22. Shad Canada: Empowering youth in STEAM and entrepreneurship (Tim Jackson)

  The Shad Canada summer program is a very special and unique learning experience. Talented high school students interested in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and entrepreneurship go through a rigorous selection process to spend a summer at one of Canada’s 20 participating universities. Throughout the summer the students spend time with professors at that university, learning topics and working on projects that are at a university level. Following their month-long university experience, the students spend a month working at the company that sponsored them, gaining valuable work experience in their field. But the experience is so much more than valuable academic and work experience. Many students form life long friendships, have life changing mentorships from the professors and professionals they work with, and the experience has a significant impact on their future career trajectory. I was lucky enough to attend Shad when I was in grade 11 and I worked for a medical tech company where the head of R&D took me under her wing for the summer. The experience had a very significant impact on the start of my career and my confidence. The Shad learning experience is truly unique and deeply impactful. I’m thrilled to be joined by the President of Shad Canada to discuss what makes this learning experience so special. Tim Jackson is the President and CEO of Shad Canada. Tim has an extensive background as an entrepreneur, business and not-for-profit leader. He has served as CEO of the Accelerator Centre, an incubator for technology startups, Vice President at the University of Waterloo and Executive Vice-President at the MaRS Discovery District, one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs. He co-founded Tech Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm, and served as CFO and CEO at Waterloo-based technology firm, PixStream (sold to Cisco Systems). Tim has also chaired several boards boards and has co-founded two charitable organizations. Tim Jackson: https://www.shad.ca/national-team/tim-jackson/ Shad Canada: https://www.shad.ca/