Toronto, O.N., December 10, 2015 | Startup Canada and VIA Rail, Canada’s national rail passenger service, have partnered to help entrepreneurs across Canada find mentors, support and new opportunities to start and grow their companies during Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour.
The #EveryEntrepreneur Tour launched on Oct. 14 in Halifax, N.S., and brought thousands of entrepreneurs together in Montreal, Vancouver, Whitehorse, Calgary and Ottawa to put the spotlight on the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada and to voice priorities, calls-to-action, and establish commitments to better the environment for entrepreneur-run business.
At the tour finale on Dec. 14 at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, VIA Rail CEO and President Yves Desjardins-Siciliano will share his experiences in business development and growth during a keynote address.
“As a nonprofit organization that prides itself in connecting the country’s entrepreneurship community from coast-to-coast, Startup Canada is pleased to partner with such a key connector of Canada’s vast landscape,” said Startup Canada CEO Victoria Lennox. “We look forward to hearing Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano’s take on entrepreneurship in Canada.”
“Every day, VIA Rail moves Canadians across this vast and magnificent country, physically and emotionally. Travelling with VIA Rail is a true Canadian experience. The emotional commitment to a vision, coupled with a focus on execution, is what makes a successful entrepreneur. At VIA Rail, today’s railroaders share that entrepreneurial spirit as we work to build a safe, efficient, environmentally-sensitive, and accessible passenger rail system”, said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and CEO of VIA Rail. “It is through acting like entrepreneurs and displaying their creative thinking that a Crown Corporation such as VIA Rail can transform itself and, most importantly, transform the way Canadians travel.”
Similar to Startup Canada’s inaugural tour in 2012, which engaged 20,000 Canadians in the largest-ever consultation on entrepreneurship in Canadian history, the #EveryEntrepreneur Tour has provided on-site inspiration, mentorship and training to thousands of entrepreneurs to help cultivate the next generation of anchor companies across Canada.
In addition to Desjardins-Siciliano, entrepreneurs will also hear keynote addresses from Second Cup Co-Founder Frank O’Dea and Allan Lau, CEO of Wattpad.
At the event, entrepreneurs looking to up-skill are invited to participate in bootcamp-style training sessions in areas of finance, scaling, marketing and going global. Mentors will also be on-hand for support during a day-long trade show. Organizations that provide mentorship, support, training, funding and other opportunities to entrepreneurs will also be available to connect entrepreneurs to a wider support network.
Startup Canada also partnered with VIA Rail to award Canadian entrepreneurs with VIA Rail passes during online contests the week of Dec. 7.
For the latest updates, visit www.StartupTourToronto.ca.