The Challenge jury is composed of prominent women from across Canada. It will be their responsibility to select our six cohort participants during our finalists pitch event on September 18 at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. They will also reconvene in fall 2021 to select our $1-million prize winner. From time to time, they will also participate in cohort events that are held during the program.
-
Margaret Atwood (honorary juror)
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than 50 books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her novels include The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize, and Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and Premio Mondello in Italy.
-
Janie C. Béïque
Janie C. Béïque was appointed Chief of Investments and Strategic Investment Initiatives of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ in 2017. In this position, she defines the organization’s strategic direction with respect to investments.
-
Elicia Maine
Elicia Maine is Academic Director of Graduate Certificate in Science and Technology Commercialization at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, where she is also a professor of technology and operations management.
-
Humera Malik
Humera Malik is founder and CEO of AI software venture Canvass Analytics, where she drives the vision and strategy for changing the way industrial companies think about and use their data.
-
Jennifer Ramsey
Jennifer Ramsey is part of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and currently serves as the Energy I-Corps Program Director.
