Honouring co-op employers who are driving global impact

In a year defined by complex global challenges, the 2026 Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) Employer Impact Award winners set a new standard for student success. Across climate solutions, technology, artificial intelligence, health care and education, Waterloo co-op employers are redefining how they support, elevate and leverage student talent.

One theme stood out across every category: these employers do more than hire students— they empower them to contribute to meaningful work that reaches beyond a single co-op work term.

Impact on Global Engagement: The Inclusive Education Foundation (InEd)

CEE recognizes InEd for:

• Immersing students in complex global challenges on the Thai–Myanmar border.
• Providing hands-on experience in cross-cultural, multilingual environments.
• Expanding students’ worldview and understanding of global inequality.

“This co-op did not just give me exposure to a different country. It expanded who I am,” says Rewa Shukla, Faculty of Mathematics co-op student.

Impact in Inclusion and Belonging: Vivid Seats LLC

CEE recognizes Vivid Seats for:

• Embedding inclusion into recruitment, onboarding and daily workplace culture.
• Creating a supportive environment where students feel connected across teams and locations.
• Actively incorporating student feedback to improve the co-op experience.

“I truly felt like I was part of a family rather than just working for a company, which allowed me to fully dedicate my energy and time to the work itself, and to focus on learning and growing throughout the experience,” says Yifei Zhang, Faculty of Mathematics co-op student.

Honourable mention: GeoTab Inc.

Impact in Innovation: Compass Data and AI

CEE recognizes Compass Data and AI for:

• Creating a startup-like environment where students take ownership of real business challenges.
• Encouraging experimentation, problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking.
• Enabling students to contribute to AI-driven tools with measurable business impact.

“Compass supported my curiosity by allowing me to explore new concepts and conduct proofs of concept, even when the outcomes were uncertain,” says Vedansh Kokra (BCS ’26).

Honourable mention: Teaching Innovation Incubator, University of Waterloo

Impact in Research: Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University (Western Space)

CEE recognizes Western Space for:

• Embedding students as active contributors in cutting-edge scientific research.
• Providing end-to-end ownership of complex experimental projects.
• Exposing students to real-world research challenges, including uncertainty and failure.

“What stood out most was the culture of trust and ownership. Students are given important responsibilities rather than side projects, and I felt like a meaningful contributor from day one,” says Andrew Shum, Faculty of Mathematics co-op student.

Honourable mention: Advanced Micro Devices

Impact in Sustainability: R.V. Anderson Associates Limited

CEE recognizes R.V. Anderson for:

• Integrating sustainability into infrastructure design and environmental projects.
• Involving students in real initiatives that improve community resilience and ecosystems.
• Connecting technical work to meaningful environmental outcomes.

“My supervisor encouraged questions, welcomed fresh perspectives and provided constructive feedback that fostered confidence and continuous learning,” says Ayushmaan Juyal, Faculty of Engineering co-op student.

Honourable mention: Global Meteor Network, Western University

Impact on Student Experience (1-499 employees): Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd.

CEE recognizes Yamaha for:

• Delivering a structured and engaging co-op program with strong leadership involvement.
• Providing students with meaningful independent work and opportunities to present to senior leaders.
• Fostering confidence, connection and career readiness through mentorship and professional development.

“We were treated as full-time employees where we get to further connect with our seniors and gain meaningful insights, more than technical skills, but also regarding the professional careers that we wish to be in,” says Maurice Lam, Faculty of Mathematics co-op student.

Honourable Mention: Rocket Innovation Studio, ULC

Impact on Student Experience (500+ employees): The Oral Anticancer Medication (OACM) program, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre

CEE recognizes OACM for:

• Integrating students into real patient care, research and quality improvement initiatives.
• Empowering students with meaningful responsibilities that directly impact health care outcomes.
• Creating a supportive environment with strong mentorship, individualized learning and psychological safety.

“This co-op has not only shaped my clinical skills — it has solidified my goal of becoming an oncology pharmacist and shown me what compassionate, future-focused training truly looks like,” says Rojan Shaeri, Faculty of Science co-op student.

Honourable Mention: Texas Instruments

Impact of Exceptional Supervision: Dr. Edward Chow, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

CEE recognizes Chow for:

• Developing and mentoring students into future health care leaders for more than 20 years.
• Embedding students in real clinical research with a global impact.
• Providing structured guidance alongside meaningful responsibility and leadership opportunities.

“Throughout the term, we maintained daily communication, during which he consistently checked in on my progress and provided guidance. By the fourth month, all expectations were exceeded,” says Christina Yang, Faculty of Health co-op student.

Honourable mentions: Abdulla Qeblawi, Geotab Inc, Jason Bailey-Rice, Miovision Technologies Incorporated, Meghan LaCoste, Compass Group Canada, Terese Dimeck, Nicoya Lifesciences Inc.

“These award recipients exemplify what makes Waterloo’s co‑op program distinctive. It’s a shared commitment to integrating learning with real-world impact. By empowering students to take on meaningful challenges, these employers help drive innovation and support the next generation of leaders,” says Judene Pretti, Associate Provost, Co‑operative and Experiential Education.

Together, these employers and supervisors demonstrate the power of working intentionally with co-op students to deliver real results and powerful business impact. By combining mentorship, trust and real-world challenges, they help shape the next generation of talent and driving innovation across industries.