Kayla Isabelle
Executive Director, Startup Canada
To maintain and increase prosperity in the good and in the bad times, Canada needs more startups; ambitious, scalable, and sustainable businesses that foster economic growth and social development. By sharing outstanding entrepreneurs’ stories of resilience and success, the CANIE Awards inspired present and future generations to become leading entrepreneurs with an innovative and global mindset.
Launched by The Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) in collaboration with Startup Canada, Sovereign Insurance, UPS, Mastercard, and Scotiabank, this Awards program gathered and showcased stories of leading entrepreneurs from across Canada.
Forty Canadian entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and industries shared their entrepreneurial journeys, their perspectives of the current economic crisis, and delivered a message of resilience during candid Q&As moderated by Catherine Clark, President of Catherine Clark Communications.
These entrepreneurs reminded us of the vital role that they play in society and the economy, especially during these unprecedented challenging times. They also showed us once again, the importance of innovation during moments of hardship organizations like DeepTrekker, Intuitive AI, and Vital Tracer Ltd. shared how their flagship products have been modified to fight against COVID-19. In the same spirit, organizations such as Co.Labs, Planet Hatch, and Centech rose awareness of the importance of supporting local startups and innovators to support the Canadian ecosystem as a whole
Now, more than ever, it is crucial for each of us to rally together and champion entrepreneurs and businesses that stand as the backbone of our economy. It is up to all of us to promote and support entrepreneurs and innovators who are not just surviving, but thriving in these challenging times.
If you missed the CANIE Awards ceremonies, check them here:
Stay tuned for the Grand Finale taking place on Oct. 20, 2020.
