The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) recognized the country’s angel investor of the year, eight “Nation Builders,” and a lifetime of achievement at the 2025 NACO Awards.
The awards were handed out as part of the annual NACO Summit, held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa this morning, where Canavan Capital principal Joe Canavan was named as Canada’s 2025 Angel of the Year.
The organization also recognized eight “Nation Builders.” These include former Shopify vice president and Build Canada leader Daniel Debow as well as District Ventures Capital general partner and Dragon’s Den star Arlene Dickinson.
“Together, these leaders embody a vision of a more resilient, self-reliant, and globally competitive Canada.”
Claudio Rojas
NACO
NACO called Debow’s Build Canada “a bold initiative to elevate Canada’s innovation capacity and ambition.” The policy platform bills itself as “bold ideas for growth, innovation, and prosperity” proposed by successful Canadian entrepreneurs with deep knowledge in relevant areas.
Dickinson’s Nation Builder award recognized her as a “leading voice in the national conversation about innovation, value creation, and entrepreneurship.”
The Angel of the Year award looks for active Canadian angel investors making quality investments, as well as mentorship and ecosystem leadership. According to NACO, Canavan has “profoundly shaped” Canada’s financial services and entrepreneurial landscape through his leadership at various asset management firms, including LOGiQ, Assante, and Fidelity Investments Canada.
As an angel investor, Canavan has backed a number of notable Canadian FinTech companies including Wealthsimple, Koho Financial, and Borrowell. Canavan joins previous Angel of the Year recipients such as Randy Thompson of Valhalla Private Capital, Mark Dobbin of Killick Capital, and Arati Sharma of BetaKit majority owner Good Future.
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The Nation Builders award was created in 2022 to recognize business and cultural leaders shaping Canada’s future by inspiring action. This year’s recipients had an emphasis on building the foundations of an innovation-driven country, according to NACO.
“This year’s awards recognize the extraordinary leadership that drives Canada’s future prosperity,” NACO CEO Claudio Rojas said in a statement. “Together, these leaders embody a vision of a more resilient, self-reliant, and globally competitive Canada.”
The six other Nation Builder award recipients include The Logic economics columnist Kevin Carmichael, Coralus founder Vicki Saunders, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business CEO Tabatha Bull, and Business Council of Canada CEO Goldy Hyder. There are also two senators, Colin Deacon and Paulette Senior.
Colin Mason, emeritus professor and honorary senior research fellow at the University of Glasgow, was recognized with the 2025 NACO Lifetime Achievement Award. Mason received the commendation for his research and evidence-based policy recommendations, including through his authorship of NACO’s Annual Report on Angel Investing in Canada.
There was $137.3 million in angel investment in 2024, according to the report. This represented a 19.4 percent increase year-over-year. However, the report warns of rising investor caution due to escalating trade tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty, and a tightening global capital market.
Feature image courtesy of NACO.