Startup Canada and Gerry Pond, the well-celebrated entrepreneur investor, philanthropist and mentor behind numerous successful ventures in Atlantic Canada, have partnered to draw national attention to senior Canadian entrepreneurs at the second annual Startup Canada Awards this autumn.
The Startup Canada Senior Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes entrepreneurs over age 60 who have impacted Canadian entrepreneurship through exemplary activities and leadership of their startup companies.
“As the winner of Startup Canada’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, there is no one better than Gerry Pond to draw recognition to the largest growing cohort of entrepreneurs in Canada,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada. “Senior entrepreneurs have a lifetime of skills and networks to throw behind startup companies and Canada needs to pay attention as these businesses evolve.”
“I have been convinced for some time now that the aging population issue is more of an opportunity than a problem,” said Pond. “But it involves engaging grey, grey matter with innovative approaches to seniorpreneurship.”
The Startup Canada Awards are the hallmark awards celebrating and distinguishing Canada’s entrepreneurship community. 2015 regional award ceremonies will take place during Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour, a nationwide tour with an unconference-style program that will provide on-site inspiration, mentorship and training to thousands of entrepreneurs and hundreds of community leaders. Through this support, the #EveryEntrepreneur Tour will help sow the seeds for the next generation of anchor companies and startup communities.
Startup Canada Regional Award Ceremony dates and locations:
The grand finale will take place at the CN Tower on December 1.
Gerry Pond was awarded the 2014 Startup Canada Wolf Blass Lifetime Achievement Award (now called the Startup Canada Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Wolf Blass) for his decades of dedication to entrepreneur mentorship and success as the co-founder of the accelerator Propel ICT, the Pond Deshpande Centre at the University of New Brunswick and East Valley Ventures, an accelerator for startups in Atlantic Canada. He’s also the co-founder of many successful ventures including iMagicTV, Q1 Labs, Brovada Technologies, Radian6, Shift Energy and Cirrus9. Pond was recently interviewed by Startup Canada Podcast host Rivers Corbett about his philanthropy and building business success. The episode will be available for download at startupcan.ca/podcast on Jan. 12, 2016.
For the latest updates on the Startup Canada Awards, visit www.startupaward.ca.