FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 6, 2016
Sir Terence Matthews to Co-Chair New Advisory Panel on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
with Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen
Oct. 6, 2016 (Ottawa) — Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen is pleased to announce a new President’s Advisory Panel on Innovation and Entrepreneurship to help guide the College in the coming years.
Canadian business magnate and high-tech entrepreneur Sir Terence Matthews will be co-chairing the panel with President Jensen, who was recently named to the board of directors of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship — making her the only Canadian representative on the board of the American organization.
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Terry and our other panel members to Algonquin College — each one of them brings a different perspective and different skills to the table,” said Jensen. “Our students already have an entrepreneurial spirit, but this panel is going to give them the edge when it comes to turning their dreams into reality.”
The panel had its first meeting on Oct. 5 and enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion on topics such as 5G networks and building smarter cities.
Other members of the panel who participated in Tuesday’s meeting included:
- Eli Fathi, Chief Executive Officer, Mind Bridge Analytics
- Ian Faris, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
- Michael Oster, President, Ottawa Community Loan Fund
- Paul LaBarge, Founding Partner, LaBarge Weinstein
- Peter Charbonneau, Lead Director Mitel
- Brian O’Higgins, Executive Fellow, Mistral Venture Partners
- Robert Hanlon, Chief Operating Officer, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The panel will advise on innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives at the College, overall strategic direction, fundraising strategies, potential partnerships and will also provide input on entrepreneurship programming and supports.
Under President Jensen, Algonquin College has increased its focus on entrepreneurship. In February it opened Ignite AC, an entrepreneurship centre for students that offers mentorship, guidance and resources.
More recently the College submitted a multimillion-dollar proposal to the federal government to help fund its state-of-the-art Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Learning Centre and Institute for Indigenous Entrepreneurship. An announcement regarding this proposal is expected very soon.
For more information:
Ruth Dunley, Communications Officer
Public Relations and Communications, Algonquin College
Office: 613-727-4723 ext. 6452
Mobile: 613-406-0970
dunleyr@algonquincollege.com
About Algonquin College:
www.algonquincollege.com:
The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.