Insight Launches Canadian Data Science and AI Fellowships

The AI scene in Toronto is continuing to expand at an unprecedented rate.

Insight has announced that they are expanding their data science and AI fellows programs to Toronto. The Silicon Valley-founded organization helps scientists and researchers transition into innovative roles at companies that need expertise in data-driven fields. So far, Insight has helped over 1,400 experts find new roles across the U.S.

The first session of the Insight Data Science Fellows Program—designed for PhDs and postdocs—and the first session of the Insight Artificial Intelligence Fellows Program—for engineers and scientists—will run together in Toronto beginning September 2018. The programs will last seven weeks and are tuition-free, leading to direct job opportunities at some of the biggest data-driven companies in Canada.

“With the fourth-largest population in North America, over 180 languages spoken, and 51 per cent of its residents foreign-born, Toronto has flourished in recent decades in terms of growth, innovation, and investment,” Insight’s product director Geneviève Smith wrote in a blog post announcing the move. “Insight Fellows in the Toronto AI and Data Science programs will be able to connect with leaders in machine learning and analytics in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, and across Canada.”

Recent surges in AI throughout Toronto and the rest of Canada have made Insight’s appearance in the city more of a formality now. The organization touts that companies from across the country will be meeting and hiring Insight fellows in the Toronto cohort, including RBC and Borealis AI; TD and Layer 6; Scotiabank and DeepLearni.ng; CIBC; Element.ai and more. International companies coming into Canada will also work with Insight, including Facebook and Amazon.

There will be a distinct focus on Canadian residents to join the fellows program, but Insight will also open it up to international folks as well.

Insight also names a few of Canada’s largest AI institutions like Vector and the Creative Destruction Labs as the leaders in fostering a rich ecosystem of talent. A formal partnership with TRIUMF Innovations was also unveiled, helping Insight link advances in data science to the right business ideas in Canada.

Fellows who join insight will also have the chance to learn from key leaders who helped to influence what the Toronto cohort would look like, such as Angela Tran Kingyens (Version One), Kathryn Hume (Integrate.ai), Jason Stanley (Element AI) and others.

There are currently over 20 Insight alumni working in Canada right now as data scientists for companies like TD, Zoom.ai, CIBC and Scotiabank. These alums will mentor the inaugural Toronto fellows.

Applications to Insight’s fellows programs can be found here.