Jennifer E. Flanagan

Jennifer E. Flanagan is the President and CEO of Actua, a national charitable organization based in Ottawa that delivers science, engineering and technology programs to youth.

Education and awards

Jennifer Flanagan received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Brunswick and a Masters in Management from McGill Universityin Montreal in 2002. Named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network in 2007, she received a Women in Technology International award in 1999, a Community IT Hero Award in 2001, and an Alumni Award of Honor from UNB. Under her leadership, Actua was honoured with the Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion in 2000, and the Minister's Award by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2009.

Non-profit leadership

Her interest in developing youth science and technology programs began in 1993 while attending UNB, where she became involved in the university's summer science and engineering program for children, Worlds UNBound. She subsequently served as the New Brunswick provincial director of the Innovators in the Schools program, where she created a province-wide science club for girls.

In 1997, she co-founded Actua to deliver science and technology programming to youth. The organization engages more than 200,000 young people in over 450 communities annually. and has a particular focus on reaching those who are typically underrepresented and underserved in science and technology, including girls, Aboriginals, underpriviledged youth, and youth living in remote communities.

Public speaking

Jennifer Flanagan has been invited to present across the country and internationally on issues relation to science education and youth engagement, speaking to groups and audiences ranging from the Women's Executive Network, Science and Technology Awareness Network and Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation to the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists, and Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation to the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.

Personal life

She has served on the boards of the Girls Action Foundation (founding member and treasurer, (1999-2009); the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (2003-2006); and the Science and Technology Awareness Network (founding member and treasurer, 2004-2010). She lives in Ottawa with her husband, Michael Plamondon, owner and President at Origin Studios and their daughter.

Jennifer has also volunteered on numerous other committees, organizing groups and boards including Wired Women, Pathmakers, UNESCO-L'Oréal For Women in Science Program, Virtual Ventures, Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation, and the Michael Smith Awards.