Leading entrepreneur joanna griffiths appointed to Futurpreneur board of directors

November 21, 2019

Founder and CEO of fast-growing brands Knix and Knixteen brings her expertise to national, non-profit dedicated to supporting young Canadian entrepreneurs

Toronto, ON (November 21, 2019) – Futurpreneur Canada today announced the appointment of award-winning entrepreneur Joanna Griffiths to its board of directors. A recipient of Futurpreneur’s early-stage support when she launched Knixwear in 2013, Griffiths will share the valuable insights and expertise she gained while building one of the world’s fastest-growing intimate apparel brands.

“We are thrilled to welcome such an inspiring entrepreneur to the Futurpreneur Board of Directors,” said Karen Greve Young, CEO, Futurpreneur Canada. “Joanna’s extraordinary lived founder experience in growing Knix from a bold idea to Canada’s sixth fastest-growing company will be invaluable in helping us provide the best possible Futurpreneur experience for young Canadians on the path to success.”

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of Futurpreneur, which gave me my first loan to start Knix when I was too risky to even get a credit card,” said Joanna Griffiths, founder and CEO Knix. “I thank Futurpreneur for believing in me back then and welcoming me to their board today. I look forward to giving back to young founders across Canada by partnering with the largest funding and mentorship organization for young entrepreneurs in the country.”

Prior to starting Knix, Griffiths worked in marketing and PR at some of the world’s leading entertainment companies, including Universal Music, Toronto International Film Festival and the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Joanna holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD and has won the Women Of Influence Start Up Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Shopify Build a Bigger Business competition and The Retail Council of Canada Marketing Innovation Achievement award. She was a finalist for the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award.

As Griffiths joins the board, Futurpreneur thanks the following outgoing directors for the valuable expertise and advice they offered throughout their years of dedicated service:

  • David Stewart-Patterson – Futurpreneur board member for 18 years; chair of Futurpreneur Foundation
  • Jonathan Simmons, CFO, OMERS – Futurpreneur board member for 14 years
  • Olivier Letard, co-founder, PCO Innovation; former president, Canada’s G20 YEA – Futurpreneur board member for 7 years

The Futurpreneur Board of Directors includes:

  • John Risley (chair), O.C., president, Clearwater Fine Foods Inc.
  • Elizabeth Roscoe (vice chair), senior vice president and national practice leader, public affairs, Hill & Knowlton Strategies Canada
  • David Aisenstat, chairman, CEO and director, the Keg Steakhouse & Bar
  • Michel Bergeron, chief strategy officer, BDC
  • Devon Brooks, founder and CEO, Sphere
  • Harry Chemko, co-founder and CEO, Elastic Path Software Inc.
  • Mike Dobbins, chief strategy and corporate development officer, RBC
  • Valerie Fox, chief innovation consultant, The Pivotal Point
  • Cindy Goertzen, co-founder and COO, Trivenity Corp.; co-founder and president, Maira Group Inc.
  • Joanna Griffiths, founder and CEO, Knix
  • Nadir Hirji, partner and lead, PwC Canada Digital Services
  • Derrick Hunter, president and CEO, Bluesky Equities Ltd.
  • Janice McDonald, founder and CEO, The Beacon Agency
  • Catherine Roche, global head, marketing and strategy, BMO Financial Group
  • Mark Segal executive vice president finance and CFO, Spin Master Ltd.

About Futurpreneur Canada

Futurpreneur Canada has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of enterprising young Canadians since 1996. We’re the only national, non-profit organization that provides resources, financing and mentoring to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. Our internationally recognized mentoring program matches young entrepreneurs with business experts from a network of over 3,000 volunteer mentors.

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.

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