Alberta is a leader in the technology and innovation space and continues to move up in global rankings. Even as the province’s reputation continues to improve, government and industry members are always looking for ways to get better.

A group of innovation leaders in Edmonton, led by a team from Technology and Innovation, have recently been selected by MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT REAP) as a member of their 11th cohort. There are seven teams included from around the world in the cohort, including teams from Chile, Germany and Taiwan. Team Edmonton is the first Western cohort in Canada to attend MIT REAP and is currently in Cambridge, Massachusetts for its first meetings.

Over the next two years, Team Edmonton will connect with other international leaders and learn best practices to better the technology and innovation space within Edmonton.

"Tech isn’t just an industry, it’s the future of every industry. Alberta innovators and entrepreneurs are building new, exciting technologies every day. To build on this momentum, the Alberta government is proud to participate in the MIT REAP Global Program which will develop a stronger Alberta tech sector. We are excited to send such a strong contingent of innovators from the Edmonton region.”

Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation

Each MIT REAP team participates in a two-year program focused on accelerating innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) in their regional innovation ecosystems. As part of the program, teams are provided opportunities to collaborate with others within and across their cohort. Team Edmonton will work collaboratively to develop a plan to strengthen the city’s ecosystem to further diversify the province’s economy and create good-paying tech sector jobs.

“Edmonton is a resilient city that always strives to improve. We welcome this partnership; by aligning our local strengths with the best practices of MIT REAP we can fuel entrepreneurship, attract investment and grow an economy that works for everyone. This is about building a stronger, more dynamic Edmonton for today and for future generations to come. I would like to thank the province of Alberta for its leadership and hard work on this project.”

Amarjeet Sohi, mayor, City of Edmonton

Team Edmonton will work in conjunction with teams and alumni from across the globe, allowing them to learn from alumni teams that have already begun to implement strategic interventions in their regional ecosystems based on the MIT REAP framework. This collaborative global model empowers the participating regions to discover and implement disruptive methods to solve deep challenges.

“We’re thrilled to welcome leaders from such a diverse group of regions into Cohort 11. Now in our 12th year, we look forward to sharing the learnings and impact of our global alumni community with our incoming teams and seeing the momentum they will bring to their own regions’ IDE ecosystems.”

Travis Hunter, director, MIT REAP

Quick facts

  • MIT was named the top university in the world for the 13th straight year in the QS World University rankings for 2024.
  • MIT REAP is a global initiative that engages with communities around the world to supercharge IDE ecosystems and transform economies.
    • The Global program employs an evidence-based “team” approach, translating MIT research and insights into a practical, actionable, and strategic framework that convenes and educates key stakeholders, and empowers regional leaders to drive meaningful, long-term economic and social change.
  • MIT REAP Team Edmonton core members include:
    • Sean Murphy, assistant deputy minister, Technology and Innovation
    • Robert Lai, vice-president, investments, Alberta Innovates
    • Darren Fast, associate vice-president, innovation/knowledge mobilization, University of Alberta
    • Mykola Holovetskyi, CEO, MovEd Inc
    • Cam Linke, CEO, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
    • Andrew MacIsaac, CEO, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation
    • Tom Viinikka, CEO, Edmonton Unlimited
    • Charles Wong, CEO, CarePros
    • Kristina Milke, general partner, Sprout Fund
    • Christiana Manzocco, director of investments, Alberta Enterprise Corporation
    • Stephanie Enders, chief delivery officer, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
    • Tim Lynn, co-founder, TNT Capital
    • Paul Bakhmut, senior policy advisor, office of the minister, Technology and Innovation
  • As the leader and driver of the team, the Government of Alberta will pay some Team Edmonton expenses, up to $320,000.
  • High-risk capital and entrepreneur participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

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