Ontario Dominates Global Entrepreneurship Week

Futurpreneur Canada names Whitby, Ontario Canada’s top entrepreneurial hot spot for hosting the most GEW events per capita 

Ottawa, Ontario hosts more GEW events than any other Canadian city 

For immediate release

Toronto, Ontario, November 23, 2015 – Futurpreneur Canada wrapped up Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) with an announcement that Ontario is teeming with entrepreneurial spirit– in communities of all sizes across the province. The town of Whitby, Ontario was singled out as Canada’s top entrepreneurial hot spot, based on the number of events per capita held there during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), and Ottawa, Ontario was noted for having hosted more GEW events than any other Canadian city.

“Our town embraced Global Entrepreneurship Week as an opportunity to network and collaborate locally,” said Mayor Don Mitchell, Town of Whitby. “We must support our job creators to make sure they choose Whitby to put down roots and grow and prosper.”

“When I first opened Collab Space in July, I started planning and organizing for Global Entrepreneurship Week because I knew how important it would be for local entrepreneurs as well as Collab Space,” said Blair Kilrea, Managing Partner, Collab Space in Ottawa. “With 35 events last week, I wanted to pack in as much valuable education and networking as I could, because we (all entrepreneurs) are always in need of expanding our knowledge and our network connections.”

This year, GEW took place across the globe from November 16 to 22, with Futurpreneur Canada serving as the Canadian host for the seventh consecutive year. During the week, more than 10 million people in 160 countries attended local events where they connected with collaborators, mentors, investors and other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial community.

“Every day we’re inspired by the passion and drive of the entrepreneurs, mentors and partners that we work with, and GEW is a fantastic opportunity to bring all these stakeholders together in a meaningful way,” said Julia Deans, CEO, Futurpreneur Canada. “We’re confident that everyone who participated in one or more GEW events this year walked away with new ideas, new contacts and a renewed sense of motivation to keep growing their business.”

This year, Futurpreneur Canada saw almost 400 activities registered in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, hosted by 134 community organizations. Whitby hosted 28 of these events during the week, with the Business Advisory Centre of Durham leading the charge by hosting events covering topics that included branding, innovation and sales.  In Ottawa, over 83 entrepreneurial events were held.

For more information about Futurpreneur Canada and Global Entrepreneur Week events in Canada, visit staging.futurpreneur.ca/GEW and follow @futurpreneur and @gewcanada.

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About Futurpreneur Canada

Futurpreneur Canada (formerly the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, or CYBF) has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young enterprise for nearly two decades. We are the only national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. Our internationally recognized mentoring program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business expert from a network of more than 2,700 volunteer mentors. Futurpreneur Canada 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. staging.futurpreneur.ca. Facebook: Futurpreneur Twitter: @Futurpreneur 

For interview opportunities and media inquiries, please contact:

Meghan Paton
Futurpreneur Canada
416-408-2923 x 2207
mpaton@futurpreneur.ca