Profiles of some of the most inventive and creative Canadians and the ideas that are making Canada a leading nation in innovation.

From saving lives to saving harvests...
From discovering ancient diamonds to identifying the first exo-planet...
From driverless cars to quantum computers...
From Nobel laureates to your next-door neighbor...
This book offers uplifting stories of innovative Canadians.

Canadians Who Innovate includes two Nobel laureates, an astronaut, extraordinary business leaders, the godfathers of artificial intelligence, and top quantum experts, including the inventor of what may be the next quantum computer. It features profiles of the first director of engineering at Google, who is now working on nuclear fusion; a medical researcher who communicates on TikTok about the efficacy and potential for RNA vaccine technology; and a PhD in nuclear physics who has twice won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Meet the linguist who works with Indigenous people to make online dictionaries, an internationally consulted specialist on migration, an agri-tech investor, a world specialist on permafrost, and the expert in systems and number theory who has a way to fix health care. And don’t forget the engineer who grew human cells on apples, a feat that is leading to the creation of replacement organs that do not require donors—not to be confused with the aerospace technology developer who created a tethering system to clean up space debris and a 3-D printer that prints biological tissue.

Featuring brilliant thinkers from coast to coast to coast, and others from around the world who now call Canada home, Canadians Who Innovate paints a promising picture of a cleaner, healthier, more innovative future for us all.

Roseann O’Reilly Runte is president of the Canadian Foundation for Innovations. Previously, she led five academic institutions, most recently as president and vice-chancellor of Carleton University. She was the seventh president of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, president of Victoria University, principal of Glendon College, and president of l’Université Sainte-Anne. She has served on numerous business, medical, and cultural boards around the world, including as president of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Fulbright Canada, and on the boards of the National Bank, Pharmacies Jean-Coutu, the United Way, and the Club of Rome. She is a dual Canadian and US citizen. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Roseann O'Reilly Runte's profile page

“These are stories that speak eloquently of inquiring minds, passion, and talent in abundance. May they inspire bold ambition in providing resources and policies that will unleash the potential and promise of innovation required to meet the challenges of global crises, social cohesion, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability.”
— THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH DOWDESWELL, former lieutenant governor of Ontario

“In this fascinating compendium, [Runte] introduces us to exceptional thinkers—every one of them an original. What innovators share is their unwavering belief in the value of an idea and the dogged determination to pursue it, sometimes to the point of obsession. They are unstoppable. I have often asked myself, what makes them that way? This book provides answers.”
— THE HONOURABLE MARC GARNEAU, former minister of foreign affairs and astronaut

“What is innovation? In her beautifully written book, Roseann O’Reilly Runte answers the question by bringing us into the lives, both personal and professional, of people whose journeys are fascinating examples of innovation. Reading their stories leaves us with feelings of awe, inspiration, and hope for the future.”
— SUZANNE FORTIER, former principal of McGill University and former president of NSERC

“Roseann O’Reilly Runte puts a spotlight on the transformative power of innovation nurtured in Canada. These inspiring stories give us insight into the people behind world-class innovations, the importance of collaboration, curiosity, and perseverance. I have no doubt that Canadians Who Innovate will be a touchstone chronicle that helps to explain how our nation can succeed.”
— NIK NANOS, chief data scientist and founder of Nanos Research

“The experiences and lives lived in this book will resonate widely. They describe and define a path to innovation that includes personal effort, education, and the work of mentors and teachers who free us from conventional thinking.”
— MIKE DeGAGNÉ, president and CEO of Indspire