Entrepreneurial champions honoured in Atlantic Canada

Charlottetown, PEI – November 22, 2012 – The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), official host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Canada, proudly partnered with the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce to recognize the importance of entrepreneurship in Prince Edward Island and across Atlantic Canada to honour local entrepreneurial champions at an event held yesterday at The Howard Johnston Dutch Inn in Cornwall.

GEW Canada, which took place from November 12-18, 2012, is committed to celebrating entrepreneurs and inspiring young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity from coast-to-coast. CYBF had mobilized dozens of partners to organize celebration events across the country, and the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce Business Mixer event was one of many activities that took place across Canada to recognize and congratulate those who are paving the way to success for young and emerging business leaders.

CYBF was thrilled to have The Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island present the 2012 CYBF Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Volunteers—which includes a prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal—to Rupert Sweetapple for his tremendous contributions as a mentor to entrepreneurs in Prince Edward Island. Nicola MacNaughton from Moncton, New Brunswick, along with Kevin Schwenker, Thomas Boyd and Terry Hickey from Halifax, Nova Scotia, are among the medal recipients for their support as mentors in their communities.

“Our program of pre-launch coaching, start-up financing, business mentoring and ongoing support would not exist without dedicated business leaders who generously donate their time and experience to help young entrepreneurs across Canada,” said Nicole Osmond, Director of CYBF for Atlantic Canada. “CYBF congratulates and thanks all of our mentors who so generously dedicate their time to the success of Canada’s young entrepreneurs.”

The commemorative Diamond Jubilee Medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

For more information about Global Entrepreneurship Week Canada, visit www.gewcanada.com, or for more information about the Diamond Jubilee Medals, visit www.gg.ca.

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Canadian Youth Business Foundation – Canada’s Entrepreneur Gateway
The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the ‘go to’ place for youth entrepreneurship. As a national organization, we are dedicated to growing Canada’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-39, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. CYBF is the founder of the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit (G20 YES) and founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA). www.cybf.ca.

About Global Entrepreneurship Week Canada
Between November 12-18, 2012, more than 100 countries will come together to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a movement to inspire millions of people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. GEW Canada 2012 is hosted by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, a national not-for-profit organization that works to connect hundreds of organizations to champion a culture of entrepreneurship and mentoring, through local, national and global initiatives. www.gewcanada.com.

For more information please contact:
Subagini Sivapatham,
Manager, Regional Marketing, CYBF
(416) 408-2923, ext. 3003
ssivapatham@cybf.ca