Travel & Leisure Archives - Canada's Podcast

Ken Harris- EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 – Winner

0:30:34

Phil Bliss, Founder of Canada’s Podcast interviews Ken Harris after receiving the Winner of the EY 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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Realizing the vital importance of prioritizing self-care

0:20:16

As an entrepreneur navigating significant life changes and milestones, Jacquie Verenka embarked on a transformative journey of healing and self-discovery. Through this process, she realized the vital importance of prioritizing self-care—a lesson that resonated deeply with many others she encountered along the way. Witnessing firsthand the struggles of those around her ignited a passion to create a space for healing and renewal. This inspiration led to the founding of JV Ventures Retreats, where she aims to provide others with the time and tools they need to reconnect with themselves and embark on their own journeys of growth. Through these retreats, she aims to foster a community of healing and transformation.

Her retreats are designed not only to foster personal growth and well-being among participants but also to create a positive impact in the community. She believes that meaningful transformation extends beyond individual experiences: by partnering with local charities and causes, Jacquie aims to Give Back and support those in need. Each retreat incorporates opportunities for participants to engage with and contribute to these initiatives, fostering a spirit of connection and shared purpose. Together, people can grow while uplifting their community.

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Entrepreneur Coming from Nigeria Highlights the Power of Passion and Commitment

0:23:44

Adeyinka Adedoja is the founder of WeivSync, based in Toronto, Canada. Her passion to create WeivSync is rooted in her passion for travel and the challenges she faced as an immigrant navigating a new country. Although she started with a background in finance and economics, working in roles at the Toronto Stock Exchange and as a business analyst in a SaaS company, it was only when she moved into product management that she truly felt energized. This role aligned perfectly with her love for problem-solving and innovation, setting the stage for the creation of WeivSync.

Her personal travel experiences, filled with language barriers, missed connections, and serendipitous moments, inspired WeivSync. She wanted to create something that makes solo travel smoother, safer, and more connected. WeivSync is like having a knowledgeable friend who’s always there to help, offering personalized itineraries, real-time translation, and 24/7 assistance.

Traveling has given her countless stories, like getting lost in a foreign city and finding a hidden gem or a miscommunication turning into an adventure. Her favorite quote, “We’re on offense. All the time,” reminds me to take initiative and create opportunities.

We’re excited to share her journey and the creation of WeivSync on Canada Podcast. Whether you’re a seasoned solo traveler or dreaming of your first big adventure, we hope her stories will inspire you to explore the world with more confidence and curiosity.

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Creating Happy Campers

0:19:19

Dave Wald is a native Calgarian having only lived for a few years in Vancouver when he was a kid. His love of adventuring and camping began during his family’s many trips in their 80’s station wagon and beat-up old tent trailer. Today, Dave has over 20 years of experience working in the outdoor recreation industry as a marketing professional. A memorable trip to Iceland in 2013 was the inspiration for Karma Campervans, the rental company he started in 2018 with his business partners. What started as five vans has grown to over 100 campervans built, locations across Canada, custom van projects, and a fantastic team passionate about creating amazing experiences for Karma Campervans Guests. Dave’s a family man who loves adventuring with his wife, two kids, and the family dog.

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Success is not final…and failure is not fatal

0:26:36

Tamara Martin believes “Success is not final…and failure is not fatal”. It’s the courage to continue that count. She is the owner of Mirror Image Vacation Rental Services. Born and raised in Kelowna BC in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. And In Kelowna it’s all about tourism. Whether it be world-class wineries, champagne powder at Big White ski resort, or sparkling lakes, she always knew tourism, and hospitality was something she was not only passionate about but was an area she could see herself getting into business. After 15+ years of scraping by as a waitress and bartender and never getting ahead, she applied for a part-time job with Kelowna Resort Accommodations (which is a large-scale property management company in Kelowna). And then started her own business from there.

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Moving should be an adventure, not a chore

00:17:27

Addison Parfeniuk is the CEO of Two Small Men with Big Hearts Moving, Canada’s most recognized moving brand. Two Small Men is a leading provider of professional residential and commercial moving services in Canada and is an industry leader in giving back to the communities where they operate. Addison is passionate about giving back, and under his direction, Two Small Men has partnered with community organizations across Canada that support some of the country’s most vulnerable individuals.

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The importance of control and influence to software entrepreneurs

00:24:35

Dan Pronovost has 25+ years of experience in the software industry, as a developer, manager, and entrepreneur. Driven by results, tactical and pragmatic, always focused on execution: build it and ship it. Driftscape is a Canadian startup whose core product is a local discovery and travel app. More than 60 organizations use the app to share their stories and over 7000 points of interest, events, and tours across Canada.

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Jess McNally and Jolene Brewster posing together

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The challenges of opening a tea shop in the busy tourist town of Banff

00:22:47

Jolene Brewster’s ties to the Rockies really start at her family’s roots in the area. They are among the pioneers of Banff’s hospitality industry hosting tours and hikes throughout the Rockies since the early 1900’s. The lifelong Banff resident seeks the harmony of nature, activity, & community on a daily basis. With an degree in Land Resource Management, the equestrian and former Stampede Queen (current ambassador for the Calgary Stampede) founded Natur’el Tea in 2005 which rebranded Jolene’s Tea House upon opening a retail spot on Bear Street this year. Jolene’s entrepreneurial spirit is dedicated to a deep rooted passion for people, health, and happiness.

Jess McNally was born and raised in Alberta, and grew up ski racing at Lake Louise. She is passionate about the environment and ecology, and received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Earth Systems from Stanford University. After university she worked as a science journalist and a vegetable farmer before deciding to become a Buddhist monastic. She spent three years living at Zen Mountain Monastery in New York. She travelled to Asia where she was ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She lived in the Indian Himalayas for two years, with most of that time spent in solitary meditation retreat. Afterwards, she spent a year in Madison, Wisconsin, where she was a fellow at The Center for Healthy Minds, which is a global leader in studying mind, happiness and well-being.

About four years ago Jess decided to take off her monastic robes and move back to Canada. Her family had moved to Banff and she’d always loved these mountains, so it was an easy decision to live here.

Jess has always loved tea, and was delighted when Jolene approached her in 2020 to become a partner in the business.

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Sean Hoff Started Moniker, Which Creates Custom Corporate Retreats Across the Globe

00:16:47

Legend has it, Sean Hoff started out his career as a Banker but cast off to start Moniker, after being an attendee on a number of “President Club’ trips and believing he could do it better. Fast forward several years, some amazing adventures around the globe, and a talent for creating magic from a blank canvas. Sean plays the role of creative devil’s advocate, always asking “why not” and figuring out ways to squeeze in that little extra personality to create truly bucket-list worthy programs for their clients.

Visit www.ebay.ca/upandrunning to open your online shop.

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Sean Shaeffer Discusses the Travel Industry & Getting Through Challenges Like the COVID-19 Pandemic

00:18:47

Sean Schaeffer is CEO of Zoomaway Travel. He has spent the last 30 years in the Gaming and Hospitality industries. He has worked in various areas of the hospitality sector including hotels and large casino operations. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to create his own companies that specialized in technology that assisted hotels and the resort community in better engaging their clientele. In his previous work he has helped pioneer technologies that have changed how booking rooms and activities benefit customers and the hospitality industry as a whole.

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Travel & Leisure

Ken Harris- EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 – Winner

Realizing the vital importance of prioritizing self-care

Entrepreneur Coming from Nigeria Highlights the Power of Passion and Commitment

Creating Happy Campers

Success is not final…and failure is not fatal

Moving should be an adventure, not a chore

The importance of control and influence to software entrepreneurs

The challenges of opening a tea shop in the busy tourist town of Banff

Sean Hoff Started Moniker, Which Creates Custom Corporate Retreats Across the Globe

Sean Shaeffer Discusses the Travel Industry & Getting Through Challenges Like the COVID-19 Pandemic

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