Spin Master Ltd. and Canadian Youth Business Foundation Announce the Recipients of the Spin Master Innovation Fund

September 7, 2011

Enhancing the Canadian economy, one entrepreneur at a time.

Toronto, ON- September 7, 2011– Today the Spin Master Innovation Fund announced the 2011 recipients of the Spin Master Innovation Program. In partnership with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), Spin Master Ltd. is thrilled to  introduce the next level of highly innovative entrepreneurs to the rest of the country.

The short-listed finalists had the opportunity to present their innovative business plans to an elite group, the Spin Master Innovation Fund (SMIF) Selection Panel. Participating in the selection panel were; Ronnen Harary, Chairman and Co-CEO of Spin Master Ltd., David Cynamon, CEO of K2 Pure Solutions, Louis Dallaire, Assistant Vice President, Client Experience, Business Development Bank of Canada, Valerie Fox, Director, Ryerson Digital Media Zone, Ryerson University and John Risley, Chairman, Clearwater Fine Foods and Chairman, CYBF.

The recipients impressed the SMIF Selection Panel with creative presentations, innovative business plans and, above all, their unsurpassed character, which will surely lead them to the tops of their fields.

The 2011 Recipients of the Spin Master Innovation Fund are (in no particular order):

  • Hygienna™, (Toronto, ON) Entrepreneur: Christopher Kang. Kang and his team have developed a personal hygiene company focused on design innovation and function.  Their first product is the Hygienna Nozzle, which was designed by aerospace engineers and transforms widely available plastic drink bottles into a personal, portable bidet.
  • Goosechase Adventures (Waterloo, ON) Entrepreneurs: Quinn Battersby, Jonathan Wong, Max Spear, Andrew Cross and Sergei Bezbordko. Goosechase Adventures have created and facilitated modern, real-time scavenger hunts to deliver an exceptional team building experience within the highly competitive workforce.
  • Notewagon (Kitchener, ON) Entrepreneurs: Gabriel Chan and Saif Altimimi. A web-based platform for student-generated academic content that encourages and scales classmate-comradeship. Students earn points for assisting their peers, with points redeemable for local coupons, gift cards or real cash.
  • Battlecraft Games / Cravio (Montreal, QC.) Entrepreneur: Louis Cleroux. Cleroux and his team of highly skilled software developers have plans to create Battlecraft, the title of the first of a series of mobile gaming applications that will launch mobile device users into the next generation of game play.
  • Jellyfish Marketing (Laval, QC.) Entrepreneur: Micheal El-Gemayel. The team at Jellyfish Marketing specializes in creating the hottest licensed consumer products in the sports and entertainment industries. Their outstanding first product line, Puzzter™ has already begun to generate buzz with early licensing agreements with the NHL and NHLPA.
  • Monumental Technologies (Montreal, QC.) Entrepreneurs: Eric St. Pierre and Awane Moufide Jones. In the fast paced music industry, Monumental Technologies have introduced a way for music fans to connect one-on-one with their favourite music artists- through an easy to use iPhone, Droid and Blackberry APP artists can quickly and easily create a mobile phone APP that is fully Augmented Reality compatible.
  • GCS Medical (Sherbrooke, QC.) Entrepreneurs: Guillame Chauvette and Charles Sevigny. An incredibly skilled team of engineers and young innovative business talent, GCS Medical have taken their skills to the next level, by designing, manufacturing and marketing surgical tools for orthopedic surgeons.
  • Domo Enterprises (Vancouver, BC.) Entrepreneur: Anne Forkutza.. The team at Domo Enterprises has taken on the mission of bringing the reincarnation of tea to the world. Through creative media relations skills, this young team has launched themselves to ensure that they stand out and above the competition.

“With the Spin Master Innovation Fund we have taken this opportunity to give back to young entrepreneurs across Canada,” says Spin Master’s Chairman and co-CEO, Ronnen Harary. “The amount of innovation, passion, integrity and outstanding character demonstrated by all of the recipients was amazing to see as each business plan was rolled out.”

Developed to encourage young entrepreneurs to turn their innovative idea into a booming business, the Spin Master Innovation Fund received enthusiastic responses from all over the country. In celebration of the Government of Canada’s recent designation of 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur, the Spin Master Innovation Fund gives the recognition that everyone with an innovative business idea has to start somewhere and have someone believe in them.

“The Spin Master Innovation Fund (SMIF) recipients showed an outstanding ability to think creatively and act independently,” says Vivian Prokop, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. “They are leaders and innovators that, with the financing, mentoring and support they will receive from the SMIF, now have the golden opportunity to become Canada’s next business success story by building unique and successful businesses.”

For these successful recipients who have taken the leap and turned their innovative idea into reality, this announcement is only the beginning. They have all received packages including, $50,000 in financing through CYBF and its affiliate, Entrepreneur Gateway Canada. A hand-matched innovation mentor, specifically recruited by CYBF’s mentoring program, who will provide each entrepreneur with a sounding board for the first two years. They have also been invited to an exclusive two-day Innovation Launch Pad Workshop in Toronto featuring access to a Spin Master Innovation Fund Advisory Team and an interactive workshop including robust educational and networking opportunities. Continuous opportunities include ongoing exclusive access to an online community with access to webinars and business tips from national business advisors.

Spin Master Ltd.

A multi-category children’s entertainment company since 1994, Spin Master has been designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer products for children around the world and is recognized as a global growth leader within the toy industry. Spin Master is best known for such popular brands as boy’s action phenomena and 2010 Boys Toy of the Year winner Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, and award-winning brands Air Hogs®, Aquadoodle™, Tech Deck™, Moon Sand™, Liv™, and Zoobles™. The company has also marked an entry into children’s media with the launch of Spin Master Entertainment, a subsidiary focusing on the design, development and production of television and other media properties. Spin Master employs over 1,000 people with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Mexico, Munich, and central Europe. For additional information please visit: www.spinmaster.com.

Canadian Youth Business Foundation

Canada’s Entrepreneur Gateway
The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the ‘go to’ place for youth entrepreneurship. As a national charity, we are dedicated to growing Canada’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-34, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. www.cybf.ca.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Harold Chizick
VP of Global Communications & Promotions
Spin Master Ltd.
416-364-6002 ext. 2238
HaroldC@spinmaster.com

Rachel Azagury
Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications
CYBF
416-408-2923 x2111
razagury@cybf.ca