Inclusive Innovators Pitch Competition 2026
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Inclusive Innovators

Different minds see different possibilities.

Some people see a problem and move on.

Others wonder why it has to work that way. They modify things. Build things. Design things. Write code. Sketch ideas. Create tools. Develop better processes. Find workarounds. Solve problems other people may not even have noticed.

A different kind of innovator

We think they might be inventors.

They may call themselves makers, creators, designers, tinkerers, researchers, problem-solvers or simply people with ideas.

They may never have called themselves inventors.

Inclusive Innovators, presented by the First Institute of Canadian Inventors (FICI), is an opportunity to discover and celebrate ideas that may emerge from different ways of thinking — and solutions designed to improve neurodivergent lives.

Two pathways

There are two ways you might belong here.

For creators

Are you a creator who thinks differently?

Are you neurodivergent — diagnosed or self-identified — and have you created, designed or developed something you believe has potential?

Your idea does not have to be about neurodiversity.

Maybe you:

  • Built something because what you needed didn't exist
  • Found a better way to solve a problem
  • Created a piece of technology or software
  • Designed a new product, device or process
  • Developed an idea around something you know deeply
  • Modified an existing solution because you could see how it could work better
  • Have been quietly working on something that other people need to know about

You don't need to think of yourself as a founder, entrepreneur or inventor.

Start with the idea. We'll meet you there.

For solutions

Have you created a solution for neurodivergent lives?

You don't need to be neurodivergent yourself to participate.

Perhaps your experience as a parent, educator, clinician, researcher, technologist, employer, caregiver or simply someone who noticed a need led you to create something that could make life better for neurodivergent people.

Your solution might support:

  • Communication
  • Learning
  • Work
  • Sensory needs
  • Accessibility
  • Independence
  • Organization
  • Mobility
  • Creativity
  • Emotional regulation
  • Everyday living

Or it may solve a problem we haven't thought to list.

If you've created something with the potential to improve neurodivergent lives, we'd like to hear about it.

A supportive format

Your idea matters more than your ability to pitch it.

Inclusive Innovators is designed differently.

There is no requirement to stand alone on a stage and deliver a traditional pitch. There is no rapid-fire questioning designed to test how well you perform under pressure.

We want to understand your idea.

Participants will have the opportunity to talk personally with people interested in learning about their solution.

If presenting isn't your strength, that's okay.

You may bring a representative of your choosing to help communicate your idea. If you don't have someone, FICI can make a volunteer available to spend time with you, learn about your product or solution, and help develop the presentation with you.

Because being able to invent something and being able to pitch something are two very different skills.

We're interested in what you've created.

Recognize yourself

Maybe this sounds like you.

Don't worry first about whether you qualify as an “inventor.”

Tell us what you've created.

Recognize someone else

Or maybe you're thinking of someone else.

  • A colleague.
  • A student.
  • A neighbour.
  • Someone you worked with years ago.
  • The person who is always modifying things.
  • The person who sees patterns nobody else notices.
  • The person who became fascinated by one problem and couldn't leave it alone until they found a better answer.
  • The person with an extraordinary idea who would never describe themselves as an entrepreneur.