Global Goals Jam Canada Winter 2026
*NEW: Can't make the full day to participate as a Jammer? Join us as a General Audience for the plenary sessions: keynote & panel discussion (9-10am), Lunch & Learn (11-11:30am) and the final pitch presentations (4-6pm)!
The Global Goals Jam Canada — COIE's most anticipated event every year — is back, and for the first time ever, IN-PERSON!
📍 Event Centre (Spring/Summer Room), Progress Campus, Centennial College
📅 Tuesday March 3rd, 8am-6pm
🍽️ Light breakfast, lunch and refreshments provided
Calling developers, designers, engineers, strategists, and changemakers! Join us during Engagement Week on Tuesday March 3rd at Centennial College for a fun, purposeful and experiential design jam focused on creating impactful solutions to real-world global challenges.
Do you have a passion for solving social issues and improving lives? Want to collaborate with a diverse group of committed individuals to design and prototype innovative solutions that help Canada contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Join the Global Goals Jam Canada – Winter 2026 and collaborate to build a more equitable community and a better world — with the chance to win awards totaling $4,500*!
*Awards are generously supported by philanthropist Diane Blake. Prize money is shared amongst winning team members.
NOTE: Registration closes Saturday, February 28 at 11:59PM (EST), or earlier if capacity is reached.
About the Global Goals Jam Canada
The Global Goals Jam Canada – Winter 2026 is organized by the SDG Innovation Lab at the Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (COIE), Centennial College, in collaboration with Canadian partners and with support from UNDP and Digital Society School Amsterdam.
This one-day intensive design jam advances the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by bringing together students, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, creative thinkers, and community members to tackle pressing social and business challenges.
Using human-centred design, design thinking, lean methodology, and rapid prototyping, participants will work in interdisciplinary teams to ensure solutions are meaningful, feasible, and grounded in real-world needs.
Check out last year's event recap to see how it works!
🤩 A new format: one single full day, in person, for maximum impact.
This year, the Global Goals Jam Canada is reimagined as a high-energy, one-day intensive design jam. Instead of spreading the experience across a virtual weekend, we’re bringing participants together in person for a focused day of collaboration, creativity, and rapid problem-solving.
Expect a fast-paced, hands-on experience designed to help teams move from insight to idea to impact — all in one powerful day.
Meet your keynote speaker: Samantha Casey!
Samantha Casey is a changemaker passionate about sustainability education, youth empowerment, and social impact. She has worked at the grassroots, community, and institutional levels to champion youth-led solutions to the polycrisis. She is heavily involved in her local community. She is the co-founder of the Climate Hope Lab and Community Climate Council, two youth-founded climate organizations, and she sits on the board of the Guelph Tool Library, a community-led sharing initiative, and is the vice-president of the Canadian Youth Biodiversity Network, which empowers youth to tackle the biodiversity crisis. For her work, she has been previously named a Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalists by The Starfish Canada and a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leader by Corporate Knights.
Jam Topics:
Sustainable transportation & low-carbon mobility 🚙
How might we design transportation systems that are accessible, affordable, and low-carbon, while meeting the needs of diverse communities? This challenge explores ways to reduce emissions, improve mobility equity, and rethink how people and goods move through cities and regions.
Advances SDG #9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG #11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG #13 (Climate Action)
Health equity & wellbeing 🩺
How might we address systemic barriers that prevent individuals and communities from achieving equitable health outcomes? This challenge focuses on access to care, social determinants of health, prevention, and community-centred approaches to wellbeing.
Advances SDG #1 (No Poverty), SDG #3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG #10 (Reduced Inequalities)
Sustainability education & Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 👩🏫
How might we integrate sustainability knowledge, skills, and values into education systems so learners are equipped to address environmental, social, and economic challenges? This challenge focuses on curriculum design, educator support, experiential learning, and embedding sustainability across formal and informal learning environments.
Advances SDG #4 (Quality Education), SDG #12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG #13 (Climate Action)
Food justice & sustainable food systems 🍎
How might we build food systems that are equitable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable? This challenge looks at food access, affordability, food security, supply chains, and community-driven solutions that ensure everyone can access healthy, culturally appropriate food.
Advances SDG #2 (Zero Hunger), SDG #10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG #12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
Circular economy & responsible consumption ♻️
How might we shift from a linear “take–make–waste” model to a circular economy that reduces waste and maximizes value? This challenge focuses on reuse, repair, recycling, sustainable design, and responsible consumption and production.
Advances SDG #12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG #9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG #13 (Climate Action)
What to expect:
Collaborative, interdisciplinary teamwork
Hands-on problem-solving using design thinking and lean methods
Mentor support from experts in subject matter, business models, design, and pitching
Rapid prototyping and solution development
Final presentations and pitches to a panel of judges
Participants will work toward impactful solutions and pitch their ideas for a chance to win awards totaling $4500.
Global Goals Jam Canada 2026 Agenda
7:45–8:00 | Pre-Event Networking & Settle In
8:00–8:20 | Breakfast & Meet Your Team
8:20–8:45 | Opening Remarks, Welcome & Jam Overview
Opening remarks from Jonathan Hack, Dean, Centennial Innovates8:45–9:00 | Team-Building Activities
9:00–9:05 | Refreshment Break
9:05–9:30 | Keynote: Designing Change in Your Community
Keynote presentation by Samantha Casey, Changemaker, Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 recipient, Co-founder of Climate Hope Lab and Community Climate Council.9:30–9:55 | Panel Discussion: Changemaking for Complex Challenges
Moderated by keynote speaker Samantha Casey.Dr. Purnima Tyagi, Director, Wearable, Interactive and Mobile Technologies in Health (WIMTACH) and Social Innovation, Centennial College
Dr. Wenzi Ckurshumova, Associate Director, Applied Research and Innovation, Centennial College
Lilian Cardoso, Executive Chef, The Local Restaurant, Café and Event Centre, Centennial College
Dr. Lorraine Fraser, Professor, The School of Business, Faculty of Global Business and Creative Industries, Centennial College
Vicky Huang, Knowledge Mobiliation & COIE Lead, Centennial College
9:55–10:20 | Problem Identification
Mentors available10:20–11:00 | Empathy Mapping & “How Might We” Opportunities
Mentors available11:00–11:30 | Lunch & Learn: SDGs Deep Dive Interactive
Keynote by Steve Lee, Founder, Finance Engage Sustain (FES; formerly Foundation for Environmental Stewardship)11:30–11:45 | 1-Minute Problem & Opportunity Share
11:45–12:15 | Value Proposition Canvas
Mentors available12:15–2:00 | Sustainable Business Model Canvas
Mentors available2:00–2:05 | Refreshment Break
2:05–2:15 | COIE Upcoming Programs
2:15–3:15 | Story, Pitch & Slides Development
Mentors available3:15–4:00 | Practice, Practice, Practice!
Mentors available; COIE Virtual Reality (VR) Pitching Lab available.4:00–5:45 | Pitch Presentations & Judging
5:45–6:00 | Awards Ceremony, Group Photo & Closing
Meet Your Mentors
At every Jam, we are proud and grateful to have the support of a diverse network of ecosystem and industry experts to serve as Mentors throughout the Jam. Meet your mentors:
Wintta Ghebreiyesus — Founder & CEO, Moon Trades Technologies
Jin Li — Professor, Centennial College
Marisol Fornoni — Project Manager, Scadding Court Community Centre
Joyce Lee — Founder (HerPossibillity) & Senior Project Manager (Ontario Public Service)
Duncan So — Director, Burnout Recovery Accelerator
Lorraine Fraser — Professor, Centennial College
Julian DiCarlantonio-Powell — Executive Director, Music Share for Seniors
Mark Donaldson — Founder & CEO, Quantuity Analytics
Yaw Sarkodie — Growth Consultant, OCAD University
Alison Solis — Teaching Assistant & Graduate Student, Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University
Dihan Chandra — Managing Director, The Spent Goods Company
Helen Platis — Managing Director, A Poke In the Brain
Jagtar Singh — Founder & CEO, TGCC
Zavosh Zaboliyan — Co-Founder & CEO, Aurmada
Christal Duncan — Founder & CEO, Brave Soles; Advisor, Social Ventures Zone, TMU
Farhan Zia — Director, Incubator Programs, TMU
Samantha Casey — Co-Founder, Climate Hope Lab
Meet Your Judges
Our esteemed panel of judges will be evaluating our teams' solutions and pitches to decide our Jam winners. We are honoured to have our judging panel with:
Jonathan Hack, Dean, Centennial Innovates - Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Centennial College
David Ip Yam, Associate Vice-President, Student Experience, Centennial College
Damian Goulbourne, Dean, Faculty of Global Business and Creative Industries, Centennial College
Veronique Henry, Dean, Faculty of Integrated Health and Community Care, Centennial College
Meera Mather, Dean, Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Industry Training, Centennial College
Clarence Cheung, Chair, Sustainable Design & Renewable Energy (SDRE), Centennial College
Courtney Cole, Director, Innovation and Industry Partnerships, York University
Samantha Casey, Co-Founder, Climate Hope Lab & Community Climate Council
Who can join?
The Global Goals Jam Canada is open to all! Spots are limited so register early — should seats fill up, priority will be given to Centennial students, alumni, staff and faculty members.
You may register as a single participant or as a team, if you already have a group of 4-10 people in mind. People who register as individuals will be placed into a team based on their preferred challenge theme.
💡 Why join Global Goals Jam?
Build hands-on innovation and problem-solving skills for complex challenges
Learn leading-edge entrepreneurial methodologies such as design thinking
Practice pitching, teamwork, and collaborative changemaking
Strengthen your resume and LinkedIn profile
Compete for awards, recognition, and prizes
🌱 What happens after the event?
Receive ongoing mentorship from COIE
Refine your idea into a real venture
Access COIE Demo Day Winter 2026 and other pitch competitions
Explore pathways to funding, incubation, and startup support
To create meaningful change, collaboration must go beyond conversation. The Global Goals Jam creates a space where people from all backgrounds can contribute local knowledge and lived experience, fostering a bottom-up, grassroots approach to innovation.
Still have questions?
We've got you! We're holding three Pre-Jam FAQ & Information Sessions before the Jam: