On Tuesday night, Startup Canada announced the national winners of its third annual National Startup Canada Awards, which celebrates Canadian entrepreneurs across the country that are fostering entrepreneurship at the local and national level.
“Congratulations to the 2016 Startup Canada Awards winners, each of whom have been recognized by their peers as strong role models for Canadians of all ages and entrepreneurs across all sectors for championing a culture of entrepreneurship,” said Brenda Halloran, chair of the Startup Canada Board of Directors and former mayor of Waterloo. “Each recipient is driving impact in Canada and globally, and represent the greatness and diversity of Canada’s entrepreneur community.”
Congratulations to @daxsilva for winning the #StartupCanAwards for Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by @Scotiabank! pic.twitter.com/62WuxVVPH5
— Startup Canada (@Startup_Canada) November 30, 2016
In the past, former prime minister Paul Martin, Communitech CEO Iain Klugman, Accel-Rx president and CEO Natalie Dakers have been named award winners.
#StartupCanAwards @BrendaHalloran1 wonderful introduction to the awards finale @Startup_Canada 150k entrepreneurs! pic.twitter.com/vNST7hcTyt
— StartupToronto (@Startup_TOR) November 29, 2016
The full list includes:
Category 1 – Advancing The Environment and Culture for Entrepreneurship in Canada
Meredith J. Powell, Co-Founder, The Next Big Thing | Startup Canada Entrepreneur Promotion Award
North Forge Technology Exchange | Startup Canada Entrepreneur Support Award
Brad Woodside, Former Mayor of Fredericton | Startup Canada Policy Prize
Startup Fredericton | Startup Canada Community of the Year
Category 2 – Entrepreneur-led Businesses Demonstrating Excellence
Surface Medical Inc. | Startup Canada Global Entrepreneurship Award
iBIONICS | Startup Canada Innovation Award
Aki Energy Inc. | Startup Canada Social Enterprise Award
iTel Networks Inc. | Startup Canada High-Growth Entrepreneurship
Category 3 – Exemplifying the Spirit of Canadian Entrepreneurship
Dax Dasilva, Founder & CEO, Lightspeed | Startup Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Nadia Hamilton, Founder & CEO, Magnusmode | Startup Canada Woman Entrepreneur Award
Heather Abbey, Founder & President, ShopIndig.ca | Startup Canada Indigenous Entrepreneur Award
Maayan Ziv, Founder & CEO, AccessNow | Startup Canada Resilient Entrepreneur Award
Melina Terra Salomon, Founder & CEO, Gomma | Startup Canada Newcomer Entrepreneur Award
Swarochish Goswami, Co-Founder & CEO, RafikiMedia | Startup Canada Young Entrepreneur Award
Eli Fathi, CEO, MindBridge Ai | Startup Canada Senior Entrepreneur Award
Category 4 – Outstanding Impact and Enduring Legacy in Canadian Entrepreneurship
Randy Yatscoff, Executive Vice-President, TEC Edmonton | Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award
