Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo. In this issue, read about Certn’s new partnership, COAST’s latest podcast, and Kate Moran’s new role.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 695 words, a three-minute read.

It just might save your life

One of the best parts of coastal living is undoubtedly water recreation—sailing, surfing, kayaking, you name it. But all that fun isn’t without its risks. After falling into the water mid-sailing lesson, young Victoria innovator Liam Pope-Lau recounts being shocked by how cold the water was, even through his life jacket. Shortly after, LifeHeat was born.

Along with friend and classmate Fraser Tuck, Pope-Lau began work on an elf-heating life jacket — the pair were in Grade 6 at the time. Now an MVP, LifeHeat is a self-heating survival pack that activates when submerged in water. The solution is made of recycled materials, is refillable, and can retrofit any life jacket.

As a national winner of the Ingenious+ youth innovation challenge, Pope-Lau was recognized alongside 15 other young innovators by the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) during Canadian Innovation Week earlier this month.

"We are thrilled to be honouring this group of youth during Canadian Innovation Week," said Teresa Marques, president and CEO of the RHF. "Ingenious+ is all about empowering Canada's next generation of changemakers to improve the world around us through creative thinking and by taking action. The caliber of this year's submissions and winning projects makes clear that the future of Canadian innovation, coast to coast to coast, is bright."

Together, all national winners, national finalists, and regional winners will receive $140,000 in addition to ongoing learning, networking and mentorship opportunities.

SPONSORED BY TALL TREE INTEGRATED HEALTH

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📰 More Victoria innovation news

🤝 We’re all in this together: Kate Moran, president and CEO of Ocean Networks Canada, was elected as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

🕵️‍♂️ Come a little closer: Certn partnered with Kobalt.io, a Vancouver-based cybersecurity company. The partnership will allow Kobalt to provide clients with background check services.

⛵️ Sailing in the summer wind: The latest podcast from the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) focused on technology and innovation in shipbuilding with an interview with Jennifer Busler, innovation manager at Seaspan.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Oceans Ecosystem Navigator at COAST

• Assistant Director, IT Engineering at BC Pension Corporation

• Full Stack Developer at ACD Systems

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

June 4-25 | Data Management & Analytics Roadshow 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of data and analytics, this conference stands as a beacon for industry leaders, professionals, and innovators seeking to navigate the complexities of today’s information age. Discussions will unravel the paramount importance of data governance, efficient data management, and the strategic application of AI.

From understanding strategic frameworks for robust data governance to exploring the ethical implementation of AI, attendees can anticipate gaining actionable perspectives and knowledge essential for navigating the intricacies of the information age.

Ongoing | Entry for the Health Terminology and Interoperability Standards Certificate Program

In the Health Terminology and Interoperability Standards Certificate Program (HTIS) offered by the University of Victoria's School of Health Information Science, you will learn about the exciting field of standards and interoperability, critical topics for making healthcare more modern and efficient. Learn how data is represented, exchanged, standardized, and applied to improve our healthcare systems and about the details, challenges, implementations, and acceptance of modern data-driven health information exchange.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

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Email your requests to [email protected].