Strengthening Workplace Mental Health and Wellness

The 2025 Systems Innovation Challenge, in partnership with BMO Canada, expanded to engage 275 students from 26 universities and colleges across Canada in exploring how organizations can better support mental health and wellness in the workplace.

The challenge progressed through three stages:

1. Nurture Stage: Students attended virtual workshops led by Ivey faculty to gain foundational knowledge of systems thinking and learn how to approach complex, systems-level challenges.
2. Navigate Stage: Twelve teams advanced to this stage and explored the growing loneliness epidemic. Teams presented their ideas at a gallery-style showcase in Toronto, which included a Q&A session with BMO executives on workplace wellness.
3. Final Stage: Each team was paired with mentors, including Ivey MSc alumni, PhD candidates, and faculty, who helped them to further refine their proposals for the final challenge of enhancing employee well-being in a corporate setting.

The challenge culminated in final presentations to BMO executives at BMO Academy’s headquarters. Four teams were recognized:

•    Most Feasible Solution ($4,000) – Ivey HBA Mason Lyn, Michael Chen, Christian Tivig, Helen Liu, and Ryanna Luo – for developing a pragmatic, actionable roadmap that builds on BMO’s existing strengths

•    Most Creative Solution ($4,000) – University of Toronto Mallory Furlong, Anne-Laurie Mayengo, Kaitlin MacDonald, Shuchita Das, and Siobhan Mehrotra – for an innovative approach to mental wellness 
 


•    Most Scalable Solution ($4,000) – University of Toronto (same team as above) – for a solution designed to be adapted across industries


•    Systems Ecosystem Catalyst Award ($8,000) – McMaster University Htet Yee Mon Win (Olive), Aarthi Thommandram, and Sierra Jean Haziza – for forging connections and creating an ecology of solutions that amplify collective impact