Innovation is ultimately measured by the impact it creates.
During SFU Innovation Week 2026, the i2I Research & Innovation Institute celebrated five remarkable leaders and organizations who are helping turn Canadian research and ideas into real-world economic, social and ecosystem impact through the i2I Innovation Impact Awards.
Presented on October 14 at the Segal Graduate School of Business, ahead of the i2I Innovation Pitch Competition, the awards recognized members of Canada’s innovation ecosystem whose leadership is strengthening the journey from research and invention to innovation and impact.
The awards celebrate the many ways that impact takes shape: translating breakthrough research into companies and jobs, building stronger innovation ecosystems, creating meaningful social and community outcomes, and championing the people and partnerships that make innovation possible.
Together, the 2026 recipients reflect the mission at the heart of i2I: equipping Canada’s research talent to move ideas beyond the lab and into the world – creating lasting economic, social and cultural impact.
i2I Innovation Impact Award: Eva Reddington
The Innovation Impact Award is the overall award. It recognizes exceptional and sustained contribution to advancing research-driven innovation in Canada. The 2026 recipient is Eva Reddington, Vice President, Policy, Program Development & Government Relations at Mitacs.
Eva has been a long-standing champion of i2I’s mission to give researchers the entrepreneurial mindset, skills and pathways they need to translate Canadian research into impact. Through Mitacs, she played a key leadership role in helping to support i2I’s growth from an SFU-based initiative into a national platform, beginning with the Mitacs–SFU partnership that expanded i2I Skills Training nationally in 2019.
She has also advocated for national programs that connect regional innovation ecosystems while respecting their distinct strengths and needs. That approach closely mirrors i2I’s own national model. Today, her leadership continues to strengthen the policies, partnerships and programs that connect research talent with opportunities to create economic and societal impact across Canada.
i2I Social Impact Award: Rocio Zielinski and Dr. Jon Thomas
The Social Impact Award recognizes innovation leadership that creates meaningful benefits for communities and advances inclusive approaches to research and innovation.
This year’s recipients are Rocio Zielinski, General Manger at Stó:lō Community Futures, recognized together with Dr. Jon Thomas, Director of the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of the Fraser Valley and EDI.I Lead within the National i2I Network.
Together, their collaboration has helped build new skills and create pathways for Indigenous-led entrepreneurship. Through the co-creation of the Indigenous Technology Entrepreneurship Program – which ran a successful workshop and program in the Fraser Valley in 2026 – they demonstrate what is possible when programs are built through genuine community partnership, co-creation and shared leadership.
i2I Ecosystem Impact Award: Dr. Morgan Lehtinen
The Ecosystem Impact Award recognizes exceptional leadership in building the connections, infrastructure and capacity that allow innovation to thrive.
Dr. Morgan Lehtinen embodies that journey – from researcher to founder to ecosystem builder. She is the founder of Micellotech, which develops technologies to clean and recycle industrial fluids and address broader water-treatment challenges, and Executive Director of Reaction (RXN) HUB, a Kingston-based commercialization platform supporting industrial and chemistry-enabled technologies.
Most recently, Morgan represented Canada at the G20 YEA Summit in Vienna, building Canada–EU connections across energy, advanced manufacturing and critical materials. Her work demonstrates how one innovator can create impact far beyond a single venture while strengthening the networks and pathways that help others succeed.
i2I Economic Impact Award: Dr. Stephanie Simmons
The Economic Impact Award recognizes research-driven innovation with significant potential or realized economic impact.
Dr. Stephanie Simmons is the Co-founder and Chief Quantum Officer of Photonic Inc., leading a team in developing the world’s first distributed quantum computing system built for commercial scale. In May 2026, Photonic announced a final close of a $275M CAD ($200M USD) financing round at a $2.7B CAD post-money valuation. Photonic has raised more than $475M CAD, created 160+ jobs, attracted major Canadian and global investors, and is now proposing up to $500M in new Canadian semiconductor infrastructure. As Quantum technology becomes a priority for Canada, as evidenced by the National Quantum Strategy, the work being done by Dr. Simmons and the Photonic team are hallmarks to both the success and strategic importance of their work.
Why These Awards Matter
Each of the five recipients has helped move research out of the lab and into the world, whether through policy and partnership, community co-creation, ecosystem building or company building. Together, they show that research commercialization takes many kinds of leaders.
Congratulations to all of the 2026 recipients of the i2I Innovation Impact Awards and thank you for everything you do for the i2I Research & Innovation Institute network and for Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
