Joining forces with the Avatar program for industry change

Many sectors and companies are working to address climate change. At Cenovus Energy, we are committed to doing our part, releasing ambitious climate & greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. And now we have teamed up with Avatar Innovations to further accelerate the advancement and commercialization of new decarbonization technologies through entrepreneurship and collaboration.

“The Avatar Program begins with the 12- week Ignite process where participants will explore information on energy transition technologies while building skills as energy leaders who will shape our energy future,” explains Wafa Kadri, Cenovus Manager of Social Investment. “We saw a lot of potential in the collaborative nature of this program and it closely aligns with our company’s priorities. That’s why we’re to be a proud major partner in helping to deliver the program in 2022.”

As part of our partnership, Cenovus has 13 employees participating in Ignite, where teams of participants will work through different modules until they finally pitch their energy transition solution to a Shark Tank-style panel of Canadian industry's most senior executives. The best of those projects will be selected for the next step of the program, Accelerator, where innovations will be implemented and further tested. Cenovus’s Innovation Gateway team will also play a big part in the Ignite phase, serving as members of the advisory committee and acting as team coaches and mentors along the way.

“At Cenovus we encourage our staff to foster new and innovative solutions, and we have a lot of talented people with the skills to make a difference,” says Pam Bouchard, Cenovus Director of Talent. “Through this program, we are able to potentially fast track environmental solutions and our employees will come out stronger, with a wider range of skills.”

One of the goals of the Avatar partnership is to bring together diverse perspectives to tackle the challenge of decarbonization. With this in mind, we have sponsored five Indigenous participants from across Canada to participate in Ignite to ensure the program has the benefit of a diverse range of views, opinions and innovative ideas from the beginning.

“The 2022 Avatar Ignite program is especially exciting as it marks the launch of our energy transition and entrepreneurship curriculum and we look forward to seeing what innovations come out of this phase,” says Kevin Krausert, CEO, Avatar Innovations. “By partnering with Cenovus, we are tapping innovative minds familiar with energy issues from within industry, while developing the leaders and technology for the future.”

LAST UPDATED: MARCH 2022