GRIT - Ed.05 - Magazine - Page 5
OH CANADA
ENTREPRENEURS
UNLEASHING THE POWER
OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FOR ALL
Our innovation economy depends on it
towards an innovation economy that delivers longterm, sustainable growth.
Jad Shimaly, EY Canada
Chair and CEO
E
ntrepreneurs, innovators and SMBs are more
than just the backbone of our economy.
They’re the gas pedal helping us navigate uncertainty and accelerate positive change. As
Canada looks down the road to recovery, entrepreneurs will be absolutely crucial to helping us build back
better and to disrupting and shaping the future
Entrepreneurs are finding solutions to our most
pressing challenges, while delivering meaningful and
long-term value to their stakeholders and communities
along the way. Our recent The Entrepreneur Shift interview series further demonstrates how entrepreneurs
have responded quickly and with agility during the
pandemic. We’re proud to work with innovators like
Mandy Rennehan of Freshco.ca, who provided basic
amenities that her industry was deprived of during
lockdowns. Or Anthony Palermo, who leveraged the
RFID technology his company, Connect&GO, is built
on to provide contactless solutions
to improve consumer health and
safety. And Mark McAllister, who
expedited the delivery of COVID-19
test results through his company,
VeroSource Solutions.
It’s been incredible to
see the resilience and
agility
entrepreneurs
have shown in overcoming adversity and
pushing us — as society
— forward to find new
ways to live, work and
play. We cannot let this
momentum towards an accelerated
innovation economy wither.
lions on keeping the economy open,
businesses running and citizens
safe — like most other countries. Although necessary, a shift is required
to support and sustain ambitious
new projects and innovations that
push us from surviving to thriving.
The building blocks are there to
help entrepreneurs on their business growth journeys. But there’s
certainly more we can do to provide
the right support and resources to
help drive an innovation economy
that will propel Canada’s recovery,
keep Canadian entrepreneurs on Canadian soil and build
greater competitiveness on the global stage. Achieving
a true innovation
economy will require the collective
power of entrepreneurship, technology and collaboration.
“The building blocks are there to
help entrepreneurs on their business
growth journeys. But there’s
certainly more we can do.”
With the pandemic, Canada went
into survival mode, spending bil-
This sentiment was front and centre in this year’s federal budget —
with investments in R&D, skills training, commercialization and venture
capital programs.
At EY, we’re not here for the next
decade, we’re here for at least the
CASE STUDY
PA N D E M I C
PIVOTS
The Entrepreneur Shift video
interview series shines a light
on Canadian businesses who
have changed course in the
midst of a global pandemic.
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Using RFID technology,
Connect&GO helped track
and trace the spread of
COVID-19 and enhance the
health and safety of
consumers.
In response to widespread
closures and physical distancing, Freshco.ca supported essential services while providing safe spaces and amenities
for tradespeople.
Pushed to find a new approach to
music exhibits and performances,
The NMC shifted to online exhibitions that provide entertainment
and education — while providing
a voice to diverse artists.
For every purchase of a Redwood Classics face mask, this
apparel company donated one
mask to Indigenous communities, healthcare workers and
other charitable organizations.
At the start of the pandemic,
VeroSource Solutions quickly developed a secure, online
portal to help deliver timely test
results for citizens in Manitoba
and New Brunswick.
Est. 2012 HQ: Montreal, QC
Est. 1995 HQ: Oakville, ON
Est. 2016 HQ: Calgary, AB
Est. 1988 HQ: Toronto, ON
Est. 2014 HQ: Fredericton, NB
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