Jennifer Flanagan

For more than 25 years, Jennifer Flanagan has been a national leader and a force in changing the face of science, engineering, and technology in Canada. She is one of Canada’s leading experts in technology equity, STEM education, and diversity and inclusion. As the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Actua, she has redefined the future of STEM education and the science and technology workforce by empowering hundreds of thousands of young minds across Canada to reach their full potential. 

With her unparalleled understanding of emerging and in-demand technology coupled with her success as an entrepreneur and bold business leader, Jennifer has paved the way for an ever-growing national organization that prepares youth for the new economy while tearing down systemic barriers for those historically excluded from STEM. 

At the helm of Actua, Jennifer has raised tens of millions of dollars to build and support a national network encompassing over 40 universities and colleges, engaging 375,000 youth annually. The majority of those engaged are girls and young women, Indigenous youth, Black youth, those from rural and Arctic communities, and others facing socio-economic challenges. Her national thought leadership work and media presence have brought awareness and raised awareness about why equity in STEM matters. 

In addition to her system-changing work at Actua, Jennifer volunteers on many local, national, and international boards and also advises start-up organizations, all focused on gender equity, innovation, and the future of education. She currently sits on the boards of the University of New Brunswick and the Institute for Quantum Computing Canada. She is also an active girls’ hockey coach and works to promote girls and women in sports.

Jennifer has been named Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women on three separate occasions, is the esteemed recipient of the Y Women of Distinction Award in the Education and Training category, has been named one of Canada’s Top Forty Under 40 by the City of Ottawa, and was bestowed the prestigious RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur award in the Social Change category. In 2023, Jennifer received the International Bold Woman Award for Canada by Veuve Clicquot. She holds a BSc from the University of New Brunswick and an MBA from McGill University. Her outstanding contributions as an entrepreneur and champion for women in engineering and science were also acknowledged with an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Concordia University.

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