Honouring outstanding contributions in Newfoundland and Labrador
Honourees from left: Wayne Quilty, Dr. Ray Gosine, Paul Mills, Dave King, Tara Jackson-van Haaren, Dr. Gary Thompson, Marie Curtis (on behalf of Paula Mendonça), Randal Power.
From the Springboard Content Lab
Springboard Atlantic hosted a showcase in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador to celebrate our 20th anniversary and to shine a spotlight on the individuals who have left a significant footprint on the innovation ecosystem and driven economic growth in the province.
Together, these leaders have transformed ideas into impact and positioned Atlantic Canada as a true hub of innovation.
Dr. Paula Mendonça – Executive Director of the Ocean Startup Project
Paula Mendonça has left a mark in the research commercialization ecosystem in Newfoundland and Labrador and on the Springboard Network which she joined in 2007.
Paula first came to St.John’s from Portugal in 2002 to do her PhD in biology at Memorial. When she completed her research, she became interested in how research in general could make an impact on communities and the economy around us.
She was appointed as Memorial’s first Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship where she took leadership roles supporting intellectual property education and fostering partnerships between Memorial and the private sector.
In 2024, Paula was appointed Executive Director of the Ocean Startup Project which is dedicated to supporting and accelerating ocean technology startups, helping them bring innovative solutions to market and contributing to the growth of the blue economy.
We honour Paula for her passion for transforming research into real-world applications which have contributed so much to the Springboard Network and the economy of Atlantic Canada
Wayne Quilty – Director of Partnerships, Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement at the College of the North Atlantic (CNA)
With 35 years of experience in economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador, Wayne has held leadership roles with federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations governments.
As a former field manager of ACOA and in his role at CNA Wayne has been extensively involved in industry and community engagement and a valued member of the Springboard Network.
Wayne has mentored entrepreneurs through start-up and business expansion processes, and developed strategic partnerships between industry, applied research and funding partners.
At CNA, Wayne has been instrumental in mobilizing game-changing technologies like the Hyperspectral Scanning Unit which is a mobile imaging technology that scans mining and exploration sites to provide data on minerals in local geology.
We are pleased to recognize Wayne for his significant contributions to the Newfoundland and Labrador innovation ecosystem for almost four decades.
Dave King – Springboard Atlantic visionary
Dave King is considered by many to be the “Father” of Springboard Atlantic.
More than 20 years ago, Dave had an idea to build a collaborative network of post-secondary institutions that would connect academia, government, and the private sector to foster innovation in Atlantic Canada.
Dave played a key role in unifying the original group of universities and ACOA around the idea of creating one regional voice to grow innovation and technology transfer in the region.
After the original “Allantech” network was formed, this collaboration expanded to include public colleges in the region and was rebranded to Springboard Atlantic.
At that time Dave was head of Memorial University’s Genesis Group which included the Genesis Centre which supported many of Newfoundland and Labrador’s top tech startups – including Verafin, which sold for nearly $3-billion U.S.
Following his retirement from Memorial, Dave assumed the role of Dean of Business at the College of the North Atlantic’s Qatar campus.
Dave’s vision and dedication to fostering partnerships and guiding researchers toward commercialization have been instrumental in building the strong innovation ecosystem we see today.
Paul Mills – Retired ACOA Vice President
Paul has dedicated over three decades to shaping this province’s innovation landscape, in a public service career that culminated in his role as Vice-President of ACOA NL.
His impact can be seen in both the public and private sectors, where he has worked passionately to foster a thriving tech ecosystem.
As ACOA’s corporate innovation champion, Paul was instrumental in making a compelling business case for Springboard Atlantic.
Working with Dave King and other ACOA leaders, they built and defended the Springboard model within the federal system and ensured the program’s success through multiple renewal phases.
This was no small feat—Paul’s dedication ensured that this vision took root and gained traction across Atlantic Canada.
Beyond Springboard, Paul’s legacy also includes his role in formulating ACOA’s innovation and commercialization programs, such as the impactful Atlantic Innovation Fund.
These programs have provided critical support for both institutional and private sector applied sciences, guiding countless research projects and industry advancements in our region.
Ray Gosine – Associate Vice President (Research) Memorial University
Dr. Ray Gosine is an inspiring leader whose work in intelligent systems, robotics and automation has transformed both academia and industry.
Ray is Associate Vice-President (Research) and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Memorial University.
Throughout his long career, he also served as dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and Vice-President (Research) Pro Tempore.
Ray is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers; Engineers Canada; and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s program in Innovation, Equity and the Future of Prosperity.
He has served on Springboard’s board of directors, supporting the Network in fostering an entrepreneurial culture at Memorial.
Ray’s commitment to student mentorship has supported countless young entrepreneurs, sparking start-ups and innovation across the region.
Today, he collaborates with colleagues at Memorial, as well as the University of Toronto where he is a Senior Associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
Some of his leading-edge research relates to automation and digitalization in underground mining and offshore industries.
His work anticipates the future of Canadian industry and seeks to harness technology’s power responsibly and sustainably.
Tara Jackson-van Haaren – Administrative Officer, College of the North Atlantic
Tara Jackson-van Haaren is the Administrative Officer with Applied Research and Innovation. In this role, Tara coordinates the delivery and maintenance of research administration associated with projects within the Office of Applied Research and its College Innovation Network.
She regularly liaises with all facets of College operations (Finance, HR, Procurement, Marketing and more!) to monitor for compliance with College policies and procedures; maintains project information and updates accordingly; and collates key metrics to support the reporting process.
Tara first joined College of the North Atlantic in 2007, working for Customized and Continuous Learning in various roles. In 2009, Tara began her role as Administrative Officer with Applied Research giving her ten years of experience with this office.
Tara is an alumni of College of the North Atlantic, graduating with the President’s Medal in Business Management/Human Resources diploma program at Grand Falls-Windsor. She then completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at Memorial University.
Dr. Gary Thompson – Dean, School of Sustainable Development, College of the North Atlantic
Dr. Thompson has been involved in the mining and mineral exploration industry undertaking applied research in the Newfoundland and Labrador for the past 13 years. He has 25 years of national and international research experience, has published in respected international journals and is a registered professional geoscientist.
He continues to work extensively with all sectors of the mineral industry in Newfoundland and Labrador including industry partners, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mines and Energy Branch, and Memorial University.
Gary currently is leading a 3 year project with Anaconda Mining and Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation on Improving Methods for Grade Determination and Ore Characterization, exploring Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry applications and is developing new methods of using Hyperspectral Imaging technology for mineral exploration. In 2019 Gary was named Geoscientist of the Year by the CIM-NL branch.
In 2019, he helped establish the Center for Innovative Mining Solutions (CIMS) at the College which includes key personnel, an Applied Mineralogy Laboratory, a Mineral Processing laboratory and the Hyperspectral Scanning Unit (HSU). The HSU is multi-million dollar project supported by a team of scientists and support staff to advance hyperspectral research for the mining industry in Atlantic Canada. It includes a purpose built VNIR-SWIR-MWIR and LWIR mobile scanning laboratory capable of scanning 1000 m of diamond drill core per day.
Randal Power – Mechanical Engineering Technology, College of the North Atlantic
Randal is a graduate of Memorial University’s Engineering Program with a B.Eng. in mechanical engineering (2005) and an M.Eng. specialized towards engineering design and corrosion research (2007).
With a personal philosophy that it is best for an engineer to have as many technical skills as possible, Randal has embraced CAD design for product and process optimization and 3D scanning and printing technologies.
These skills have been applied to the technical challenges routinely presented while working within the Office of Applied Research and Innovation at the College of the North Atlantic where detailed design and problem solving are matched industry challenges.