Grand Jury
The Canada Youth Innovation Competition Grand Jury brings together leading professors, researchers, industry executives, investors, and innovation leaders to evaluate breakthrough ideas with global impact potential.
![[Academic Excellence Placeholder]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523240795612-9a054b0db644?w=800&q=80)
Academic Excellence
Global Standard
Hugh H.T. Liu
Professor of the University of Toronto Institute
Hugh H.T. Liu is a Professor at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), where he has taught since 2000. He currently directs the NSERC CREATE Collaborative Research and Training Program on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, as well as the Centre for Aerial Robotics Research and Education. In 2022 he was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. The Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) Senior Awards recognize Canadians for outstanding achievement in aerospace and related technologies. In 2021 Prof. Liu received the CASI McCurdy Award for outstanding contributions to innovation in aerospace science and engineering. He received his B.Eng. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1991, his M.Eng. from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1994, and his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1998. His research interests include autonomous unmanned systems, cooperative and formation control, fault-tolerant control, active control of advanced vehicles, and integrated modeling and simulation. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, and of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal. Dr. Liu is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, an Associate Fellow of AIAA, a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, and a Professional Engineer registered in Ontario.
Alex Cui
CTO, GPTZero
Alex Cui is working on bringing responsible adoption of AI into our daily lives as CTO of GPTZero, the world’s leading platform for detecting AI-generated text. Alex Cui is a builder and researcher with a passion for deploying machine learning to solve impactful real-world issues. He dropped out of his PhD to co-found GPTZero. Previously, he worked on ML to make safer self-driving cars at Waabi and Uber, and better recommendations at Facebook. He is the co-author of 7 patents and the first author on 2 highlighted papers at top ML conferences. Before that, Alex created OpenMind to combat online misinformation and presented our work in national press, Facebook, and staff on Congress; Alex Cui won Best ML hack twice (19’, 21’) at Treehacks (Stanford’s flagship hackathon); and authored the first accredited ML high school course in Canada. Alex Cui also won a silver medal for Canada at the International Chemistry Olympiad and got 1st place in Canada at the National Biology Competition.
Dr. Bin Tang
Industry Expert & Lecturer, McMaster University
Dr. Bin Tang is a global expert, policy advisor, and recognized leader in artificial intelligence and digital marketing. As Founder and CEO of Noah Digital, he has helped more than 1,000 businesses achieve international growth through innovative AI-driven strategies. He also serves as Chair of the Noah Foundation and Vice Chair of CCEOSC, championing economic development and cross-border trade. A member of the Forbes Agency Council and a published author, he regularly advises policymakers on AI governance. Holding a Ph.D. in Immunology and an M.S. in Computer Science, his interdisciplinary background makes him an outstanding judge.
Frank Ye
Founder and CEO of Acentury Inc.
Frank Ye is the Founder and CEO of Acentury Inc. and SynMatrix Technologies Inc. With more than three decades of experience in wireless technology, he has founded and led technology companies focused on AI-enabled network products spanning design, testing, monitoring, and analytics automation. Frank has grown Acentury and SynMatrix from startups into international companies serving global wireless, telecom, aerospace, defense, and high-tech markets. He combines deep technical expertise with strategic business development capability, successfully commercializing innovative network-automation solutions.
Bridge Song
Founder & CEO, WeCAN Cloud, Vice President of SINOCANN
With 28 years of deep-seated expertise in the Internet, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence sectors, Bridge Song is a visionary leader who has traversed the journey from tech-pioneer in startups to a high-level executive at global tech giants. He uniquely combines a profound technical foundation with sharp global-scale business acumen. Pioneer of Asia-Pacific Internet Infrastructure: A core founding member of HiChina (the region’s leading internet service provider) since 1997. Following HiChina’s merger with Alibaba Cloud, he served as Senior Director, where he orchestrated the deep integration of business units and teams, and successfully launched the world’s first "Trust" Top-Level Domain (.XIN). Architect of Alibaba Cloud’s International Expansion: As a founding member of Alibaba Cloud’s International Business unit since early 2017, he held several key leadership roles, including General Manager of Online Business, General Manager of Multi-National Corporations (MNC), and Vice President of Sales. He spearheaded the construction of Alibaba Cloud’s global online marketing system, empowered over a hundred Fortune 500 companies in their digital transformation across Asia-Pacific, and founded the "GoGlobal Alliance with Alibaba Cloud" to drive global expansion for Chinese enterprises. Notably, as the Head of the Alibaba Cloud Working Group for the 19th Asian Games, he supported HAGOC in achieving the world’s first "Cloud-native" and "Smart" Asian Games. AI Visionary & Practitioner in Canada: Upon relocating to Canada in 2025, he founded WeCAN Cloud. Leveraging Cloud-Native and AI technologies as cornerstones, he is dedicated to building next-generation enterprise applications and Digital Employee (AI Agent) platforms, driving the intelligent digital upgrade for North American and cross-border enterprises. Bridge also serves as the Vice President of the SinoCann Entrepreneurs Association, the founder of SinoCannAI and the Founding Vice President of the SinoCann New Energy Vehicle Cooperation Promotion Association, among other community positions.