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About Mitacs
With 16,000+ collaborations and 100+ advisors, Mitacs is a catalyzing force in the Canadian innovation ecosystem. We build a world-class, diverse community of innovators through our collaborative model, attracting and deploying top talent to industry, and matching need with expertise to create ambitious solutions to real-world challenges.
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Listen to Episode 2: Leading Women
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Behind every cutting-edge innovation is a story.
Discover the fascinating stories behind Canada’s game-changing innovations — and the brilliant minds that started it all.
Join Kate Kenyon as she sits down with award-winning entrepreneurs, research experts, and thought leaders to explore incredible breakthroughs in the world of Canadian innovation. From robotics and artificial intelligence to fashion and conservation, you’ll find it all on The Edge.
Episode 2 “Leading Women” is available now.
Brand new episode out now!
From startup founders to tech innovators, social entrepreneurs to creative disruptors.
Meet three incredible entrepreneurs who are transforming Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
Founder, Pow Wow Pitch and Her Braids
Sunshine Quem Tenasco
Sunshine Tenasco is a First Nations mother of four from Kitigan
Zibi Anishinabeg. She is a social entrepreneur and award-winning author who aims to cultivate the culture of entrepreneurship in Indigenous communities.
Sunshine is the founder of Her Braids, a business that aims to
create awareness about the issues of clean drinking water in First Nations communities.
She is also the founder and Chair of Pow Wow Pitch, a platform for Indigenous entrepreneurs to showcase their entrepreneurial endeavours, win start-up cash, and explore mentorship opportunities.
CEO, Startup Canada
Kayla Isabelle
Kayla Isabelle is the Chief Executive Officer at Startup Canada, the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Kayla has dedicated her career to supporting entrepreneurs, and is passionate about leveraging the power of storytelling in the business community, particularly for women entrepreneurs as the host of the Startup Women Podcast.
She has won several accolades, including the 2022 Top Forty Under 40 recognition by the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade, the 2021 Woman of Inspiration “Authentic Leader Award” by the Universal Women’s Network, and "Best Business Support Organization" by CanadianSME Magazine, among others.
Co-founder and CEO, IVANO Bioscience
Juliette Champeil
Juliette Champeil is the CEO and co-founder of IVANO Bioscience, which aims to develop laboratory bio-tools to help the life sciences industry accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs.
Originally from France, she arrived in Canada in 2014. Since then, she combined her passion for science and entrepreneurship in the form of IVANO Bioscience.
Juliette is also a scientist with a degree in industrial biology engineering. She is currently completing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Laval University (Quebec).
In case you missed it...
Episode 1: Growing colour
What if there were another way to dye our clothes?What if we could ‘grow’ colour?
In this inaugural episode of The Edge, Kate Kenyon speaks to Iris Redinger, winner of the 2022 Mitacs Environmental Entrepreneur Award and founder of green-tech start-up Material Futures, about her company’s bright idea to produce colour naturally using microorganisms.
Kate also speaks to Leah Barrett, Professor at George Brown College, Beth Mason, CEO of the Verschuren Centre, and Ashley Hannon, Mitacs Senior Advisor, to understand the bigger picture.
Have an idea or project you’d like to discuss with a Mitacs Advisor? Get in touch!
Meet your host
Kate Kenyon
Host and co-producer, The Edge
Kate Kenyon is a broadcaster and producer with a passion for all things innovation.
A lifelong learner and champion of research, she collaborated with the UK Home Office to develop international pathways for world-leading academics. She is also
a producer and presenter for MAtv, and can be seen and heard on the arts and culture show LeZarts.
Kate holds a degree in Modern Languages from UCL, and speaks English, French, and Italian. In other words, she can ask “why” in multiple languages...
Join Kate on an illuminating journey as she picks Canada’s brightest brains to learn more about our world — and what lies on the edge.
