This spring, Todd Burns got up on stage at one of RRC Polytech’s convocation ceremonies for the first time ever. Not to graduate – he did that more than 20 years ago in 2001. Back then, Burns didn’t attend his own convocation; this time though, the Business Administration alum and CEO of Cypher Environmental took to the stage, donned in cap and gown, and even invited his parents out to see him.

Why?

Because he loves sharing his story and encouraging young people to know that success is possible for them too, even—and especially—when “you have to dig deep to find the motivation to keep going.”

Today Cypher Environmental is an internationally recognized Cleantech leader selling in more than 50 countries, but it started as a one-man operation in a tiny house in the River Heights neighbourhood of Winnipeg where Burns grew up. His connection to preserving the world around him started with his exposure to the outdoors in Manitoba and Ontario as a child, so he channeled his passion into Cypher from day one. He refers to the company as his “first baby” before he had any kids of his own. He did everything himself in the beginning, and he said that’s where he really grew a passion for it.

“I’ve always been a salesman at heart. I love to tell stories. I didn’t gravitate towards the operational side of things, but as a one-man operation, I had to learn — and RRC Polytech was instrumental in teaching me those skills that didn’t come as naturally to me,” said Burns.

“The knowledge I gained in the Business Administration program is what enabled me to really survive on those initial days until I could bring people on that were specialists and more passionate about doing those roles in the business.”

He also noted that a presentation he did in the program is what made him more comfortable with public speaking – something integral to his role now as a CEO. “It gave me the confidence to go out and keep doing it.”

The RRC Polytech connection didn’t end the day Burns graduated. In fact, RRC Polytech has continued to be a part of his and Cypher’s story — from supporting product and Intellectual Property (IP) development, to bringing on students in work-integrated learning opportunities and hiring them to become a part of the Cypher team.

Burns recognized that he needed top-tier technical talent to continue to grow Cypher. Now in 2026, nearly all of the folks hired at Cypher are RRC Polytech grads, with some going into important senior roles like Dr. Teaghan Wellman, who is the Vice President of Research and Development and Executive Vice President at Cypher.

She started at Cypher in a short-term research role, and has now spent more than a decade leading the technical team in one of Manitoba’s most innovative environmental companies. But her story started in an RRC Polytech classroom.

“The hands-on training I received at RRC Polytech gave me a strong foundation in applied problem-solving. At Cypher, we are constantly taking ideas from the lab and trying to make them work in the real world, so having that practical, hands-on mindset has been invaluable,” she said. “Red River taught me not only the technical side of the work, but also how to troubleshoot, adapt, test, and keep working toward a solution when things don’t go exactly as planned.”

Burns said he loves taking on RRC Polytech grads because they are motivated and willing to “take the reins,” create solutions, and help solve problems in the business.

“We like that their knowledge isn’t just theoretical. They’ve learned from instructors who have done the same thing.”

The opportunity to work with students still in their programs provides benefits both ways: students gain hands-on experience working on real commercial projects, while Cypher benefits from students’ technical knowledge and fresh perspectives.

Cypher’s work with RRC Polytech extends into its Research Partnerships & Innovation (RPI) labs, too. RPI leads the applied research enterprise across RRC Polytech and is a gateway to a vast base of knowledge, capabilities, facilities, and industry networks. With access to these resources, Cypher has developed new products that are solving real-world challenges.

The products—alternatives to traditional road stabilization and dust control solutions—boast zero environmental impact and have been used in more than 50 countries.

Both products, as well as Cypher’s yet to be commercialized non-corrosive de-icing technology, were developed with the help of RRC Polytech, and Burns thinks more companies should take advantage of the research and development opportunities on campus right here in Manitoba.

RRC Polytech aided in Cypher’s product development, testing, process development, quality testing, optimization, and other applied research – all of which helped Cypher move technologies from development into commercial applications.

These products are solving real problems. In the Canadian context, Cypher’s Dust/Blokr technology was used on an access road during the construction of the TransCanada Pipeline. It helped to save 70,000 water truck hours on a 130-kilometer stretch, which translates to saving ~6,000 tons of CO2 and 934 million litres of fresh water usage in just a six-month period.

Those results are seen internationally, too. On a common mining road in Chile, in the driest desert in the world, water truck usage was reduced from once or twice a day to just once a month with Cypher’s Dust/Blokr technology, saving countless hours of diesel trucks running and using expensive desalinated water – reducing water usage by more than 96 per cent and significantly reducing the carbon footprint. A mining company in China reduced their fuel burn by 17.4 per cent using Cypher’s road stabilizing technology because less energy is required for vehicles to move, an estimated savings of over 10,000 tons of GHG emissions in a single year.

Those are the projects that light Burns and his team up – and the tech was designed right here in Manitoba, alongside RRC Polytech.

“Cleantech is constantly evolving, and the problems we are trying to solve today are often problems we didn’t even know existed a few years ago,” Dr. Wellman said. “We work on technologies that are designed to address real environmental challenges, and it is incredibly rewarding to see that work have an impact beyond the lab.”

Outside the products Cypher delivers, Burns is most proud of the culture of the company he’s built. This year, Cypher Environmental was recognized as one of the 100 most thriving workplaces in the Culture 100 Awards and as a Top Project Clean50 award winner in 2024.

“Getting all these acknowledgements…it’s very humbling. At the end of the day, we just hope that it’s going to raise awareness about what we’re doing to enable our ability to create change that much more quickly and easily,” he said. “Being recognized isn’t why we do it but it’s nice to have those little celebrations to know we’re doing something right with the work we do and the people we do it with.”

Burns also sits on the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre’s board of directors as Vice President – just another way he lives his values of protecting the planet and all living things on it.

When Burns isn’t managing an internationally successful business or sitting on a board, he’s spending time with his wife and kids. Much of it outdoors at the family cabin near Kenora, Ontario. He reflects on a recent evening when he went kayaking alone and really took in the beautiful place he gets to call home. He said experiences like that are invaluable.

The personal connection Burns has to the natural world is the baseline for everything he does professionally, ensuring that the solutions Cypher develops today help build a sustainable world for future generations — like his kids. Cypher’s motto is “Always do what’s right,” and that starts with Burns.

“It’s such a beautiful world and I think it’s one worth saving. So, if I can develop a career and make a living off of truly making the world a better place, then I think I’m in a pretty good place,” he said. “I don’t want to take over the world, I just want to change it for the better before I’m gone, that’s all.”

Profile by Jennifer Pazdor (Creative Communications, 2019).

Dr. Teaghan Wellman was one of 41 graduates featured in RRC Polytech’s Polytechnic Proud campaign, with her own billboard lighting up the Winnipeg skyline in May 2024. Learn more about Dr. Wellman’s career journey >