Welcome to the September edition of Profound Connections. As autumn arrives in our part of the world and summer draws to a close, many of us are gearing up for a time of significant change. For some, it’s back to school — others, a career shift. Whatever this season looks like for you, I wish you continued learning, growth and success.
September is special for us at Profound Impact™ as we celebrate the second annual Profound Impact Day on September 14.
On September 14, 2020, the inaugural Profound Impact Day was celebrated to recognize the global impact of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and its role as an international centre of research and development in cybersecurity. Presented by Profound Impact™, the Day was inspired by the late Professor Scott A. Vanstone and the impact that his mentorship and guidance continue to have in the world of mathematics and across various fields.
Reflecting on this Day over the last year, the impact and scale at which we could tell these stories of collective impact and legacy was realized. We set out to develop a community that provides the opportunity for connection and collaboration that all current and future leaders need to meet their potential. We spotlighted those who are contributing to the greater good through their stories of impact. We celebrated the extraordinary accomplishments of those making a difference, right here in Waterloo Region and beyond.
This month’s Impact Story shines light on Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, former President & Vice Chancellor (2010-2021) and Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, engineer, educator and leader. We are thrilled to also welcome Feridun to join us this Profound Impact Day for a fireside chat to discuss his involvement with the United Nations’ HeForShe initiative as a 10x10x10 Impact Champion.
I’d like to extend a warm invitation to you and hope you will join us for this special event on September 14. Registration details and more information can be found below.
Thank you for your continuous engagement and support.
As summer continues, our team at Profound Impact™ is taking some time to reflect on the success of the recent months and highlight future projects we are looking forward to sharing with you.
I’d like to thank all of you for your continued engagement with our webinar series — Profound Insights. As we are not hosting a webinar this month in preparation for our upcoming annual Profound Impact Day celebration in September, we have included recaps and links to each of our previous webinars in case you were not able to attend. We look forward to continuing our webinar series in the following months and facilitating new discussions with highly regarded panelists.
This month’s Impact Story shines a light on James Wesley (Wes) Graham (1932-1999), professor, innovator, entrepreneur — otherwise known as the “Father of computing” at the University of Waterloo as the first director of the University’s computing centre. Throughout Wes’ esteemed career, he was accredited for providing the leadership in software development for education that has given Canada and the University of Waterloo an international reputation in this important field. Helping to cement Waterloo as a leader in computer science education and research and a dynamic software development hub, Wes’ contributions have resulted in significant positive economic and employment impact for the Region. His tenacity and ambition left a lasting impact on the countless students and colleagues he engaged with during his career. We hope you enjoy the unique academic ancestry and impact visualizations we have included in this newsletter showcasing the far reach of Wes’ impact.
As we continue to transition into various re-opening stages, we encourage you to continue to learn more about how online virtual events and platforms like Profound Impact can elevate your organization’s engagement and the strong relationships it can build now and into the future.
Check out our free self-assessment tool to learn more about Profound Impact’s digital engagement communities and how the Profound Impact platform can ensure a safe and secure platform for your entire organization and attendees while aligning with your organization’s strategic objectives.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support.
Welcome to June, a month to celebrate a new season and warm weather. As we look forward to what this month has to offer, it is imperative to recognize June’s significance as National Indigenous History Month and the #215children. In light of recent events, the Profound Impact™ team wishes to emphasize its support for the Indigenous community and its efforts to continue to positively support and share resources through our various platforms.
Thank you to those who attended our most recent Profound Insights webinar titled, “The Future of Work: Lifelong Learning & Networking with Digital Communities.” The webinar, moderated by Rob Darling, was a great success and facilitated engaging conversations with our esteemed panelists from the Waterloo Region including Simon Chan, Vice President of Talent, Academy & Future of Work at Communitech, Dr. Judene Pretti, Director of the Work-Learn Institute at the University of Waterloo, and Caitlin MacGregor, CEO and Co-Founder of Plum to discuss lifelong learning, professional development and talent resilience.
This month’s Impact Profile will shine light on Don Cowan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus from University of Waterloo. Don’s rich and expansive career history in mathematics is attributed to his emphasis on mentorship and connections in academic ancestry, especially his connection to Sir Isaac Newton. We hope you enjoy the unique academic ancestry and entrepreneurism visualizations we have included in this newsletter. In each of our newsletter, we look forward to highlighting exceptional impactful individuals and welcome your suggestions on who to feature.
As the province-wide lock-down comes to an end, we encourage you to continue to learn more about how online virtual events and platforms like Profound Impact can elevate your organization’s engagement and the strong relationships it can build now and continue when we are able once again to engage in person.
Learn more about Profound Impact’s digital engagement communities and how the Profound Impact platform can ensure a safe and secure platform for your entire organization and attendees and align with your organization’s strategic objectives by completing our free self-assessment tool.
Thank you for your continuous engagement and support.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TWO FEMALE LEADERS FROM LOCAL TECH STARTUP PROFOUND IMPACT™ RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY EFFORTS As the first place winner and a finalist of two major awards, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone and Sherryl Petricevic are recognized for their exceptional contributions to the Waterloo Region community.
WATERLOO, ON | MAY 7, 2021 — Profound Impact Corporation, a Waterloo Region-based startup providing a next-generation social engagement and interaction platform, is proud to announce that two of its executive members, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone and Sherryl Petricevic, are the first place winner and a finalist of two major awards in the Waterloo Region. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, Founder and CEO of Profound Impact, was named the recipient of the K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year STEAM Award presented by Rogers. Sherryl Petricevic, Account Executive of Profound Impact, was named a finalist for the Fresh Innovators Award presented by Leadership Waterloo Region.
The K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year STEAM Award, sponsored by Enbridge, recognizes and pays tribute to outstanding women in the community for their exceptional advancement to the field of science, technology, engineering, arts and math. As a highly regarded serial entrepreneur, mathematician, innovator, philanthropist, mentor, and trailblazer in the field of STEM for young women, the award recognizes Sherry’s efforts and success in paving a future for women in technology. As an involved member in the community, Sherry holds several active roles as the Founder and CEO of Profound Impact Corporation, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Waterloo Region chapter of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT-WR), and Co-Chair of Perimeter Institute’s Emmy Noether Council.
“I am honoured to be the recipient of an award that encompasses the mission I have upheld throughout my career,” said Sherry Shannon-Vanstone. “My hope is that other women in STEM use this award as a reminder that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and that we have the power and knowledge to make change and innovate beyond measure.”
In its inaugural year, the Fresh Innovators Awards presented by Leadership Waterloo Region recognize changemakers who are digging into Waterloo Region’s challenges, creating solutions, and turning ideas into action. As Co-Chair of the Waterloo Region chapter of Women in Communications & Technology and a regular contributor to the Waterloo Region community, being a finalist for the award amplifies the significant impact Sherryl has made on the Region — from supporting startups through Communitech and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation to advancing the cybersecurity community and developing mentorship opportunities for young professionals.
“I am grateful to be a finalist for the Fresh Innovators Award in its inaugural year,” said Sherryl Petricevic. “Waterloo Region breeds a culture of creativity and innovation, and it is important that we celebrate the community leaders who are making a difference across all fronts in order to inspire a new generation of changemakers to make an impact.” As powerhouses in the Waterloo Region community, Sherry and Sherryl have joined forces to pursue Profound Impact Corporation, a digital community and interaction platform set to revolutionize alumni, faculty and student engagement for academic and research institutions around the world.
Both leaders look forward to what the future holds for their individual careers and their collaborative efforts advancing Profound Impact. With several projects in the works, the recognition from both awards will serve as a driving force behind Sherry and Sherryl’s mission to break barriers for women everywhere.
For more information about the K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year Awards, visit https://www.oktoberfest.ca/woy-nomination-process/. For more information about the Fresh Innovators Awards, visit https://leadershipwaterlooregion.org/content/fresh-innovators-awards-nominations For more information about Profound Impact, please visit www.profoundimpact.com. –30– ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT CORPORATION Profound Impact connects great people to do great things by providing a unique and transformational digital community to measure the worldwide impact of an organization and by facilitating and accelerating connectivity to inspire collaborative solutions to difficult global problems. Website: www.profoundimpact.com Facebook: @aprofoundimpact Instagram: @aprofoundimpact LinkedIn: Profound Impact Corporation Twitter: @aprofoundimpact For media inquiries, please contact: Durrell Communications media@profoundimpact.com
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.
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.
CEO OF LOCAL TECH STARTUP NAMED RECIPIENT OF PRESTIGIOUS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD TO BE RECOGNIZED THIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
As recipient of a Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) 2020 Annual Leadership Award, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone to participate in WCT Celebrates: Sparks of Change 2021 event series
WATERLOO, ON | MARCH 2, 2021 — Profound Impact™ Corporation, a Canadian company providing a next-generation social engagement and interaction platform, is thrilled to announce its President and CEO, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, will be recognized as the recipient of the WCT 2020 Annual Leadership Excellence Award in Entrepreneurship on March 11, 2021.
The prestigious awards program recognizes women, men and organizations committed to gender diversity in Canada’s digital industries. In an effort to recognize recipients of the 2020 Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala after the cancellation of the Annual Awards Gala, WCT Celebrates: Sparks of Change 2021 will be hosted throughout the month of March to applaud honourees.
For nearly 30 years, WCT has been a leader in advocating the benefits of gender equality in the workplace. WCT is Canada’s only national organization with chapters coast-to-coast dedicated to keeping a persistent focus on the under-representation of women in digital industries. The organization’s Leadership Excellence Awards are focused on celebrating the contributions and achievements of women and diversity champions that are helping to close the gender gap in the tech industry.
As the recipient of the WCT 2020 Annual Leadership Excellence — Entrepreneur award, Sherry has been recognized for the significant contributions she has made to the spectrum of digital industries while also dedicating her work towards the advancement of women in STEM.
Sherry has been involved in three successful start up ventures, including Cylink Corporation, Blackberry Certicom and TrustPoint Innovation. Most recently and in honour of her late husband, Scott A. Vanstone, Sherry founded Profound Impact Corporation in 2018. Profound Impact is a next-generation social engagement and interaction platform providing digital communities for universities and their alumni to engage, discover, and measure the impact that the institution and its stakeholders have on technology and the world. It also aims to build a sense of community for a global audience of affinity groups such as women in STEM and entrepreneurs.
“I am honoured to be recognized alongside other industry trailblazers that continue to make material differences in the roles women possess and their influence in the digital economy,” said Sherry Shannon-Vanstone. “When embarking on every new venture, it has always been my goal to help women discover and advance in innovative industries.”
WCT Celebrates: Sparks of Change is a leadership excellence event series presented by Microsoft. Seven webinars throughout the month of March will provide a chance to meet and engage with the recipients of the WCT 2020 Annual Leadership Excellence Awards.
On March 11, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone will be featured on a panel titled, “Boldly Go Where Few Women Have Gone Before,” alongside Françoise Gagnon, CEO of ADGA Group Consultants Inc., and Sonia Brar, VP of Customer Operations Strategy and Design & Delivery at Bell. The discussion, moderated by Carole Santerre, VP of Network Reliability and Service Assurance at Shaw Communications, will be centered around paving the way for women to ascend in male-dominated industries within ICT/STEM.
For more information about Profound Impact™ Corporation, please visit www.profoundimpact.com.
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ABOUT PROFOUND IMPACT CORPORATION
Profound Impact™ connects great people to do great things by providing a unique and transformational digital community to measure the worldwide impact of an organization and by facilitating and accelerating connectivity to inspire collaborative solutions to difficult global problems.
This month, I’d like to acknowledge all of the hard work that went into the Profound Impact activities in January 2021. During what always feels to be the longest month of the year, our team at Profound Impact kept ourselves extremely busy planning for an exciting year ahead.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the original registrants for our January 23rd webinar and for their understanding and patience with the rescheduling of that webinar. We were thrilled to host this webinar titled “Realtime Pivot and Connecting the Dots for Multifaceted, Engaging Virtual Events at Scale: A University of Waterloo Faculty of Mathematics Case Study” on February 16th with the largest number of registrants to date. We hope you enjoyed Candace Harrington’s sentiments on how the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo is using their Waterloo Digital Math Community (hosted on the Profound Impact platform) to further engage their stakeholders by strategically pivoting from hosting in-person events to offering meaningful online experiences.
If you have people in your network interested in Profound Insights, please invite them to our March 23rd webinar titled “The Non-Linear Future of Work: Making Connections with Digital Communities”. Registrants will be invited to complete a free self-assessment tool on stakeholder engagement strategy. Each organization that registers for the March webinar and/or submits the assessment will also be entered into a draw to receive up to four hours of consulting, at no charge, with Barney Ellis-Perry, Profound Impact’s engagement strategist.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you on March 23rd. Additionally, our team is collaborating with WCT Waterloo Region chapter and other Waterloo Region organizations including Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, Rotary Clubs , BMO, RBC, Durrell Communications, Vidyard, Perimeter Institute and OpenText for a full day program on March 8th to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021. This year’s theme is Choose to challenge. We hope you will join us for this free event.
