Canadian visionaries celebrate science and curiosity at sold-out RBC Innovators' Ball
Event nets record $600,000 to support the Ontario Science Centre and its vital community access programs, including 108 classes "adopted"
TORONTO, Nov. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - At last night's RBC Innovators' Ball, more than 500 business and community leaders came together for a night of celebration and TED-style talks on the future of science and health innovation. Starring three Canadian innovators, the Ontario Science Centre's sold-out RBC Innovators' Ball featured the announcement of a renewed three-year commitment from title sponsor RBC to continue to raise funds for the Centre and its crucial community access programs.
The 10th RBC Innovators' Ball continues our pledge to foster dialogue with innovators and business leaders about the future," said Maurice Bitran, Ph.D., CEO and Chief Science Officer, Ontario Science Centre. "The evening featured inspiring stories of novel applications of science and technology sparked by curiosity and early exposure to the science world. The renewed support of our title sponsor, RBC, will help us to continue to provide opportunities for the curious children of today to become the innovators and leaders of tomorrow."
Fifty tables of corporate leaders at the RBC Innovators' Ball provided critical funding for the Ontario Science Centre's community access programs, including Adopt-a-Class, an initiative that ensures students from underserved neighbourhoods are able to experience moments of discovery and delight at a visit to the Centre. By providing early access to science-based learning, the Ontario Science Centre works to inspire a lifelong journey of curiosity, discovery and action for a better future.
"To continue to be a nation of innovators, we need to instill Canadian youth with a love of science and technology. The Ontario Science Centre's community access programs annually ensure more than 97,000 of our future leaders have the chance to explore their curiosity and develop a lifelong passion for exploration and learning," said event co-chairs Brett Marchand, Executive Chairman, Cossette and President of Vision 7 International and Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.
"RBC is honoured to announce the renewal of its three-year commitment as title sponsor of the RBC Innovators' Ball, to continue to provide students, regardless of financial means, with the opportunity to learn and discover," said Bruce Ross, Group Head, Technology & Operations, RBC. "Over the past decade, the event has raised more than $4 million, ensuring children develop the 21st century skill sets they need to succeed from a very young age."
This year's extraordinary evening of Canadian innovation featured inspiring presentations from:
- Kamran Khan, MD, MPH, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BlueDot, on infectious disease and the effect of globalization on our approach to treatment
- Brendan Frey, Entrepreneur, Professor, Scientist and Engineer, on the influential roles artificial intelligence and advanced biomedical technologies can play in treating disease
- Andrea Palmer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Awake Labs, on leveraging artificial intelligence to rethink the treatment of mental illness.
"I was honoured to participate in, and share my work at, the RBC Innovators' Ball," said Khan. "The Ontario Science Centre is a place where innovators are inspired and unconventional ideas are born. My career was galvanized by visits to the Ontario Science Centre as a young student -- first-hand proof of the pivotal role the Centre plays in the development of future leaders."
Tuesday night's guests had the chance to try virtual reality experiences and witness AI robots in action, while enjoying exceptional cuisine, provocative dialogue and an eAuction with exclusive prizes including:
- A nine night educational journey for two to the Antarctic Peninsula, with a stay in the Owner's Cabin and behind-the-scenes access to the Scientific Research Centre, donated by G Adventures and Air Canada;
- An exhilarating two-hour experience in Air Canada's world-class full flight simulator, donated by Air Canada;
- An out-of-this-world private group dinner with Canada's first spacewalker, Commander Chris Hadfield.
The RBC Innovators' Ball is supported by title sponsor RBC. Additional sponsors include Diamond sponsors: Air Canada, Amadeus IT Group, Cossette, and IBM, and Amethyst sponsors: Accenture, Barrick Gold Corporation, G Adventures, Google, Interad, Samsung Canada, TELUS and The&Partnership.
For more information about the Ontario Science Centre, please visit: www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca
About the Ontario Science Centre:
The Ontario Science Centre has welcomed more than 51 million visitors since it opened in 1969, pioneering an interactive approach adopted by science centres around the world. Today, the Science Centre is a leader in free-choice science learning and a key player in Ontario's innovation ecosystem, offering lifelong learning through hands-on, engaging experiences. It is also a venue for the public dialogue about science, technology and society. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. As a publicly assisted organization, the Science Centre relies on generous individuals, corporations and foundations who share a commitment to science and education for additional operating support. For more information about the Ontario Science Centre, please visit OntarioScienceCentre.ca.
The Ontario Science Centre is committed to contributing to science literacy in the community through continued support of its community access programs, working to nurture curiosity in children and inspire the science and technology pioneers who will shape our future.
About RBC:
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. As one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, RBC provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. It has approximately 81,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 35 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.
RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. For more information please see: rbc.com/community-sustainability/.
SOURCE Ontario Science Centre
Anna Relyea, Director, Strategic Communications, Ontario Science Centre, 416-696-3273, Cell: 416-668-1967, [email protected]
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