The 2023 CoLab Program
the nation work collaboratively to create a minimal viable solution to some of Canadas most pressing problems.
Participants get access to industry and impact experts who mentor them through the ideation process. The goal of the program is to create truly meaningful change in our communities.
The 2023 CoLab Program has now ended. See below for program highlights, grant recipients and more!
2023 CoLab Program Highlights
The 2023 CoLab Program was a huge success! Watch the video above to learn more.

2023 CoLab Program Participants

2023 CoLab Program Grant Recipients
Project Name
CogniLink
Participant/s
Matthew Gaiser & Nicholas Lor
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$9,000.00
Project Name
The Chronic Illness Group
Participant/s
Karima Leslie
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$8,000.00
Project Name
jargon
Participant/s
Karen Huo
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$3,000.00
Project Name
Our Safehouse
Participant/s
Sierra Patey
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$10,000.00
Project Name
Rural Queer Survival Guide
Participant/s
Mabe Kyle
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$8,000.00
Project Name
Frog Pockets
Participant/s
Chey Kidd
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$10,000.00
Project Name
Trans Healthcare Database
Participant/s
Ilya Robinson
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted
$2,000.00
Project Name
Plan Gratitude
Participant/s
Eileen Danaee
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted (by OTIP)
$1,000.00
Project Name
Reset
Participant/s
Alexander Lam
Focus
Mental Health
Amount Granted (by OTIP)
$10,000.00
2023 CoLab Program Speakers
Participants attended two virtual inspiration sessions that emboldened and reframed their thinking around this year’s challenge spaces.

Kwame Osei (MC & Speaker)
July 20, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST
Kwame Osei is a dynamic professional host & keynote speaker for seminars, corporate & school events, youth & charitable events & non-profit organizations. Kwame Osei was awarded a Queen's Platinum Jubilee pin for his significant contribution as a teacher and mentor to inmates of maximum security in his community by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Kwame Osei's presentations focus on inspiring change, action and growth, pushing people to broaden their perspective and take control of their personal growth. After being exposed to the street culture of Rexdale, Toronto, Kwame used the power of sport and the sports mindset to overcome all obstacles to become a CFL player, teacher, football coach, entrepreneur and community leader. Kwame Osei is a dynamic keynote speaker who teaches fundamental tools he learned throughout his life to empower others through a diverse lens.

Larissa Crawford
July 20, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST
Larissa Crawford proudly passes on Métis and Jamaican ancestry to her daughter, Zyra, and is a published Indigenous, anti-racism, and climate justice researcher, policy advisor, and restorative circle keeper with over 14 years of experience. Larissa is also the Founder of Future Ancestors Services, an Indigenous and Black-owned, youth-led professional services social enterprise that advances climate justice and systemic barrier removal with lenses of anti-racism and ancestral accountability. Through an intergenerational, disabled, and queer team of professionals and advisors, they provide speaking, training, research and consulting services, and influencer and interview services to +300 diverse clients. They do this while centering decolonized and Indigenized practices, and are constantly reimagining how we can learn, relate, and work together in healthy ways.

Teddy Syrette
August 3, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST
Teddy Syrette (Ozhawa Anung Kwe/Yellow Star Woman) is a 2-Spirit and First Nation Anishnabe and Mental Health Expert from Rankin Reserve of Batchewana. Teddy Syrette has received numerous awards for work in advocacy including the Mark S. Bonham Award for Sexuality, Planned Parenthood Toronto LGBTQ+ Person of the Year, Sault Ste. Marie YMCA Peace Medal and the Best Indigenous Person of the Year award.

Guy Felicella
August 3, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST

Dr. James Makokis and Anthony Johnson
August 17, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST

Dr. Susan Biali Haas
August 17, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST
2023 CoLab Program Mentors
Participants worked with mentors and peers to co-create solutions to specific challenge spaces. Colab mentors bring experience, guidance, and additional perspective to foster meaningful ideation.

Emma Aiken-Klar
Emma is a PhD anthropologist with over 15 years of industry experience applying human-centered methodologies to complex innovation and organizational challenges. Using a range of social science, design and strategic foresight methods, Emma uncovers insights about human beliefs and behavior and then works with organizational leaders to apply these learnings to make meaningful transformative change. In addition to her work for clients, Emma is an Executive-in-Residence at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where she teaches the MBA Design Research and Data Storytelling course, and is faculty in the Leading Change and ESG Executive Programs.

Patrick Glinski
Patrick has built his career bringing unexpected people together. Drawing on skills from business, design, product development, and innovation management, Patrick is an expert at finding opportunities that exist between social and business impact, and building organizations to deliver on them. Patrick has spent over 20 years as a global innovation, design, and digital leader. Today, Patrick serves as President of Normative, where he runs the People & Operations function and oversees cross-functional teams focused on using human-centered design to solve business problems. He advises multiple SAAS and health startups.

Cheesan Chew
Cheesan Chew is a seasoned business leader with over two decades building businesses, leading innovation, and advising senior leaders - from start-ups to Fortune 500 organizations. Cheesan is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at Manifest Climate, a B2B technology leader helping organizations become more climate resilient. She is also an active advisor in the Canadian tech ecosystem, helping start-ups and scale-ups drive their next stages of growth. Prior to joining Manifest, Cheesan was Chief Operating Officer of RBC Ventures, a subsidiary of RBC. Her role included developing best in class foundational capabilities including risk management, business management, strategic planning, marketing, analytics and people experience.

Cher Peng
Cher (she/they) is the Logistics Director at Music for Mental Health, a Canadian non-profit that uses music to raise awareness of mental health issues. They co-founded Purple Lotus, providing culturally sensitive mental wellness support for Asian Canadian youth, as part of the first CoLab cohort. CoLab provided mentorship and funding, kickstarting their project and inspiring them to continue their journey at @UBC. Now, as a mentor, Cher is eager to share her knowledge in psychology and design thinking.

Keosha Love
Keosha is an award-winning artist, activist and educator who builds spaces for wellness and collection liberation. As a poet and writer, Keosha is notable for centering self-actualization, womanism and generational healing in her work. In 2016, Keosha founded Our Women's Voices, a Toronto-based non-for-profit focused on amplifying the voices of women and making social change through arts, education and community organizing. With her BA in Psychology and roots in creative arts, Keosha has graced many stages and rooms as a teacher and public speaker, exploring themes of mental health, race and gender advocacy. Keosha's poem "A Prayer for Black Women" has been shared nationally and featured in CBC’s Poetic License. In 2021, Keosha debuted her first mental health series titled Black & Vulnerable also on CBC. Most recently, Keosha was the recipient of the Community Hero Award presented by TFC for her contributions towards her community.

Faduma Mohamed

Jonathan Friedman

Jonny Morris

Jessie Brar

Krysta Hajovic

Katie Fenn
Katie Fenn is BC Recreation and Parks Association’s CEO. She works with its board, staff, provincial partners, and membership to build healthy and resilient communities across the 126 communities, 4500 members and 3000 fitness leaders that make up the provincial organization. She has a background in quality improvement methods, having implemented and taught quality improvement across the health system. Some of her more notable improvements include scaling up the contact tracing response in the province during COVID-19, “Making Space” for Cultural Safety in Clinical Settings and addressing recovery after times of crisis. She holds an MBA from UBC, a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, and Bachelor of Arts (Film) both from Queen’s. She lives in North Vancouver with her young family and spends as much time as possible outside on the local trails, water, or running from one activity to the next.