October 19, 2017 | Ottawa | Startup Canada
Startup Canada, the national rallying community for Canadian entrepreneurs, today named 17 outstanding entrepreneurs, businesses and support organizations from across Canada as winners of the fourth annual national Startup Canada Awards. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Ottawa, ON, attended by leading Canadian investors, innovators, government, and anchor company executives.
The Startup Canada Awards will be emceed by Andy Nulman, Co-Founder of Play the Future and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.
“Congratulations to all of the 2017 national Startup Canada Award winners,” said Victoria Lennox, Co-Founder and CEO of Startup Canada. “Each and every one of these outstanding recipients has an immense impact on the future of Canada and they all represent the greatness and diversity of our nation’s entrepreneurship community.”
The 2017 National Startup Canada Award Winners are:
- The Right Honourable David Johnston, Former Governor General of Canada | Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Mastercard Canada
- Anne Whelan, President and CEO, Seafair Capital Inc. | Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by Scotiabank
- Cindy Gordon, CEO and Co-Founder, SalesChoice Inc. | Senior Entrepreneur Award, presented by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Graham Mann, Co-Founder, Lean Systems | Young Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Nicole Verkindt, CEO and Founder, Offset Market Exchange (OMX) | Woman Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Patrice Mousseau, CEO of Satya Organics | Indigenous Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- The Hadhad Family, Founder of Peace by Chocolate | Newcomer Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Shawn Smith, Founder & CEO of Don’t dis-my-ability | Resilient Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Manny Padda, Founder, New Avenue Capital | Entrepreneur Promotion Award, presented by Opportunities New Brunswick
- YuKonstruct Makerspace Society | Entrepreneur Support Award
- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development | Policy Prize, presented by Lockheed Martin Canada
- Startup Kamloops | Startup Canada Community of the Year
- Hootsuite | Global Entrepreneurship Award, presented by UPS Canada
- Clearbanc | Innovation Award, presented by Intuit QuickBooks
- Pinnguaq | Social Enterprise Award, , presented by Centre for Social Innovation
- GSOFT | High-Growth Entrepreneurship Award, presented by MNP LLP
- La Maison Simons | Canadian Icon Award
These winners join an esteemed network of award alumni including the Right Honourable Paul Martin, founder of the Capital for Aboriginal Prosperity and Entrepreneurship (CAPE) Fund, Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of Blackberry, Zita Cobb, founder of Shorefast Foundation, and Dax Dasilva, founder and CEO of Lightspeed, among others.
The national winners were evaluated by the National Adjudication Committee; comprised of some of Canada’s leading entrepreneurship and industry experts. The national winners were celebrated at the Startup Canada Awards Grand Finale at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa following Startup Canada Day on the Hill. Startup Canada Day on the Hill is Canada’s largest national entrepreneurship event convening leading entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, industry executives, and government representatives annually to raise the bar for Canada as a globally competitive innovation nation.
The Startup Canada Awards are proudly presented by Mastercard Canada and Scotiabank in partnership with Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Opportunities NB, UPS Canada, Intuit Quickbooks, MNP LLP, Lockheed Martin Canada, Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), VIA Rail Canada, and Best Western.
For more information, to schedule interviews, and to secure your media pass, please contact:
Lindsay Bright
Marketing, Communications and Digital Production Administrator
lindsay.bright@startupcan.ca
613-791-1743
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the leading national social enterprise supporting and giving a voice to entrepreneurs through online programs, national awards, flagship events, partnerships with private sector and government to foster a community for startup and small business success across the country. Learn more at www.startupcan.ca.