Samsung Announces Judge Lineup for Samsung Canada’s “Solve for Tomorrow” 2022-2023 Contest

 Renowned inventor and STEM experts among judges of this year’s contest which inspires Canadian youth to enact real-world change

Samsung Canada is excited to announce the roster of judges for the 2022/23 Solve for Tomorrow Contest, an annual competition that encourages Canadian youth aged 16 to 25 to improve their local communities using STEM-based learning and Samsung technology.

The 2022/23 contest[1], which has been accepting submissions since November, equips individuals and teams with the tools and resources necessary for enacting positive change in areas spanning education, diversity, equity and inclusivity (DE&I), mental health and sustainability. With submissions open until January 31, 2023, interested youth have a few remaining weeks to enter their innovative solutions into the contest.

This year’s contest judges include notable personalities, subject matter experts and members of the Samsung Canada executive team. Read on to learn more about the distinguished individuals who will be evaluating the 2023 entries.

• Ann Makosinski, acclaimed inventor, entrepreneur, and aspiring writer. Since inventing the thermoelectric flashlight at age 14, Ann has gone on to be named one of Forbes Magazine’s30 Under 30, Glamour Magazine’s College Women of the Year, and Popular Science’s Young Inventor of the Year. Now at age 25, her mission is to help others find their own “inner” inventor.
• Francois Dufresne, President of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). With over 25 years of Canadian forestry industry experience, Dufresne has in-depth knowledge of environmental stewardship solutions and has played a key role in sustainable development initiatives involving forest management, forest certification and Canada’s First Nations.
• Rekha Rao-Mayya, Chief Executive Officer at Canada Learning Code, bringing accessible computer science to communities across Canada so everyone can create with technology. With an engineering degree in computer science, Rekha’s career spans several decades at organizations like Microsoft, Oracle and Amazon AWS. She finds joy in supporting STEM education for girls as well as providing forums that support, sponsor and nurture other women.
• Sean Schurr, Director of AboutKidsHealth, a world-class pediatric health website and education resource for patients and families at the Hospital for Sick Children. Sean is an active leader within the SickKids Community, and an expert at building online self-serve experiences, having previously held the role of Director of Customer Engagement at Rakuten-Kobo, the world’s fastest growing eReading service.

Ann, Francois, Sean and Rekha will also be joined by two Samsung Canada executives, Jennifer Groh, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing and Citizenship and  Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks.

In February, judges will select five finalists to receive a Samsung technology prize pack (valued at $5,000 MSRP) to further bring their solutions to life. The finalists will then move on to a final round of judging in April with video submissions of their ideas, where three grand-prize winners will receive additional Samsung technology and cash prizes (a combined value of $50,000 CAD).

To learn more about the annual competition and to submit an application before the January 31^st deadline, visit www.samsung.com/ca/solve.

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[1] Terms and Conditions apply. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest begins on Monday, November 21^st, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends on Sunday, April 30^th, 2023 EST, at 11:59 p.m. Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residents) who are between sixteen (16) years of age and twenty-five (25) years of age. No purchase necessary. You can enter the contest as an individual or as part of a team, with a maximum of three (3) individuals per team. One (1) entry per team and must be submitted in English. The Contest is divided into two phases. Phase One requires teams to submit a written entry through the registration link on samsung.com/ca/solve between Monday, November 21, 2022 12:01 a.m. EST and Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Five (5) Finalist teams will be selected on or about Wednesday, February 15, 2023 by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the selection criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of contest entries received during the Contest period. Each Finalist will receive a Technology Prize Pack with a total value of up to $5,000 (based on MSRP of the products) per team. During Phase Two, each Finalist team will be required to submit a video by Friday, March 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All eligible submissions received will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of votes cast by the judges received during the Final Judging periods. The three (3) grand prize Winners shall receive winning prizes consisting of the following elements based on their final place: First Place – $20,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque) plus $8,333 in Samsung Technology (based on MSRP value), Second Place $2,500 cash prize (by way of a cheque) plus $8,333 in Samsung Technology (based on MSRP value), Third Place – $2,500 cash prize (by way of a cheque) plus $8,333 in Samsung Technology (based on MSRP value). Must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question to win. For more information and a copy of the full Contest Terms and Conditions, visit samsung.com/ca/solve.