Category: Impact

Meet the TRL Researchers Delivering Practical Results Across Canada’s Health, Tech and Ag Sectors

Across Canada, a new generation of researcher-entrepreneurs is tackling problems that don’t stay neatly inside the lab — from long wait times in health care and the cost of clean energy, to safer mobility supports, smarter agriculture, and new tools for creative work. The challenge isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s turning promising research into market-ready innovations that work outside academic settings.

That’s where Labs4’s Technology Readiness Level-Up (TRL) Program comes in. Launched this fall, TRL is a four-month, funded applied research experience designed to help students and recent graduates move early-stage innovations from concept to prototype. Participants receive a $10,000 stipend, hands-on placements in college and polytechnic research environments, one-on-one mentorship, and weekly development sprints that push ideas to confront technical, user, and market realities early.

What sets TRL apart is how it’s built. The program is nationally coordinated and locally delivered, giving each participant access to the specific spaces, tools, and expertise their project requires — from specialized fabrication labs to College Centres for Technology Transfer and Technology Access Centres — while also connecting them to a pan-Canadian cohort of peers. The result is a model that blends deep applied research support with practical entrepreneurial training.

The inaugural TRL cohort brings together students and recent graduates from science, engineering, digital media, health technologies, AI, and agriculture. Each arrived with an idea rooted in academic research. Over four months, those ideas sharpened through prototyping, customer discovery, and mentorship — evolving into clearer, more viable paths toward real-world application.

The stories that follow highlight seven TRL participants and the progress they’ve made so far. Together, they offer a snapshot of what becomes possible when researcher-entrepreneurs are supported not just with funding, but with an ecosystem designed to help them build something real.

Project Highlights

Faster, More Accessible Brain-Health Diagnostics

Lucas Monter, McMaster University

Long wait times for EEG testing continue to delay diagnosis and treatment for many patients across Ontario. McMaster University student Lucas Monter is working to address this gap through NeuroSpritz — a spray-on, wireless EEG electrode with an AI-enabled interface that reduces setup times by up to 80 per cent and makes brain-health diagnostics more accessible. During the Technology Readiness Level-Up (TRL) Program, Lucas advanced NeuroSpritz to Technology Readiness Level 4 and secured additional grant and pitch funding, milestones that gave him the confidence to apply to national programs and prepare for real-world testing of the latest iteration.

That progress was shaped by intensive one-on-one mentorship and applied development work. With guidance from mentors, Lucas identified key technical and commercialization milestones and mapped next steps not only for the current phase, but for the next two years and beyond. AI played a critical role in that process, supporting investor-grade simulations, hardware and software troubleshooting, and optimization of flexure and nozzle geometry to improve usability ahead of future pilot studies. As NeuroSpritz moves toward real-world validation, TRL has helped transform an early-stage concept into a clearer, more confident pathway toward impact.

“I cannot recommend the TRL program by Labs4 enough. My advice to future Labs4 TRL participants: you’re already in the right place; you’re surrounded by leaders across Canada. Make the most of peer learning and ask your mentors for help — they truly want to see you succeed.”

Keeping People Safe with Smarter Mobility Supports

Nubal Manhas, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Nubal Manhas is developing a retrofit automatic braking system that locks a rollator’s brakes when a user sits or stands — reducing the risk of preventable falls among older adults and people with mobility or cognitive challenges. His innovation improves safety without requiring expensive “smart” devices.

Through TRL, he is refining his prototype, exploring regulatory requirements, and testing real-world use cases. SCRUM sprints have helped him identify manufacturers and long-term care facilities as key customer groups, while customer-discovery sessions clarified that users and customers are not always the same. 

“Labs4 helped me understand my customer, plan my work in manageable steps, and move toward something real that people can use.” 

Human-Centred AI for Creative Work

Rose Boudreau, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)

In an age of “AI slop,” “context rot,” and tools that prioritize automation, NSCC student Rose Boudreau is taking a different approach: designing human-in-the-loop writing systems that preserve creativity, coherence, and the writer’s voice. Her innovation treats AI as a partner, not a replacement.

Through TRL, Rose is testing competing models for how AI systems “grow” and experimenting with configuration strategies that support — instead of overpower — long-form writing. With faculty mentorship and access to NSCC’s entrepreneurship centre, she continues to refine the technical scaffolding that underpins her system’s development. 

“I want to build AI tools that help people feel like true collaborators — never sidelined or replaced.” 

Making Green Hydrogen More Affordable

Dr. Somayyeh Abbasi, INRS–EMT / Québec

Green hydrogen remains costly because today’s electrolyzers rely on noble metals and complex fabrication methods. Dr. Somayyeh Abbasi is developing low-cost, micro/nano-engineered electrode materials that improve efficiency and durability, reducing production costs by roughly 20 per cent.

With support from CNETE (Cégep de Thetford) and mentorship through TRL, Somayyeh is advancing from lab-scale validation to a functional MVP, refining fabrication processes and strengthening partnerships across Québec’s hydrogen ecosystem. Structured milestone planning has helped her clarify next steps and use her time strategically. 

“Seeing our laboratory discoveries evolve into a product that meets real industry needs is what excites me most.” 

Seeing Sound Differently

Owen Ohlson and Mckinley Wood, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

BCIT students Owen Ohlson and Mckinley Wood are merging sound, design, and cognitive science through MoPanning — an audiovisual tool that visualizes sound in real time by mimicking how the brain interprets spatial audio. The tool gives artists and producers a new way to “see” their music and better understand the dynamics of a mix.

Through TRL, the team has refined MoPanning’s interface, expanded peer collaboration, and learned to articulate their value proposition with greater clarity. Mentorship helped them shift from a purely technical focus to designing with end-users in mind — a critical step toward commercialization. 

“Seeing MoPanning as something built for others has been the most exciting and rewarding part of the journey.” 

Scaling Cleantech for Industrial Impact

Pirouz Kiani, University of Calgary and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

Pirouz Kiani is advancing NanoStrip — a patented nanobubble technology that removes ammonia, sulphur, and other chemicals from agricultural wastewater, mining effluent, and tailings ponds. The system operates at lower temperatures and without harsh reagents, cutting energy use and operational costs by up to half.

With SAIT’s applied research teams, Pirouz has scaled his system design 40-fold and validated its performance across multiple industries. He is now preparing for pilot deployment with industrial partners and refining energy efficiency for long-term implementation. 

“The potential to help both small farms and large industrial clients manage contamination more efficiently is what makes me excited every day.” 

Bringing Precision Agriculture to Prairie Fields

Teresa Aguiar-Cordero, University of Saskatchewan

Teresa Aguiar-Cordero is developing IPPM Now — a mobile app that uses AI to help farmers and agronomists identify insect pests and beneficial species quickly and accurately. The tool supports smarter pest-management decisions, protects yields, and reduces unnecessary pesticide use.

Through TRL, Teresa has strengthened her business model, refined her communication strategy, and validated her prototype with producers and ag-tech partners. She is now preparing to pilot new smart-trap integrations that automatically upload insect images to the app, enabling real-time field monitoring. 

“I’m building something farmers can use every day — something that makes their decisions clearer, faster, and more sustainable.”

Get Involved

If you are a student or recent graduate working on a research-based innovation — whether technical, scientific, social, or community-based — the Technology Readiness Level-Up Program can help you take the next step.

How an Indigenous-led entrepreneurship incubator helps founders turn community needs into thriving ventures

When entrepreneurs talk about the moment their ideas began to take shape, they rarely describe a single breakthrough. More often, it’s a series of sparks: a need they recognized, a solution they imagined, a community they wanted to serve. What Indigenous entrepreneurs don’t always have is a place to bring that idea forward with the guidance, space, and culturally grounded support to turn possibility into momentum.

In Manitoba, that place is Mittohnee Pogo’ohtah, an Indigenous business incubator and accelerator at Red River College Polytechnic. Guided by Director Amy Jackson and Program Coordinator Kelly Krakalovich, Mittohnee provides founders with mentorship, training, networks and a community-centred environment shaped by cultural teachings and ceremony.

The incubator is part of a triad of Indigenous-led entrepreneurship hubs across the Labs4 national network, alongside pawâcikêwikamik at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and FlintHub at United College and the University of Waterloo.

Together, these hubs form a national effort coordinated in vision but rooted locally in community needs, priorities and ways of knowing—an approach that honours the principle at the centre of Labs4’s Indigenous programming: the work succeeds because Indigenous leaders are the ones shaping it.

At Mittohnee, Jackson emphasizes how being “community-minded” isn’t a strategy, but a way of being. “We come from diverse Nations and backgrounds,” she says. “But we carry shared teachings into every part of our work: humility, generosity, responsibility to one another.”

One of the most common sentiments shared by Indigenous entrepreneurs is the desire to build something that gives back. “Most entrepreneurs I work with aren’t solely asking, ‘How do I make money?’ They’re asking, ‘How do I use this to support my community?’” says Jackson.

“It comes down to self-determination,” says Jackson. “This isn’t about informing someone else what’s best for us. It’s about building it ourselves.”

“I want to make sure our people feel safe online”

When Darion Ducharme, a member of Lac Seul First Nation, founded Teqare in 2021, he had one aim: help First Nations protect themselves from rapidly evolving digital threats. His company delivers culturally grounded workshops on cyber safety, scam prevention, financial literacy, and digital literacy for youth, Elders, and whole communities.

The need is urgent—and growing. As scams become more sophisticated, remote and northern First Nations face barriers that make digital safety even more complex. Darion saw this firsthand while working in telecommunications, where Elders would arrive at his kiosk after falling for scammers posing as government officials. He knew he had the skills to help.

Teqare has already delivered training to more than 70 First Nations and more than 100 schools. One of his proudest moments came last summer, when he spent seven days in Lac Seul training every staff member, every school, and the chief and council.

“It means a lot to know my First Nation is safer online now,” he says. “People feel empowered to use technology without fear.”

For Teqare to grow beyond Manitoba, Darion needed stronger systems, broader connections, and space to develop the structures necessary to operate at a national scale. At Mittohnee, he found the support he needed.

Mittohnee connected him with mentors who helped refine his business model, improve internal processes, and think strategically about growth. The program also opened doors by flying him to a national conference in Ottawa, where he gained insight into federal approaches and met leaders shaping cybersecurity policy.

“The way Amy and Kelly care—you can see it from the very beginning,” he says. “They honour us through ceremony and help bring us to the next level.”

Darion now has a three-year goal: to provide at least one cybersecurity workshop to every First Nation in Canada and to develop a social enterprise model to ensure communities that can’t afford travel or facilitation costs can still access training.

Teqare is already receiving requests from outside the country. What began as a local effort is becoming a national movement with global potential.

“Indigenous people shouldn’t have to dig through 10 websites to find one opportunity”

For Zachary Flett of Sagkeeng First Nation, the problem he saw was clear: Indigenous entrepreneurs, students and creators were missing out on funding not because they lacked ambition, but because the information they needed was scattered across countless websites, agencies, deadlines and systems.

He founded IndigiHub to fix that.

IndigiHub is a centralized platform that gathers funding opportunities, grants, programs and business supports in one place, while highlighting Indigenous innovators and success stories. It’s designed to be simple, transparent and empowering.

“My goal is to make access to support simple and reliable so more Indigenous people can turn their ideas into impact,” he says.

At Mittohnee, Zachary strengthened the business foundations that would allow IndigiHub to grow. Financial workshops helped him clarify revenue streams. Intellectual property sessions helped him protect the platform he was building. Weekly mentorship gave him practical tools he could apply immediately.

But the biggest shift was internal.

“Hearing other Indigenous founders talk about their ideas made me think bigger about what IndigiHub can be,” he says. “Mittohnee pushed me to see the national potential. For me, IndigiHub is just the beginning. It’s a way to help more of us move forward with clarity, confidence and connection.”

The cohort environment—rooted in mutual support, shared experiences, and culturally grounded learning—helped Zachary articulate IndigiHub’s long-term vision and gain the confidence to pursue it.

“Being part of Mittohnee reminded me how much impact collaboration can have when we come together as Indigenous entrepreneurs,” he says. “Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit — it can be a shared effort to lift each other up.”

“Our communities deserve an Indigenous-led way to share their news”

Renata Meconse, from Pinaymootang First Nation, has spent her career in Indigenous communications, working in journalism, government and community media. Over the years, she saw the same challenge surface time and again: Indigenous communities needed a non-partisan, non-political, professional press distribution system—a place to share announcements and news reliably, without the noise that often buries Indigenous stories.

She imagined Indigenous Newswire: a clean, streamlined platform modelled after national newswires, but built for Indigenous communities, leaders, businesses and organizations.

The idea was clear. Turning it into a functioning business was harder.

“I never felt ready,” she says. “I always felt like I didn’t know enough or didn’t have the technical skills to pull it off.”

Mittohnee helped Renata turn Indigenous Newswire from an idea into a functioning business by giving her the structure, guidance and confidence she needed to move forward.

Through the program, she formally registered her business, opened her business account, clarified her rates and market positioning, shaped her service offerings, and created the marketing materials she’d been putting off, including business cards. The hub’s learning sessions, applied workshops, and dedicated work time helped her work through each practical step, while the cohort environment—surrounded by other Indigenous entrepreneurs facing similar challenges—gave her the encouragement, accountability and sense of belonging she needed to prepare for launch.

“It’s very supportive because we’re together as Indigenous entrepreneurs who have similar experiences,” she says. “Our challenges are unique but also shared. Mittohnee recognizes that and supports us.”

Renata is now fully operational and preparing to introduce Indigenous Newswire publicly.

She has some advice for others who share her entrepreneurial spirit but lack the confidence to move forward: “It’s easy to think you’re not ready. You just need to take that step. You learn as you go.”

A vision for the future

Across the Indigenous Entrepreneurship Hubs connected through Labs4, Indigenous-led innovation grows from community. National coordination and local grounding draw on teachings, relationships and protocols that support entrepreneurs as they build.

Success here looks different. It’s measured not in speed or scale, but in how founders bring their learning back to their Nations, how they support one another, and how their ventures reflect their values, responsibilities and hopes for the future.

Mittohnee’s role in that work is clear: to offer a place where Indigenous entrepreneurs can develop their skills, deepen their confidence, refine their ideas, and pursue growth in ways that honour who they are and where they come from.

For founders like Darion, Zachary, and Renata, the transformations set in motion at Mittohnee are only the beginning.