The Canadian Shield Institute for Public Policy
Our Mission:
We’re securing homegrown innovation, economic leadership and defence, collaborating with Canadian governments, policy professionals, and business leaders.
We aim to work constructively and bring new ideas that meet the moment. The world is rapidly changing. Canadian public policy hasn’t caught up.
How we work:
Founded in 2025, The Canadian Shield Institute is a non-partisan non-profit think tank devoted to researching and advancing ideas that make Canada stronger. We’re working with sovereignty-minded leaders in the government, business and the media to:
- Strengthen Canadian democracy
- Improve our economic resilience
- Promote our digital sovereignty
- Enhance our national security
- Maintain our global competitiveness
The Canadian Shield Institute is developing policy solutions that reflect today’s economic and global realities. We equip leaders with the insight and strategies needed to strengthen the foundations of a strong, self-reliant Canadian economy.
But we’re still pretty new! We’re experimenting with different ways to break the mold productively contribute to the national conversation. If you’re on the same wavelength, reach out and let’s talk about how we can work together.
Governance
Our Board
Patrick Spence
Patrick Spence, HBA ’98 is the former Chief Executive Officer and serves on the Board of Directors for Sonos.
Patrick joined Sonos as Chief Commercial Officer in 2012. He has played a central role in the development and launch of some of the company’s most successful products. Patrick has also led the company’s expansion into new territories including China, France, Australia, and Mexico.
Prior to joining Sonos, Patrick spent over 14 years at RIM/BlackBerry in a variety of roles, including overseeing sales channels and country marketing operations in various regions including North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ultimately becoming the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. During Patrick’s time at RIM/Blackberry, the company grew from $50 million in revenue to more than $20 billion, and from 150 people to more than 17,000.
In 2007, Patrick was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, a national program to celebrate leaders of today and tomorrow and to honour Canadians who have reached a significant level of success.
Jim Balsillie
Mr. Balsillie is the retired Chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion(BlackBerry), a technology company he scaled from an idea to $20 billion in sales globally. His private investment office includes global and domestic technology investments, including recreational real estate across Canada and in the Middle East.
He is the co-founder of the Institute for New Economic Thinking in New York, the Council of Canadian Innovators based in Toronto, and the Digital Governance Council in Ottawa, as well as founder of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, the Centre for Digital Rights, the Balsillie School of International Affairs, the Arctic Research Foundation and Canadian Shield Institute. He currently chairs the boards of CCI, CIGI, Innovation Asset Collective, Digital Governance Council and Transactix. He is also a member of the Board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Advisory Board of the Stockholm Resilience Centre; an Honorary Captain (Navy) of the Royal Canadian Navy and an Advisor to Canada School of Public Service.
Mr. Balsillie was the private sector representative on the UN Secretary General’s High Panel for Sustainability. His awards include: several honorary degrees, Mobile World Congress Lifetime Achievement Award, India’s Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, Canadian Business Hall of Fame, Time Magazine’s World’s 100 Most Influential People and three times Barron’s list of “World’s Top CEOs.”
John Ruffolo
John is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, a private equity firm focused on technology-enabled growth and disruption investment strategies. As a firm run by entrepreneurs, funded by entrepreneurs, and for entrepreneurs, Maverix invests in Smart Cities and Smart Enterprises. John chairs the Investment Committee, guides the strategy of the firm, is deeply involved with fundraising and sourcing and leading investment opportunities, particularly within the technology industry. John is also the Founder of OMERS Ventures and Co-Founder and Vice Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators. John co-founded the Council of Canadian Innovators with Jim Balsillie, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-growth Canadian technology firms scale globally.
Benjamin Bergen
Benjamin Bergen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA), representing the investors who back Canada’s most innovative and high-growth companies.
Before joining CVCA, Benjamin served as President of the Council of Canadian Innovators, where he led a national organization focused on improving the policy and market conditions that enable Canadian firms to scale and compete globally. Over nearly a decade, his work has centered on innovation policy, competitiveness, and regulatory reform, with a strong emphasis on how capital flows through the economy and how investment environments are shaped.
Benjamin is a trusted advisor to governments on innovation and competitiveness and currently serves on Canada’s National AI Task Force. He is also a founding board member of the Canadian SHIELD Institute, which advances policy solutions to strengthen Canada’s economic resilience, sovereignty, and long-term growth.
Throughout his career, Benjamin has worked closely with investors, founders, and policymakers, supporting companies as they navigate growth, regulation, and global expansion. His leadership at CVCA focuses on strengthening the conditions investors rely on to deploy long-term capital, build durable companies, and support economic growth across Canada.
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