Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council

Our Purpose

The Kitchener-Waterloo chapter of the Innovate Council Canada aims to publicly recognize and acknowledge the individuals, organizations, or government departments who have employed innovation for the betterment of our community in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, and across Canada.

Quarterly Meetings

Charter members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council will meet quarterly and host a Roundtable discussion on topical issues facing leaders in the public sector, community organizations, and business.

Charter Members

25 key individuals from within the City of Kitchener-Waterloo and neighboring communities of Cambridge and Guelph, Waterloo Region, First Nations, community organizations and business will be invited to form the charter membership for the Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council.

Role of the Charter Members

Member Composition

The Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council shall be comprised of 25 Charter Members, with representation from within the Municipality of Kitchener-Waterloo, surrounding communities, local companies, and community organizations. The specific structure of the membership will include:

- 13 Public Sector

- 2 Community Organizations

- 10 Private Sector

Quarterly Council Meetings

The Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council shall meet quarterly over lunch in 2026 and 2027 for Roundtable Discussions, networking, and formal recognition of community innovators!

Two year commitment

We ask that Charter members commit for two years to ensure consistency in leadership, sustained collaboration, and stable participation that builds trust, captures multi-year learning, and supports long-term initiatives that advance Hamilton’s public-sector innovation agenda and deliver measurable impact for the Kitchener-Waterloo Innovation Council Canada.

Innovate Challenge Chip

Each Charter Member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council will receive an Innovate Challenge Chip that will be used to formally recognize a person, company, community organization, or a government department that has employed innovation for the betterment of the community.

Following the standards established by the Charter Members in Kitchener-Waterloo, each member will seek out worthy recipients of the Innovate Challenge Chip for recognition. Over the next two years, collectively our Charter Members will have recognized and rewarded as many as 25 individuals or organizations in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, and Canada.

Innovate Council Canada

Charter member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Innovate Council will also become at-large members of the Innovate Council Canada, with access to national activities.