Eryn Johnston

Innovation Strategy & Design Lead

Eryn Johnston is the Innovation Strategy and Design Lead at AscendRural, where she leads early-stage research and discovery to inform business strategy and identify innovation opportunities that support rural well-being. Her work focuses on uncovering unmet needs, framing clear opportunity areas, and assessing where technology can meaningfully address real challenges in rural communities through stakeholder engagement, market and landscape research, and insight synthesis.

Prior to AscendRural, Eryn led design thinking, innovation, and strategy programs at The Idea Suite, working with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to unlock their creative potential. Her work informed product launches, organizational change initiatives, and innovation roadmaps through human-centered research, market insight, and cross-functional collaboration. Earlier in her career, Eryn led a team within a mission-driven social enterprise startup, gaining hands-on experience in the realities of early-stage innovation.

Eryn brings a strong interest in understanding human needs, market dynamics, and the role of technology in enabling practical, community-informed innovation. She is also actively involved in volunteer work with the Alzheimer Society of Canada and The SPCA, reflecting her long-standing interest in community care, aging, and well-being.