Innovation, for Nicole Norris, is not about flashy technology or buzzwords. It’s about people, relationships, and finding practical ways to solve real‑world problems.
That approach earned Norris the Visionary Award at the recent Barrie Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Awards, recognizing her leadership and impact through her role at Georgian College.
Norris is the Director of Social Innovation at Georgian, a position she says often prompts curiosity and questions. She also describes herself with an unusual title - “pracademic” - a term she adopted in graduate school to explain how her work blends hands‑on practice with academic research. “The Pracademic is the collision where you're sort of creating new knowledge, but you're doing it in application.”
Georgian College, she noted, stands out in the post‑secondary sector for formally embedding social innovation into its structure. “Social innovation is part of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at Georgian. We're kind of unique in the college sector in that we actually have a department of social innovation,” Norris said.
Her work focuses on building partnerships between the college, students, and community organizations, particularly those in the social sector, which she notes are often underfunded and stretched thin. Today’s challenges, she says, are increasingly complex and interconnected. “We're facing so many complexities these days with issues like homelessness, food insecurity, racism - and they're very complex, interconnected problems.”
Listen below to our interview with Nicole. It begins at the 34:30 mark.
Before joining Georgian nearly 10 years ago, Norris ran a design agency and was deeply involved with several community boards. A pivotal moment came after she attended an event at Georgian’s Orillia campus, where students were working alongside community partners to tackle social issues using innovative approaches. Within months, she closed her business and took what she calls a significant leap, both personally and professionally. Looking back, she describes the move as “the best risk I'd ever taken.”
Despite the recognition, Norris is candid about the uncertainty currently facing colleges and universities amid funding pressures and government cutbacks. “It's definitely an interesting time,” she said, noting the emotional toll such uncertainty can take on staff.
Still, her belief in public education and community‑driven change remains firm. She emphasizes that meaningful progress doesn’t come from systems alone. “Innovation doesn't happen with technology. It happens through people. It happens through relationships.”
For Norris, the Visionary Award is less about personal achievement and more about the collective impact of students, educators, and community partners working together - a vision that continues to guide her work at Georgian College and beyond.
