Science Rendezvous VIP breakfast for the future of STEAM Innovation

Full STEAM Ahead- VIP breakfast!

Join Science Rendezvous at MaRS for a VIP event, hosted by Autodesk. This is an exclusive event, which aims to bring together science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) researchers, academics, industry leaders, and government representatives with the aim of inspiring unique collaboration opportunities and to promote a true culture of STEAM in Canada.

VIPs will have an opportunity to learn about the exciting national event Science Rendezvous, and get inspired by four key leaders as they talk about fostering STEAM innovation. The talks will focus on creativity and collaboration between academia, industry, non-profit, and government will follow.

We look forward to you joining us!

___

Agenda

8:00am - 9:00am: Registration and Breakfast

9:00am ­‑ 9:50am: Lightening Talks

9:50am - 11:00am: Q&A and Networking

___

About the speakers

Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Dr. Pinto received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Queen’s University. He served as Professor, Chair of Chemistry and Vice-President Research at Simon Fraser University (SFU), President of the Canadian Society for Chemistry and Vice-Chair of the Chemical Institute of Canada. Dr. Pinto has received numerous awards recognizing the quality and impact of his research, including Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Pinto champions global connectivity to increase the power of the line of sight by embracing diverse perspectives. Dr. Pinto is also a champion of gender equity and inclusion of the two-spirit community in research and innovation. He was elected Chair of the Global Research Council in May 2017. Read more

Dr. Molly Shoichet, Chief Science Officer of Ontario (photo courtesy of Brigitte Lacombe)

Dr. Shoichet has been appointed Ontario’s first Chief Scientist. Dr. Shoichet is a world-leading expert in the study of polymers for drug delivery and in tissue regeneration, where she focuses on spinal cord injuries, strokes and blindness. She has published more than 575 research papers, patents and abstracts, delivered more than 350 lectures worldwide, and trained close to 200 scientists in her lab. Dr. Shoichet has founded three spinoff companies based on her research. A passionate communicator, she launched a social media initiative, Research2Reality, to engage the public and promote the importance of research. Dr. Shoichet is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, and will continue in her work as a professor at the University of Toronto while serving as Ontario’s first Chief Scientist. Read more

Michael Furdyk, Co-founder, TakingITGlobal

Michael Furdyk is the Co-founder of TakingITGlobal, which provides innovative global education programs that empower youth to understand and act on the world's greatest challenges. TIG was awarded the 2013 Intercultural Innovation Award by BMW and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Michael has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, presented at TED, and was named one of Teen People's "Twenty Teens that will Change the World". Over the last decade, he has keynoted over 100 events across sectors, sharing his social media expertise and insights on youth engagement and educational reform to audiences in over 30 countries. He sits on several non-profit boards, and completed his Master of Design (MDes) in Inclusive Design at OCAD University. He is an Adjunct Professor for the Master of Education Technology program at Long Island University. Read more

Karen Restoule, Fellow, Public Policy Forum

Karen is a member of Dokis First Nation (Anishinabek Nation) and a beneficiary of the Robinson-Huron Treaty 1850. She currently serves as the associate chair of the Ontario Parole Board within Safety, Licensing Appeals and Standards Tribunals Ontario. In 2016, Karen co-founded Bold Realities, an organization that aims to promote discourse among Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders on the importance of reconciling the relationship between Indigenous communities and corporate Canada. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa’s common law program (in French), where she was inducted into the Honour Society in 2014 for using her legal education as a foundation for making a significant contribution to her community. Read more

Allan F. Miranda, Head of JLABS @ Canada

As Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS in Canada, Allan is responsible for external engagement, innovation sourcing, company onboarding, portfolio management, operational excellence, educational programming and P&L. He catalyzes and supports the translation of science and technology into valuable solutions for patients and consumers across the pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and healthtech sectors. Allan received his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario and his MBA from McGill University in Finance and Strategy. Read more

Elissa Strome, Executive Director, Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Elissa Strome is Executive Director, Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR, working with research leaders across the country to implement Canada’s national research strategy in AI. Elissa completed her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia in 2006. Following a post-doc at Lund University, in Sweden, she decided to pursue a career in research strategy, policy and leadership. In 2008, she joined the University of Toronto's Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation and was Director of Strategic Initiatives from 2011 to 2015. From 2015 to 2017, Elissa was Executive Director of SOSCIP, leading the 17-member industry-academic consortium through a major period of growth and expansion, and establishing SOSCIP as Ontario’s leading platform for collaborative research and development in data science and advanced computing. Read more

___

Sponsor