About Us
We are dedicated to making Canada the best country in the world to be an innovator or an entrepreneur.
Our Story
T
he Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (BII+E) was made possible by the vision of two prominent Canadian leaders: Sheldon Levy and Jack Cockwell.
As a former President of Ryerson University, Sheldon had overseen an explosion of innovation and entrepreneurial talent within the university. He saw the need to continue translating these successes to a larger, national stage. The Insititute is inspired by best-in-class examples like Nesta in the United Kingdom and the Kauffman Foundation in the United States.
As a long-time collaborator of Sheldon and a strong supporter of Ryerson, Jack Cockwell, along with the Brookfield Partners Foundation, helped turn this vision into reality by providing a generous $16 million donation to seed the institute.
The new Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship was announced in early 2015. Since then, executive director Sean Mullin and the leadership team have been building a multi-disciplinary roster of economists, researchers, policy professionals, communicators, program managers and administrative staff to activate BII+E’s mission and build upon Sheldon and Jack’s vision for the institute. In June 2016, BII+E released a first-of-its-kind report measuring the impact that automation is likely to have on Canadian jobs, which garnered national media attention and influenced government policy. In July, the inaugural State of Canada’s Tech Sector report measured the size and economic impact of technology companies and technology related jobs. Since then, a steady stream of ground-breaking BII+E research has informed the innovation policy debate in Canada.
Acting on Sheldon and Jack’s shared commitment to helping young people succeed, BII+E has also partnered with government and community groups to explore ways of promoting and disseminating digital literacy across Ontario, with a focus on underserved communities to support broad-based inclusion in the innovation economy. While the institute focuses on all aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship, it endeavours to provide special attention to youth-focused opportunities, educational partnerships, programs and initiatives.
BII+E is continuing to partner and collaborate with various levels of government, community organizations, private-sector enterprises, Indigenous groups and a wide network of researchers and experts who share an interest in the institute’s work.
Our Approach
Our multi-disciplinary teams focus on forward-looking work streams which we believe are critical to Canada’s future economic success. We convene and collaborate with our partners to advance innovation policy by:
- generating rigorous and far-sighted research and analysis by leveraging our network of experts and incorporating the experiences of innovators and entrepreneurs.
- stimulating the exchange of ideas through robust communications and by sharing information openly.
- piloting and prototyping projects and policy solutions in controlled environments to reduce risk, demonstrate feasibility and inform our policy advice.
Our Team
Leadership
Staff
Collaborators
At BII+E, we believe strongly in an open and collaborative approach to problem-solving. We are deliberately building opportunities to engage external experts early in our research process. If you are interested in exploring a collaboration with BII+E, please contact Sarah Doyle, Director of Policy and Research, at sarah.doyle@ryerson.ca.
Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board is comprised of thought leaders, prominent academics, distinguished business leaders, philanthropists and senior public leaders—all with a connection to the topics of innovation and entrepreneurship. Members of the Advisory Board provide guidance on the Institute’s overall direction and strategy.
Fellows
The Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship’s Senior Fellows and Fellows are prominent individuals selected from the business, academic, and public sector worlds for their leadership in and commitment to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. Senior Fellows and Fellows participate in the activities of the Institute, including seminars and events, projects, research streams and other relevant Institute activities.
Careers
Announcements
Contact Us
On Location
Suite 921
20 Dundas St W.
Toronto, ON R0H 0H0
Entrance: Atrium on Bay, just west of Yonge Street on Dundas West. Just west of Dundas subway station.
Media Inquiries
Contact Coralie D’Souza, or call 647-390-3178 to arrange an interview with one of our leaders, Fellows or staff, or for additional information on our events, publications or other related material.
Relationship to Ryerson University
The Brookfield Institute is housed within Ryerson University, one of Canada’s most prominent universities and a national leader in integrating innovation and entrepreneurship into its core educational mandate.
The Institute’s focus is external-facing and national in scope. To achieve our mission, we intend to work with all parties—academics, students, entrepreneurs, business executives and public sector leaders—across all organizations, without limitations or restrictions.
The Institute is governed by an independent Advisory Board, which provides strategic direction and oversees the Institute’s leadership team.
The Brookfield Institute and Ryerson University are strong partners, but with separate voices. We are immensely proud of this relationship and believe it will mutually benefit both partners— and Canada—for many years to come.