Marketing & Advertising

Tobyn Sowden – EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 – Regional Award Winner

Phil Bliss, Founder of Canada’s Podcast interviews Tobyn Sowden after receiving the Award November 26, 2024.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Award winners:

Tobyn Sowden | Redbrick (Pacific)

Denis Jones | Deveraux Group of Companies (Prairies)

Clive Kinross | Propel Holdings (Ontario)

Hakan Uluer | The Bertossi Group (Atlantic)

Ken Harris | Plusgrade (Québec)

National Honouree Citations:

Jeff Dirks | KBL Environmental Ltd.

Terry Raymond | Fire & Flood Emergency Services Ltd. 

Mina Mekhail | Freshr Sustainable Technologies Inc.

The Canadian entrepreneurs in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2024 and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network Canadian Class of 2024 were also honoured at the awards show. These programs support high-potential women entrepreneurs and Black and Indigenous leaders by providing access to networks, advisors, learning and resources to help scale their businesses. All three entrepreneur programs are part of EY’s 30-year commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Canada at every stage of the growth journey.

The 2024 National independent judging panel comprised Tania Clarke, Corporate Director; Andreea Crisan, President and CEO, ANDY Transport; Arlene Dickinson, General Partner, District Ventures Capital; Joanna Griffiths, Founder and President, Knix and Kt by Knix; Ashif Mawji, Managing Director, ScaleGood Fund LP; Kristi Miller, Managing Partner, Krystal Growth Partners; Imran Siddiqui, Managing Director, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

This year’s program national sponsors are TSX Inc., Air Canada, The Printing House, The Globe and Mail and Hillberg & Berk.

 


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A Trailblazer in Sales and Marketing with Over Three Decades of Mastery!

Embarking on a remarkable journey in the realm of B2B along with B2C sales and marketing, Tony Scaffeo has dedicated more than 30 years to mastering the intricacies of sales processes, training, and management.

His career, marked by significant milestones, began with a stellar performance at Soundsaround Inc., a prominent consumer electronics retail chain based in Calgary.

As Vice President Tony distinguished himself as a top-notch revenue generator, outperforming competitors across Canada and significantly contributing to Soundsaround’s growth witnessed an exponential increase in annual sales, soaring from $5 million to a staggering $50 million.

Tony’s innovative approach led to the creation of the iconic “12-hour Liquidation Sale,” a landmark event in Canadian retail history.

This event alone generated a breathtaking $4 million in sales from a single location in just one day, setting a national record.


Join Our Community of Canadian Entrepreneurs!

Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Want to stay ahead with the latest #entrepreneur podcasts, business strategies, and news? Don’t miss out—subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter for updates delivered straight to your inbox! Join thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs who rely on us for the resources they need to succeed.

Choose Success: Your Only Options are Winning or Winning Again!

Thomas J. Sandrin is a highly experienced marketing and branding professional in the luxury watch industry with over 15 years of expertise. Originally from Paris, he relocated to Canada almost two decades ago and established himself as the Canadian Brand Manager for Hamilton Watches, part of the Swatch Group, where he developed a strong reputation and a deep understanding of luxury brand requirements. Thomas further enhanced his skills by pursuing an MBA with the prestigious Australian Institute of Business.

As the Founder and President of Northern Watch Services Inc. (NWS), Thomas empowers authorized jewellers and luxury brands to enhance their brand presence through various services, including e-commerce, social media support, and marketing consulting. His latest venture, WatchDNA.com, aims to connect jewellers with watch enthusiasts. This platform bridges the gap between watch enthusiasts, jewellers and brands, uniting those who share a passion for timepieces and the unique stories behind them.


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Helping create strong brands

Todd Sloane is the Principal/Creative Director of Tag Advertising, a full-service advertising agency that has been consistently producing creative work for over 32 years. Todd comes from the visual side of the world and has the strength to develop extraordinary concepts and focused creative strategies. Not only have Todd’s talents earned him the respect of clients and competitors alike, but his bold creativity and sound business sense won him the title of Western Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

Todd has worked with a wide variety of regional and national accounts, such as ATA, TacoTime Canada, Imax Theaters International, Toyota Canada, General Motors Canada, Canadian Tire Reit, and the United Way.

He has his fingers on the pulse of the marketplace, which allows him to keep up with changes such as shorter product life cycles, environmental concerns, greater interest in consumer protection, the growth of services and not-for-profit marketing, and increased impact of technology across all sectors. Such insight has allowed Todd to build Tag into an agency that boasts a solid portfolio of award-winning creative that constantly exceeds clients’ objectives.


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Prioritize customer success

Amar Singh, the CEO and co-founder of Elevated Signals in Vancouver, began his entrepreneurial path at the LaunchPad tech accelerator where he met co-founders Benn and Hardeep. Their shared passion for cleantech and agtech led them to establish Elevated Signals, aiming to modernize manufacturing software for emerging sustainable industries. Amar brings a decade of experience managing multi-million dollar projects, including notable research facilities like the Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Centre and the extraterrestrial Autonomous Robotic Greenhouse. His work is driven by a commitment to enhancing global health and societal well-being, focusing on food security and environmental sustainability.


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Invest in yourself! Tracking, planning and marketing are the keys to success

Bryan Macaulay is a visual storyteller. Since his father opened Village Studio in 1977, Bryan has been providing timeless photography to Grimsby and the Niagara area. His experiences over the last 30 years in the business have been life-changing. His entrepreneurial resolve, drive, and creativity have allowed him to pivot the business which has kept it healthy.


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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The Savvy Socialite empowering small businesses to flourish on social media

Carolynne Scoffield, known as the “Savvy Socialite,” has made her mark in Calgary’s marketing sphere, defying the setbacks of a serious facial injury sustained due to a Rottweiler attack to become the Marketing Director at Arlington Street Investments. A decade-long career path through social media has culminated in a widely followed blog, amassing over 180,000 hits at its zenith. Now, she applies her seasoned skills in SEO, analytics, and strategic marketing campaigns across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Equally esteemed in academia, Carolynne boasts a Business Administration Diploma with a focus on Digital Marketing from Bow Valley College. Her academic prowess is underscored by a second-place victory in the Dean’s Alberta Business Case Competition and the Jason Lang Scholarship award. Concurrently, she’s the entrepreneur behind Savvy Socialite, where she empowers small businesses to flourish on social media through community-focused organic growth techniques.

Above her professional triumphs, Carolynne treasures motherhood as her crowning achievement. Her daughter represents the pinnacle of joy and inspiration, serving as a pillar of strength and motivation in Carolynne’s life, driving her to be an unstoppable force in her industry.


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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Effecting industry-shifting growth and success in the retail space

Emily Hosie has a track record of effecting industry-shifting growth and success in the retail space through her tenure at fashion powerhouses, TJ Maxx, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth, and Holt Renfrew. A dynamic millennial mom, Emily recognized a huge void in the baby gear retail market that was ripe for innovation, within a legacy industry in need of an update. Her solution for the industry was Rebelstork – a certified B Corp and purpose-driven company dedicated to creating a marketplace that connects brands and retailers to parents across North America. Her innovative AI-powered ecosystem enables frictionless movement of overstock, open box (store returns), and quality used baby gear between buyers and sellers. In four short years, Emily has brought her vision of a re-commerce and circular economy to life across two countries. To date, Rebelstork has saved over 180,000 pieces of baby gear from ending up in landfills and instead into the homes of parents across North America at a fraction of the original retail price.


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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Advice from the co-founder of a leading global influencer talent management agency

Emily Ward is the co-founder of Canada’s leading global influencer talent management agency Shine Talent Group. Emily transformed her PR agency (which she had for 10+ years) into a full influencer talent management agency. In this session we discuss, knowing when to make a change, knowing when it’s time to bring on a business partner, and how to find the right person.


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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How brands can build safe connections with their target consumers

Jason Williams is the CEO of Kidoz (TSXV:KIDZ), the largest COPPA and GDPR-compliant mobile advertising network that safely reaches hundreds of millions of kids, teens, and families every month.

Through his deep understanding of tech strategy, marketing, enterprise sales, and business development, Jason has grown the Kidoz team by 300 percent since 2018, expanded the business from 10 to over 60 different countries, and brought more than 3,000 apps into the Kidoz ad network. Since becoming CEO in 2019, Jason has built a unique global culture, managing staff in 11 different countries across 14 time zones.

Growing up in Vancouver, Jason’s passion for technology began in the early days of the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Through his many years of dedication, he’s built Kidoz into its successful business today, working with leading companies like Lego, Mattel, and Disney that insist on absolute data privacy when advertising to minors. Jason helped shape the Kidoz strategy ensuring the Company is a critical part of the global AdTech marketplace.

In addition to his role as CEO, Jason lends his expertise as a guest lecturer at Cass Business School and University College London. Jason has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Business Administration specializing in strategic marketing from the University of Warwick.


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.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter