Five awards were distributed to the winning Atlantic Canadian individuals, companies and supporters at Volta’s fourth annual Ecosystem Impact Awards, proudly supported by RBC. The event took place at Volta in Halifax, NS on September 22, 2022. 

The Ecosystem Impact Awards were launched in 2019 to acknowledge and celebrate the changemakers, community leaders and supporters who are rapidly transforming the startup ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. 

The award categories include: Catalyst, Community Leader, Disruptor and Positive Impact – one for a company and another recognizing an individual.

The awards were distributed as follows: 

• Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub received the Catalyst Award, which recognizes an organization that has helped create cohesion and growth in the Atlantic Canadian startup ecosystem. This can include: building relationships between organizations in the ecosystem, supporting growth in the startup community, and reducing or removing barriers to startups’ success. 
• Dr. Dhirendra Shukla received the Community Leader Award, which recognizes a company or Founder directly impacting the growth and development of the Technology and Innovation Ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. They demonstrate dedication to the startup community, and give back through the donation of time, mentorship and serving as a resource in a peer-to-peer environment.
• Milk Moovement received the Disruptor Award, which recognizes an Atlantic Canadian technology startup that has experienced significant success over the past year. Success can be measured in a number of ways, including; innovative technology, solving a technological need, capturing a new sector or market, disruption of a service or market segment, applications of product or service and traction in, or ability to obtain traction in the international marketplace.
• Impactful Health Research and Development received the Positive Impact Award – Company, which recognizes a company that has developed and implemented solutions for social, cultural and/or environmental issues that benefit the community at large.
• Akram Al-Otumi, Catalyst Project Director at SVX and Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lecturer at Dalhousie University, received the Positive Impact Award- Individual, which recognizes an individual who has developed and implemented solutions for social, cultural or environmental issues that benefit the community at large.

The recipients were selected by a panel of judges, comprised of regional business and educational leaders. There were more than 20 nominations received.

“We are delighted to host the awards in person once again and celebrate the changemakers in the Atlantic Canadian tech ecosystem that despite the odds continue to make an impact on a national and international level,” said Volta’s Interim CEO, Matt Cooper. “Our team did an amazing job adapting to a virtual format in the past couple of years, but it is thrilling to be able to experience the excitement in the room when an award winner is announced and to be able to congratulate these individuals and organizations face-to-face. The work they do to advance innovation and entrepreneurship in Atlantic Canada is commendable and deserves to be honoured and celebrated with our entire community.”

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