Catalyst Spring 2026: Designing for Accessibility, Scale, and Impact

What does it take to make adaptive gaming more accessible, not just in one space but across communities?

Catalyst Spring 2026 brought together interdisciplinary teams from across SFU for a six-week innovation journey in partnership with the Neil Squire Society’s Makers Making Change program. Supported by the Interactive Arts and Technology Student Union, students explored how to scale adaptive gaming training through GAME Checkpoint without losing the accessibility and quality that make it impactful.

The Challenge

How might we design a sustainable system that enables GAME Checkpoint to scale its training offerings while maintaining accessibility, quality, and long-term financial sustainability?

Students explored challenges around reducing reliance on in-person delivery (while maintaining high-quality training), bringing a paid training model to market and attracting and engaging clinicians across Canada and beyond. Industry support came from Chad Leaman (Director of Innovation, Neil Squire), Justin Pezzin (former Director, Makers Making Change), and Tyler Fentie (Adaptive Gaming Lead), ensuring solutions were creative, relevant, and rooted in community needs.

A New Way of Building Ideas

This semester also introduced Catalyst-Spark, a customized version of the Chang Institute’s pre-incubation workbook designed specifically for Catalyst participants. It guided students step-by-step through breaking down challenge prompts, iterating solutions, and crafting compelling pitches grounded in intentional storytelling.  Workshops on problem framing, opportunity recognition, and pitching gave students a strong foundation, while check-ins with the community partner kept teams on track. Many participants shared that the process sharpened both their thinking and their communication.

Final Showcase

After six weeks of building, testing, and refining, three interdisciplinary finalist teams took the stage. Their solutions were interactive, well-developed, and earned strong feedback from judges and community partner alike.

Spotlight on the Winning Teams

• First Place ($1000) - Next Level Impact tackled clinician attraction and retention through a tiered, gamified training system designed to guide clinicians from beginner to advocate – building progression, recognition, and community into the journey rather than treating training as a one-time event.

"Working to find an innovative solution for the Neil Squire Society, this semester's Catalyst case challenge opened my eyes to the process of innovation and real-world development. It was an incredible learning experience, and I left with awesome memories and greater presentation and critical thinking skills.”  

            Team:  Beedie School of Business + Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

•  Second Place ($500) - Press Start focused on digital delivery, designing a Progressive Web Application that quips facilitators with the tools to run GAME Checkpoint sessions independently – reducing staff reliance while maintaining quality.

"The Catalyst program provided me with excellent guidance into synthesizing my strengths and skills into creating a solution for a real-world issue."  

        Team:  Faculty of Communications, Arts & Technology 

• Third Place ($250): This team explored a hybrid approach combining continuing education (CEU) incentives with student engagement strategies to expand reach and attract clinicians, particularly in regions where in-person delivery is limited.

"Catalyst 2026 offered a hands-on experience tackling real-world challenges with excellent support and resources. I especially appreciate the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and learn alongside other talented participants.”  

            Team: Faculty of Science + Alumni + Staff

Looking Ahead, Beyond Solutions

What stood out this semester wasn’t just the final ideas, but the process behind them. Students stepped into unfamiliar problem spaces, worked across disciplines, navigated ambiguity, and built solutions with real users in mind. They embodied what it means to be an entrepreneur: resourceful, curious and opportunity driven.

Catalyst returns in Fall 2026 with a new community partner, a new student club, and a new set of challenges. Applications open in September – follow the Chang Institute on social media and keep an eye on the Catalyst webpage for updates.

Explore more from the Chang Institute

• Courses - students from all faculties can enroll in semesterly courses in entrepreneurship and innovation and the transformational Technology Entrepreneurship @SFU (Fall semester only), or declare for the interdisciplinary Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship Co-op (eCo-op): funded co-op terms to work on your own startup (apply any semester); graduate students can apply in Spring for eGrad

• Events - online mentoring via Mentor Meet (year-round), in-person Pitch Socials (monthly), and more

• Incubator -when you're ready, explore entry requirements for the early-stage startup incubator

• Sign up for the newsletter and follow on Instagram!

Thank You to Our Community

Community Partner: Neil Squire Society | Club Partner: IATSU | Program Donors: Marion Man and Scott Shaw | And to our mentors, judges, and speakers - thank you!