FUTURPRENEURS GIVEN POWERFUL PLATFORM TO SHOWCASE THEIR GROWTH

Vibrant youth-led businesses from across the country gather on Parliament Hill for Futurpreneur Canada’s annual Hill Reception

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, CANADA – APRIL 2, 2019 A diverse group of young entrepreneurs, parliamentarians, and entrepreneurial influencers convened on Parliament Hill, Tuesday to attend Futurpreneur Canada’s annual Parliament Hill Reception.

The event was a celebration of Futurpreneur’s growing and scaling young entrepreneurs, hosted by The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion. Eight Futurpreneur-supported businesses were in attendance, showcasing some of their latest products and services while sharing stories about their entrepreneurial journeys and international growth.

“The Government of Canada has been a valued and steadfast partner of Futurpreneur since 2002,” said Karen Greve Young, Chief Executive Officer, Futurpreneur Canada. “Our annual Hill Reception is our chance to show our appreciation by demonstrating the impact of that support on a personal level. This event is an opportunity for elected officials and other government staff to hear directly from some of the young entrepreneurs who are growing and scaling their businesses across Canada and exporting internationally – building Canada’s future economy in the process.”

As the global economy evolves and the workplace changes, every young Canadian should be equipped with the right resources and skills to take control of their economic destiny. Entrepreneurship is their platform. With the support of Futurpreneur’s financing, mentoring, and resources, young entrepreneurs have built businesses that have fostered economic growth in their communities, even in some of the most remote regions in Canada. Our organization strives to provide a community of support for young entrepreneurs so they can play that leading role in the Canadian economy.

“This has been an incredible opportunity to not only thank those who have supported myself and my peers in successfully launching our businesses, but also to showcase to policy makers just how important it is to support the ideas of tomorrow,” said Frédéric Leduc of Futurpreneur-supported Immune Biosolutions. “Economies with higher levels of economic development generally report higher levels of opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and innovation. Knowing this, it stands to reason that a federal government which unconditionally supports youth entrepreneurship, will continue to generate jobs and tax revenue for years to come.”

Futurpreneur looks forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada and our other partners to support young entrepreneurs in every corner of this country. The renewed investment in Futurpreneur, announced by the Government of Canada in the 2019 federal budget, will ensure the organization is providing the right support at the right time to young aspiring Canadian entrepreneurs.

“We know that the leaders of tomorrow are the young people of today,” said The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion. “As a small-business-friendly government, we are committed to helping more Canadians – including youth – start up, scale up, and access new markets. Futurpreneur is a key part of that, helping entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39 transform their ideas into innovative businesses that will strengthen the national economy.”

As we focus on building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada, our organization will continue to grow support from all levels of government, as well as corporate and community partners.

Futurpreneur would like to thank the Government of Canada for its long-term investment in our organization’s proven model to support young entrepreneurs. It’s through this steady partnership that we can continue to fuel the success of those launching and growing businesses in diverse sectors across Canada, as important contributors to inclusive economic growth.

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About Futurpreneur Canada
Since 1996, Futurpreneur Canada has been the only national, non-profit organization providing resources, financing and mentoring to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. To date, we have supported over 12,000 young entrepreneurs, and helped launch over 10,000 Canadian businesses, which have created an estimated five jobs per business. Our internationally recognized mentoring program matches these entrepreneurs with business experts from a network of over 3,000 volunteer mentors. Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
www.futurpreneur.ca
Facebook: Futurpreneur
Twitter: @Futurpreneur

For interview opportunities and media inquiries, please contact:
Zandra Miljan
Public Affairs
Futurpreneur Canada
Call or Text:  647-680-8165
Email: zmiljan@futurpreneur.ca