BIO
Helen Co-Founded the University of Toronto's Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab (DCSIL) in 2015, an incubator and accelerator for early stage startups in Canada. DCSIL’s startups focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, AR/VR and cybersecurity technologies.
She is directing efforts at DCSIL to foster innovation and commercialization through entrepreneurship programs, curating talent development, supporting tech transfer, and increasing industry collaborations.
She is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, in the Department of Computer Science (St.George campus) and Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences (Scarborough Campus), where she teaches product development, design, and entrepreneurship. More product manager than professor, leading over 100+ teams in strategy, execution, and user understanding in developing software products.
Since being on the UofT/IBM Watson teaching team in 2014 she has been working on researching the relationship between user behaviour, IoT, and artificial intelligence.
Helen possesses degrees from York University, Canada, the University of Tasmania, Australia, and presently studying innovation and technology at MIT, Cambridge.
She is directing efforts at DCSIL to foster innovation and commercialization through entrepreneurship programs, curating talent development, supporting tech transfer, and increasing industry collaborations.
She is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, in the Department of Computer Science (St.George campus) and Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences (Scarborough Campus), where she teaches product development, design, and entrepreneurship. More product manager than professor, leading over 100+ teams in strategy, execution, and user understanding in developing software products.
Since being on the UofT/IBM Watson teaching team in 2014 she has been working on researching the relationship between user behaviour, IoT, and artificial intelligence.
Helen possesses degrees from York University, Canada, the University of Tasmania, Australia, and presently studying innovation and technology at MIT, Cambridge.
WORK
Co-Founder/Director, DCSIL - Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab, University of Toronto
Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Lecturer, Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto
Product Development Team member, NERD (Neurotech Early Research & Development), Ontario Brains Institute
Co-Founder & Executive Director, RED2i (Strategy Group)
Co-Founder/Director, DCSIL - Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab, University of Toronto
Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Lecturer, Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto
Product Development Team member, NERD (Neurotech Early Research & Development), Ontario Brains Institute
Co-Founder & Executive Director, RED2i (Strategy Group)
PROGRAM & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CREATION
AI WEEK, November 2017
Talent Tuesday: Mentorship Career Program between Industry/Startups & Computer Science students, September - November 2017
Funding Innovation Conference, May 2017 & 2018
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus, March 2017
Summer Arts & Science Entrepreneurship Program, May - July 2015 & 2016
GLOBAL Smartweek: IoT & Machine Intelligence Conference 2014 & 2015
AI WEEK, November 2017
Talent Tuesday: Mentorship Career Program between Industry/Startups & Computer Science students, September - November 2017
Funding Innovation Conference, May 2017 & 2018
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus, March 2017
Summer Arts & Science Entrepreneurship Program, May - July 2015 & 2016
GLOBAL Smartweek: IoT & Machine Intelligence Conference 2014 & 2015
COMMUNITY BUILDING
Hackathon Co-chair: ICT4S Sustainability Hackathon
5th International Conference on ICT4S, 2018, Toronto http://2018.ict4s.org/
Adjudication Committee RBC Borealis AI Graduate and Post-doctoral Fellowships, 2018
Organiser Datafest, University of Toronto, 2017, 2018
Advisor Nanolight Hackathon of Light & Music, University of Toronto, 2017
UofT DCS Entrepreneurship Committee, 2014 - present
Judge Cisco Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Cisco IoT Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Microsoft Hackathon, University of Toronto 2016
Adviser Correlation One & Datathon, University of Toronto 2016
Preliminary Judge UofT Hacks, University of Toronto 2015
Judge Intel Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2015
Judge Rotman School REVCA Fintech Hackathon, 2015
Adviser Waterfront International Quantathon, University of Toronto, 2015, 2016
Adviser & Mentor Dementia Hack, Ryerson University 2015
Adviser Hack 'n' Talk: Fashion meets Technology, Fashion Zone + DMZ, 2015
Adviser & Mentor SportsHack, Ryerson University 2014
Adviser & Mentor Eduhack, OISE 2013
Organiser GirlGeeks, Toronto 2013 - 2014
Founder, UX/Design Toronto Group 2012 - present
Hackathon Co-chair: ICT4S Sustainability Hackathon
5th International Conference on ICT4S, 2018, Toronto http://2018.ict4s.org/
Adjudication Committee RBC Borealis AI Graduate and Post-doctoral Fellowships, 2018
Organiser Datafest, University of Toronto, 2017, 2018
Advisor Nanolight Hackathon of Light & Music, University of Toronto, 2017
UofT DCS Entrepreneurship Committee, 2014 - present
Judge Cisco Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Cisco IoT Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Microsoft Hackathon, University of Toronto 2016
Adviser Correlation One & Datathon, University of Toronto 2016
Preliminary Judge UofT Hacks, University of Toronto 2015
Judge Intel Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2015
Judge Rotman School REVCA Fintech Hackathon, 2015
Adviser Waterfront International Quantathon, University of Toronto, 2015, 2016
Adviser & Mentor Dementia Hack, Ryerson University 2015
Adviser Hack 'n' Talk: Fashion meets Technology, Fashion Zone + DMZ, 2015
Adviser & Mentor SportsHack, Ryerson University 2014
Adviser & Mentor Eduhack, OISE 2013
Organiser GirlGeeks, Toronto 2013 - 2014
Founder, UX/Design Toronto Group 2012 - present
IN THE NEWS
From anthropology to AI: Meet the U of T expert guiding the software companies of tomorrow
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/anthropology-ai-meet-u-t-expert-guiding-software-companies-tomorrow
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/anthropology-ai-meet-u-t-expert-guiding-software-companies-tomorrow
Deconstructing important ideas at TEDxUofT
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/main-news/deconstructing-important-ideas-tedxuoft
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/main-news/deconstructing-important-ideas-tedxuoft
AI & Deep Technology in Toronto: My 3 Takeaways From University of Toronto Funding Innovation Conference
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-deep-technology-toronto-my-3-takeaways-from-funding-nitin-chopra
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-deep-technology-toronto-my-3-takeaways-from-funding-nitin-chopra
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus
http://startupheretoronto.com/sectors/technology/augmented-reality-bus-tour-reveals-new-side-of-u-of-t-campus/
http://startupheretoronto.com/sectors/technology/augmented-reality-bus-tour-reveals-new-side-of-u-of-t-campus/
AI Success Story: UofT's ROSS Intelligence Returns to Toronto to open new AI research headquarters
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/ai-success-story-u-t-s-ross-intelligence-returns-toronto-open-new-research-headquarters
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/ai-success-story-u-t-s-ross-intelligence-returns-toronto-open-new-research-headquarters
Cisco Toronto Innovation Centre hosts a weekend of FinTech hacking with TD Canada
https://blogs.cisco.com/innovation/cisco-toronto-innovation-centre-hosts-a-weekend-of-fintech-hacking-with-td
https://blogs.cisco.com/innovation/cisco-toronto-innovation-centre-hosts-a-weekend-of-fintech-hacking-with-td
Employers turning to hackathons to find tech talent
https://www.thestar.com/news/innovation/2016/09/13/employers-turning-to-hackathons-to-find-tech-talent.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/innovation/2016/09/13/employers-turning-to-hackathons-to-find-tech-talent.html
Robotic Rehab: Start-up Helps Kids with Cerebral Palsy
http://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/robotic-rehab-start-helps-kids-cerebral-palsy
http://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/robotic-rehab-start-helps-kids-cerebral-palsy
'Elite' Law Firms May Be Among Earlier Adopters of Artificial Intelligence Platforms
http://www.iltacon.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=850f334b-549b-465b-ae3d-5750f67dc307&ssopc=1
http://www.iltacon.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=850f334b-549b-465b-ae3d-5750f67dc307&ssopc=1
Meet (Winning) Team ROSS Intelligence
https://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/content/meet-winning-team-ross
https://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/content/meet-winning-team-ross
Women Lead Tech in Mississauga, Peel Region & at The University of Toronto
http://icubeutm.ca/women-lead-tech-mississauga-peel-uoft/
http://icubeutm.ca/women-lead-tech-mississauga-peel-uoft/
Intel IoT Roadshow in Toronto
http://blog.bemyapp.com/intel-iot-roadshow-toronto/
http://blog.bemyapp.com/intel-iot-roadshow-toronto/
GLOBAL SMARTWEEK 2015
http://web.cs.toronto.edu/news/current/GLOBAL_SMARTWEEK_2015.htm
http://web.cs.toronto.edu/news/current/GLOBAL_SMARTWEEK_2015.htm
New space for software innovations: Computer science incubator to be “open to all disciplines”
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/16/new-space-for-software-innovations/
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/16/new-space-for-software-innovations/
Smartweek Using Christie Interactive Visual Solutions
https://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/visual-solutions/new-projectors/smartweek-2014
https://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/visual-solutions/new-projectors/smartweek-2014
Michael Wekerle at SMARTWEEK 2014 in TORONTO
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/michael-wekerle-at-smartweek-2014-in-toronto-555827.htm
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/michael-wekerle-at-smartweek-2014-in-toronto-555827.htm
