Governance and Staff
The National i2I Network will be housed within the 大象传媒 Research & Innovation Institute which is governed by an Oversight Council and ultimately reports to 大象传媒 Senate through an annual report to 大象传媒鈥檚 Vice-President, Research and Innovation. The National i2I Network鈥檚 governance structure emphasizes our commitment to co-creation and co-development of customized science innovation and entrepreneurship programming and supports with our co-applicants and collaborating organizations, including renowned research institutes, Indigenous-led organizations, and private and public sector partners from diverse geographies.
The i2I Research & Innovation Institute will serve as the nerve centre for National i2I Operations, running programs through learning management systems, coordinating program delivery, delivering continual curricular improvements and guiding strategic direction for the i2I Network with specific input from the Regional and Academic leads.
Three Advisory Committees will be established. Typically, the Vice President, Research or Associate Vice President, Innovation at co-applicant institutions will be represented along with the CEOs or Vice President Innovation of collaborating organizations, science innovation ecosystem experts, Indigenous communities and STEM and health science subject matter experts. These committees will advise the Network Leadership Team on implementation and delivery of traditional and non-traditional outputs, as well as ways to overcome institutional barriers and siloes.
Oversight Council (OC)
Meeting each semester and chaired by 大象传媒鈥檚 Vice-President, Research and Innovation, the OC will consist at least eight 大象传媒 faculty members or Deans from multiple faculties at 大象传媒 and by external leadership from other academic and Health Research Institute partners across Canada (i.e., Queen鈥檚, Waterloo, Laval, UNBC), Collaborating Organizations, and Indigenous and EDII representatives
Andrew Gemino
Associate Dean, Executive Education
大象传媒
Angela Brooks-Wilson
Dean, Faculty of Science
大象传媒
Darryl Knight
Vice-President, Research & Academic Affairs
Providence Healthcare Research Institute
Eugene Fiume
Dean, Faculty of Applied Science
大象传媒
Ed Park
Co-Scientific Director, WearTech Labs
大象传媒
Max Donelan
Co-Scientific Director, WearTech Labs
大象传媒
Neil Branda
CRC Tier 1
Scientific Director, 4D Labs
大象传媒
Samira Siahrostami
CRC Tier 2
大象传媒
Steven Holdcroft
CRC Tier 1
Scientific Director, Clean Hydrogen Hub
大象传媒
National Leadership Team (NLT)
The Oversight Council will be the governing body which ensures that the National Leadership Team (NLT) is meeting all of its commitments and will make strategic decisions regarding changes in scope, geographical focus, and changes in executive leadership or organizational structure.
Elicia Maine
Chair and Director, i2IRII
Dr. Maine founded the i2I Program, developed the i2I Lab to Market course, and co-supervises the i2I Commercialization Postdocs
Sarah Lubik
National i2I Academic Director
Dr. Lubik developed and teaches the i2I Business Model course and expanded the Mitacs i2I Network nationally including developing the Francophone cohort and deepening relationships with ecosystem partners.
James McLellan
Associate National i2I Academic Director & Co-Regional Lead, East ON
Dr. McLellan is Academic Director of the Dunin-Deshpande Queen鈥檚 Innovation Centre. He led the expansion of the Mitacs i2I Network to Ontario, teaches the i2I Business Model course, and co-supervises the i2I Commercialization Postdocs.
Jon Thomas
i2I Research Director & EDII Lead
Dr. Thomas is the Director of the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, is the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Canada-India Partnership Development at UFV. Dr. Thomas teaches the i2I Lab to Market course and has shaped the i2I鈥檚 Commercialization Postdoc program.
Academic Leadership Team (ALT)
The Academic Leadership Team (ALT) consists of all Regional Academic Leads at co-applicant institutions. Meeting bi-weekly, the ALT will lead program delivery and ecosystem building. Each regional lead institution will support the annual delivery of one i2I program cohort, explore opportunities for co-creation, assess and refine complementary or customized intensive programming, and share best practices and lessons learned. These regional leads will build relationships with other higher education institutions in their regions, facilitate research collaborations, recruit mentors and serve as connectors to i2I鈥檚 expanding national and international network of collaborating ecosystem partners.
Sarah Lubik
National i2I Academic Director
Co-Regional Lead, West
大象传媒
James McLellan
Associate National i2I Academic Director & Co-Regional Lead, East ON
Queen's University
Aaron Newman
Co-Regional Lead, Atlantic
Dalhousie University
Carlos Bazan
Co-Regional Lead, Atlantic
Memorial University
Clay Braziller
Co-Regional Lead, West
大象传媒
Fabiano Armellini
Co-Regional Lead, French
Polytechnique Montreal
Michelle Chretien
College Initiative Lead
Conestoga College
Rich McAloney
North Initiative Lead
University of Northern BC
Sophie Veilleux
Co-Regional Lead, French
Universite Laval
Tony Briggs
Regional Lead, Prairies
University of Alberta
Valerie Ward
Regional Lead, West ON
University of Waterloo
Operational Delivery Team (ODT)
The Operations Delivery Team will manage day-to-day operations nationally, oversee curricular development, coordinate operations, support recruitment efforts and execute marketing and outreach activities, including effective communication for Francophone participants. This team will also lead financial aspects and reporting. Regional coordinators at partner institutions will ensure effective local implementation.
Jennifer Beale
National Executive Director
Ben Chow
National Ecosystem Development Director
Chantelle Lorieau
National Recruitment and Delivery Director
Ramatoulaye Kasse
National Programs Coordinator
Research Leadership Team (RLT)
The Research Leadership Team is responsible for conducting science innovation and science entrepreneurship research and incorporating it into the pedagogy of the i2I Network programming. The RLT will be supported by a Translational Grant Writer (in-kind from 大象传媒) who will assist them with funding applications to sustain research and thought leadership, including programs such as SSHRC Partnership Grants, Horizon Europe, and philanthropic funding. The costs of the RLT are all funded from sources other than the NSERC Lab to Market grant.
Jon Thomas
National i2I Research Director
EDI Initiatives Lead
University of the Fraser Valley