We are proud to announce our Phase One 2022 CANIE Award category semi-finalists! 

Of the hundreds of inspiring applications we received, each of the semi-finalists were stand-outs in social innovation, community leadership, and resilience in business. Check out each of our semi-finalists and their businesses.

Seniorpreneur Award for Leadership & Innovation

Award 1 – Seniorpreneur Award for Leadership & Innovation

Presented by Arthur J.E. Child Foundation

embers
Seniorpreneur for Leadership & Innovation Semi-finalist: Marcia Nozick

Business: Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society (EMBERS)

EMBERS, the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society, is a social enterprise and registered community economic development charity located in Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods. 

EMBERS works to combat poverty and assists in the revitalization of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through social enterprise and community-based business development. Their mission is to empower people living on low incomes to be economically self-sufficient and develop productive futures.

paper spree
Seniorpreneur for Leadership & Innovation Semi-finalist: Abeda Oturkar

Business: PaperSpree

PaperSpree designs and sells beautiful custom accessories, journals, stationary, and home decor items. What sets PaperSpree apart is the “Planet First” materials used to design their products. 

PaperSpree uses only Tree Free eco paper; handmade cotton paper that is highly tensile, with double-folded strength, with quality paper that is superior to typical mill-made paper. They also offer an array of composite eco leather accessories, turning pre-consumer material and agro farm waste into environmentally viable and sustainable products.

Music in Motion Angus
Seniorpreneur for Leadership & Innovation Semi-finalist: Jeanette Martin

Business: Music in Motion

Music in Motion is the only full-service Performing Arts Studio for young people ages 2 to 18 to learn and perform in Angus, Ontario. Inspired to provide youth with confidence, Music in Motion’s mission is to encourage everyone to achieve excellence. 

Music in Motion has helped thousands of children develop skills and confidence by providing a safe, encouraging space for youth who need an outlet for their creative and musical expression.

Top Sixty Over Sixty
Seniorpreneur for Leadership & Innovation Semi-finalist: Helen Hirsh Spence

Business: Top Sixty Over Sixty

Top Sixty Over Sixty is a niche age diversity consultancy service that provides businesses and individuals with the tools, mentorship, and training necessary to thrive in today’s rapidly aging and multi-generational world.

Top Sixty Over Sixty works with progressive businesses and individuals who aspire to increase their efficiencies, innovation, and prosperity by leveraging age-diverse talent. Top Sixty Over Sixty provides original curated services including workshops, coaching, and consulting for businesses and individuals.

Climate-Related Product Innovator of the Year

Award 2 – Climate-Related Product Innovator of the Year

Presented by UPS

Permalution
Climate-Related Product Innovator of the Year Semi-finalist: Tatiana Estevez

Business: Permalution

Permalution is a cleantech startup proudly led by women. They were united by their vision to support and contribute to environmental conservation of water and transcend benefits for society.

Their mission is to add a new water source to alleviate global water stress. Permalution develops state of the art technology and services that harvests water from fog. Their services provide a solution to climate change problems globally.

MEA Health Corporation
Climate-Related Product Innovator of the Year Semi-finalist: Andy Straisfeld

Business: MEA Health Corporation

MEA Health Corporation provides an innovative and industry-leading environmentally and economically sustainable PPE Recycling solution to protect natural resources, healthcare professionals, and the economy.

As a pioneer in this field, MEA Health Corporation has developed a process that prevents tons of plastic PPE waste from inundating landfills while generating a recycled source of materials that will provide the plastics industry with a quality low cost option.

elerGreen Industry Corporation
Climate-Related Product Innovator of the Year Semi-finalist: Hui Huang Hoe

Business: elerGreen Industry Corporation

elerGreen Industry is a cleantech startup to recover valuable polymers, metals and chemicals from chemical waste and renewable electricity, at significant cost and environmental footprint reduction.

The key differentiator of elerGreen core technology lies with the patented unique reactor design of electrode in relative motion against stationary blades to continuously remove solid products, which is more efficient while facilitating the eco-friendlier electrochemical pathway of non-conductive polymer synthesis, otherwise impossible with conventional methods.

Ecosystem Informatics Inc.
Climate Related Product Innovation of the Year Semi-finalist: Ali Shirook

Business: Ecosystem Informatics Inc.

Communities and businesses are facing more challenges than ever in managing sustainability and a healthy environment. Ecosystem Informatics Inc.™ (ESI) was founded to fill this need for increased clarity and data, and to improve the understanding of environmental conditions in our local communities.

ESI’s integrated monitoring, analytics and reporting systems were designed to deliver actionable information for governments, industries, researchers, and advocacy groups to measure and move their environmental and sustainability goals forward successfully.

Global Impact Business Owner of the Year

Award 3 – Global Impact Business Owner of the Year

Presented by UPS

Simply Rooted Media Inc.
Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Semi-finalist: Ania Wysocka

Business: Simply Rooted Media Inc.

Simply Rooted Media Inc.’s application (app) Rootd is the #1 ranked mobile app for panic attack and anxiety relief on both iOS and Google Play. Used by millions of people around the globe, Rootd offers users in the moment support during the onset of a panic attack and offers short term and long term lessons and interactive Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based guided exercises to reduce anxiety and the effects of panic attacks. 

Simply Rooted Media offers a free trial version of Rootd, and affordable monthly, annual, lifetime, and corporate purchased plans. Simply Rooted Media Inc. responded quickly to global needs this year, having their app translated and made available across Ukraine.

Heather Deveaux Instructional Design

Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Semi-finalist: Heather Deveaux

Business: Heather Deveaux Instructional Design

With the vast knowledge and experience of its founder, Heather Deveaux Instructional Design helps entrepreneurs across the globe create digital businesses and online learning platforms, group programs, and innovative approaches to doing business. 

Heather Deveaux is an experienced curriculum and educational content designer. She has created over 150,000 hours of online education and training content since 2008. Holding a Master of Adult Education degree, Heather is a Certified Coach Practitioner, Train-the-Trainer, and Certified Instructor and Tutor. Heather is also a podcast host, author, and regular guest on CBC radio.

International Talent Hub Inc.

Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Semi-finalist: Brij Bali

Business: International Talent Hub Inc.

International Talent Hub (INTTH) is a non-profit organization focused on international talent development and succession planning. It aims to equip youth and seniors with skills and resources to contribute positively to their communities as well as engage youth and seniors in international development and contribute to global well-being. 

INTTH specializes in designing and delivering professional management and development advisory services globally in such fields as leadership, quality and standards, excellence, innovation, strategic planning, organizational development, and human resource development.

Cupid’s Sting

Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Semi-finalist: Laurie Samuel

Business: Cupid’s Sting

Cupid’s Sting is a non-profit organization, offering interpersonal violence reduction training, resources, and programs to women. Cupid’s Sting’s mission is to give all women the tools needed to take ownership of their personal safety to prevent victimization. Cupid’s Sting was started by Criminologist Dr. Laurie Samuel in 2015 after seeing an escalation in violence against women, often at the hands of a significant other.

Cupid’s Sting works to combat violence against women by spreading awareness and facilitating safety training. With their various globally available resources, along with their programs and community building, Cupid’s Sting works to change the narrative on domestic violence so that women do not suffer in silence.

The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year

Award 4 – The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year

Presented by OWNR

Zeno Renewables
Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-finalist: Gursh Bal

Business: Zeno Renewables

Zeno Renewables believes every home can be a catalyst for change. They know it takes a bold group of people to create a world where living sustainably is easy for everyone.

Zeno works with Canadians who are looking for exceptional solar products and sustainable energy solutions to fuel a greener, brighter future for their homes, businesses, community, and the world. Zeno Renewables’ products include custom solar panels for homes, battery storage for excess energy collected by solar panels, and electric vehicle charging stations.

Ellie Bianca
Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-finalist: Evelyne Nyairo

Business: Ellie Bianca

Ellie Bianca is a proudly Canadian, all-natural, environmentally sustainable, socially conscious skincare line that recognizes beauty in all forms and supports the empowerment of women through business and education. Ellie Bianca is here to spread the message that beauty is so much more than an aesthetic.

Ellie Bianca is the embodiment of founder Evelyne Nyairo’s work as an environmental scientist, chemist, African-Canadian woman, and proud mother, and was established as a means to make a significant difference for her daughter and women everywhere.

Onova
Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-finalist: Helen Yin

Business: Onova

Their name, derived from “open innovation” and “supernova,” Onova develops and hosts innovation programs including sprints, hackathons, and corporate incubators for any sized business.

Onova knows from their own successful experiences with Fortune 500 companies that these events assist companies in creating a scalable process that rapidly tests and validates new innovations. Their innovation programs help companies turn high potential ideas into MVPs (minimum viable products).

chinova bioworks
Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-finalist: Natasha Dhayahude

Business: Chinova Bioworks

Chinova Bioworks started in 2016 with a simple goal: to deliver clean-label ingredients and reduce food waste. They prioritize quality, freshness, and shelf-life without compromising on health and sustainability.

Chinova Bioworks is transforming the food and beverage industry with a natural, clean-label shelf-life extender extracted from white button mushrooms. Using an eco-friendly process, they have extracted a natural fiber from White Button mushrooms to create Chiber™, a natural and clean-label ingredient that improves quality, freshness and shelf-life encouraging healthier long-lasting products, increased customer satisfaction, and reduces food waste.

Congratulations to all of our Phase One 2022 CANIE Award Semi-finalists. We look forward to providing much more detail on each entrepreneur’s inspiring stories and their businesses over the coming months.

Presented in Partnership with UPS

Presented by Prince’s Trust Canada

CANIE Partners Ownr | Arthur J. E. Child Foundation | Intuit

Community Sponsors Giant Tiger | Mitacs | Air Canada

Are you a business owner from an underpresent or marginalized group? Please share your stories and experiences with us. info@ief-fie.ca | awards@ief-fie.ca
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