September 15, 2017 | Kamloops | Startup Canada
Startup Canada, the national rallying community for Canadian entrepreneurs, today named nine outstanding entrepreneurs, businesses and support organizations from British Columbia as winners of the fourth annual Startup Canada Awards. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Kamloops, BC, attended by leading Canadian investors, innovators and anchor company executives.
The ceremony was hosted by Kamloops Innovation and Startup Kamloops – a local collaboration facility in the heart of downtown Kamloops.
“We’re proud to have hosted the Startup Canada Awards here in Kamloops and had the opportunity to showcase our vibrant entrepreneurial community,” said Lincoln Smith, Executive Director of Kamloops Innovation. “It has been great to see so many Kamloops companies represented on stage each year.”
“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 BC Regional Award Winners are:
- Lynda Brown-Ganzert, Founder and CEO, Curatio | Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by Scotiabank
- Catherine Dahl, Founder and CEO, Beanworks | Woman Entrepreneurship Award, presented by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Vicki Collett, Co-Owner, Harper’s Trail Winery | Senior Entrepreneur Award, presented by BDC
- Manny Padda, Founder, New Avenue Capital | Entrepreneur Promotion Award, presented by Opportunities New Brunswick
- Accelerate Okanagan | Entrepreneur Support Award
- Hummingbird Drones | Innovation Award, presented by Intuit QuickBooks
- BroadbandTV | High-Growth Entrepreneurship Award, presented by MNP LLP
- Keela | Social Enterprise Award, presented by Centre for Social Innovation
- Hootsuite | 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 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.