Futurpreneur celebrates 30 years by honouring the young entrepreneurs who are building Canada’s future economy and the mentors and community partners who help them succeed

Six national award winners announced alongside inaugural Futurpreneur Founders Hall of Fame inductees, including the founders of Knix, Mejuri, Skip (SkipTheDishes), PropertyGuys.com and more.

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Futurpreneur marked its 30th anniversary last night by naming six national award winners and inducting the founders of seven celebrated Canadian companies into its inaugural Founders Hall of Fame. Held at Toronto’s MaRS Centre and co-presented by RBC and BDC, the celebration brought together entrepreneurs, mentors, community partners and leaders from across Canada.

The day-long event, which included a Main Street marketplace showcasing Futurpreneur-supported young entrepreneurs and the RBC Rock My Business Start-up Awards, capped a seven-month national awards campaign that drew thousands of nominations and more than 12,000 public votes from across Canada.

30^th Anniversary Award Winners

Entrepreneur Awards: Selected from more than 125 applicants and 30 finalists across Canada, Futurpreneur’s four entrepreneur award winners are:

• Ingrid Broussillon, founder of Griottes Polyglottes, received the $30,000 People’s Choice Award, chosen by public vote. The fully bilingual, Vancouver-based company delivers training focused on mental health, communication, bias awareness and workplace inclusion.
• Corey Anderson, founder of Ingaged Creative Productions Inc., received a $10,000 Entrepreneur Award. Based in Fort William First Nation, Ontario, the Indigenous-owned marketing, communications and events company employs 27 people, supports more than 100 events annually and creates opportunities for Indigenous artists, distributing more than $1 million to support their creative practice since 2020.
• Paul Griffin and Eric Doucet, co-founders of The Sales Factory, received a $10,000 Entrepreneur Award. The Toronto-based company builds and runs multilingual outbound sales programs and has launched more than 400 sales careers.
• Rachelle Séguin and Andrea Gomez, co-founders of Omy Laboratoires, received a $10,000 Entrepreneur Award. The Quebec City-based Certified B Corporation uses AI to tailor skincare products to individual needs and employs 52 people.

Mentor and Community Partner Awards

• Tariq Al Barwani received the Mentor Award. One of more than 2,000 volunteer mentors in Futurpreneur’s network, Plentea co-founder and STROM Futures CEO Tariq is a serial entrepreneur who has advised 11 young entrepreneurs since becoming a Futurpreneur mentor in 2017.
• OSEntreprendre received the Community Partner Award, recognizing its long-standing commitment to inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit among millions of Quebecers of all ages. Since 2005, it has partnered with Futurpreneur to help aspiring entrepreneurs validate their ideas, clarify their vision, expand their networks and build credibility.

Futurpreneur Founders Hall of Fame Inductees

Futurpreneur also announced the seven inaugural inductees into its Founders Hall of Fame, recognizing entrepreneurs whose businesses started with loan and mentorship support from Futurpreneur and have since become major Canadian and global brands while maintaining their Canadian headquarters and operations:

• Marc-André Campagna and Francis Careau received Futurpreneur support in 2017 for a telecom startup they co-founded that has since evolved into a subsidiary of gaiia, a global telecom software business headquartered in Quebec City that serves customers in Canada, the US and the UK.
• Harry Chemko, co-founder of Elastic Path, received Futurpreneur support in 2000 and has grown the Vancouver-headquartered company into a global commerce software business serving major brands.
• Joanna Griffiths, founder of Knix, received Futurpreneur support in 2013 and grew the Toronto-headquartered company into a global brand and intimates market disruptor, reaching a US$400-million valuation before exiting this summer.
• Ken LeBlanc and Jeremy Demont, co-founders of PropertyGuys.com, received Futurpreneur support in 1998 and have built the Moncton-headquartered company into a national real estate company with more than 100 franchise locations across Canada.
• Vincent Leclerc and David Parent, co-founders of PixMob, received Futurpreneur support in 2007, and have since turned their Montreal-headquartered event lighting company into a global leader, with its technology featured at major events worldwide, including eight Super Bowls and three Olympic Games.
• Noura Sakkijha, co-founder of Mejuri (with Majed Masad), received Futurpreneur support in 2013 and has grown the Toronto-headquartered company into a global fine-jewelry brand with more than 60 stores and millions of customers.
• Josh, Chris and Dan Simair (brothers), co-founders of Winnipeg-headquartered Skip (SkipTheDishes), received Futurpreneur support in 2013 and built one of Canada’s largest food-delivery companies before its acquisition by Just Eat in 2016.
  

“To build the strong economic future we want for Canada, we need to empower more of our young people to build their own economic futures by launching and growing made-in-Canada businesses. Thirty years in, the results are clear: When young entrepreneurs get the financing, mentorship and support they need, they turn their ambitions into thriving businesses that create jobs and strengthen communities across Canada. As we enter our fourth decade, I’m grateful for the enduring support of key partners like RBC, BDC and the Government of Canada, as well as our national network of volunteer mentors and community partners, for enabling us to deliver 30 years of inclusive impact.” – Karen Greve Young, CEO, Futurpreneur

“Behind every successful business is someone who took a chance and people who helped them take the next step. For 30 years, Futurpreneur has helped young Canadians turn their ideas into businesses, pairing financing with mentorship that lasts beyond opening day. Our government is proud to support that work. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients and the inaugural Founders Hall of Fame inductees. Your success shows what’s possible when we back Canadian talent and give more young people the opportunity to build their future here at home.” – The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

Celebrating the next generation of founders

Earlier in the day, 12 Futurpreneur-supported founders showcased and sold their products at a Main Street marketplace in the MaRS atrium, with businesses ranging from skincare and clothing to chocolate and coffee.

“Entrepreneurial potential exists in every community across Canada. What isn’t always equal is access to the financing, advice and networks that can help turn that potential into a successful business. Futurpreneur has spent 30 years helping close that gap for young entrepreneurs, and BDC has been doing it for over 80. No single institution can tackle this important challenge alone. That’s why BDC’s Community Banking works with partners like Futurpreneur, because we all share a common mission of empowering the next generation of Canadian business owners.” – Miguel Barrieras, Chief Community Banking and Impact Officer, BDC

The event also featured the sixth-annual RBC Rock My Business Start-up Awards, which celebrated eight aspiring young entrepreneurs spanning seven provinces, each developing businesses in industries ranging from healthcare and technology to sustainability, fashion and creative services.

"We're proud to mark 30 years of partnership with Futurpreneur, and to have just renewed and expanded that commitment for the years ahead. Congratulations to this year's award recipients and inaugural Hall of Fame inductees. The businesses they've built, and the jobs and communities they strengthen, are helping drive Canada's economy forward." – Sean Amato-Gauci, Group Head, RBC Commercial Banking

ABOUT FUTURPRENEUR

Since 1996, Futurpreneur has empowered young entrepreneurs ages 18-39 to start, buy and grow made-in-Canada businesses that create jobs, strengthen communities and contribute to a more inclusive economy. Through accessible loan financing with mentorship and resources, Futurpreneur has helped more than 21,000 entrepreneurs build over 16,600 businesses that span every province and territory. Futurpreneur-supported businesses generate $9.3 billion in annual GDP and achieve an 80% five-year survival rate, which is 27% above Canada’s small business average. As Futurpreneur celebrates 30 years of inclusive impact, our work remains focused on helping the next generation of founders build thriving businesses across Canada. Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance and leads the Canadian delegation to the annual G20 YEA Summit. Futurpreneur was originally founded as the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in 1996 and rebranded as Futurpreneur in 2014. Learn more at futurpreneur.ca.

Photography from the Marketplace and both ceremonies, plus interviews with award winners, Hall of Fame inductees and Futurpreneur leadership, available on request.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/effddff2-3897-4a46-bbf8-bff080617bd5

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49c80cc8-9349-4b1e-8f25-d415211bba4f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66ddf3a4-9225-4eec-a0b5-c05821d05783

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/667d829b-8ead-48ab-b50d-2f585203a559

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d28ee0dd-51fe-4c4c-9402-363f3f569db5

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7646b09-09a7-49e3-97dd-52734ad2beb4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/86cee37a-74a0-40dc-8d22-3dca27857ba0

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8a450e6-907d-4769-a5d9-767b20efd183

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7e3c4fc3-cc63-419b-ae6c-bf1da6c240aa

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ea8e06b-3704-4fea-ae33-da34fb7a6601

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/40630b11-067d-4a2f-a237-e3fa339e3100

Kara Collins
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Futurpreneur
kcollins@futurpreneur.ca