FY20-Annual Report -Mar23 - Flipbook - Page 24
A VIRTUAL LUNCH IN HONOUR OF OUR
ALUMNI CHAMPIONS
It is through the support of our Visionary Donors,
Tim and Frances Price, that we have been able to
focus on building a strong and engaged alumni community. The Prices identified the important role our
alumni play in the Canadian economy, and through
their investment, we have been able to provide new
resources, mentorship and community to help alumni
scale their companies.
Our alumni thanked the Prices during a celebratory
luncheon in August, and shared stories of the ways
in which they continue to support NEXT. Alumni like
Katya Kudashkina, CEO & Founder of Cultura.AI and
graduate of Next Founders 2016 and Next AI 2017.
While managing her company and completing her
PHD at the Vector Institute, Katya dedicates time to
mentor NEXT ventures, recruit entrepreneurs to our
programs and has also donated to NEXT. In recognition of her efforts, this year Katya became the
inaugural recipient of the Tim and Frances Price
Alumni Community Champion Award. Through continuing to champion NEXT post-graduation, Katya
is a demonstration of the virtuous cycle at work.
“
It was an honour to receive this year’s
Tim & Frances Price Alumni Community
Champion Award. With all my heart I will
continue my commitment to NEXT’s alumni
community and represent it in the best
way I can.
Katya Kudashkina (Next Founders, 2016;
Next AI 2017); Founder, Cultura.ai
is a proud supporter of NEXT Canada
THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP
Every year, we are proud to bring together a group
of talented entrepreneurs and business executives
to join our Mentoring Program as mentors for our
program participants. This group includes many of
our distinguished donors, corporate partners and
leadership volunteers, and provides critical advice,
guidance and connections over the Entrepreneurship
Summer Institute.
This year, Laura Curtis Ferrera, Scotiabank’s Global
Chief Marketing Officer, joined the program, and was
matched with Jennifer Arnold, CEO and Founder of
MinervaAI. After meeting Laura, Jennifer was supported by filling gaps in her skillset, particularly in
the area of marketing. For Jennifer, this meant
24
learning about how to better tell the story of MinervaAI and understanding who the organization serves.
As Jennifer recalls, “from an entrepreneur’s perspective, Laura’s mentorship provided everything
that I needed”.
Katya Kudashkina (left) was
the winner of the inaugural
Tim and Frances Price Alumni
Community Champion Award
Laura’s involvement in the program has helped make
it that much richer, and we are grateful to have these
collaborations with Scotiabank that further develops
our partnership.
Learn more about Jennifer and Laura’s story
on LaunchPod, a NEXT Canada podcast
25