Welcome to the March edition of Our Innovators & Explorers. In this issue, we will share some wonderful student experiences, including working with professional actors, meeting a published author, and getting their own stories published!

Brain Power’s CEO, Vanessa Iarocci, has been nominated for the 32nd annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards!  These prestigious awards celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and leaders of non-profit organizations. CONGRATULATIONS, VANESSA!

Watch Brain Power’s resident enigmatologist, Stacy Costa, talk about her best puzzle-solving tricks on Breakfast Television!

Welcome to the February edition of Our Innovators & Explorers. In this issue, we are thrilled to introduce you to three remarkable Brain Power students and provide you with an update on the exciting developments taking place across Brain Power!

Our alumni, students and faculty are making a significant impact every day! Check out their recent achievements!

Did you know that our alumni, students and faculty are making a significant impact every day? We’re excited to introduce this digital newsletter showcasing their achievements.

On December 21, 2021,  Dr. Karine Rashkovsky, Founder and Director of Brain Power, received the Order of Vaughan, which “recognizes individuals who have been influential in shaping our city and contributed to the greater good of the community.” At the ceremony, Karine accepted her award from Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, and several Brain Power alumni presented heartfelt speeches about their journeys through the years with Brain Power. See the video below!

Congratulations to Dr. Karine Rashkovsky for winning the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year at the CSPN Leadership Awards Gala! She shared the stage with impressive winners in other categories – leaders from Microsoft Canada, FedEX, Hyundai Canada, Ontario Public Services, Apotex and more. She was recognized for the customer-centric culture fostered at Brain Power and the incredible line-up of enrichment programming we provide to bright and talented youth from across the GTA (and even out of province!). CONGRATULATIONS, KARINE!

On November 7, Brain Power founder and director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky, attended the City MOGULS charity event. The event raised over $150,000! Proceeds from the event went to support youth at Covenant House Toronto, which works to improve youth’s access to primary health care services in addition to mental health and addiction counselling. Karine was selected by City MOGULS as a leader and entrepreneur on a mission to make an impact and change the ways in which we do business. She is providing solutions to our city’s problems...

Brain Power was deemed a top business in Vaughan for 2019 at the Chamber of Commerce Awards. Our founder and director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured), attended the ceremony. Brain Power is thrilled to have made it to Top 3 in the City of Vaughan two years in a row now! We feel privileged to be part of this community!

On March 28, two Brain Power Language Arts and Public Speaking students, Andy Gong and Lauren Koek, competed in Speaker’s Idol 2019!  Andy and Lauren were in the Top 5 in all of Ontario for the Grades 9-12 category! What an achievement! Andy Gong placed 3rd in all of Ontario that evening with his amazing speech! Many Brain Power students and staff attended the event to cheer on Andy and Lauren!’ CONGRATULATIONS, ANDY AND LAUREN! Andy and Karine Lauren and Karine

Brain Power’s Founder & Director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left and below), was honoured by the City of Vaughan at the Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards. She was selected (by a panel of judges) as one of the city’s three Top Entrepreneurs Under 40 for 2018! A delegation of Brain Power staff (pictured below) attended the gala to celebrate this achievement! Pictured below (left to right): Jason Boulet, Dara Greaves, Rosanna Tsang, Fania and Reuven Rashkovsky, Karine Rashkovsky, Hannah Merchant, Katherine Griffin,...

Brain Power is honoured to have been selected as the winner of the ClimateWise Passion into Practice Award for 2018! The ClimateWise Passion into Practice award is presented to a business that has demonstrated a holistic, integrated approach to embedding sustainability principles throughout their own operations, as well as the products or services they provide to customers and/or partners. Brain Power received the award on May 31st at the 2018 ClimateWise Evening of Recognition at which our very own Dr. Karine Rashkovsky acted as an MC! We...

Brain Power’s Founder and Director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left), considers her two most significant achievements to be the role she has played as a young female entrepreneur and the role she has played in inspiring other businesses and young business-leaders to be values-driven. She has been nominated several times by the Royal Bank of Canada’s Women Entrepreneur Awards (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) the premier national awards program celebrating the achievements of the most successful female entrepreneurs across the country. In 2014 she received...

Two of Brain Power’s Public Speaking students won top places in the 2018 Speakers Idol competition (in Ontario)! This year’s contestants were asked to reflect on Simon Wiesenthal’s statement that “Freedom of speech is not freedom to propagate hatred.” Our very own Sam Gorman and Cora Usurelu (pictured below) placed FIRST and SECOND in the competition (respectively)! Another of our students, Diviya Leonard, placed in the top five! Congratulations, Sam, Cora, and Diviya! To see them speak, CLICK HERE (and scroll down the page)...

In 2017, Brain Power Public Speaking students attended the Speakers Idol (provincial) finals at the Toronto Centre for the Arts … and one of them won second place! Congratulations to our public speaking student, Caroline Cui (pictured left), for placing second in the 2017 Speaker’s Idol (provincial) competition! Three other Brain Power students made it to the semi-finals: Alexandra Garber, Lev Raizman, and Alicia Kogan. We are proud of all the Brain Power students who participated!

In 2016, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left), Founder and Director of Brain Power, was nominated for the Order of Vaughan. Karine’s nomination was supported by letters of reference from Bill Fisch, former CEO and Chair of York Region and Dr. Sandra Schecter, full professor (and former graduate studies director) at York University’s Faculty of Education. What an honour! Congratulations, Karine! At Brain Powers opening gala, in the foreground: Bill Fisch (far left), Karine (second from left), and Sandra Schecter (far right).

In 2016, Brain Power’s Founder and Director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left), was nominated (and received the highest number of votes) for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year in Ontario (Notable), which recognized her creation of innovative solutions to the problems of both status-quo-proliferating education and accessibility to top-caliber programs for high-achieving students. `Congratulations, Karine!

In 2014, Brain Power won an honours award in the Canada Green Building Council Envirosculpt Competition for our “Re-Think” Upcycle Brain Sculpture! Brain Power’s HQ original construction consisted entirely of recycled, non-toxic, local materials (including pressed-juice box walls instead of drywall and reclaimed cotton jeans instead of typical fiberglass insulation). Our leftover construction materials were up-cycled by the students into a giant 8’x 8’ brain sculpture titled “Re-Think,” which used to grace the entranceway of Brain Power. ...

In 2013, Brain Power’s Founder and Director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky, was awarded the Stevie Award for Canadian Female Entrepreneur of the Year and International Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Consumer Services. The Stevie Awards recognize the accomplishments of women in business. Karine was selected from a pool of over 1,200 entries from individuals and organizations in 16 nations. We’re so proud of you, Karine!