Commercialization of the SHARP governance intelligence system - BC-1033

Project type: Innovation
Desired discipline(s): Computer science, Mathematical Sciences, Business, Social Sciences & Humanities, Economics
Company: Sharp Mind Sharp Style Strategy Inc.
Project Length: 4 to 6 months
Preferred start date: As soon as possible.
Language requirement: English
Location(s): South Surrey, BC, Canada
No. of positions: 1
Desired education level: Master's
Open to applicants registered at an institution outside of Canada: No

About the company: 

SHARP Mind, Sharp Style Strategy Inc. is a Canadian governance innovation company developing the SHARP Governance Intelligence System (SGIS), a technology-enabled platform that helps organizations strengthen governance, leadership accountability, responsible AI governance, and institutional trust. The company integrates internationally recognized governance principles with structured assessments, analytics, executive reporting, and implementation roadmaps to help organizations identify governance gaps and improve decision-making.
SHARP's work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by translating governance standards into practical organizational tools. The platform combines governance diagnostics, AI-supported analysis, workflow automation, and evidence-based recommendations to support executives, boards, public institutions, and private organizations.
The proposed Mitacs project will advance the commercialization and technical development of the SHARP Governance Intelligence System through workflow automation, platform enhancement, market validation, and user experience optimization. The outcome will be a scalable Canadian governance technology platform that enables organizations to measure governance maturity, monitor improvement over time, and strengthen institutional resilience in an increasingly AI-enabled environment.

Describe the project.: 

The SHARP Governance Intelligence System (SGIS) is an innovative Canadian governance technology platform that helps organizations assess governance maturity, strengthen leadership accountability, improve responsible AI governance, and build institutional trust.
The objective of this project is to accelerate the commercialization of SGIS by validating market demand, refining the business model, and preparing the platform for broader market adoption. Building on a successfully completed international pilot, the internship will focus on expanding commercial readiness through customer discovery, market research, pilot deployment, workflow optimization, and strategic business development.
The intern will conduct market and competitor research, identify high-value customer segments, support pilot deployments with prospective clients, gather customer feedback, validate product-market fit, and recommend improvements to the platform, client experience, and service delivery model. The project will also include refining pricing strategies, developing commercialization and go-to-market plans, optimizing client onboarding workflows, and identifying future platform enhancement opportunities based on customer feedback and market insights.
The expected outcome is a validated commercialization strategy, evidence of market demand, refined pilot methodology, and a scalable governance intelligence platform positioned for growth across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The project will strengthen SHARP's ability to commercialize an innovative Canadian governance technology while supporting organizations in improving governance performance, responsible AI adoption, and institutional resilience.

Required expertise/skills: 

The ideal candidate will have strong analytical, business strategy, and innovation skills with an interest in technology commercialization and digital transformation. Experience in market research, customer discovery, business analysis, commercialization strategy, competitive analysis, and product-market validation is highly desirable.
Preferred technical skills include proficiency with Microsoft Office (particularly Excel and PowerPoint), Power BI or Tableau for data visualization, CRM systems, collaboration platforms such as Slack, AI productivity tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, and and familiarity with modern SaaS platforms, including CRM systems, collaboration tools (e.g., Slack), no-code/low-code platforms (e.g., Airtable), digital learning and marketing platforms (e.g., Kajabi), and AI productivity tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot
Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder engagement, problem-solving, and presentation skills are essential. Knowledge of governance, responsible AI, organizational development, or public policy would be considered an asset. Experience supporting startups, innovation projects, or technology commercialization is highly desirable.