People

A team dedicated to mobilizing the talent and knowledge of social sciences and humanities to support innovation processes of all types across all sectors.

At the Canadian Collaborative for Society, Innovation & Policy, our team connects ideas, evidence, and partners to empower innovation that delivers real impact for our communities, our institutions and our people.

Core Team

Sandra Lapointe

  • Director

Akacia Propst

  • Lead, Strategic Initiatives and Programs

Mabel Ho

  • Lead, Learning Innovation and Skills Partnership

Marie-Hélène B.-Hardy

  • Lead, Talent and Knowledge Mobilization

Emerging Researchers

Emerging researchers at the Canadian Collaborative for Society, Innovation and Policy (CCSIP) contribute as active participants in the collective work of understanding and strengthening Canada’s science and innovation ecosystem and developing new ways of mobilizing research talent and knowledge where it is most needed.

Dana Thatcher

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

Tyra Lennie

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

Caleb Wellum

  • Senior Research Fellow

Policy Practice Residency

Policy Practice Residents play a strategic role at CCSIP by bringing applied policy expertise into its research and systems‑orchestration work. Drawing on experience from government, public institutions, or the social sector, residents work at the intersection of research, policy, and practice to strengthen coordination, build shared understanding, and enhance systems intelligence across Canada’s science and innovation ecosystem—supporting its capacity to adapt and respond to emerging challenges.

Shahad Khalladi (2026)

  • Policy Practice Fellow

Advisory Circle

The Advisory Council provides strategic guidance, thought leadership, and sectoral insights to support CCSIP in its mission to (i) leverage national and international networks to strengthen evidence and ecosystem-building capacity for innovation actors across sectors; (ii) increase higher education's participation and capacity to contribute to prosperity in mission-driven innovation ecosystems; and (iii) foster interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration that advances Canada’s social and economic well-being through innovation.

Alex Usher

  • Chief Executive Officer, Higher Education Strategies and Associates

Andrea Nemtin

  • Chief Executive Officer, Social Innovation Canada

Brandon Meawasige

  • Chief Operating Officer, Indspire

Charlene Marion.

  • Chief Executive Officer, Cooperative Eduction and Work Integrated Learning Canada

Chris Boivin

  • Chief Development Officer, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Coryell Boffy

  • Vice-président, impact et politiques d'innovation

Danya Pastuszek

  • Chief Executive Officer, Tamarack

David J. Phipps

  • Network Director, Research Impact Canada

Ian Wereley

  • Executive Director, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies

Imogen Coe

  • Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University

James Hammond

  • Director of Public Affairs, U15

Karine Morin

  • Chief Executive Officer, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Kathryn Graham

  • Professor and Director of the Research Innovation Impact and Assessment Lab (RIIAL), University of Calgary

Laurent Carbonneau

  • Director of Policy, Council of Canadian Innovators

Marc Fortin

  • Max Bell School of Public Policy

Marie Lagacé

  • Vice-présidente aux partenariats, Sillons

Mehrdad Hariri

  • Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Science Policy Centre

Naveed Aziz

  • Vice-President Research and Innovation, GenomeCanada

Rahina Zarma

  • Director of Policy, Mitacs

Robert Luke

  • Chief Executive Officer, eCampusOntario

Sandra Boisvert

  • Assistant Director of Policy and External Relations at Universities Canada

Sara Ibrahim

  • Executive Director Policy and Strategic Priorities, Manitoba Innovation and New Technology

Sarah Laframboise

  • Chief Executive Officer, Evidence for Democracy

Shahad Khalladi

  • Senior Policy Advisor, Health Canada

Stefan Leslie

  • Chief Executive Officer, Research Nova Scotia

Stéphanie Michaud

  • Chief Executive Officer, BioCanRx

Tim Draimin

  • Chair of the Board, Social Innovation Canada

Tom Goldsmith

  • Principal, Orbit Policy

Tricia Williams

  • Director of Research and Knowledge Mobilization, Future Skills Centre

Victor Beausoleil

  • Chief Executive Officer, SETSI