We are thrilled to announce that the Press Start CoLab Program is back for its third year! Applications are officially open from May 6 to June 3, 2024.
Our social give back program, Press Start, supports new and established youth changemakers across Canada and is one way that we honour our commitment to uplift the social innovators of tomorrow. Our key initiative, the CoLab Program, is a 10-week innovation accelerator where we support 50 social entrepreneurs, ages 18-29, from across the nation to work collaboratively and create a minimally viable solution to the Mental Health Crisis in Canada.
Entering our third year of running the CoLab Program, we have supported 100 participants, including 20 grant recipients working hard to launch their innovative solutions into the market, with grant funding support. Check out our CoLab Program blog posts on our 2023 grant recipients and their project updates to learn more about their progress so far!
As we move forward to another year of collaboration and innovation, let’s look at our exciting program updates, including increased grant funding and our lineup of mentors and keynote speakers!
Our Focus on the Mental Health Crisis in Canada
The mental health crisis in Canada continues to be one of the most pressing issues across the nation. Many of the mental healthcare systems currently in place in Canada lack the competence to address the harms, traumas and complexities related to mental health that communities in Canada face. With mental health at the forefront of Canadian challenges, we have decided to make it the Press Start CoLab Program’s focus again. Participants of the program will be asked to ideate around at least one of the following sub-focus areas under this theme:
- Accessibility and navigation of mental health services.
- Stigma and misinformation around mental health.
- Diversity and cultural sensitivity in mental health resources.
- Inclusive and evidence-based research in mental health.
Visit the CoLab Program website to learn more about each sub-focus area.
Our Inspiring Keynote Speakers
This year’s lineup of keynote speakers, who will provide inspiring mental health-based talks to participants throughout the program, is nothing short of amazing:
- Autumn Peltier, a leading voice for Indigenous rights and environmental activist who has dedicated her young life to bringing clean water to Indigenous peoples in Canada
- Dr. Susan Biali Haas, an award-winning medical doctor, health and wellness expert, coach, speaker, and author
- Anthony Lue, a disability advocate with a powerful story of determination, persistence, and transformation
- JR Larose, a former Canadian football player and Indigenous advocate, focused on helping others meet the challenges of change and systematic oppression head-on
- Michel Chikwanine, a former African child soldier, inspires listeners to believe in their ability to make a difference
- Joelle Tomlinson, a journalist, storyteller, and advocate for representation, diversity, and equity
Visit the CoLab Program website to learn more about each speaker’s incredible story.
Invaluable Mentorship
Our incredible mentors offer experience and perspective as they lead collaborative sessions with groups of participants and answer their questions about the tools and resources available through each ideation stage. This year, we have an amazing panel of mentors carefully selected to provide leadership and inspiration based on their experience in mental health and innovative solutions. This includes:
- Keosha Love, an award-winning artist, activist and educator who builds spaces for creative and collective liberation, with her work rooted in systemic change, Black joy, and radical self-care
- Faduma Mohamed, a Somali-Canadian poet, playwright, arts educator, and autism advocate, combines her passion for the arts and education and believes in the power of dreams
- Cheesan Chew, a seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience in strategic innovation, business, program and product leadership, transformational strategy, systems design, organizational management, customer and employee experience and culture.
- Lydia Sequeira, the Director of Service Programs and Innovation Implementation at Kids Help Phone, is passionate about sharing her digital health expertise to advance mental health access and support for young people across Canada
- Chey Kidd, a 2023 CoLab Program grant recipient for the sensory-focused clothing startup “Frog Pockets” and a proudly queer and autistic local leader, focused on creativity and resourcefulness
- Patrick Glinski, the President of Normative, focusing on using human-centred design to solve business problems, as well as an advisor to multiple SAAS and health startups
- Jonathan Friedman, the Marketing Manager at EHN Canada, with a background as a Child and Youth Counselor, Entrepreneur, Web Designer, Musician and Coffee Aging Expert
- Jonny Morris, a trained counsellor and the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division with more than 20 years of experience in community-based mental health services, policy, and advocacy, with a research focus on suicide prevention
- Jessie Brar, an equity, inclusion and anti-oppression educator for many organizations across Canada and the UK, uses the lens of decolonization to dismantle systemic barriers and foster environments of true belonging and empowerment
- Matthew Gaiser, a software developer and 2023 CoLab Program grant recipient for his project CogniLink, believes in the power of open innovation and strategy
Visit the CoLab Program website to learn more about each industry-leading mentor.
New & Exciting Program Enhancements
As we continue to grow, we seek to improve the Press Start CoLab Program. Based on regular feedback from our participants and mentors, we have made exciting enhancements to the features of this year’s program. Participants and mentors can look forward to even more ways to engage and collaborate within the program through our communications program, the CoLab Hub, interest-based networking sessions with peers, and more opportunities to learn from mentors!
In addition to our program enhancements, participants will receive an honorarium of $500 for completing the program and access to grants and awards pool of over $70,000.
We are also proudly expanding the CoLab Program to Ontario high schools in the Fall of 2024, thanks to the support of our partners at OTIP. To learn more about our new pilot program, check out the CoLab High School Program website.
Thank You to Our Partners
We are thrilled to share that this year’s pool of grant funding has increased from $50,000 to $70,000, thanks to the support of our grant sponsors! Thank you to Gen Re and RMA for their support and our premier sponsor, North Cover, for offering the $10,000 North Cover Grant.
Thank you also to all our additional partners, Kids Help Phone, jack.org, Loran Scholars, The Sandbox Project, Common Good Solutions, and Step Above Stigma, for further supporting the Press Start CoLab Program.
Apply Today
Ready to Press Start on a brighter tomorrow? Apply today for the unique opportunity to access tools, resources, and a grant and awards pool of $70,000+. Applications close June 3, 2024.
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