SF4C Ontario InnovEAT Hackathon Empowers the Next Generation of Food Innovators

The SF4C Guelph InnovEAT Hackathon brought together students, mentors, and community partners for a multi-day, hands-on learning experience focused on tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our food systems. 

Designed to spark collaboration, creativity, and bold thinking, InnovEAT 2025 centred on developing sustainable solutions to challenges shaped by climate change, food insecurity, nutrition, and supply chain resilience. Over the course of the event, 47 students representing seven institutions and 21 academic programs worked in interdisciplinary teams to transform ideas into actionable solutions. 

Day 1: Building the Foundation 

The first day of InnovEAT focused on grounding students in design thinking and collaborative problem-solving. 

Emcee Tyler Zemlak (Research Innovation Office, University of Guelph) opened the event by encouraging participants to embrace discomfort as part of the innovation process, setting the tone for a day centred on curiosity, openness, and growth. 

Through a series of interactive workshops, Jonathan Parkes (Lang School of Business and Economics) guided students through key design thinking approaches, including identifying current versus desired states, active listening, stakeholder analysis, empathy mapping, and challenge framing. These sessions helped teams build a deep understanding of their assigned challenges and the communities connected to them. 

Students then moved into ideation, led by Jeanna Rex (Arrell Food Institute), where they explored a wide range of possible solutions before refining their ideas using an impact versus resource capacity lens. This process encouraged teams to balance ambition with feasibility, identifying solutions that could deliver both immediate and long-term impact. 

To close the day, Aaron Misener (Arrell Food Institute) led participants through implementation planning. Using decision matrixes and early-stage prototyping methods, teams began translating their ideas into tangible concepts, setting the stage for development and presentation on day two. 

Day 2: From Ideas to Impact 

Building on this foundation, teams spent the second day refining their solutions and preparing to present their work in a final pitch showcase. 

Projects were evaluated by a panel of judges, with teams demonstrating not only innovative thinking, but also a strong understanding of real-world application and impact. 

The team representing Ontario AgriBusiness Association was awarded first place, while the team working with The Sharing Place Orillia earned second. Across all presentations, students demonstrated creativity, critical thinking, and a clear commitment to advancing more sustainable and equitable food systems. 

Among the standout contributions were projects led by University of Guelph geography students. Ummay Huni Sumi and Md (Zion) Bodruddoza, in collaboration with OMAFRA, developed AgriAdapt Ontario, a concept designed to support farmers in taking meaningful, sustainable climate action.

Ekow Ashun-Stone and Manjurul Islam, working with The Sharing Place Food Centre, created a Local Food Systems Dashboard to help map and strengthen community-based food networks. These projects reflect the systems-level thinking and applied innovation that InnovEAT is designed to foster. 

Training and Connecting for a Food Future 

InnovEAT reflects SF4C’s core mission to train and connect with the next generation of innovators in the food sector. By pairing students with real-world challenges and community partners, the program creates space for meaningful, applied learning that bridges the gap between academic knowledge and practical action. 

SF4C extends its sincere thanks to the many individuals and organizations who made InnovEAT possible. The dedication of community partners, mentors, judges, and facilitators created an environment where students felt supported to think boldly, collaborate deeply, and take meaningful steps toward impact. 

Special thanks to event sponsor Farm Credit Canada for their support in bringing InnovEAT to life. 

For more information on the partners, judges, facilitators, mentors, and challenges, check out the pre-event page: 2025 InnovEAT: Hacking Sustainable Solutions to Challenges of Climate Change