Finance

Bringing Awareness to Entrepreneurs and Providing Insight to the US Capital Markets

Maz Pawar is the CEO of SA Capital Partners. He is a Senior Mergers & Acquisitions M&A professional with several years of experience in originating, negotiating, and executing complex transactions. Recognized as a high performer and team leader that is self-motivated, enthusiastic, committed, and thrives in a fast-paced environment, has a proven ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships at all levels within the organization. Although based in Chicago, Maz provides capital to many Canadian ventures and sees Canada as part of his venture ecosystem.


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The importance of family is at the root of everything the Couillard Group does

Jessica Theroux joined the Couillard Group in 2014 coming from a background in commercial real estate. She successfully completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Haskayne School of Business as well as her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.

Jessica is the founder of a not-for-profit foundation, Souls for Sisters, and is passionate about women’s rights and education around the globe. She is also a registered yoga instructor and donates her time teaching weekly providing support to Souls for Sisters.

Outside of work, Jessica spends her time with her husband Greg, two boys, Bennett and Austin and her daughter Aidah. She is passionate about yoga, food and travel!


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How to make payment processing easy!

Hamed Arbabi is the CEO and Founder of the Vancouver-based payments company, VoPay, and is recognized as an innovative thought leader in the fintech industry. Known for his drive to innovate and change how firms conduct business, Hamed has used his expertise to turn VoPay into a dominant force in the world of financial technology.

A serial entrepreneur, Hamed has successfully built and grown multiple startups and leveraged his knowledge of business expansion to develop them into successful, disruptive ventures. With over fifteen years of executive-level experience in spearheading comprehensive strategies and business developments, Hamed has a proven track record and an in-depth knowledge of the global financial industry.

Hamed’s overall vision for VoPay revolves around innovation and digital transformation. What began as a simple idea ultimately founded the pillars of his venture: that financial services should be easy, affordable and accessible to all.

Committed to his community, and dedicated to giving back, Hamed has founded and supported multiple non-profit organizations that focus on helping children access technology. He firmly believes that given the right educational tools, young people can expand their skills and take control of their futures by opening doors to new opportunities.


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Simplifying accounting and bookkeeping for small businesses

Rob Boynes is the co-founder of huumans, Canada’s first modern accounting and bookkeeping company aimed entirely at small businesses. Built by the people behind Wagepoint, huumans is focused on helping to make running a successful small business as accessible to as many people as possible through the democratization of data and knowledge. A recent resident of Nova Scotia, Rob’s career has been based predominately in product-first, early-stage technology start-ups throughout Europe and the US, with an earlier foundation in media, broadcast and brand.


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From law, to the circus, to estate settlement – a wild entrepreneurial story!

Davide Pisanu is a graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, Davide has over 10 years of legal experience with Davis Polk & Wardell and Canada’s Department of Justice under his belt. He then transferred into the financial sector by working as an advisor to institutional investors and asset managers with McKinsey & Company, before taking on the role of SVP at Cirque du Soleil, where he managed the resident show division and affiliated businesses before becoming part of the ClearEstate founding team.


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Be the entrepreneur that you want to be

Nick Mombourquette is the founder and president of NewGround Financial Inc. NewGround specializes in employee benefits programs for SMB’s with 5-500 employees. NewGround also works with entrepreneurs to provide tax efficient wealth planning strategies. They pride themselves on providing national-level service and advice, with a local approach. Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, NewGround serves clients in NS, PEI, NB, ONT and AB.

Nick also founded and co-hosts The Interesting People You Meet Podcast, where he interviews people from all walks of life, with interesting stories and perspectives.

Nick has a BBA from Mount Saint Vincent University and holds a Certified Employees Benefits Specialist designation from Dalhousie University. He lives just outside of Halifax with his wife and three young children.

Nick is a fitness enthusiast who enjoys almost every genre of music. In his spare time, when he doesn’t have a book in his hands, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf in the summer and hockey in the winter.


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A former high school teacher is on a mission to create a unique, inspiring, community-based learning experience for young people

Adam Robb was raised on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Chonnonton Nations on fertile farming lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. After one year of university, it became clear that the learning he needed in life would be found with mountains, lakes, gardens, community centres and around campfires and not as much inside classrooms as he had once thought. He kept that realization in mind as he became a teacher himself. For the past 15 years as a high school teacher, Adam has since helped to create unique experiential education programs allowing for self-discovery for youth on Treaty 6, 7, 8 territories as well as the traditional lands of the Beaver, Cree, Ojibway, Secwépemc, Stoney, and Métis. The focus of these programs has always been about connecting youth to the land as a way of learning self-resiliency, problem-solving, risk-taking, relationship-building, history, technology, politics, science, economics and protocols from Traditional Keepers of knowledge. Adam has teamed up with other amazing educators to create learning programs that were recognized provincially (AB Education), nationally (EECOM, KF & CAGBC) and internationally (OECD & ILFI). The Howl Experience is the manifestation of all Adam’s beliefs about learning; it has to be experiential, community-based and focused on solving real problems and achieving real results. He is proud to be working alongside several past students on this project and of the many incredible past students out there making a real difference. Adam is most proud that he is able to do this work alongside his own amazingly insightful children and his inspiring partner.

Shawna Peddle is a partnership broker, collaborator, and convenor of like minds to address complex social issues. She has expertise in program design and implementation related to community resiliency, risk communication, environmental risk assessment, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. In her current role, Shawna oversees community investment programs and partnerships at Co-operators, a financial services co-operative, including corporate giving and volunteerism, the Co-operative Development Program, the Advisor Community Fund, and the Co-operators Community Funds. Shawna holds a Master of Forestry from the University of Toronto, and a Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability from St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.

Learn more about Howl Founder Adam Robb, and how he helped to develop programming that allowed youth to grow and learn more than through traditional education at https://www.experiencehowl.com


Learn more about Co-operators holistic business solutions here.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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RBC: The micro-entrepreneur economy survey

Don Ludlow, Vice-President of Small Business, Partnerships & Strategy, RBC, provides strategic oversight and leads a team that is responsible for delivering marketing-leading solutions, partnerships and client experiences that go beyond traditional banking to help Canadian entrepreneurs successfully start, manage and grow their business.

He also manages the development of RBC’s strategy for the broader Business Financial Services portfolio, including the group’s client experience, CRM, and data analytics strategies.

Don joined RBC in 2001 and has 20 years of experience within the financial services and banking sector. Prior to joining RBC, he served as an Infantry Officer in the Canadian Army where he led soldiers on a number of domestic and international operations and worked in both staff and training roles.

Overview of Key Data Points

Led by the younger millennial and Gen Z generations, a ‘micro-entrepreneur’ economy is emerging across the country, as Canadians look to adapt to a changing landscape dominated by rising inflation and digitization

  • 74 per cent of Canadian small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are motivated to start a small business or side-hustle due to the increasing cost of living – With this number rising to 84 per cent among Gen Z respondents
  • A strong majority (77 per cent) of current and aspiring entrepreneurs report that their chief aim is to create a source of income to support themselves – Millennials (86 per cent) are even more likely to cite this as their main reason for starting a business

Key factors supporting the emergence of the micro-entrepreneurship economy.

  • Emerging technologies allow them to reach new markets and explore new ways of doing business (47 per cent)
  • Being able to conduct their business or “side-hustle” online remotely lowers the overhead costs associated with starting and running a business (47 per cent)
  • Digital solutions reduce the efforts for administration and back-office aspects of running a business (42 per cent)

A shift in customer preferences is also creating fertile ground for small and micro-businesses.

  • 89 per cent of those surveyed agree that small businesses are able to provide products and services tailored to local needs
  • Another 72 per cent stated that they believe small businesses have the ability to innovate at a more rapid rate than larger organizations
  • Moreover, 71 per cent were more likely to support businesses with an active presence in their local community
  • For current and aspiring business owners, the rising preference and increased willingness of Canadians to shop local has contributed to their overall desire to become an entrepreneur, with 39 per cent of those surveyed stating that this shift has motivated and made it easier for them to start a business.

Read more on Newswire


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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You’re as qualified to start a company as anybody!

Raymond Luk is changing the face of entrepreneurial finance as founder and CEO of Hockeystick. He is a serial entrepreneur having founded Flow Ventures and Year One Labs. He recently published his first book, Pitching a Leap of Faith. Raymond is a passionate supporter of entrepreneurs and hosts a weekly live workshop called Pitch Lab to help entrepreneurs improve their pitch. He is also a classically trained musician and pilot. In his own words he is more concerned about following his passions than trying to fulfill someone else’s view of his life. He walks how he wants.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Start thinking BIGGER

Since 2004, Colin Sprake has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and their families make lasting changes in their personal and professional lives (https://www.mymsuccess.com). He’s been privileged enough to speak on Tony Robbins’ stage and present with Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, Joe Dispenza, Les Brown and countless other global thought leaders. He is a 4-time best-selling author and business mentor with a proven track record of personally building profitable companies from the ground up. He’s a highly passionate and engaging presenter that specializes in mindset, realizing personal potential, and is an absolute genius at business strategy.

Colin is devoted to making a difference on this planet where human beings live in love, financial abundance, and prosperity. Having been through a very tough childhood caused by severe bullying, he attempted to take his life at the age of 14 and thought he would never amount to anything significant. He has a deep desire for people to reach their full potential, and it completely fills his heart to the brim when people achieve what they thought was absolutely impossible or their biggest dreams are realized. Colin is not about motivation, which, as he says, is temporary, but is about inspiration, where there are long-lasting results. He will inspire any audience and engage them with psychological and physiological changes to allow them to rewire their brains and cellularly reprogram their bodies to attract unprecedented results and outcomes!


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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