Anne Swift

In 2001, Anne was a second-year student at the University of Toronto working on her patent for a flexible keyboard. As she gathered information about how to bring the technology to market, she realized that other students could benefit from what she was learning. She also thought that being part of a community of innovators would provide a more efficient way to bring ideas to the market. Anne decided to start Young Inventors International (YII) and, today, YII's membership is over 1,800 students around the world. YII's is to help innovative students develop their skills and networks of professional and entrepreneurial opportunities. More information about YII is available at www.younginventors.org.

In March 2003, Glamour Magazine named Anne a visionary in Glamour's award for "The Top Ten College Women Who Will Change the World" for her work with YII. Apart from her engagement with YII, Anne has worked with the MaRS Discovery District, the Innovation Systems Research Network, the Cleantech Venture Network, Magna International, the University of Toronto Law School, and a number of start-up companies in North America. Anne has also started couple of small businesses, including a database company that created a database for managing patient flow for a major Canadian hospital and a communications and marketing company that worked with companies relocating to Canada.

Anne graduated from the University of Toronto with high distinction with a BA in Economics and Political Science and has taken classes toward a Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University.

Currently, Anne is continuing her work with YII and is actively working on a start-up in the solar thermal industry.