Our students excel and shine at the COIE-Centennial Innovates Global Goals Jam Canada Winter 2025

A purposeful, fun and actionable facilitated experiential learning program for changemaking and leadership skills aligning with our Academic Plan and generously supported by Diane Blake

The Global Goals Jam Canada Winter 2025 weekend program held between March 7th – 9th provided purposeful fun and actionable facilitated experiential learning, focusing on changemaking and leadership skills. 

This year, we received nearly 180 applications from around the world, including Canada, the USA, Romania, and Ghana. The majority of participants came from universities and colleges across Ontario, such as the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, George Brown College, and Humber Polytechnic.The final cohort of 38 participants included 16 current students from Centennial College, representing various schools: 5 from SETAS, 4 from TBS, 4 from SCHS and 3 from SHTCA. Additionally, 4 Centennial alumni and 1 recent Centennial graduate (<1 year) were part of groups. Other Canadian institutions were also represented, including 2 participants from York University, 2 from Humber Polytechnic, 1 from the University of Toronto and 1 from the HEC Montréal, among others.

We had 16 vibrant Global Goals Jam Finalist teams who all started from scratch on Friday with an idea to build a better world, and by Sunday, were able to conceptualize, develop, and present well-conceived solutions to a distinguished panel of Judges. Centennial students demonstrated remarkable leadership and active participation in all three winning teams.

Introduction 

The Global Goals Jam Canada Winter 2025, meticulously organized by the SDG Innovation Lab, Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (COIE), ARIES and in collaboration with Canadian partners, UNDP, and Digital Society School Amsterdam, showcased a sophisticated and multi-stage program that exemplified best-in-class methodologies.

This unique program made a substantial contribution to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while simultaneously nurturing future-oriented skills among its participants. It achieved this by immersing them in a collaborative, problem-solving environment, facilitated by experts and guided by Mentors at every stage.

Participant journey

Throughout this intensive event, ten teams embarked on a transformative journey, commencing from scratch on a Friday, and remarkably, within just 2 1⁄2 days by Sunday, were able to conceptualize, develop, and present well-conceived solutions to a distinguished panel of Judges. This remarkable progress was facilitated by the application of cutting-edge methodologies that included flipped classroom techniques, experiential learning, team-based collaboration, and iterative experimentation using industry-leading approaches such as Design Thinking, Lean, and Agile—all deeply rooted in sustainability principles. 

These methodologies were diligently supported by a rich repository of in-house experts, external thought leaders, mentors, and industry trailblazers, all synergistically harnessing curated open resources to drive innovative and creative solutions to significant, real-world problems.

Methodology

Alongside Design Thinking (inspired by Stanford/Ideo), the Lean LaunchPad methodology – pioneered by institutions like Stanford University, Columbia Business School, and UC Berkeley – played a pivotal role in helping participants craft repeatable and scalable business models for their innovative solutions. It’s noteworthy that the Lean LaunchPad methodology is taught in over 200 universities worldwide and forms the foundation of the U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program, setting the standard for commercializing scientific breakthroughs in the United States. Two additional iterations of the Lean LaunchPad®, “Hacking for Defense” and “Hacking for Diplomacy,” are tailored to address national defence and foreign policy challenges.

This comprehensive and thoughtfully designed event represented a convergence of talent, innovation, and cutting-edge methodologies. It fostered experiential and agile learning within a team environment where participants were not just learners but active contributors to peer learning. In summary, the Global Goals Jam Canada Winter event represented a sophisticated and transformative experience that exemplified the best practices in contemporary education and problem-solving.

Challenges

This unique programming, built around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) presented specific and contemporary challenges for participants to tackle, aligning with the SDGs:

Canada faces increasing food insecurity and housing challenges, exacerbated by inflation, economic instability, supply shortages, and social inequalities.

Challenge 1: Solutions for Food Insecurity in Ontario

Challenge 2: Solutions for Housing Crisis in Ontario

Check out the detailed report of our Global Goals Jam Challenges too!

Our Speakers

The Global Goals Jam Canada plenary was inaugurated by Jonathan Hack and Lalit Guglani, featuring a special message from Marco van Hout, co-founder of the Global Goals Jams, and inspiration from 4 illustrious keynote speakers:

• Sandra Odendahl, Senior VP and Head, Sustainability and Diversity, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
• David Nicholas Oswald, Founder & President, DE Design + Environment Inc. and Associate Faculty, Royal Roads University
• Bruce Taylor, Founder & President, Enviro-Stewards Inc.
• David Ip Yam, Associate Vice-President, Centennial College

This distinguished lineup set the tone for a weekend that would ultimately redefine the participants’ approach to tackling global challenges.

The speakers engaged the 71 plenary attendees in a holistic view of sustainability, providing engineering, sustainable finance, ESG legislation, creative media, and agricultural, economic, and governance perspectives to eager participants.

Our Judges

Our distinguished Panel of Judges included a number of eminent innovation, educational and business leaders including senior leaders from our College and experts from other universities, colleges, associations and companies with backgrounds in research, innovation, healthcare, finance, and policy, bringing diverse perspectives to evaluate projects on impact and feasibility.

Our Mentors

32 executive Mentors from post-secondary institutes, government, corporations and community groups (including Toronto Metropolitan University, George Brown College, Business Development Bank of Canada and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers) came and provided guidance and mentorship to the teams on themes, business ideas, pitches, developing virtual prototypes, and integrating advice and feedback throughout the design journey. 

At the end of the Global Goals Jam, three teams were awarded prizes totaling $4,500 based on evaluation by the panel of esteemed Judges.

Our Winning Teams:

SSV Housing – Overall Winner

Click this link to view their final pitch deck!

Teammates:

• Team Lead: Vivan Chinokwa (The Business School)
• Shalojan Solomon (School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts)

Project overview:

SSV Housing aims to create a transparent and accessible rental information system to prevent scams, unfair pricing, and discrimination for students, young professionals, low-income families, and newcomers. The platform offers verified rental listings, real-time pricing insights, bias-free applications, tenant rights education, and AI-powered housing matchmaking.

The business model is based on free access for renters with optional premium services, while landlords pay a listing fee. The implementation strategy includes beta testing, partnerships with universities and NGOs, expansion to new cities, and AI-driven fraud detection.

The project envisions reducing rental scams, increasing successful applications, onboarding 100+ housing partners, and advocating for fair housing policies. Through smart housing analytics and strategic growth, SSV Housing aims to create a fair, secure, and data-driven rental ecosystem.

FeedFair – 2nd Place

Click this link to view their final pitch deck!

Teammates:

• Team Lead: Andrea Maurice (School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts)
• Arsh Malhotra (Centennial Recent Graduate)

Project overview:

FeedFair’s Pickle Bank is a community-driven initiative addressing food insecurity and waste in Toronto. It repurposes surplus food into nutritious meals and offers a pay-it-forward system, allowing underprivileged individuals to access food with dignity.

The project integrates food repurposing, community gardens, and educational programs, as well as sustainable agricultural and cooking skills training.  A subscription service discreetly provides food boxes to those in need, ensuring equitable distribution.

Revenue is generated through storefront sales, subscriptions, sponsorships, fundraising events, and grants. Volunteers play a crucial role in meal preparation and community engagement.

By reducing food waste, fostering self-sufficiency, and promoting sustainability, The Pickle Bank aims to create a stigma-free, inclusive food access model while strengthening community collaboration and environmental stewardship.

Recivilizing Living – 3rd Place

Click this link to view their final pitch deck!

Teammates:

• Team Lead: Sabrina Johnson-Felgas (Humber Polytechnic)

• Bhargav Brahmbhatt (The Business School)

• Danielle Marie Suarez (School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts)

Project overview:

Re-Civilizing Living provides emergency and affordable housing for women facing domestic violence in the GTA, where cases have risen 75% since 2019. Using green, energy-efficient housing, it reduces energy consumption by 50%.

A hybrid non-profit/for-profit model secures funding through grants, partnerships, and real estate collaborations. The goal: 500 eco-housing units and rent-to-own programs.

By working with police, shelters, and social workers, the initiative removes barriers, offering hope, home, and healing to vulnerable women.

What our Participants are Saying

The student experience in the Global Goals Jam Canada Fall 2025 can be summarized as follows:

Students found the experience to be eye-opening and enriching, especially those interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. They viewed it as a valuable opportunity for personal growth and societal betterment. The Jam encouraged students to think creatively and deeply about global challenges and provided a platform for teamwork and purpose-driven collaboration.

Participants appreciated the guidance from expert mentors, facilitated environment, the structured approach to ideation and problem-solving, and the use of templated tools like Miro for virtual and visual collaboration of a well-managed program.

For many students, it was their first exposure to such a high-energy and intense brainstorming and innovation. They found the experience educational and exciting. The program not only taught important  skills but also fostered a sense of unity among diverse individuals, emphasizing the power of collaboration and diversity. Many students commended positively on the mentorship, interactive breakout sessions, and the opportunity to meet like-minded and creative peers. Students highlighted the importance of learning by doing and gaining practical insights into entrepreneurship and innovation.

Overall, the student experience was described as fulfilling, intense, and educational. It left a lasting impact on participants and fueled their enthusiasm for future events and opportunities.

What our participants shared:

1. Event Impact & Inspiration

• “The Global Goals Jam is an incredible opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and contribute to real-world solutions for a sustainable future. Each edition brings new insights, connections, and inspiration to drive meaningful change.”
• “At the Global Goals Jam Winter 2025, we didn’t just create models—we designed hope. By tackling food insecurity, we built bridges to a future where no one goes to bed hungry.”
• “This is such a transformational journey. A boiler room of passion-driven ideas for a cause that is then transformed into conceptual real-world application.”

2. Learning & Skill Development

• “My knowledge of food security has expanded further from the three days. I knew so little about hydroponics and carbon tax rebates at the beginning, but now I’m equipped with actionable insights.”
• “Global Goals Jam is the Jam to be at! Best learning experience of the year so far!!!!”
• “Sometimes the most life-changing lessons come from the most unexpected teachers.”

3. Mentorship & Collaboration

• “The mentors, like Debbie and Duncan, made a world of difference. Their guidance reshaped how I approached the problem and presentation.”
• “The organization was on point—captivating presentations by experts, raw entrepreneurial journeys, and mentors who were approachable, accessible, and invaluable.”
• “One of the best events for interprofessional collaboration and networking in Canada. The hard work and effort were always appreciated.”

4. Personal Growth

• “The Jam has opened up my mind to greater possibilities. The interaction with mentors and peers transformed my perspective.”
• “This is my third time attending the Global Goals Jam. Every year, it reignites my commitment to creating sustainable solutions.”
• “Everything is beneficial. Such an amazing experience that will last a lifetime!”

5. Event Structure & Community

• “I loved how the weekend focused on real-world challenges. The process of ideating, collaborating, and presenting felt purposeful and impactful.”
• “The presentations on the final day were inspiring. Seeing diverse teams tackle complex issues like food insecurity showed the power of collective action.”