 PM ET)
  • JULY 20 – Three finalists selected and notified
  • SEPTEMBER 14 – Winner honoured on Profound Impact Day

The top 3 finalists in each category will be profiled in early September in Profound Impact’s newsletter. The award winners will be recognized on Profound Impact Day and a donation to their charities of choice will be made by Profound Impact Corporation. 

Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur was the inaugural recipient of the Award in 2021. Dr. Hamdullahpur is the former President & Vice Chancellor and Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He was selected for the impact he has made on university education, research and scholarship in our broader society through constant reform and innovation in the higher education sector, in addition to his involvement in the United Nations’ HeForShe initiative to take action on gender inequality.

Kehkashan Basu M.S.M. was the Impactful Actions Award winner in 2022. Basu, who was just 22 years old, started working towards improving the world around her at the age of seven. Basu planted her first tree at eight and founded her own humanitarian organization, Green Hope Foundation when she was 12. The foundation focuses on empowering vulnerable populations by providing education for sustainable development. The global social enterprise has worked with more than 300,000 people across 26 countries, focusing on water, sanitation, clean energy, and food security. 

If you have questions about the Impactful Actions Award, please email rrusiniak@profoundimpact.com.

The Nominator must contact the Nominee(s) to inform them of their Nomination. Nominee(s) has the right to decline to be nominated, in which case, no nomination should be submitted. Self-nominations are accepted and nominees who were previously nominated are eligible to be nominated for this awards cycle. The nomination submission must be completed using the online nomination form which will be available May 1, 2023.