Alumni

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Demine Robotics: Where are they now?

Demine Robotics, a former Grebel Peace Incubator start-up stationed in both Cambodia and Canada, has left its mark around the world. With the goal of accelerating the clearance of landmine-infested land, Richard Yim, CEO & co-founder, Jared Baribeau, CTO & co-founder, have safeguarded 100,000 m2 (25 acres) of land containing explosive weapons in Cambodia.

Unmasking, Breathing, Moving Forward is the theme that runs through each of the pieces that have found a new home in the Grebel Gallery at the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement. Through contributions by a diverse group of sixteen Black, Indigenous, and racialized artists, the exhibit features pieces of various mediums that place a future lens on the reckonings of the past few years, asking how we take what we have experienced and learned to inform our collective path forward.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) starts from the ground-up. This is why community-based research is vital in working toward these 2030 goals, as outlined by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement has teamed up with the Centre for Community-Based Research (CCBR) to create resources on localizing the SDGs for grassroots communities, small start-ups, and community-based organizations.

As part of a thriving innovation ecosystem, the Grebel Peace Incubator at the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge beyond academia. Access to Mitacs funding and a diverse, collaborative network of innovators allows participants like Majid Mirza, Sean Campbell, and Brendan Wylie-Toal to pursue entrepreneurship and education at the same time, helping them bring their initiatives to market more efficiently and effectively. 

Co-founded in 2015 by Jessica Reesor-Rempel and Chris Brnjas, Pastors in Exile (PiE) was one of the Grebel Peace Incubator’s first participants. Seven years later, PiE continues to bring young adults from across Waterloo Region together through candid conversations about peacebuilding and spirituality in modern contexts. What started as a safe space for young adults to explore their faith has presented Reesor-Rempel with a wealth of experiences that guide her approach to connecting with others as Grebel’s Interim Chaplain.