In his book “The Rainforest”, Victor Hwang states that true innovation does not comes from raw economic ingredients such as land, labour, capital or technology. It comes instead from patterns of behaviour at the individual level – in other words, from culture. The right culture can change everything. From boardrooms to classrooms, from work shops to coffee shops — when people embrace a culture of collaboration and innovation, every idea and every conversation matters. The way that people interact at the micro level affects outcomes at the macro level.

Windsor-Essex needs to embrace and nurture this kind of cultural change. We need to change the conversation.

IF Windsor-Essex is an enabling organization that connects the education, health, government and corporate sectors with applied research, education, physical space and the entrepreneurial community in Southwest Ontario. Our purpose is to facilitate and support the rapid emergence of our region as a nationally-recognized incubator of innovations, solutions and new businesses that build on our strengths and drive the future of commerce.

IF Windsor-Essex will act as a catalyst for the kind of positive, disruptive and visionary change that results from a community-driven creative ecosystem. We will foster a culture of collaboration, sharing and innovation in which solutions to problems and opportunities can take root and grow. We will be a “clearinghouse” for ideas and a central hub for connecting people, ideas and resources, all with a view to creating a better place in which to live and work.