Kyle J Winters

Join us for our 4th webinar in partnership with the Canadian Association of Government Finance Officers! This tailored webinar is designed for CAOs, municipal executives, and Finance Officers. Municipal decisions can be challenging, but having a trusted advisor can make all the difference. Discover the essential skills of a municipal trusted advisor and learn how to enhance your effectiveness in this role. Join us to gain insights into the role of a municipal trusted advisor and the traits that contribute to their success. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and grow!

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Today we rebranded our organization as Generate Canada - a name selected to emphasize our passion for connecting problem-solvers who are driven to generate solutions to the most complex challenges at the nexus of environment, economy, and society. We are inspired by those who harness their vision, creativity, expertise and collaborative spirit to create "wicked solutions" to "wicked problems". An example is Liz Lappin, P. Geo, MBA Lappin who worked with our Energy Futures Lab to build on her bold vision to develop a vibrant battery metals industry in Canada to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. This helped spawn the creation of the Battery Metals Association of Canada (BMAC). Learn more in the "Solution News" section of our new website at www.generatecanada.ca While you are there, please contribute your own inspirations and aspirations to our "Wicked Solutions Mosaic". Maybe your story can be an inspiration for others! https://lnkd.in/gq9HgUiB #GenerateCanada #WickedSolutions #Innovation #CleanTech #CleanEconomy #DeepCollaboration #HumanCentredSolutions #CanPoli #Canada #Sustainability #Leadership

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#ScarboroughCharter — There are too few Black scholars | Deborah MacLatchy is president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University. Vivek Goel is University of Waterloo president and vice-chancellor | Waterloo Region Record, Friday, May 3, 2024. “Canada’s post-secondary sector does not reflect the diversity of our country — particularly when it comes to Black academics. Only 2.3 per cent of the senior leaders at Canada’s universities are Black despite 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population identifying as Black. In 2023, a report for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council found that the level of Black scholars’ participation in its programs is under-representative and that rates are even lower in science, health and technology. The same report notes only 1.96 per cent of Canada research chairs in all sectors are held by Black-identifying individuals.” “Presidents of Waterloo and Laurier universities write that post-secondary institutions and society benefit when we allow diverse voices to enrich our teaching, learning, research and service.”

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Hear ye, hear ye - the B.C. Period Poverty Task Force's final report has officially been published, with 62 detailed recommendations for how we can work to eradicate period poverty in the province. As a Task Force, we took a holistic, inclusive and intersectional approach to understanding and addressing period poverty - which cannot be divorced from broader efforts to eliminate poverty itself. Our recommendations address not only the distribution of menstrual supplies, but broader issues connected to menstrual health and menstruation-related education - period poverty is an inequity that can only be addressed if we move beyond place-based supply distribution solutions, to see the bigger picture; it can only be addressed if we include government, businesses, educators, healthcare providers, community organizations and individuals in our efforts. Some highlights: 1. We recommend the elimination of the 3-month MSP waiting period, which disproportionately impacts im/migrant people, results in unmet (menstruation-related and many other) healthcare needs, and contributes to mistreatment. 2. We recommend that quality menstrual products should be provided, without question, to all incarcerated people without cost or limit, including in all jails, prisons, detention centres for people of any and all genders. 3. We recommend that the Emergency Support Service program (ESS) be required to provide menstrual products to people who are being evacuated from their homes and communities due to climate change emergencies. 4. We recommend that B.C.’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) PharmaCare program be expanded to cover pain management and menstrual supplies alongside the range of other approved medical supplies and devices currently covered. The list goes on... Check out our Chair's post below, which links to the Media Release and the full report, for more. It was an honour to serve on this Task Force, alongside some fierce advocates working in different sectors throughout the province.

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It was great to gather last night at Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 celebration where I was a guest of fellow Innovation Governance Program cohort member and Fast 50 leader Anders McKenzie. Wonderful to reconnect and/or meet in-person with the Council of Canadian Innovators | Conseil canadien des innovateurs team members Skaidra Puodžiūnas, Gabriella B., and Patrice Oliveira. There was a fireside chat with Anders and PointClickCare's Founder and Executive Chair Mike Wessinger who shared his insights on bootstrapping a new startup, raising financing, focusing on the right markets. Key insights for me were: - don't capital-constrain your business by getting financing too late, and balance with retaining control - don't just chase financing, find the right people to have around the capital table, which means ones who are additive, are the right fit for you, and provide access to the right network - the two most important pieces of advice he gives to aspiring entrepreneurs - (a) focus on one thing, not the many many things, and (b) find true product-market fit for that thing. He also, without prompting, gave an impassioned plea to governments to be more supportive and enabling for Canada's tech, innovation and entrepreneurship sector. Yes, this was driven, at least in part, by the recent changes to the inclusion rate on the capital gains tax (cited as hostile to business) but what came through to me was his love of the country and desire to enable us to create the conditions that will allow us to grow companies here, with all the benefits that come from that. For those wanting to apply to the Technology Fast 50 program - the deadline is June 7 and you can apply here: https://lnkd.in/g5SbDf3g

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New today from ICTC-CTIC: Experiential learning for students is key to the future of Canada's digital economy. The ICTC team hosted six roundtables across Canada, engaging 120 participants from 69 organizations, including 21 universities, 13 colleges, and five institutes of technology. Here's what we learned: 👉 Digital economy labour shortages pose a significant threat to the health of the Canadian economy 👉Students need a broad range of knowledge and skills to be “workforce-ready” 👉Interpersonal skills and workplace etiquette are difficult to teach in an academic setting 👉Higher education institutions need to work with industry partners and not-for-profits to deploy practical opportunities for students to gain work-ready skills Well done to the team that hosted the round tables and pulled this policy brief together! 👏👏👏 Alexandra Cutean, Rob Davidson, Maryna Ivus, Faun Rice, Mairead Matthews, Allison Clark, Heather McGeer, Justin Ratcliffe, Todd Legere, Erik Henningsmoen, Olena Podolna, Noah Lubendo, Lisa Wolfgram, Carleigh Reynolds, and Shaudae Murray! 👏👏👏

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At AuraData, we understand that in today's digital landscape, trust and security are paramount. That's why we're excited to announce our joint venture with Credivera and Mintz Global Screening in our ongoing commitment to adopting Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and Verifiable Credentials technology. Why does this matter? SSI puts individuals in control of their own digital identities, reducing the risk of identity theft and fraud. Verifiable Credentials streamline processes by securely sharing data between parties, eliminating the need for repetitive verification steps. Embracing SSI, ensures a seamless, user-centric experience where privacy and control over personal data are prioritized. Join us on this journey towards a more secure, efficient future and stay tuned for more of this in AuraData's future! #DataSecurity #SSI #VerifiableCredentials #Innovation #AuraData #DigitalTransformation #credivera #mintzglobalscreening #graduationverification #careers #hiring

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I'm so glad I don't have young kids in school. I'm surprised that young kids were even allowed to have cell phones in school. For kids in Kindergarten to Grade 7, The new rule isn't that you can't have a cell phone in school, it's that you have to keep it on silent. How ridiculous is that? And what kind of parents buy a cellphone for a young kid to take to school? I'm pretty sure any young kid with a cell phone will develop some sort of phone addiction that will prevent them from staying focused on school. The government is also spending 30 million on installing vape detectors? What a waste of tax payer dollars. Vaping is illegal for people under 19. Same like alcohol. They should both not be allowed on school grounds. Make the punishment hard enough to be a deterent. When you need government to make rules on things that should be common sense, you know we have much bigger problems than what the government is trying to solve with rules. Probably a better rule would be is to make cellphones illegal for kids under 12.

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It was great to recently visit the University of Alberta with Loleen Berdahl and Lisa Young to launch our new book "For the Public Good: Reimagining Arts Graduate Education in Canada" published by University of Alberta Press. We argue that students are not served well by current Arts MA and PhD programs. Yet in an age of AI ethical dilemmas, vaccine and science hesitancy, and political polarization, we need advanced training of human thinking and behavior more than ever. Our book identifies these pressing public needs and the weaknesses of the current system, and how these can be the solution to each other's problem. We lay out a step-by-step vision of how graduate programs can be redesigned in a deliberate, efficient, and inclusive manner built on students' actual needs and the development of their talents in a way that serves the public good. Furthermore, as experienced administrators, we trace the incentives and structures that led to the current system, and what needs to be done to implement this new vision, especially in a time of resource constraints. This book serves as an unofficial sequel to "Work Your Career: Get What You Want From Your Social Sciences and Humanities PhD" by Loleen and myself, and we're glad to now be working with Lisa as well. "Work Your Career" told students how to navigate the system. This new book argues the system needs to change. "For The Public Good" will be on sale imminently through the University of Alberta Press and your favourite online retailer. https://lnkd.in/dZKAhNPF We are also available to speak about our ideas to your campus or organization!

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"The decision by Peel District School Board, near Toronto, to recognize Nakba Day on its official calendar is one more reason all provincial governments should consider limiting boards’ powers or changing their governance structure...For a school board to mark such a contentious day on its calendar is shockingly hurtful to a large segment of this country’s population. School boards have become champions of the woke left. This is the same board that, for reasons that were never quite clear, removed The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series from school libraries...School boards support diversity, equity and inclusion — but only if those being included share their political view of the world. They’ve become political training wheels. It’s where fledgling politicians with aspirations at the municipal, provincial or federal levels get on-the-job training. Very little attention is paid to them at election time. The haphazard result means that every low-level politician with unfulfilled ambitions and an axe to grind gets a say in our children’s education. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has told PDSB to remove Nakba Day from its calendar.   It should never have gotten that far. It’s time to reconsider the structure of education. Provinces already set the curriculum. Day-to-day decisions about running schools could be devolved to the parent council in each school. In a multicultural country such as ours, no child should feel excluded by spiteful acts of political vengeance at the school board level." https://lnkd.in/g4enf9VB

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If you've spoke with me in the last two weeks, you know how much I've enjoyed my time in the classroom with these phenomenal people 💖. So much learned, challenged, and clarified in five short days. To say it was a life-changing experience would not be an exaggeration. If you're curious about the Brain Story Pilot Program, reach out to PEI Alliance for Mental Well-Being! #mentalwellbeing #lifelonglearning #princeedwardisland #brainstorycertification

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🎓✨ Attention Colleges and Universities! ✨🎓 Invest in the future by developing a military-connected student strategy. Canadian 🇨🇦 post-secondary education has the incredible opportunity to empower an underrepresented group—military-connected students—who have the potential to make a disproportionate impact on our economy. We can help this underrepresented group transition seamlessly into academic life and beyond by fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. Let's work together to unlock their potential and drive innovation, leadership, and growth in our communities. Make a difference. Let's elevate our educational institutions and, in turn, our economy by investing in military-connected learners! 🇨🇦💼 Canadian Armed Forces | Forces armées canadiennes Veterans Affairs Canada / Anciens Combattants Canada The Royal Canadian Legion CIMVHR - Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research #MilitaryConnectedLearners #HigherEducation #EconomicImpact #InclusiveEducation #ReleasePointEducation

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Building a professional training program is a lot like baking a cake. As a program designer, you spend time ensuring the ingredients are the best and being added in the right order. You've got to mix things well but not too much, just enough to ensure that when you pour your creation into the mould, your batter will not spill over. Finally, after some heat is applied, you can step back and smile at what's been crafted. But that's not the best part... No, the best part is inviting those whom you admire, appreciate and support to come and have a taste. That, my friends, is the best part of baking a cake OR building a professional learning program. I don't always have the luxury of baking cakes anymore, nor do I get to mix my fingers into program development as I once did. The RBLP program, however, is one I reached into and helped mix appropriately. I love leadership and am passionate about what it can provide to this ever-challenging world. If you're hungry to be more, lead more, and serve more, come take a 'figurative' bite out of this program. I know you won't be disappointed! Frank #RBLP #Resilientleadership #leadership #servantleadership

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🌟 Universities and Economic Development - the Waterloo Way 🌟 In this article, the President of Waterloo's Economic Development Corporation, Tony LaMantia, shares how the University of Waterloo is not just a hub of academic research and teaching excellence but a powerful engine for economic development in the Waterloo region and globally. With its standout approach to cooperative education, UWaterloo graduates are not just job-ready but instigators of technological and business innovation, contributing to a more dynamic local economy. 💡What can New Zealand's universities learn from Waterloo's success? 1. Invest in experiential learning: Hands-on experience through co-op programs transforms educational outcomes, prepares students for the workforce better, and brings ideas into the university that challenge researchers with real-world problems. 2. Foster partnerships between universities, industries and communities: These collaborations are essential to drive innovation and economic development. 3. Support entrepreneurial ecosystems: Encouraging startups fosters local innovation, mobilises university research to solve problems, generates jobs, and fosters a dynamic and thriving local educational and business environment. New Zealand has the potential to replicate this success by leveraging its universities as key players in economic strategy, fostering a similar synergy between education and economic growth. But - we need important changes in mindset, policy and funding structures to enable this. The current review by the Science System Advisory Group is a chance to have our voices heard about how to unleash the potential of New Zealand's universities. Information on submissions is available at http://ssag.org.nz/submit/. Let’s let the government and the university sector know what we need to do to ensure our universities contribute to a prosperous and sustainable future! #EconomicDevelopment #HigherEducation #Universities #Innovation #UniversityOfWaterloo #NewZealand

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Do you need a speaker for your next fundraising conference? I can share the findings of the BNP Goldie Canada stewardship survey that was presented at AFP ICON 2024 or even review the 12 steps to fundraising success from my book, The Vigilant Fundraiser. Let me know if you're interested.

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Just to say, I have posted my 6th blog about the path of evolution for the charity sector. This one is about the top 3 most important strategic changes for the Canadian Charity Sector. - Do you agree with them? - See below. https://www.giv3.ca/blog Typically, it is the role of the CEO of a company to determine the strategic direction and to identify the top 3 priorities which must be accomplished in the year. And then, most importantly, the CEO must focus their energy on helping the company achieve these three things without getting bogged down in the day-to-day operational challenges, staffing problems, client issues, finance, and so on.  If the company makes significant strides on the three chosen priorities, then the year has been useful. In a sense, this is about focus and simplifying the essence of what needs to be accomplished... "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” - - Hans Hofmann, abstract artist. With so many millions of Canadians in need, and a collapsing environment, what is necessary?  If we had a sector CEO and a sector strategic plan, I propose that the three most important initiatives to advance for the sector should be:  (1) Encourage greater generosity (in all forms). That is, bring in more resources (2) More staff in the sector to deliver charitable services. (3) improve efficiency in how charities perform. (I recognize that another key strategic issue would to reduce demand for charitable services, but I feel this is beyond the power of the charity sector. Reducing demands is on the shoulders of politicians via changes in labour codes, environmental laws, immigration policies, investment in productivity gains, better health care, and so on). And if there is any doubt, other important things like D.E.I., better data measurement, clarification of legal definitions of charity, better governance, trust, and so on, are secondary. To put this frankly, the homeless person living on the street is not co concerned about the governance, representation, measurement, and operations of the charity helping them to survive each day. They just need results. Please do not get me wrong. I recognize and appreciate the good work which many organizations are doing for these secondary initiatives. They are important. It is just that these are not the most important strategic priorities. It often feels to me our sector is prioritizing these secondary things while we are not doing enough for the biggest strategic issue: A growing charity gap. - I am not so sure we are “eliminating the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak”. In my search for a ‘sector strategic plan’, I concluded that we do not have one! And when I asked those who might know, they confirmed it. We need to develop a strategic plan to address the growing charity gap in Canada, and to optimize and guide our priorities. I will talk more about a sector strategic plan soon.

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How do we bridge a growing divide? There are actions we can all take to move us back in the right direction but will take everyone, especially elected representatives, to commit to being better and leading by example. Read more in my latest blog. #Edmonton #Alberta #Canada #politics #leadership

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