Innovation North

Discover the resources from Melanie Goodchild's lab on Relational Systems Thinking here: https://lnkd.in/gcfJdCer Melanie, moose clan, is a member of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation in Northern Ontario. She is the founder of the Turtler Island Institute, an Indigenous social innovation think & do tank (a teaching lodge). 🏫 In her work, she weaves together her unique perspectives of Anishinaabe gikendaasowin (knowledge) with systems thinking/complexity theory and social innovation to address our society’s most intractable problems. 🌎

UPDATE: a link to the recording of the info session can be found in the comments. ⬇️ Curious about our 2025 Systems Innovation Challenge❓Join us for an info session happening today from 6-6:30 ET! We'll cover what to expect from this year’s Challenge, application tips, and a chance to ask questions of the program team in real-time. We've also invited Ashwin Vignesh Rajagopal, Camilo Gonzalez Barrero, and Hala Arafeh (She/Her) to share about their experience as finalists in the 2024 Challenge.

Innovation North’s new Speaker Series invites experts (either academics or practitioners) to share their experiences and perspectives on topics related to #SystemsInnovation. Our first speaker is Cameron Tonkinwise, who will be joining us on October 21 from 3-4pm ET 💫 Professor Cameron Tonkinwise teaches Service Design and researches Sustainable Design at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His expertise has reshaped traditional thinking around how designers should be educated, and he has established Design Studies programs at the Parsons The New School for Design (New York), Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) and UTS. Cameron has been a leading voice in the emerging practice of Transition Design, enabling human-scale designers to facilitate systems-level change toward more equitably sustainable societies. 🔗 Registration link: https://lnkd.in/gxq7TMnU

At the recent Impact Live webinar: "Building Tomorrow: Circular strategies for Canada's urban future", panelists explored the path to profitable, sustainable transformation in Canada and beyond. Key takeaways from the session include: 1️⃣ We have a finite planet with infinite waste 2️⃣ Don't forget to consider carbon alongside circular strategies 3️⃣ Design buildings not just for its current use, but potential future uses 4️⃣ There are several barriers to circularity; the process needs to be streamlined 5️⃣ AI is poised to be a game-changer Read more about these takeaways and watch the full panel discussion: https://lnkd.in/gSK6dEpT Thank you to the expert panel for the thought provoking conversation: Enlai Hooi, SHL - Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects David Messer, Climate Smart Buildings Alliance Hazel Sutton, JLL Canada Tima Bansal (moderator), Ivey Business School at Western University and Innovation North #IveyBusiness #IveyImpact #ImpactLive #CircularEconomy #BuildingDevelopment

Curious about our 2025 Systems Innovation Challenge? See below for answers to some frequently asked questions... Q: Is this a case competition? A: No, Innovation North’s Studio endeavours to be a highly collaborative, creative, and playful space that will develop novel, actionable ideas to tackle real-world complex challenges. Q: Do I need to be an engineer, medical, or business student to participate? A: We welcome diverse perspectives and fresh ideas from students across all disciplines and degree progams! This includes undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students at any university or college in Canada. Q: Who is this year's corporate partner? A: We are excited to deliver this year's Challenge in partnership with BMO Academy to imagine effective ways of positively affecting the mental health and wellness of its employees, customers, and communities. Still have questions? Join us on October 1 from 6:00-6:30PM ET for a 30-minute virtual info session covering what to expect from this year’s Challenge, application tips, and a chance to ask questions of the program team in real-time. Hear from Ashwin Vignesh Rajagopal, Camilo Gonzalez Barrero, and Hala Arafeh (She/Her) about their experience as finalists in the 2024 Challenge. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eR6Rvwz6

Interested in transition design? ➡️ Learn more from Terry Irwin and Gideon Kossoff's lab session on Transition Design: https://lnkd.in/gTDKa85M Terry's research is in Transition Design, a new area of design study, practice and research that argues for a societal transition toward more sustainable futures. Gideon teaches and conducts research in transition design and eco-literacy. 🌿

Interested in our upcoming Systems Innovation Challenge? Here's what past participants Kellie, Xavier, and Ashwin have to say on the value of their experience. 💫 Hear from more of last year's participants at our live info session on October 1! Details down below 👇 Info session: October 1, 2024, from 6:00 to 6:30 PM ET Link to register: https://lnkd.in/eR6Rvwz6

Meet our new team member, Anna Lukkarinen 🎉 A Postdoctoral Associate, she investigates how organizations can advance sustainability and well-being, nudge by nudge. Systems innovation appeals to her as a bold yet concrete approach to addressing complex real-world challenges. At Innovation North, she aims to push boundaries in both theory and practice. She brings a blend of academic rigor and industry experience. Before joining Innovation North, she worked on sustainability topics at Stanford University, Aalto University, and McKinsey & Company. Systems thinking challenges conventional linear thinking. For anyone interested in an analogy from physics, Anna highly recommends “Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness” by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner. "The book brilliantly describes how quantum physics challenges the classical worldview, revealing an existence more complex and interrelated than was once thought." 📚

Earlier this week, Tima Bansal moderated “Building Tomorrow: Circular Strategies for Canada’s Urban Future,” which included a global panel of experts to tackle the business challenges and opportunities of evolving Canada’s built environment toward circularity. Thank you Hazel Sutton, David Messer, and Enlai Hooi for an insightful and inspiring discussion! If you missed the webinar, you can learn more about Innovation North's recent project with CSA Group to co-develop a strategic blueprint for Canada’s transition to a Circular Built Environment here: https://lnkd.in/gKEjiw8U

Meet our full line-up of speakers and artists for #InnovatingSystems, happening on Oct 29th at the Art Gallery of Ontario! Hear from inspiring inspiring keynotes including Christopher Marquis, Peter Senge, Rob Wesseling of Co-operators, and Innovation North's founder Tima Bansal. Learn around the next wave of critical issues and disruptions facing business and exchange ideas around systems solutions: 🧠 Artificial Intelligence - Mark Daley & Salim Teja 🗳️ Socio-Political Whiplashes - Romel Mostafa & Rachel Guthrie 🖥️ Nature of Work - Robert Austin & Rashid Wasti 🌊 Climate Change - Oana Branzei & Melissa Lecznar Emma Richard will capture the day in a graphic recording, and singer-songwriter Abby Litchfield will perform some of her originals! Seats are filling up fast, register now to join us: innovatingsystems.ca.