We are happy to announce our expert guest judges lineup for Applied Research & Innovation Day on April 5, 2018.
These judges will join some 200 guests from industry during the event’s Keynote Luncheon to rank the top student applied research projects, with over $3,000 up for grabs.  
Richard Cloutier
Richard Cloutier is co-host of the News on 680 CJOB, 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays and senior reporter Global News. Richard started at CJOB in December 1992. He has a passion for story-telling on all platforms, radio, digital and television.
Richard was born and raised in St Norbert, cutting his teeth in the job market at age 10 pumping gas for his dad at Cloutier Motors.
He also worked for his older brother Curtis at Roadshow Sound. The DJ days brought out a love for music and performing.
After political studies at the University of Manitoba and journalism at Carleton University, Richard did short stints in newspapering in Ottawa and Hamilton. CJOB was going to be a job for a few years but he fell in love with the sounds, the stories and interaction with Manitobans.  It’s so much fun working with some of the best journalists and story-tellers in the business.
Richard’s proudest achievement is his three children. His two daughters are each working on their second degrees in university and his son is working in the financial industry in Toronto.
Richard loves the arts, football, hockey and is still a work in progress at running and golf. Reading is a passion. You will find him at WPG Cycle spinning at 6 a.m.  Favourite saying: “Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it” Ferris Bueller
Jeff Ryzner
Jeff Ryzner has been helping companies successfully commercialize technology for more than 20 years. He is a founding partner of three technology startups, including HealthLink Technologies, a top-tier SaaS solution for healthcare facilities in North America.
Jeff is an active mentor, working with companies of all sizes, all over the world.
His volunteer work with Futurpreneur earned him the award for Manitoba Business Mentor of the Year in 2011 and the BDC Mentorship Award for Canada in 2015.
As President of North Forge Technology Exchange, Jeff is leading a winning team that has introduced numerous new programs and resources that are accessible to entrepreneurs all across Manitoba.  In 2016 Jeff accepted both the prairie regional and national awards for Entrepreneur Support from Startup Canada.
Prior to joining North Forge Technology Exchange, Jeff served as president of The Eureka Project, Manitoba’s largest and most successful technology incubation program.
Tracey Maconachie
Tracey is an ambassador for business, with more than 25 years’ experience in both industry and leading a non-profit organization.
Passionate about building a Manitoba that creates success for all Manitobans. A relationship builder with strong interpersonal skills that has resulted in successful partnerships with businesses, government, community leaders, and non-profit organizations.
As the President of the Bioscience Association Manitoba, Tracey has established the Association as the voice of the bioscience and life science community, while working to anticipate and meet the needs of BAM’s members.
In all that she does, she has four cornerstone objectives in mind: connecting of people, information and ideas; building human resource capacity; facilitating a strong business development climate for members; and advocating for Manitoba’s businesses.