Our week began at the Future of Business Summit, hosted by our partners at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce<\/a>. Futurpreneur CEO, Karen Greve Young, joined a panel titled \u201cEnabling Small Businesses to Scale: From Insight to Impact.\u201d During the session, she emphasized that while Canada has no shortage of entrepreneurial ambition, the challenge lies in providing the right conditions for these businesses to scale. Moderated by D\u00e9borah Cherenfant, the discussion included Cinzia Bazzo (Sage) and Simon Poulin (Upside Drinks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key takeaways included:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A highlight of the summit was during the Premiers\u2019 Session featuring The Hon. Doug Ford (Premier of Ontario), The Hon. Susan Holt (Premier of New Brunswick), The Hon. Rob Lantz (Premier of Prince Edward Island), and The Hon. R.J. Simpson (Premier of the Northwest Territories). The discussion focused on national unity and trade, reinforcing the issues entrepreneurs face across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A night of celebrations: Our 30th anniversary Hill Day reception<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The highlight of the week was Futurpreneur\u2019s 30th anniversary Hill Day reception at the University of Ottawa, co-presented by our long-standing partners, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC<\/a>), represented by Miguel Barrieras, Chief Community Banking and Impact Officer, and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC<\/a>), represented by Yasser Ghazi, Vice President- Commercial Financial Services, Ontario North & East. The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of\u202fWomen and Gender Equality\u202fand Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), joined us and expressed her support for the next generation of founders. Eleven Futurpreneur-supported young entrepreneurs from across Canada showcased their businesses to policymakers and ecosystem leaders, reflecting the diversity and strength of the country\u2019s entrepreneurial landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Featured entrepreneurs included:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Entrepreneur David Owasi<\/strong> delivered a keynote address about building Outreach Genius, highlighting how access to mentorship and capital can help founders scale both their businesses and their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also heard from Futurpreneur Indigenous entrepreneur and Board member, Lorne Jr. Blesse<\/strong>, founder of <\/a>Kiwetin Clothing<\/a>, AB,<\/strong> who shared his journey from northern Alberta, emphasizing the importance of empowering others to envision their own success and ensuring those same doors to opportunity remain open for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sense of community was echoed by Guillaume Blais (PRODG, QC)<\/strong>, who shared how the Hill Day experience allowed him to bridge the gap between culture and commerce, securing pivotal meetings with institutions like the Canada Council for the Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experience the energy firsthand. Click below to watch a special behind-the-scenes video from Joanna Pariseau (Taste the City, AB), who reflected on her Hill Day experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bringing entrepreneurial voices to parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure the voices of young entrepreneurs are heard where decisions are made, Futurpreneur arranged one-on-one meetings between our founders and their local Members of Parliament, so they could hear firsthand about the challenges of scaling a business in Canada and the impact of federal support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 1996, Futurpreneur has supported more than 21,000 young entrepreneurs, helping them launch more than 16,600 businesses across Canada. As we reflect on 30 years of success, we are reminded that while the landscape of business has changed, the spirit of the Canadian entrepreneur remains strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We leave Ottawa feeling optimistic. Our week underscored the importance of collaboration between entrepreneurs, government and the private sector to ensure the next generation of founders have the support, the mentorship and the capital they need to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you to everyone who joined us on the Hill. Here\u2019s to the next 30 years of building, growing and scaling together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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