Celebrate Canadian Innovation Week with UCalgary May 16–20

Canadian Innovation Week (CIW) is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of entrepreneurs across the country, and one of the University of Calgary’s missions is to support innovation and innovators at all stages of their journey.

This is a particularly exciting time for innovation at UCalgary, says Keri Damen, executive director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking.

“This past year, we were ranked No. 1 in Canada for research-based startups, and the youngest school to be ranked as one of the top five research universities in the country,” says Damen.

“The Hunter Hub, as a key central hub for innovation activities at UCalgary, also impacts students and innovation communities across Canada. This past year, we launched the national Experience Ventures network, connecting over 2,000 students from nine post-secondary institutions to local innovation ecosystems and startups coast-to-coast to hone valuable, future-ready skills via paid entrepreneurial thinking placements.”

Canada Innovation Week is an initiative of the Rideau Hall Foundation to celebrate, recognize and support ingenuity and share stories of inspiring Canadian innovators and innovations.

This year, the foundation has set a theme for each day of Canadian Innovation Week: 

• Monday, May 16: #InnovateToEngage – Celebrating innovations that are community-driven, prioritize inclusion and drive action. 
• Tuesday, May 17: #InnovateToInspire – Showcasing inspiring young innovators who are changing the world, one idea at a time. 
• Wednesday, May 18: #InnovateToLearn – Highlighting innovation in the classroom and sharing resources for students and teachers. 
• Thursday, May 19: #InnovateToExcel – Celebrating Canada’s highest honour in innovation, the Governor General’s Innovation Awards, and innovations that have a positive impact on our lives. 
• Friday, May 20: #InnovateToCompete – Showcasing Canada’s expanding ecosystem and growth network. 

“Canada has so many unique assets that are helping it become a nation of innovation,” says Teresa Marques, president and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. “Canadian Innovation Week is an annual platform in celebration of all things innovation and we invite Canadians to share what innovation means to them.

"From CIW’s inception in 2018, we have continuously been inspired to see how Canadians resonate with the idea of celebrating innovation success stories that focus on how to make our communities and world a better place.”

Register now for the UCalgary events below, or for other online events hosted by the Rideau Hall Foundation.

NFTs: The 21st-Century Gold Rush

May 17, 2022, 12 – 12:45 p.m.

Let’s talk about non-fungible tokens, the latest application of the blockchain to go mainstream. In this webinar, guests will explain what NFTs are, explore why they have taken off, the value they hold, and discuss potential policy and regulation that might be necessary to protect the intellectual property of creators. 

Ask Me Anything About Social Enterprise

May 17, 2022, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Ask Me Anything About Social Enterprise is an interactive session whose sole purpose is to answer social entrepreneurship questions from the audience. To that end, we have assembled a team of experienced professionals who will be available to answer your questions (or help you find the resource you are looking for).

Start something this Canadian Innovation Week.