Clean50 Has a New Partner: Mackenzie Investments supports both the R&D Category and Small Organizations Who Need Assistance Participating in the Clean50 Summit

At the Clean50, we have always been super proud of the fact that 100% of our Clean50 Champions / Sponsors have come on board AFTER they have first participated in a Clean50 Summit, and Mackenzie Investments is no different. Mackenzie’s SVP and Head of Sustainability, Fate Saghir, , was part of last year’s Clean50, and found great value in the conversations she had at the Summit. That inspired her to reach out to our Executive Director, to ask how Mackenzie could help, and then engaged Mackenzie to support our efforts going forward, especially in recognizing those inventing climate change solutions in the R&D Category.  “We all know the way out of this dire situation is going to include finding new technologies to help humanity dramatically cut and ultimately reverse carbon pollution” she says, “and that’s why helping Canadian researchers gain attention is so important”.   

Support for Smaller Organizations Pursuing Clean50 Awards: Last year the Clean50 became aware that, even though the majority of the organizations we recognize, based on both past execution at scale and their future ability to collaborate at scale, can readily afford the travel and accommodation costs of sending a Clean50 winner to the Summit, there are some organizations who are actually delivering scale sized impacts, but for whom the costs of participation would be a hardship or make it impossible. 

“Mackenzie wants to make sure that no deserving person or organization is left off the Clean50 list because they can’t afford to make it to the Summit”, Fate commented. “There is so much value in the relationships one can form at the Summit that could be powerful in helping such organizations increase their impact and find new partners – it would be tragic if the cost of travel was prohibitive”.

Clean50 Executive Director Gavin Pitchford is thankful:  “We had some learnings around this issue last cycle, and I am so pleased that we can act this year to reduce the burden on smaller, less well financed, but still impactful organizations, and we’re hugely grateful to Fate and Mackenzie for their support in enabling us to help address this challenge”.

The funding provided by Mackenzie will enable the Clean50 to reimburse a small number of qualifying small organizations for up to $1,000 towards their transportation and accommodation costs. Organizations whose employees or projects are deemed to be finalists for a Clean50 Award and who need funding in order to confirm their commitment to attend the Summit will be able to apply for the funding on a streamlined questionnaire, and receive a quick response. 

Fate and Gavin both hope the funding will encourage smaller organizations to pursue the Clean50 Awards for which they are nominated.