Awards
2024 Colin Wolff Excellence in Program Development And Coordination Award
The Potential Group's consulting work is directly informed by our leadership work within the academic health system. One of Cate Creede-Desmarais' roles is Program Lead in the New and Evolving Academic Leaders Program, offered at the Centre for Faculty Development, which is a partnership between the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Unity Health.
In 2024, the NEAL program won the Colin Woolf Excellence in Program Development and Coordination Award. This award celebrates outstanding achievement in the creation and leadership of educational programs at the University of Toronto, recognizing programs that demonstrate a strong foundation in meaningful learner engagement and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
This recognition highlights Cate’s exceptional work in designing and delivering a transformative learning experience for academic leaders. Through thoughtful program development, inclusive practices, and a clear focus on outcomes, Cate’s leadership exemplifies excellence in educational development and acknowledges her work in the University of Toronto system
Danny Nashman, partner in Potential Group, was honoured with the Bike Rally Legacy Award in recognition of his visionary role in co-founding the Friends For Life Bike Rally. In 1999, Danny and David Linton conceived the idea as a creative and community-driven response to a funding crisis at the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA). What began with 24 cyclists and a support van raising $45,000 has since grown into a powerful movement.
More than two and a half decades later, the Bike Rally has raised over $27 million, become PWA’s most important annual fundraiser, and expanded its reach to Kingston and Montréal through new partnerships with Trellis HIV & Community Care and AIDS Community Care Montréal (ACCM). The Legacy Award celebrates Danny’s enduring impact on this vibrant, compassionate, and transformative community initiative.
2024 Bike Rally Legacy Award
2009 Ted Freeman Award for Innovation in Education
The Ted Freeman Award for Innovation in Education honours individuals and teams who inspire, advocate for, and enable meaningful change in healthcare education. This prestigious award recognizes those who lead with vision and dedication, driving forward innovative practices that enhance learning and collaboration in the health sciences.
In 2009, The Potential Group was proud to contribute to the success of the Catalyzing and Sustaining Communities of Collaboration Around Interprofessional Care Project, which received the Ted Freeman Award. Working in partnership with the Project Steering Committee Leaders for the University of Toronto Council of Health Sciences and the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network, Potential Group supported this groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering interprofessional education and collaboration across disciplines. The award highlights the project’s lasting impact on healthcare education and acknowledges the collective effort to build more connected, collaborative learning environments.
We also humbly acknowledge awards received by our clients for the great work we did together.
2025 Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital - Winner of Gold Quill Award of Excellence for Employee Engagement for Transformative Care: Inclusive World: Holland Bloorview 2030 Strategy
The Gold Quill awards have long been established as the pinnacle achievement for professional communicators around the globe. Each year they attract hundreds of high-quality international entries from across the industry, showcasing the demonstrable impact that communicators can deliver for their stakeholders.
Our clients at Holland Bloorview were the proud winners of the Award of Excellence in Employee Engagement for the powerful work we did together to engage voices from across the organization and community to co-design their 2030 Strategy.