Innovation + Job News

When one thinks of cutting-edge retail, Canada's trusty old mail carrier service doesn't easily come to mind. (Do you even remember the last time you bought stamps?)

It's not just anecdotal, the sense that we're relying on Canada Post less than ever—in 2011 the services registered its first annual loss in 16 years, ending up more than $250 million in the red. As with many older institutions, Canada Post is trying to navigate the digital era, and figure out how it can sustain itself through these changing times.

One initiative: a new emphasis on retail services—that is, on helping retailers do their business. To mark some new successes in that field, last week Canada Post gave out its first ever E-commerce Innovation awards, to several Canadian retailers that "excel at giving Canadians what they value most in the online shopping experience." Among those winners: Toronto-based Rent frock Repeat, which will receive $10,000 in free shipping services, $20,000 in free marketing services and a Canada Post delivery truck wrapped with promotional information about their business. (A total of $1 million in prizes were awarded to five companies.)

"We're an online retailer that rents dresses instead of selling them," explans co-founder and CEO Lisa Delorme, who started the business with a friend in May 2011. They were both invited to a wedding, didn't want to spend money on dresses "that might only  come out of the closet once or twice." They came across a dress-rental company in the United States, but were quickly frustrated to learn that they didn't deliver to Canada. "We were tired of waiting for someone else to do it" locally, says Delorme, and so the two friends decided to start their own company here.

Like so many of us, Delorme also didn't consider Canada Post to be particularly innovative in the retail space. The awards, however, seem to mark a real attempt to take innovation more seriously—she was surprised at how well-produced the awards night was.

"I give them kudos that they're recognizing that there's a birth of online retailers," she says. "They see it as the future of Canada Post as well, so I think it's a kind of rebirth for them as well."

As for Rent frock Repeat, their current staff complement of three can't keep up with orders. Delorme says they will "definitely will be hiring" in the near future, likely including a director of technology as well as stylists and marketing staff.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Lisa Delorme, Co-Founder and CEO, Rent frock Repeat

The federal government is investing in a new support program for small- and medium-sized medical technology companies hoping to expand their reach.

MP Ted Opitz (Etobicoke Centre) made the announcement earlier this month: $990,000 is being granted to Etobicoke-based MEDEC, a medical technology association, to disburse to southern Ontario businesses in increments of up to $30,000 each. Those grants, says MEDEC-CMMA executive director Mary Palmer, will enable the recipients to grow by helping them increase their presence in foreign markets.

The program is officially called New Horizon; recipients will each receive cost-sharing grants for eligible expenses in export development. Those grants will be geared to small companies who have never exported their products before, or to those who have but wish to pursue new markets. Among the kind of costs this grant might cover Palmer lists: "hiring a foreign consultant to do a feasibility assessment... it could be use to help get their product registered, do marketing materials for the foreign markets." In short, everything from technical and operational elements to promotion may be included. The key, Palmer says, is to add "incrementality" to the companies' business plans—to add capacity and help them do more rather than to defray the costs of their current operations.

The grants are expected to lead to the creation of up to 30 new jobs, encompassing everyone from scientific and technological experts to operations support and marketing staff. Eligibility and selection criteria are online; an online application process is expected to launch by early November.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Mary Palmer, Executive Director, MEDEC-CMMA

Though they're not saying much publicly yet (a spokesperson declined to comment in detail for this story), news came last week that Rogers Communications is pilot testing new digital payment solutions, which it hopes to introduce to Canadian customers this year.

That news came as part of a broader story about a deal the Toronto-based telecom has struck with Netherlands digital company Gemalto, which has been chosen to provide security technology for this new service.

The technology Rogers is currently testing relies on what's called near field communication (NFC), a radio-communication standard which provides a way for mobile devices to exchange data and conduct transactions—creating what is often referred to as a "paperless wallet." Essentially, Rogers is creating a system which will allow its customers to use the SIM cards in their phones to make credit and debit card purchases and payments. They are also anticipating the "future addition of tap-and-go services including coupon redemption, loyalty programs, transit and other digital identification," according to a recent press statement.

While Gemalto will be testing the security features on this service, the innovative new technology may take some getting used to. Losing your phone—or worse, getting it stolen—may be that much scarier when it holds not just your contacts' information and family photos, but is enabled to conduct financial transactions as well. It is undeniably the direction in which financial institutions are moving, however, and we'll be watching to see how quickly customers adapt.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Allison Fitton, Rogers Communications

With the help of $6.6 million from the federal government, in addition to $6.8 million of its own money, George Brown College recently announced that it will be creating a dedicated Green Buildings Centre on its Casa Loma campus. They are renovating existing facilities and building new ones to house the centre, which has a target completion date of March 2014. The project is expected to create 35 new jobs.

Robert Luke, assistant vice president of research and innovation for George Brown, says that creating this new centre will be a bit like "changing the wheel on a moving car." Since George Brown already does some work in this area, they will maintain their current activities while managing the expansion simultaneously.

Luke came to the college about five years go to establish a research office, he says, after "the federal government recognized that we needed to pull the lever for industry in the education space.... That imbalance is very dangerous to our long-term competetivness." That's why George Brown has been working to integrate industry partners in their activities, providing many hands-on formal and informal opportunities for students to learn from them while also pursuing their studies.

Industry partners, meanwhile, have the opportunity to pursue applied research. That practice will continue at this new centre, which will focus on environmentally friendly "advanced construction systems, green energy and computer-enabled, efficient buildings."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Robert Luke, Assistant Vice President of Research and Innovation, George Brown College

"Eight years ago, in 2004, the board of governors of Exhibition Place established Exhibition Place as a world leader in energy-efficient technologies: employing green practices in our daily operations; creating new, clean energy sources through initiatives such as our wind turbine and photovoltaic arrays; and conservation efforts such as major lighting retrofits, LED pilot projects and our recycling and waste diversion efforts.... Today, we are proud to celebrate the success of our environmental commitment with the announcement of our first LEED Silver building at Exhibition Place."

With those words—part of a speech delivered before city councillors, Exhibition Place staff and supporters and members of the press—Hugh Mansfield, vice-chair of the board of governors for Exhibition Place, announced that the Allstream Centre is now recognized as an environmentally friendly place to do business.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification provides an internationally recognized standard for sustainabie building; the Allstream Centre is the first conference centre in Canada with that designation. It follows on a 2009 renovation, and has been accorded in recognition of a variety of design and operational features, including the building's reliance on renewable energy for its power, a rainwater harvesting system and the installation of LED lighting.

The Art Deco building dates back to 1929, and was once used to display car models to the public as part of the Canadian National Exhibition, which is why many of us know it by its original name, the Automotive Building. The building was renovated by Norr Limited (their project summary: [PDF]) and comprises 160,000 square feet, with spaces that can be configured to accomodate gatherings ranging from 50 to 3,000 people.


Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Hugh Mansfield, Vice-Chair, Board of Governors, Exhibition Place

The Investment Accelerator Fund provides seed funding to Ontario-based startups—a total of $26.6 million to 57 emerging companies so far. With money from the provincial government and administration by MaRS, IAF gives new technology companies up to $500,000 each, with the specific goal of positioning those companies to be better able to attract additional funds from venture capitalists and other investors.

The two latest recipients of investment from IAF are both Toronto startups (as are eight of 12 recipients who have been awarded funding since December, 2011): CrowdCare, which provides customer support services, and Better the World, which is about to launch a new platform, called FlipGive, to help accelerate corporate giving programs.

Proof of concept for IAF: their investment in Better the World is just part of a new series of funding—the company recently announced that they've closed a $2-million round—which will help them develop and enhance that new CSR tool.

Better the World CEO Steve Croft says FlipGive is a technology platform "for driving consumer and employee engagement in [a company's] giving programs—a new way for people to raise money for local community initiatives." Essentially, instead of selling chocolate to raise money for charity you'd be selling, for instance, a company's gift card.

Better the World currently has 18 people on staff. The new funding, from both the IAF and other investors, will enable the company to grow to 30 "in short order," says Croft. He has nothing but kind words for MaRS, perhaps even more for the intangible support they've offered, like mentorship and promotion, than the recent cash infusion.

"If you're looking at Ontario as a space," Croft adds, "it's a very supportive province."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Steve Croft, Co-CEO, Better the World

"In our society there are very few people who think they are musical." 

And those people, maintains Shaun Elder, are underestimating themselves. It's why Elder, with the help of Toronto development studio Moonrider, created a new app called Piano Invention, which allows users to create their own musical compositions without relying on the traditional music vocabulary and notation. Instead, they move around objects on the screen to produce different sounds, and layer them. (Moonrider has developed a broader platform which allows users to manipulate sounds using visual information, says Elder.)

The goal, Elder says, is "trying to get people to fell like they can learn something about music without necessarily needing to spend 10 years on it." 

Elder is hoping to engage young people who love music but have not had any formal music education. Though the app's creators had originally targeted kids in the 7+ age group, they've been hearing from early users that children as young as two have been playing with it. 

"There's a million apps that will help you remix or mash-up," Elder says when we ask what makes Piano Inventions unique, "anything that's loop-based. But classical music isn't loop based, it's chord based."

As for taking inspiration from Glenn Gould: in part that is a natural hook, as the celebrated musician is such a part of local lore and a name many recognize. But it's also a function of Gould's distinctive approach to music-making. He was, says Elder, "kind of like a composer who played the piano," playing musical pieces in ways that vary substantially from how they were written (for instance, in double time). As the musical community marks what would have been Gould's 80th birthday, it's interesting to see how that unconventional approach to music-making is taking on new life, with tools Gould probably never imagined possible.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Shaun Elder, Creator, Piano Inventions

As the country's demographic profile shifts, more and more attention is being paid to the diseases of old age—diseases which, as life spans increase, will correspondingly increase in frequency. Recently, the federal government announced a $5.4-million investment into bringing new Alzheimer's treatments to market.

The investment, announced by Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology (also responsible for Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), will facilitate the creation of the Centre of Innovation Excellence for Alzheimer's Care with the new B'nai Brith Alzheimer's Home. That new centre will host what's being described as an "innovation laboratory" to test new Alzheimer's-related technologies, ranging from diagnostic tests to monitoring tools. The Centre of Innovation Excellence for Alzheimer's Care (based at the University of Western Ontario) is a partner in the new project, as are several local health care companies. 

Among the tools whose efficacy and marketability they will be testing are technologies that facilitate communication between Alzheimer's patients and family members or friends (an attempt to mitigate the isolation many patients experience), and monitoring tools which allow health care providers to check on a patient's vital signs and status remotely. 

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Office of Gary Goodyear

Since its initial launch, Keek has seen more than six million videos uploaded to its platform; in August 2012, an average of 66,000 new videos a day were created. Rewarding that rapid growth: several new investment partners, who between them will be putting $7 million into the (so far free-to-use and free-of-advertising) video-sharing service.

If you're not familiar with it, an explanation by analogy: roughly, Keek is to YouTube as Twitter is to traditional blogging—that is, shorter, faster and with more back-and-forth conversation. Users create "microvideos" (maximum length: 36 seconds) called keeks, as a sort of status update, and can also communicate via private videos/keeks, similar to the "direct message" function on Twitter. "A keek," explains the company's FAQ whimsically, "by definition is a quick look, glance or peep."

"This new funding will allow us to keep the momentum going, accelerate product development, scale the infrastructure and expand globally," said Isaac Raichyk, Keek's CEO, in a press statement announcing the new investment, which follows on a previous round of $5 million in financing secured about a year ago.

Keeping it local, the three major partners in this round of funding are also based in Toronto, in addition to Keek itself: Canson Capital Securities, Pinetree Capital and Whitecap Venture Partners.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Isaac Raichyk, CEO, Keek

Though it can take decades and be fraught with peril—witness any number of eHealth controversies in Ontario—Canadian jurisdictions are gradually making headway in their quest to modernize the delivery of healthcare in this country. The latest initiative: storing medical records via cloud-based tools, to allow both patients and healthcare providers to access them easily, quickly and from anywhere.

Last week the federal government announced what it is calling the Connected Health and Wellness Project, which will aim to drastically simplify our ability to access our own medical files. The project is spearheaded by a partnership between York University, North York-based NexJ Systems (which specializes in cloud software) and McMaster University. It will see the creation of a set of online tools which will allow patients, their health care providers and supporting parties (such as family members involved in medical care) the capacity to access and share information, and also to work collaboratively on ongoing health management issues. For example, a diabetic patient could automatically update her file with the latest information about her diet, exercise and insulin levels, while a nurse or physician could moniter that patient's status remotely by accessing that information in real time.

The Federal Economic Development Agency will be contributing $15.5 million to the project; private investment partners have contributed more than $23 million. In total, there are 16 public, private, not-for-profit and academic partners involved, also including George Brown and Seneca colleges, the University Health Network and Research in Motion.

One potential growth area opened up by projects like this is the relatively new field of health coaching, which governments are hoping will help lower healthcare costs through ongoing management of and support for patients between doctors' appointments.

The technologies being developed under the auspices of the Connected Health and Wellness Projected are expected to be commercialized and reach the market in about two years.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Office of Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Ask Heather Payne to describe how Ladies Learning Code came to be, and it'll all come out in a rush. How she  went to a workshop for women who wanted to learn Python (a coding language) in Los Angeles in May of 2011 and "had such a good time that I wanted to learn everything for ever." How she came back to Toronto and tweeted about the experience. How that sparked so much enthusiasm that she held a planning workshop in July to explore the feasibility of holding similar events here (85 people signed up). How, one month later, Ladies Learning Code held its very first workshop.

LLC's workshops range from basic HTML to higher-level coding, photo editing and design. While they are geared primarily towards women, men are welcome to attend as well. Six hour-long workshops are about $50, more for girls' classes, which have a lower instructor-student ratio. In the year since LLC held that first workshop it has grown in any number of ways and directions: in addition to the 1,700 people who've attended workshops in the first year, they held a coding camp for girls this summer, and have been adding more classes for girls during the year.

LLC also just opened their first office, in the Centre for Social Innovation, and now has expanded to add chapters in Vancouver and Ottawa (the latter of which will host its own first event later this fall).

LLC isn't planning on adding any new organizers or staff anytime soon—they've got a lot to manage already—but Payne says their work wouldn't be possible without the help of countless people and companies in the city. I ask her what she's learned about Toronto in the process of setting up LLC, and she's immediately effusive: "I have learned mostly about how amazing and generous supportive Toronto's startup and tech scenes are…. LLC is only possible because of that support."

In another year? Payne hopes LLC's space at CSI will "become a community hub for people who want to learn," and that the new chapters in Ottawa and Vancouver will be joined by others across the country.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Heather Payne, Founder, Ladies Learning Code

Electric vehicles (EVs) are as old as cars themselves—the first ones date back to the 1830s, and in the early 20th century they constituted a significant portion of the market. They eventually lost ground to their gasoline-powered counterparts, but as calls for sustainable transportation options grow louder, so are calls for modern, commercially viable electric cars.

Right now electric vehicles largely remain the purview of enthusiasts. The provincial government is hoping to change that; it wants five per cent of all new cars to be electric by 2020. If they're going to succeed, we're all going to need to get better acquainted with the technology.

That is one reason that the South Central Ontario chapter of the Canadian Automobile Association just opened its first electric-vehicle charging station outside its head office in Thornhill. Electric vehicle owners, CAA members or not, can use the station free of charge, and the rest of us can get a better glimpse of what the future of driving might look like.

Teresa Di Felice, director of government and community relations for South Central CAA, told us that currently there are about 400 electric vehicle owners in Ontario. CAA is hoping to help that number increase: they've made submissions to the government, seeking partnerships to facilitate future growth.

"There are a lot of people talking about [EVs], and a lot of interest, but like anything new, there are hurdles," she says, pointing out that the government's five per cent goal is "very aggressive."

The CAA charging station joins three others in the GTA; you can find them all via the map on ChargePoint.


Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Teresa Di Felice, Director of Government and Community Relations, South Central CAA

While Toronto faces many transportation shortages—we'd all like faster subways and more frequent buses—one thing we are well-supplied with is taxis. With about 10,000 licensed drivers and just under 5,000 cabs, the per-capita tax rate is quite high.

Getting a taxi when you need one isn't quite so straightforward, however. If you're downtown, you might be able hail one in less than a minute. If you're further afield or it's a busy night, you might wait much longer.

Hoping to change that experience is Hailo Network Canada Inc., which officially became licensed as a taxi company in Toronto at the end of August, with plans to launch the last week of September. The app-based service is built on the premise that "the only two people who matter are the passenger and the driver," says Hailo Canada president Justin Raymond.

The app allows drivers and passengers to communicate directly, bypassing the traditional model of calling into a central line and having dispatchers send vehicles out. Hailo (which currently works on iPhone and Android phones) matches a passenger who wants a cab with the nearest vehicle; drivers text when they arrive so you can wait indoors. The app allows both drivers and passengers to rate each other. Payment, also done through the app, is by credit card.

You won't see any branded Hailo cabs driving down the block soon, though. Rather than introducing new cabs to the city, the company works with existing ones. Essentially, it's a tool for drivers, who sign up directly—Hailo may bring a Beck or Diamond or Royal cab to your door, depending on who is closest.

Toronto is Hailo's first North American venture. They already operate in London and Dublin, and will open in New York, Chicago and Boston soon, with other cities in both Canada and the US expected to follow. They've hired nine staff for the Toronto office and are "always looking for smart, innovative, tech-focused people," says Raymond.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Justin Raymond, President, Hailo Canada

Passing through the grades of the Royal Conservatory of Music's education program is a rite of passage for many Canadians: approximately 100,000 take an exam each year. The program provides for a comprehensive syllabus and testing standards that are clear and consistent across the country. If you move from Moncton to Mississauga, you can pick up right where you left off.

Things aren't so organized south of the border: currently there's not a nationally recognized set of music education standards that provide uniformity in testing or a common curriculum. So when Carnegie Hall, which offers a wide range of music education programs, was looking to help bring some order to this state of affairs, it was natural for the organization to look to Toronto, where the RCM is based.

After some initial meetings and talks, last year RCM and Carnegie announced the creation of a new organization, called The Achievement Program. Its goal is to provide "a framework to help students and teachers set goals musically and then pursue those goals," explains RCM's academic vice-president Angela Elster, "so they can have a sense of benchmark of what they're achieve and accomplishing."

The Achievement Program provides independent music teachers with a curriculum, and will help students across the United States prepare to take RCM exams. Over time, the goal is to have RCM's grade system used widely, providing the kind of national standard that is currently missing.

Last week Minister of Labour Lisa Taitt was in Toronto to announce financial support for RCM and for its contributions to The Achievement Program. The $7.5 million in funding will go to RCM's ongoing development, and her announcement highlighted this new business venture.

Both RCM and Carnegie expect to see growth in staffing as enrollment in The Achievement Program ramps up. As Elster points out: "shared mission and values [aren't] enough—we need a sustainable business model for all three organizations."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Sources: Angela Elster, VP Academic, Royal Conservatory of Music; Sarah Johnston, Director, Weill Music Institute; David Batchelor, Chief Marketing Officer, Royal Conservatory of Music

Earlier this year we wrote about JOLT, a technology accelerator created by the folks at MaRS Discovery District. Back then, executive director Susan McGill explained that the goal was to facilitate the rapid and efficient development of startups by funding and mentoring them in groups, rather than one by one.

Last week McGill unveiled the first group of startups that have been selected to participate in JOLT. Each will receive $30,000 in seed funding, as well as work space, design and development support, and guidance from an advisor. The participanting start-ups are:
•  tout.it, a social media platform aimed at sports fans
•  SlingRide, a tool for connecting drivers and passengers who want to cut costs by ridesharing
•  eProf, which creates "interactive virtual classrooms"
•  Venngage, a user-friendly tool for creating infographics
•  ShelfLife, a socially-driven e-commerce platform for collectibles
•  Greengage, which wants to help employers help their employees become more environmentally friendly

"These startups beat out dozens of other applicants from all over Canada," wrote McGill in a note introducing the first JOLT group last week.

In a few months they'll try to build on that success, taking what they learn at MaRS in order to pitch venture capitalists on the services and products they've been refining.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Susan McGill, Executive Director, JOLT