Profound Impact was proud to sponsor the CS-Can|Info-Can Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Research Award this year and to present the awards at the organization’s conference, co-located with CASCON 2024, at York University in Toronto earlier this month. Congratulations to Roger Grosse (University of Toronto), Ali Ouni (ETS Montreal), and Liam Paull (Université de Montréal) for being recognized by their peers via this prestigious award!
CASCON, the International Conference on Collaborative Advances in Software and Computing, is the premier destination for academics and industry professionals alike and is dedicated to advancing knowledge in computer science and software engineering. This year’s conference focused on fostering collaboration, innovation and networking between researchers and industry experts. The Profound Impact team was excited to share a live demo of our cutting-edge Research Impact platform and to have the opportunity to meet with researchers, academics, industry professionals and students.
In this month’s newsletter, you’ll meet Marc Frappier, co-chair of the 2024 CS-Can|Info-Can/CASCON co-located conference. Marc, a professor of Computer Science at Sherbrooke University in Quebec, is a renowned cybersecurity expert, researcher, leader in the Computer Science community in Canada, author of more than 100 papers in international journals and conferences, and co-editor of two books. He was recently awarded a Research Chair in Post-Quantum Cybersecurity and heads Sherbrooke’s Intact Cybersecurity Hub, where he and his multi-disciplinary team of researchers work with industry to deal with the onslaught of cyber threats.
In October, I was delighted to visit Brilliant Catalyst, Ontario Tech University’s community of experts, entrepreneurs, advisors and influencers who work together to fuel innovative change and put more Canadian ventures on the map. I shared my experience in founding Profound Impact and our work in developing Research Impact, our AI-powered platform that helps academic and industry researchers find the perfect funding match.
I also traveled to the Vancouver launch of Women Funding Women Inc. (WFW) in October, to join influential investors, entrepreneurs, and advocates working to help bridge the funding gap for women-led ventures. Launch events included a panel session hosted by WFW’s National Founding Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and a Funder/Founder Roundtable hosted by Corporate Partner, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Interested in learning more about Research Impact and how it can enhance revenue opportunities, save time and money, and foster collaboration between academia and industry? For a limited time, we’re providing individual researchers, colleges, and universities with a complimentary evaluation of Research Impact. Join us at Demo Days for colleges and universities, where we show you firsthand the power of Research Impact. Get started here.
As always, thank you for your support and we hope that you enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections!
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!
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:
The first few weeks of 2024 have been busy as the Profound Impact team continues to work with universities and colleges and industry partners across Canada to deploy our AI-powered Research Impact tool, which matches researchers with the best research funding opportunities in their field and helps find industry partners to support successful grant applications. Through our innovative new partnership with CS-Can|Info-Can, the first of a series of collaborations with researchers across Canada, Profound Impact is providing CS-Can|Info-Can member Computer Science departments and researchers with free evaluations of Research Impact. Interested in learning more about Research Impact? You can view a video here or sign up for a live demonstration during one of the bi-weekly Demo Days that the Profound Impact team will be presenting throughout 2024.
I was pleased to share my insights on building Profound Impact’s team and our successful and healthy small business culture in the Grow a Small Business podcast. Profound Impact and my work were also featured in an edition of Women’s Biz podcast, where I talked about my journey in information security, my role in commercializing Elliptic Curve Cryptography, and the inspiration behind founding Profound Impact.
In August of 2023, Profound Impact announced the successful close of a $3.125 million pre-seed funding round of nearly all female investors, including many first-time angel investors. Inspired by this achievement, I joined forces with Profound Impact board chair Deborah Rosati and Lara Zink, VP of Client Service and Development at Delaney Capital Management, to create Women Funding Women Inc. (WFW). This collective, which challenges the status quo in the venture capital world and with first-time female angel investors by breaking barriers and building bridges for a more inclusive investment community, will launch in Toronto on February 7. You can read more about how WFW plans to change the VC landscape in Disruption Magazine’s recent article.
In this month’s Impact Story, you’ll meet WFW co-founder Lara Zink and learn more about her journey from working as a political aide to a successful career in finance. In our Researcher Spotlight, we profile Dr. Luigi Benedicenti, Professional Engineer, researcher and Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of New Brunswick, whose career took him from Genoa, Italy to Regina, Saskatchewan to Atlantic Canada.
We hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections!
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.
Profound Impact is excited to start the new year with the announcement of a new partnership with CS-Can|Info-Can, a professional organization representing more than 60 Computer Science departments and faculties across Canada.
CS-Can|Info-Can and Profound Impact worked together in 2023 to produce two webinars on researcher and industry collaboration. Recordings of those webinars are available for viewing here.
This new partnership provides an exciting benefit to the 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.
Would you like to see Research Impact in action? You can view a video here or sign up for a live demonstration during one of the bi-weekly Demo Days that the Profound Impact team will be presenting throughout 2024.
This month, we’re proud to present profiles of two 2023 Impactful Action Award finalists. These finalists exemplify what it means to make a profound impact in the world, and we are honoured to share their stories. You’ll meet Leigh Zachary Bursey, an activist, journalist, former three-term politician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and author, and Lynn Smith, a proud member of the Peavine Métis Settlement who is leading her northern community through a significant change to take control over monitoring the impact of climate change on their land and waterways.
The Profound Impact team is excited about our plans for 2024 and looks forward to sharing those with you. Enjoy this month’s edition of Profound Connections and best wishes for a productive and happy new year!
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
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.
The Impactful Actions Awards recognize leaders making a profound impactin communities globally
WATERLOO, ON | AUGUST 16, 2023 — Profound Impact is proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Impactful Actions Awards.
Presented annually, the Impactful Actions Awards recognize leaders who are making a profound impact on communities globally 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) to attract and honour a diverse range of nominees.
“We were inspired by this year’s impressive nominees and are excited to recognize two recipients of the Impactful Actions Awards,” says Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, Founder and CEO of Profound Impact. “It’s never an easy decision to narrow down our finalists and winners, but our judges feel confident in our choices this year.”
The finalists in the Young Leaders category are as follows (in alphabetical order):
Leigh Zachary Bursey, an activist, journalist, former three-term politician, singer-songwriter, recording artist and author.
Hui Huang Hoe, the founder of elerGreen, a cleantech startup recovering polymers, metals and chemicals and medical waste.
Tabatha Laverty, the VP of Marketing and External Relations at the Accelerator Centre, and a non-profit leader with a passion for equity and inclusion.
These are the Lifetime Achievement finalists (in alphabetical order):
Mike Farwell, host of The Mike Farwell Show on CityNews 570 and leader of the Farwell4Hire campaign, which has raised over $1.25 million in funds to support Canadians living with cystic fibrosis.
Lynn Smith, a proud member of the Peavine Métis Settlement who is leading her northern community through a significant change to take control over monitoring the impact of climate change on their land and waterways.
Stephanie Thompson, the founder of STEM by Steph and a passionate engineer and community leader who is always pursuing new and innovative ways to promote science, technology and learning in the Niagara area.
“These finalists showcase what it means to make a profound impact in the world, and we are honoured to share their stories of impact,” Shannon-Vanstone says. “Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone for the Impactful Actions Awards this year.”
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.
The 2023 Impactful Actions Awards winners will be announced during the Profound Impact Day virtual event on September 14, 2023.
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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.
