Driver of Inclusion in ICT

The Diversity Institute’s Academic Director and professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Wendy Cukier, was recognized for her 30 years of work as a driver of entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation in the ICT sector at the 34th annual Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance) (external link, opens in new window)  Innovation and Leadership Awards Gala Dinner (external link) .

Cukier is the 2019 recipient of the Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, presented to the woman who has shown outstanding entrepreneurship as well as technological innovation or corporate leadership that has significantly expanded the frontiers of Canada’s advanced technology industry. The purpose of the award, according to CATA, is to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and create positive role models for women.

“Dr. Wendy Cukier is a change-maker, a social innovator and a thought leader,” stated Fawn Annan, President and Group Publisher of IT World Canada/IDG Canada and CATA’s 2017 Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation award recipient in the nomination. “She is constantly working to level the playing field for women, racialized minorities, Indigenous peoples, and those with disabilities. Through her academic work and in her voluntary capacity she is a champion of inclusion, creating opportunities for all and supporting of technology-driven innovation.”

In the nomination, Annan further notes “Her work supports women and underrepresented groups through projects such as the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE-Hub) training and mentorship program, and the ADaPT program, which provides digital and professional training for recent university graduates. Dr. Cukier has supported the development of incubators and accelerators, including Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (ranked world’s #1 university-business incubator), and supported social enterprises such as Growing North which won the Google.org Impact Challenge, Magnet, Flybits, SheEO, The Lifelong Learning Institute, and NPower Canada. Her service to diverse communities is far-reaching; she is currently chairing Women's College Hospital, Canada's leading technology-enabled ambulatory care facility, and regularly leads competitions to advance technology adoption and internships.”

Cukier is a Canadian leading expert in disruptive technologies, innovation processes and diversity and is coauthor of the bestseller “Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Java to Jurassic Park.” Her vision and leadership has shaped Ryerson’s Diversity Institute to become one of the nation’s leading research centres in the areas of inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship. Her talent at combining data-driven research with locally developed, community-based strategies has  resulted in the development of effective policies and programs to advance businesses and the economy while serving Canadians from all walks of life.

She also developed the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Hub and the Women Entrepreneurship Hub (WE-Hub), two highly successful pilot programs geared towards newcomer and women entrepreneurs—groups that are highly underserved by current professional and government programs.

Cukier established the Advanced Digital and Professional Training (ADaPT) program to help address the skills gap which  continues to grow, particularly in the technology sector. ADaPT supports arts and social sciences students’ transition into ICT careers. She leads the newly-announced Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub with a goal to create an inclusive innovation ecosystem. She also helped craft Ryerson’s  successful bid to host the Future Skills Centre, with 150 supporting organizations, in partnership with Conference Board of Canada and Blueprint-ADE.

As a champion of both technological innovation and diversity, she has built large networks that bring together employers, community organizations, and public sector organizations to collaborate and develop strategies to advance innovation and inclusion across all sectors for all Canadians. As the Chair of the Diversity Task Force for the Information Communications Technology Council, she has demonstrated an incredible ability to lead, empower, mobilize diverse partners towards a common goal.

In a letter of support, Valerie Fox, Chief Innovation Consultant, The Pivotal Point, and also a CATAAlliance 2012 Sara Kirke Award recipient states: “Dr. Cukier’s leadership and vision transformed Ryerson into a leading research and innovation institution in Canada. She recognized that research and innovation at Ryerson can successfully, and simultaneously, support the needs of academics, entrepreneurs, business, researchers, and the community at large. In an environment still dominated by men, she was a relentless champion of women in leadership and entrepreneurship and provided mentoring and coaching to countless women within and without Ryerson at various states in their careers. Currently, Dr. Cukier’s ongoing leadership of the Diversity Institute demonstrates her continued commitment to building partnerships and engaging in innovative research efforts to address issues of diversity and inclusion in employment practices across Ontario, Canada, and the world. From the development of transformational research strategies to an ongoing commitment to societal improvement, Dr. Cukier continues to have major positive impacts on cross-disciplinary and collaborative research, innovation and on the communities of Ontario in ways that assist the province’s global position.”

Cukier received the award in Ottawa at the gala event, which also included keynote presentations on trends in digital healthcare as part of the event theme, Using Technology to Enable Better Healthcare Outcomes.