Innovation + Job News

Some of the more interesting employment opportunities we've spotted this week include:

The National Ballet of Canada is seeking a footwear coordinator. This is a one year contract position that will see the person that takes it on become responsible for ensuring that the Ballet's dancers are provided and fitted with appropriate performance footwear—minus Pointe shoes, because they're so important to a ballet troupe there's probably one person responsible just for them. Other responsibilities include painting and styling the company's footwear for each specific production, as well as maintaining a footwear record. In other words, this sounds like just about the coolest job ever. The deadline to apply is January 23.

If you watched even a bit of Canadian television during the 90s, then you're likely intimately familiar with the Canadian Heritage Minute. Whether it was the one about burnt toast or the one about a scrapped supersonic jet, these one-minute infomercials were, almost without exception, well-made, informative and compelling. Now there's a chance to work for the organization that was responsible for their creation. Historica Canada is hiring a Heritage Minutes officer. This is a general administrative position that includes duties like note taking, responding to inquires from the public and conducting research. The deadline to apply is January 21.

The Sick Kids Foundation is hiring for two associate level positions. They're looking for a development writer to help writer and edit the material that gets sent out to their donors, as well as a third party events associate to help with the planning and execution of their calendar of events. The deadline to apply for both positions is January 19.

Finally, while it's not a paid position, we would be remiss not to mention that Ladies Learning Code is looking for a volunteer lead instructor. For those that haven't heard of the LLC, it's a Toronto born organization that puts together digital literacy and coding workshops for women and youth. No previous teaching experience is required to apply for this position, so those with relevant skills and a desire to give back and impart their knowledge should check out the group's website.

Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know!

This past Wednesday, the Government of Ontario issued an update on its Jobs and Prosperity Fund.

The fund, which was proposed in 2012 and passed in 2014, was, according to the government, created to streamline and improve Ontario's suite of private sector support programs.

The $2.5-billion the provincial government allocated to the fund is currently being split between three streams: a new economy stream which, among other things, is meant to help private sector companies improve their research and development capacity; a strategic partnerships stream that is aimed at finding and building partnerships between the government and the innovative entrepreneurs, companies and organization that call Ontario home; and a food and beverage stream that is meant to help the province's food manufactures improve their productivity and help them gain access to new markets.

“The Jobs and Prosperity Fund gives us the flexibility to offer strategic incentives, where necessary, to secure anchor investments in key sectors,” said Brad Duguid, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, in an email interview.

Despite providing no concrete numbers, Duguid says the grants have already created results. “We’re already seeing the benefits that this fund will bring — our investments through JPF in companies such as Cisco, OpenText, Ford and Honda. These investments have already helped to create and retain thousands of good paying jobs in Ontario, and billions of dollars in private sector investment.”

Prior to the 2014 election, former Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak criticized the program and other similar Liberal initiatives as “corporate welfare”. The program is set to last 10 years.

Source: Government of Ontario

Released shortly before the holiday shuffle—and subsequently missed by most people—the Ontario Health Innovation Council (OHIC) Catalyst report lays out six recommendations the province should follow to become a innovative healthcare entity.

The goal of the report's authors was to find ways to improve the quality, speed and delivery of Ontario's healthcare services while also finding ways to transform the province into a bastion of medical innovation.

The most interesting recommendation is the third one, which suggests that the province create a fund for made-in-Ontario technologies. The proposed four year, $20-million fund should be used to help speed the adoption of technologies that are developed within Ontario's borders, says the report's authors.

Another of their recommendations calls for the province to create an office for the “Chief Health Innovation Strategist,” who, if the government goes through with the appointment, will be responsible for identifying the province's most pressing medical needs and aligning the medtech sector's efforts to develop solutions for those needs.

Following the release of the report, MaRS published a statement endorsing the report's recommendations. “We believe that implementing these recommendations will position Ontario as a global health innovation powerhouse, while improving citizen health, and growing Canada’s new health economy,” said Dr. Ilse Treurnicht in the organization's press release.

The full report can be read here.

Source: Ontario Health Innovation Council. 

MaRS is attempting to fill several senior positions at its headquarters on College St. They're hiring a new director of real estate finance, director of finance, investment director, investment manager and construction project manager. Each position has different required qualifications, but the common theme is that MaRS really does want the best of the best; all of the positions require about five to ten years of experience in a relevant field. The deadline to apply for these positions varies between January 9 and 12, so brush up those resumes and cover letters and send them along.

An organization called InterAccess is hiring a manager of education and outreach. According to their website, they're a “public gallery, educational facility and production studio dedicated to the creative use of technology, electronic art and new media culture.”

The person that takes on this role will be required to develop new educational programs for the organization, as well as help find and develop sponsorship opportunities for InterAccess. Two to three years in a related field is required to apply for this position. The deadline to apply is January 16.

For those interested, InterAccess is also hiring a general manager and program coordinator.

Similar to the previous position, the Toronto International Film Festival is hiring a senior manager for their adult learning program.

The main responsibilities that come with this role are managing and developing the festival's Reel Talk, Books on Film and Food on Film programs. Additionally, as one would expect with a position of this nature, much of it involves being a spokesperson for the organization and its programs. Five to seven years of experience in a related field is a must. The deadline to apply is January 9.

Finally, looking to do something different this new year? Why not become an organic farmer for a season!

The Sleepy G Farm is one of many farms outside of Toronto looking for help this summer. The work is sure to be demanding, but, if Hollywood is to be believed, it will also likely be incredibly rewarding. Besides being able to partially disconnect from technology for several months, successful candidates will be given the chance to learn cool skills like blacksmithing, animal care and pasture management.

Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know!

As digital literacy becomes as important as reading and writing to securing a job in the modern workplace, one Toronto coding school has taken a significant step towards becoming Canada's de facto place to learn how to code.

On December 18, the Konrad Group, a local digital consulting firm that counts the CBC, Nestle and Salesforce as some of its clients, announced that it had acquired Toronto-based coding academy BrainStation for an undisclosed sum.

According to Jason Field, one of BrainStation's co-founders, the company plans to use its newfound resources to expand into five other Canadian cities by the end of 2015. First on the list are other cities in Ontario like Waterloo, London and Ottawa.

But that's not all. With it's new owner boasting a presence in the United States and Costa Rica, BrainStation also has the opportunity to become a global brand down the line should its owners decide that's the path they'd like to follow.

Additionally, Field says the school plans refocus its efforts on becoming a go-to centre for digital literacy, not just a place where someone can learn to code.

“Now that we have the financial capability, we’re going to build our programs to be not just about coding, but about digital literacy in general,” he says.

“Each community needs different things, and as we continue to develop we envision that we’ll have eight to ten curricula built out. Depending on the city, maybe web development is the only one that's feasible, but it’s still something that community should have access to. It shouldn’t be the most populated cities getting all the love.”

BrainStation is hosting an open house on January 13 at its new space to talk about some of its plans for the new year. 

Source: BrainStation

It's not often that a knight visits Toronto, but on Friday of last week that's exactly what happened as Sir Richard Branson came to town to co-announce a new partnership between his charity, Virgin Unite, and MaRS.

The partnership will see Branson and company seed $1-million towards a new social impact investment fund that will be overseen by MaRS. An additional $500,000 is in the process of being added to fund by various individuals, companies and organizations. Once MaRS closes the fund sometime in the new year, Tim Jackson, lead executive at the Centre for Impact Investing at MaRS, says he expects it grow to somewhere between $3-million and $5-million.

According to Jackson, MaRS will use the fund to invest in early stage startups—that is, startups that are seeking seed or Series A funding—that are for-profit but have a component of social good as a part of their mandate. He listed companies like SunFarmer and Lucky Iron Fish as examples of the type of startups the fund will target. The latter, for instance, is a company that is attempting to solve iron deficiency in Cambodia.

“We’re trying to get rid of this mess that you have to decide between social good and return,” says Jackson, explaining the rationale behind the fund. “We believe that you can accomplish both, and we also view this as a demonstration fund.”
“Every entrepreneur that needs capital will tell you that there’s not enough capital, so while $3 to $5-million is not a lot of money, we think this fund will open up the wallets of other investors who will say I want to get into the impact investing space.”

For his part, Sir Richard Branson said in a press release after the event, “I strongly believe that entrepreneurs have a key role in tackling environmental and social issues with solutions that will last for the long run and help create jobs. Our partnership with MaRS will support inspiring entrepreneurs with the mentoring, training and investments they need to succeed.”

Source: MaRS

Some of the more interesting employment opportunities we've spotted this week include:

CivicAction, a local organization that is dedicated to solving the city's social, economic and environmental woes, is attempting to fill two positions. The project officer position it's hiring for involves working with various stakeholders to design and implement the organization's new programs. In contrast, the project manager position involves being responsible for overseeing all of CivicAction's leadership programs, including its Emerging Leaders Network and DiverseCity Fellows. The deadline to apply for both positions is January 2.

For those with a journalism background, the Literary Review of Canada is hiring a new editor. According to its posting, the ideal candidate is someone with extensive experience in print media (sorry, young journalists!), an ability to work cordially with a wide array of writers and a knack for networking. In other words, everything one would expect from an editorial position. The deadline to apply is January 2.

Also on the culture front: SummerWorks, the city's venerable summer theatre and music festival, is hiring a new general manager (PDF link). A minimum of four years of experience in arts administration is required for this role. Reporting to and working extensively with Artistic Producer Michael Rubenfeld (check out the interview Yonge Street did with him), the festival's new general manager will be responsible for helping manage the festival's budget, deciding on its critical path, and overseeing staff hiring—among many other duties. The deadline to apply is January 10.

Finally, The Art Gallery of Ontario is hiring an assistant for its development division. Not only is this an opportunity to work in one of the city's most handsome building, it's also a chance to help the gallery execute on its special events. Responsibilities include drafting relevant written materials as needed, maintaining a record of each event, and helping with the logistics of each event. The deadline to apply for this position is December 24.

Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know!

Mainstream regenerative tissue therapy may be available sooner than previously thought and may be more affordable once it arrives thanks to a major local breakthrough.

A group of international scientists led by Dr Andras Nagy, a researcher at Mount Sinai hospital, announced last week that they had discovered the process by which a specialized cell can be reprogrammed into a stem cell.

A byproduct of this discovery is that the group also discovered a new stem cell type. According to Dr Nagy, this new so-called F-type has slightly different properties compared to the types he and his colleagues were previously familiar with. He says these new F-type cells are faster, easier and less expensive to grow in a lab compared to regular embryonic-like stem cells. Once a process for growing these F-type cells is perfected, it could take days or hours to grow them compared the several weeks it takes to grow stem cells currently.

Taken together, these two discoveries may soon enable doctors to create “designer” cells that do no exist in the body, but that are safe and efficient when used to cure a disease.

Eric Hoskins, Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, said, in a press release following the announcement, “Stem cell research was pioneered here in the province, and I am proud that we continue to make world-class breakthroughs in this life-saving area of research."

Indeed, those following Yonge Street over the the last couple of weeks will know that the Government of Ontario recently announced $3-million toward the creation of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine. To date, the provincial government has invested $150-million into stem cell research, no doubt hoping for exactly this kind of breakthrough.


Source: Mount Sinai

It used to be that it was only feasible to harness portable solar power on a scientific calculator. However, thanks to a major breakthrough by a group of researchers from the University of Toronto, almost any surface, including ones that aren't so smooth and symmetrically shaped, could soon be used to exploit the power of the sun.

It’s all possible thanks to a new manufacturing process called sprayLD. The system allows a light sensitive substance called colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) to be sprayed upon a flexible film that can then be applied to almost any surface. According to the press release that accompanied the announcement, a car roof coated with a film of CQDs could produce enough energy to power three 100-watt lightbulbs.

Illan Kramer, the researcher that led the team that developed the technology, said in a press release, “My dream is that one day you’ll have two technicians with Ghostbusters backpacks come to your house and spray your roof.”

If such a future does come to pass, it will be because of the manufacturing technology Professor Kramer and his colleagues have developed. In contrast to films created by its predecessor, atomic layer deposition (ALD), films created with sprayLD are fast, easy and inexpensive to produce. In fact, Professor Kramer and his team built their prototype using parts already available and relatively inexpensive. The manufacturing system Kramer and company have developed is so effective that films produced with sprayLD show little to no loss in solar-cell efficiency over their ALD counterparts.

Now this technology just needs to make its way to mobile devices. I can't be the only one who has had enough of their smartphone lasting less than a day.

Source: University of Toronto

Photo courtesy of Marit Mitchell.

Plastics! Plastics! Plastics! It turns out they don't have to be environment destroyers. 

On November 28, the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and Concordia University announced the formation of the Industrial Biocatalysis Network (IBN). Funded through a $5-million grant by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the partnership will see some of Canada's leading bio-chemical engineers try to find enzymes that produce byproducts that enable the creation of environmentally-friendly chemicals and plastics.

The team is being lead by Professor Elizabeth Edwards, a member of UofT's Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. The study is excepted to take five years and will involve several partners from Canada's manufacturing industry.

 Professor Edwards and her colleagues decided to embark on this project after completing a study that saw them sequence thousands of different enzymes. “Rather than doing more sequencing, we decided we wanted to focus on what these enzymes actually do,” she says. “We want to find out what their jobs are and how we can put them to use.”

Part of the reason several universities have partnered on this project is to avoid potential overlap and to increase the speed at which the research team is able to zero in on promising leads. “There are thousands of reactions we could potentially look at... and the goal of this network is to help prioritize what we look at. That’s the value of a network: communication and exchange of information and knowledge,” says Professor Edwards.

With even more evidence that the world is going through a period of significant climate change as a result of human activity, Edwards and her team are all too aware of the importance of their research. “There are more people than twice as many people on the planet than when I was born. The pressures on us to adapt are immense, so much so that I don’t like to think where we’ll be if we don’t,” she says. “Everyone feels this pressure and everyone aspires—and deserves—a great standard of living, so we need to come up with solutions that are different from the ones we've used in the past.”

Source: University of Toronto

Photo courtesy of Sara Collaton.

Some of the more interesting employment opportunities we've spotted this week include:

For the technically inclined, Nascent Digital, a local software design and development house on Adelaide Street, is attempting to fill multiple positions. They're hiring a front end developer, a full stack developer, a QA analyst, a QA lead, a support engineer and an UX designer.

All told, the firm seems like a great place to work; they've worked on some compelling projects in the past—they helped Tumblr create a unique Windows Phone version of the company's mobile app, for example—and they have a diverse and talented team already in place. Each position has slightly different requirements, though the common theme here is that they're seeking candidates with about three to five years of experience in a related field.

Heritage Toronto is seeking an executive director. The person that takes on this role will become the organization's de-facto CEO, responsible for leading it in its planning, fundraising and outreach initiatives. The group hasn't listed overly detailed requirements, though one imagines they're looking for an organizational maven. It should also go without saying, but only those with a strong passion and love for this great city should apply.

For those not ready to take on a significant leadership role at present, but see themselves in such a role down the line, Artscape has an interesting opportunity. The arts charity is looking for an executive assistant. The role involves working with the organization's president and CEO, Tim Jones. In other words, this is an opportunity to learn from one of Toronto's leading social entrepreneurs.

Finally, Textbooks for Change, an Ottawa-based startup that's moving to Toronto in 2015, is hiring a business developer. The company collects textbook donations from Canadian post secondary institutions and sends the majority of them to African universities—the other half is either recycled or resold to students in North America. According to its positing, Textbooks for Change is growing quickly and needs help expanding its operations into the United States, which is where the business developer comes in.

Like the Heritage Toronto's listing, this listing is light on specific requirements, though the company does warn this is not a “cushy” or “easy” position. “This job will be the most challenging role you've ever had,” they say in their posting.

Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know! 

In the 1960s, a pair of researchers from the University of Toronto discovered the existence of stem cells.

In a way, Ontario has been a hotbed for this type of research since then; various provincial governments have invested more than $150-million towards helping unlock the powerful medicinal qualities of stem cells. Diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Crohn's and cancer are just some of the diseases where regenerative cell therapy may present treatments that are far more effective than what we have access to today.

Last week, the provincial government announced that it was reaffirming its commitment to stem cell research by investing $3-million in the creation of the so-called Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a joint partnership between the Ontario Stem Cell Initiative (OSCI) and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM). The two organizations will towards developing new treatments and finding ways to monetize the treatments they create.

According to the province, the commercialization of regenerative medicine represents a major potential source of revenue for Ontario. In 2011, the global market for regenerative tissue therapy reached $10-billion. By the end of 2015, that figure is expected to reach $19.4-billion.

In a press release that accompanied the announcement, Reza Moridi, Ontario's then-minister of research and innovation, said, “Ontario is thrilled to support this collaborative initiative, which holds the promise to help treat, manage and cure some of the world's most devastating diseases while offering significant economic benefits.”




 

Hackathons have become all the rage across North America and the world as governments, companies and organizations scramble to find ways to solve some of the world's most pressing problems. The Government of Canada, not one to be left out, has created its own hackathon.

Last week, the federal government announced the 2015 iteration of its Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) Hackathon. Now approaching its second year, CODE asks the country's most talented and creative coders to make use of the wealth of data that the federal government posts on its open data portal.

This year's iteration starts on February 20th—that's the same weekend that International Open Data Day happens—and will last for 48 hours. Coders across the country will be able to participate, though cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal will have special events to mark the occasion. Those that take part will be asked to create applications in three different categories—youth, commerce and quality of life. Participants have a chance to win the $15,000 grand prize, or one of the $5,000 category prizes.

The federal government decided to create the hackathon after Treasury Board president Tony Clement was asked to judge a hackathon that was hosted by XMG Studio, a local mobile game development studio. “The inspiration to do a hackathon arose out of the fact that we were putting these tens of thousands of data sets online, and what we wanted to do was to unlock the creativity of coders and entrepreneurs outside of government in order to kickstart the application of all these data sets,” says Clement.

Last year, one of the winning entries was an application that used the government's data on pollution to tell users if a neighbourhood they were planning to move into suffered from significant air pollution. Minister Clement expects that participants will come up with even better applications this time around, and that some of them might even be inspired to pursue a new career path.

“I'm hoping we get some applications that excite people and let them be creative. I'm also quite convinced that it will give some budding entrepreneurs the ability and motivation to create a career for themselves.”

Source: Government of Canada

Some of the more interesting employment opportunities we've spotted this week include:

An exciting organization called Teach For Canada is attempting to fill multiple positions at its Toronto head office. They're hiring a director of teacher recruitment, a director of teacher selection and support, a director of community engagement and a director of teacher development.

Those with a passion for education reform should take a look; this non-profit recruits and trains students that are about to complete their bachelor of education and places them in remote and aboriginal communities throughout Canada, all in an attempt to narrow the education gap between Canada's big cities and its more remote towns.

The Toronto International Film Festival is looking for a director of digital. This role involves taking a leadership role in developing the film organization's digital strategy, as well overseeing the creation of its online assets. A minimum of eight years of experience in a related field is required.

Also on the film front, Hot Docs is hiring a publications coordinator. The individual that takes on this role will be responsible for overseeing the creation of all the public and industry facing literature that Hot Docs publishes throughout the year. The requirements—managing a team of contributors, copy editing and overseeing printing—are all things that should be familiar to anyone that's managed a publication in the past, so, current and former editors, take a look.

Finally, the Canadian Diabetes Association is seeking a web designer to develop and update their internal and external web content. Additional responsibilities include creating one-off email layouts for special events and ensuring the organization's web content has a consistent look and feel. The only requirement the Canadian Diabetes Association has listed for this position is two years of experience in web design—experience with a non-profit is a plus, though not necessary.

Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know!



 

Some of the more interesting employment opportunities we've spotted this week include:

Push, a Toronto-based startup, is hiring an Android developer. Besides the usual core requirements—experience with Android Studio and a previously released app on the Google Play store—the company is also asking that potential candidates be able to show that they’ve completed at least one bicep curl at some point in their life. Good stuff.

Sun Life Financial is hiring a health and wellness consultant. This role involves helping the company implement its healthy workplace initiatives. Major responsibilities include working with Sun Life’s group benefits group, as well as researching ways for the company to improve its offerings. Sun Life is looking for candidates that have between one and three years of experience implementing similar programs at other workplaces.  

The Toronto Arts Council is seeking a grants assistant. The role involves being the first role of contact and support for those applying for a TAC grant. The organization does not list specific experience requirements for this position; instead, it says that they’re looking for someone that possesses “strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask.” Additionally, TAC is looking for someone with a positive attitude and a “willingness to pitch in”. 

Also hiring on the arts and culture front is Artscape. The organization is looking to fill a sales and events manager position at its nearly completed Artscape Sandbox location. The new building, which is located at 21 Widmer Street, will provide space for artists to rehearse, exhibit and teach at, as well as provide space for private and public events. The sales and events manager will be responsible for implementing many of the services that will define the building.  
  
Do you know of a job opportunity with an innovative company or organization? Let us know!