McGill names Angelique Manella new ‘AVP of Innovation’


McGill University has hired Angelique Manella as its first associate vice-principal of innovation, a move the school is making “to enact change from within.”

Manella comes to McGill after several years working within Montreal’s non-profit tech sphere. She took office at her new position on Monday and will oversee McGill’s “innovation agenda.”

The computer programmer, social entrepreneur, marketing strategist and business developer told the McGill Reporter’s Kathryn Jezer-Morton that driving change in an institution like McGill will be a challenge.

“A culture of innovation and entrepreneurship involves collectively committing to audacious goals and having the drive to achieve them with excellence,” says Mannella. “It also very much involves moving quickly, embracing change, and adapting in order to generate as much value as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Mannella’s track record of building on interesting ideas for social good likely played a role in McGill’s decision to hire her. She founded Decode Global in 2012 with seed funding from phone giant Nokia, the company she previously worked for. Decode Global developed mobile games designed to teach kids about global issues.

In Get Water! players help a young girl collect potable water on the small island where she lives. The game teaches players about the impacts of climate change on low-lying island nations, as well as the impact of young girls being forced to drop out of school.

According to the Reporter, Mannella recently collaborated with Concordia University on Arcade Our Way, a research project on game design with an all-female team consisting of teens, undergraduates, graduate students and gaming professionals. The team is creating a “counter-narrative game about alternative leadership models.”

If that wasn’t enough, Mannella has been working with the infoDev group at the World Bank, supporting digital entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives in the Caribbean and African markets in Kenya, South Africa and Senegal.

Now she’ll lead a new position at a university that doubtless possesses a massive number of bright students who’s ideas and research can always be better-nurtured.

“McGill has a duty to ask hard questions about local and global problems – and it is in a privileged position to act,” said Mannella. “The research is what makes any kind of innovation agenda possible,” she said. “The innovation agenda isn’t about a path to millions – it’s about finding the most impact for your discovery.”

According to the Reporter, the position Mannella steps into is relatively new among North American universities.

“Similar positions have been created at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, the University of Maryland, and at MIT. Currently, York University and the University of Ottawa are in the process of creating innovation-focused positions within senior administration,” wrote the Reporter.

“Students are demanding more opportunities to develop entrepreneurship skills,” Mannella told the paper. “This is part of the response to that.”

Photo by CBC.ca.

Share48
Tweet
+1
Share
48 Shares

16 Comments

Add yours
  1. 1
    tinyurl.com

    you’re truly a excellent webmaster. The site loading
    velocity is amazing. It seems that you are doing any distinctive trick.
    Moreover, The contents are masterwork. you’ve performed a magnificent task on this
    topic!

  2. 3
    plenty of fish dating site

    Thank you for every other informative web site. The place else may just I get that kind of info written in such an ideal method?

    I’ve a undertaking that I am just now running on, and I have been at the look out for such info.

  3. 4
    quest bars cheap

    I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or
    did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to create my
    own blog and would like to know where u got this from. thank you

  4. 6
    ps4 games

    Definitely imagine that which you stated. Your favorite justification appeared to be
    on the internet the easiest thing to take into account of.
    I say to you, I certainly get annoyed even as other people consider concerns that they
    plainly don’t recognize about. You managed to
    hit the nail upon the highest as neatly as defined out the entire thing with
    no need side effect , folks can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more.
    Thanks

  5. 8
    ps4 games

    Thanks for another informative web site. Where else may just I am
    getting that kind of information written in such an ideal means?

    I’ve a challenge that I’m simply now running on, and I have been on the look out for such
    info.

  6. 9
    quest bars cheap

    I was more than happy to discover this website. I need
    to to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!!

    I definitely really liked every bit of it and I have you saved
    to fav to check out new information in your web site.

  7. 10
    quest bars cheap

    hello!,I really like your writing very so much!
    proportion we be in contact more approximately your article on AOL?
    I need a specialist in this area to unravel my problem.
    Maybe that’s you! Taking a look ahead to see you.

  8. 11
    quest bars cheap coupon twitter

    It’s amazing to go to see this website and reading the views of all mates regarding this
    piece of writing, while I am also zealous of getting experience.

  9. 13
    quest bars cheap

    I got this web site from my friend who shared with me on the topic of this site and now this time I am visiting this web page and reading
    very informative posts at this time.

  10. 14
    ps4 games

    Hi, I do believe this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to return yet again since
    I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to
    guide other people.

  11. 15
    ps4 games

    I absolutely love your blog.. Great colors & theme. Did you build this web site yourself?

    Please reply back as I’m looking to create my very own website and would like to learn where you
    got this from or just what the theme is named.
    Kudos!

+ Leave a Comment