Futurpreneur’s Growth Accelerator empowers young entrepreneurs across Canada 

Tomato Wheels Lambrusco Founder Moirae Choquette of Edmonton, Alberta wins the $10,000 Grand Prize sponsored by Spin Master 

TORONTO, CANADA (MAY 2, 2025) – The Futurpreneur Growth Accelerator, powered by Spin Master and Lexus Canada, with support from National Bank of Canada, is empowering young entrepreneurs during a critical time for Canada’s economy. This year, 18 exceptional young Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs participated in the program, representing a wide range of industries and backgrounds. These young founders, with bold ideas and ambitions, are ready to scale their businesses. 

The six-week Growth Accelerator program provides participants with free workshops, resources and valuable networking opportunities. It also gives them a chance to compete for multiple cash awards, further fueling their growth. 

“Our partners’ continued support of the Futurpreneur Growth Accelerator makes it possible for us empower young entrepreneurs at a key stage in their business journeys,” said Karen Greve Young, CEO of Futurpreneur. “The Growth Accelerator not only provides entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to grow their businesses, it also gives them a network of fellow founders across Canada to share experiences with and learn from. Small businesses like those supported through this collaboration with Spin Master, Lexus Canada and National Bank are critical to Canada’s inclusive and sustainable economic future.” 

The Growth Accelerator program connects young entrepreneurs from across Canada, allowing them to network, learn and share ideas as they grow and pivot their businesses. It supports entrepreneurs with businesses that are approximately 18 months to 3.5 years old, helping them refine their business strategies, identify new market segments and ultimately pitch their strategies in a competition in Toronto. 

About Futurpreneur’s Growth Accelerator 
 
The program includes: 

• Six virtual workshops with business experts; 

• A two-day strategy pitch competition in Toronto; 

• The chance to win up to $10,000 in cash awards; 

• Business strategy consultations and supportive resources; and 

• Access to a network of young entrepreneurs across Canada. 

Growth Accelerator areas of focus: 

• Marketing; 

• Operations; 

• Finance; and 

• Personal and professional development for entrepreneurs. 

This year’s iteration of the program culminated in a two-day summit held in Toronto on April 24-25, 2025. 

The winning pitches 

On the second day of this year’s Growth Accelerator summit, participants pitched their business ideas with passion and energy. The collaboration and support among the entrepreneurs were evident, as they exchanged ideas and uplifted each other. The following entrepreneurs were awarded: 

• Moirae Choquette, Founder of Tomato Wheels Lambrusco (Edmonton, Alberta), won the $10,000 Grand Prize, sponsored by Spin Master. 

• Lise Marie Richard, Founder of Tofino Hot Sauce Company (Tofino, British Columbia), received the $5,000 Lexus Craft Driven Award, sponsored by Lexus Canada. 

• Rebecca Lynn Knezacek, Founder of Eyefinery Optical Studio, was awarded the $5,000 Lexus Experience Award, also sponsored by Lexus Canada. 

Click here to learn more about the 18 young Futurpreneurs who participated in the 2025 Growth Accelerator program. 

ABOUT FUTURPRENEUR  

Futurpreneur is a national, non-profit organization that provides loans with mentorship and resources to diverse entrepreneurs, ages 18-39, who are looking to start, buy or grow their businesses in Canada. We help diverse young founders reach their startup goals and provide bilingual (English and French) supports and resources to empower business owners on their entrepreneurial journeys.  

Founded in 1996, the organization was established to promote entrepreneurship among Canadian youth as a critical pillar for diversifying the economy, generating employment opportunities and fostering a sustainable future. Since then, Futurpreneur has helped more than 18,700 young entrepreneurs start or buy small and growing businesses across Canada.  

Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).  

Futurpreneur is partially supported by the Government of Canada. 

ABOUT SPIN MASTER 

Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY) is a leading global children’s entertainment company, creating exceptional play experiences through its three creative centres: Toys, Entertainment and Digital Games. With distribution in over 100 countries, Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands PAW Patrol®, Hatchimals®, Bakugan®, Kinetic Sand®, Air Hogs®, Melissa & Doug®, Rubik’s® Cube and GUND®, and is the global toy licensee for other popular properties. Spin Master Entertainment creates and produces compelling multiplatform content, through its in-house studio and partnerships with outside creators, including the preschool franchise PAW Patrol, and numerous other original shows, short-form series and feature films. The Company has an established presence in digital games, anchored by the Toca Boca® and Sago Mini® brands, offering open-ended and creative game and educational play in digital environments. Through Spin Master Ventures, the Company makes minority investments globally in emerging companies and start-ups. With 29 offices spanning nearly 20 countries, Spin Master employs close to 3,000 team members globally. For more information, visit spinmaster.com or @SpinMaster on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

ABOUT LEXUS CANADA 

Lexus Canada is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Lexus luxury cars and sport utility vehicles through a sales and service network of 40 dealers across Canada. Guests have access to a wide range of luxury and performance vehicles, with a total of 12 Lexus nameplates available in Canada, including the country’s largest electrified luxury vehicle lineup (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric) models. Inspired by bold design, intuitive technology and peak performance, Lexus is committed to delivering the highest quality products and services, and to creating amazing experiences for their Guests. The Lexus RX and RX Hybrid, Lexus NX and NX Hybrid are built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada’s award-winning Cambridge plant. For more information about Lexus and Lexus products, please visit: www.lexus.ca  

ABOUT NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA 

Founded in 1859, National Bank of Canada offers financial services to individuals, businesses, institutional clients and governments across Canada. We are one of Canada’s six systemically important banks and among the most profitable banks on a global basis by return on equity. We operate through three business segments in Canada—Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and Financial Markets. A fourth segment— U.S. Specialty Finance and International—complements the growth of our domestic operations. We are a leading bank in our core Quebec market and also hold leadership positions across the country in selected activities. We strive to meet the highest standards of social responsibility while creating value for our shareholders. We are proud to be recognized as an employer of choice and for promoting diversity and inclusion. We are headquartered in Montreal, and our securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA).