George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
George Brown Polytechnic’s Research & Innovation team made a strong impact at the 2026 Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Connections Conference, contributing to national conversations on applied research, equity-informed leadership, and sector-wide collaboration. The team was featured in the Living Labs Applied Research Showcase—a cornerstone of the conference that highlighted polytechnic-, college-, and institute-led innovation developed in partnership with industry and communities.
Breaking Through: Women Redefining Innovation Leadership
George Brown’s booth at the Living Labs Showcase centred on the theme “Breaking Through: Women Redefining Innovation Leadership,” highlighting the team’s commitment to inclusive, people-centred approaches to research and innovation. The theme was reinforced through a panel discussion featuring Dr. Krista Holmes, AVP, Research & Innovation, who joined peers from across the country to explore how women leaders are shaping the future through collaboration, empathy, and impact-driven leadership.
“Women in innovation spaces aren’t just breaking through barriers – we are redesigning the systems that created them,” said Dr. Holmes. “At George Brown, our approach to this work is relational, human-centred, intentionally inclusive, and focused on moving from intention to meaningful, sustainable change.”
The session underscored evolving leadership models across the sector—where representation matters, cross-disciplinary collaboration is essential, and research plays a critical role as a catalyst for social and economic impact.
Research and innovation with real-world impact
At the showcase, George Brown highlighted women-led projects and partnerships that address real-world challenges aligned with CICAN’s 2026 theme, “Building a Strong & Secure Canada.” The featured projects demonstrated tangible impact across health, sustainability, accessibility, and cultural preservation, underscoring the important role colleges and polytechnics play in applied research ecosystems.
Project highlights included:
- A comprehensive study on period product performance supporting informed product design and consumer health.
- An innovative listening technology designed to enhance audio experiences for neurodivergent users.
- A kitchen-based sustainability device that transforms food scraps into usable soil, supporting waste reduction and circular economy goals.
- An immersive technology project dedicated to preserving and sharing Algonquin culture through digital storytelling.
The Living Labs Showcase featured some of George Brown’s research and innovation partnerships with women-led projects or women-owned or operated organizations, including:
- VCycene Inc. — Neema Brown (researcher)
- NOIT International — Beth Sheir (partner)
- MLD Solutions Inc. — Mona Lam-Deslippe (partner)
- Casale Creative Inc. — Juliana Casale (partner), Caroline Rebello, Candace Mascarenhas (researcher)
- Finding Their Voices — Steffanie Adams (researcher)
- Revol Technologies Inc. — Shirley Thompson, Sara Jonsdottir (partners), Norween Priyanka, Mackenzie Tong (student researchers)
Advancing the sector through collaboration
The CICan Living Labs Showcase underscored the growing importance of applied research across polytechnics, colleges, and institutes in addressing national priorities—from social innovation and sustainability to workforce transformation. Projects highlighted strong student involvement, community partnerships, and a focus on measurable outcomes. George Brown’s presence reinforced the institution’s role as a trusted research partner and sector leader.
Find out how George Brown’s Research and Innovation team turn big ideas into big impact.
