Waterloo Region & Guelph Innovate Council

The Waterloo Region & Guelph Innovate Council presented the Innovate Challenge Award to helping shape the future of transit in Waterloo Region through thoughtful, community-driven innovation. The organization has shown leadership in making service easier to use, more responsive to riders, and better aligned with community needs, including fast and frequent service, overnight connections, and strategic expansion. GRT also plays a vital role in moving people through conventional buses, ION light rail, and specialized door-to-door service, supporting accessibility and inclusion across the region. 

Its commitment to meeting record demand while continuing to improve service shows a practical and forward-looking approach to public transit. Recognizing Grand River Transit would celebrate an organization that turns ideas into action and delivers meaningful change for the people it serves.

The Waterloo Region & Guelph Innovate Council presented the Innovate Challenge Award to Jagvir Sadiora, the Project Manager, Transit Technology, who accepted the award on behalf of employees of the GRT. 

  Boundless Accelerator exemplifies the spirit of the Innovate Challenge Award by translating provincial, federal, and regional investment into tangible, community-level innovation outcomes across Ontario. In 2026, Boundless celebrates 15 years of supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, having worked with more than 1,500 businesses and delivered nearly 80,000 hours of advisory support – an established track record that underscores its experience in driving commercialization and growth.

Through the Government of Canada–funded Southern Ontario Environmental Impact Fund (SOEIF), Boundless delivers two complementary program streams – the i.d.e.a. Fund and the Sustainable Impact Program – designed to support ventures as they develop, validate, and scale solutions that reduce environmental impact while strengthening regional economies. Delivered in collaboration with a network of Regional Innovation Centres – Innovate Niagara, Innovation Factory, Launch Lab, TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario, and WEtech Alliance – the i.d.e.a. Fund provides coordinated mentorship, business advisory services, and market access support to participating ventures. Recent cohorts have supported companies such as ArcticEdge Technologies (clean-tech hardware), Eden Aeroponics and Sheps Farm (agri-food innovation), and Clean Market Bag and SALT Leisure Wear (circular products), enabling them to bring “made-in-Canada” solutions to market with clear environmental and economic benefits.

This partnership-driven, cross-regional approach ensures that founders, regardless of location, can access the expertise, capital pathways, and connections needed to scale effectively. By combining targeted capital with hands-on advisory and strong regional collaboration, Boundless aligns directly with the Innovate Challenge’s focus on practical, socially oriented innovation with visible community benefit.

The Innovate Council Canada presented the Innovate Challenge Award to Alison Crumblehulme the CEO of Boundless Accelerator,  to acknowledge the impact that the organization has had to spark innovation in Canada.