Innovation North is a research-practice initiative focused on tackling complex management challenges using a systems-based approach. Our team is made up of researchers from the Ivey Business School, led by Dr. Tima Bansal. Because we work as researchers rather than consultants, we’re able to think bigger—moving beyond the immediate, surface-level solutions people often gravitate toward to uncover deeper, systemic opportunities for change.
Our work is guided by the Compass, a tool co-created with our community of practice. Much like a physical compass helps explorers navigate unfamiliar terrain, Innovation North’s Compass helps organizations chart a course through growing complexity and disruption. This approach leads to stronger innovations, more effective organizations, thriving communities, and a healthier planet.
Student Challenge
Each year, Innovation North partners with a leading Canadian organization to deliver a Student Challenge. The aim is to bring together students from across Canada to learn about systems thinking through a real world, complex challenge.
The 2026 Student Challenge was delivered in partnership with ATCO Ventures on rethinking the future of homes in Canada. The Challenge reached 245 students representing 25 universities and colleges across Canada, of which nine teams were invited to the finals in Toronto.
Four teams across various categories received $5,000 prizes:
Holding Complexity – Awarded to an Ivey team (Stella Tian, Sally Yan, Jolene Xu, Shaamini Gopala Krishnan, and Bridget Yucheng Huang) for surfacing unresolved tensions within the housing system rather than oversimplifying them.
The Overlooked Perspective – Awarded to a University of British Columbia team (Rozina Khoja, Perry Lawrence, Brett Caswell, Noah Abajian, and Ishita Sharma) for highlighting voices and ways of seeing that are often absent from mainstream housing discourse.
The Inquiry That Changed Us – All of Us – Awarded to Jonathan Mendez-Young, Sahiba Chaudhry and Ben Reamico of the University of Calgary, Ankitha Raj Puthenpurakkal Ranjakumar of the University of Prince Edward Island, and Yessica Kurock of Université de Sherbrooke, for showing how deeply the work had changed their thinking.
Best Story Told – Awarded to the University of Waterloo team (Simran Singh, Mohamed Lateef, Katie Langille and Ananya Maheshwari) for mapping out a compelling story.
Innovation Projects
Through Innovation Projects, we co-create solutions to complex challenges by combining our partners' deep, context-specific expertise with our global, systems-level perspective. Together, we generate novel ideas and build lasting capabilities within organizations that endure beyond the project.
We’ve collaborated with organizations across business, government, and the non-profit sector in industries such as insurance, finance, agriculture, and construction. Projects usually span 6 months or more and start at $50k, depending on scope and complexity. Explore past projects on Innovation North's website.
Resources & Publications
Innovation North creates and publishes resources related to systems thinking on our website (innovationnorth.ca) and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram).
Articles about Innovation North and our Innovation Projects are regularly featured in the media and in academic journals. Recent features and publications include:
- Should Business Schools Be Trying Harder to Help Businesses? (Financial Times, November 2025)
- Why You Need Systems Thinking Now (Harvard Business Review, September 2025)
- 3 Systems-Related Business Skills That AI Can't Replace (Forbes, July 2025)
- Teaching A Systems Approach To Address The Sustainability Management Disconnect (Business & Society, March 2025)
- Sustainable Development At A Temporal Crossroads: Learning From The Past While Focusing On The Future (Journal of Business Research, March 2025)
Connect with Innovation North
To learn more about Innovation North or explore opportunities to work together, contact info@innovationnorth.ca.