August 24, 2017 | Ottawa| Startup Canada
Startup Canada, the national rallying community for Canadian entrepreneurs, today named ten outstanding entrepreneurs, businesses and support organizations from across Ontario as winners of the fourth annual Startup Canada Awards – Ontario Region. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Ottawa, ON, attended by leading Canadian investors, innovators and anchor company executives.
The ceremony was hosted by Collab Space – a local incubator-inspired coworking facility in Ottawa, that gives startups and established small businesses a place to achieve their goals in a professional environment.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s 2017 regional award winners,” said Victoria Lennox, Founder and CEO of Startup Canada. “Each and every one of these outstanding recipients have an immense impact on the future of Canada and they all represent the greatness and diversity of our nation’s entrepreneurship community.”
The 2017 Ontario Regional Award Winners are:
- Michael Serbinis, Founder and CEO, League Inc. | Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by Scotiabank
- Nicole Verkindt, CEO and Founder, Offset Market Exchange (OMX) | Woman Entrepreneur Award, presented by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Kelly Lovell, CEO, Lovell Corporation | Young Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Cindy Gordon, CEO and Co-Founder, SalesChoice(SC) Inc.| Senior Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Nevin Buconjic, Founder and Community Lead, Startup Sault | Entrepreneur Promotion Award, presented by Opportunities New Brunswick
- IgniteAC – Algonquin College Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Entrepreneur Support Award
- Clearbanc | Innovation Award, presented by Intuit QuickBooks
- RateHub.ca | High-Growth Entrepreneurship Award, presented by MNP LLP
- African Bronze Honey Company | Social Enterprise Award, presented by Centre for Social Innovation
- Wave | Global Entrepreneurship Award, presented by UPS Canada
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 regional winners will now be evaluated by the National Adjudication Committee; comprised of some of Canada’s leading entrepreneurship and industry experts. The national winners will be celebrated at the Startup Canada Awards Grand Finale in Ottawa on October 19, 2017 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, 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.