member notables
MEMBER NOTABLES Four Waterloo Region Entrepreneurs nominated for Provincial Awards Four local business leaders are among the finalists in ten categories for the prestigious Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year awards sponsored by accounting firm Ernst & Young. The local nominees include: Matt Rendall, co-founder and chief executive officer of Clearpath Robotics for young entrepreneur; George Croft, president and chief executive officer of the Brick Brewing Company in the food and beverage category; Alex Mustakas, founder, chief executive officer and artistic director of Drayton Entertainment in the media and entertainment category; John Baker, founder, president and chief executive officer of Desire2Learn in the software and technology category. The award winners will be announced at a gala in Toronto on October 24 and will proceed to compete in the national event on November 27.
Canada’s Technology for Food (CTFF) Initiative Formally Announced In June, the City of Waterloo and the Accelerator Centre formally announced a major initiative for the local food processing industry. The new Canada’s Technology for Food (CTFF) is a collaboration of partners to promote innovation and accelerate the commercialization of technology to advance the food processing sector domestically and internationally. The initial focus will encompass innovation, retraining, and building a highly skilled workforce to bridge the labour gap.
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The founding members along with the aforementioned partners include Conestoga College, Niagara College, University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, Piller’s Fine Foods, Brick Brewing Company, and Conestoga Meat Packers.
Laurier President Appointed Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) recently announced the appointment of Wilfrid Laurier University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Max Blouw as their new Chair. The COU is a membership organization of twenty-one publicly assisted universities in Ontario that works with provincial and federal officials on developing policies that deliver high quality programs for students and advance research and innovation to elevate the social, cultural and economic well-being of the province. Congratulations to Dr. Blouw on this distinguished appointment.
advocate SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2013
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