Ottawa’s biggest and best celebration of entrepreneurship
James Ciesielski
39, CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, REWIND Business: Rewind is a data-recovery solution for business cloud services. Education: Bachelor of mathematics in computer science and software engineering, University of Waterloo (2003) Biggest business achievement: I cofounded a company that reached $2 million in annual revenue within four years.
Heather Desjardins
JUNE 2019
39, FOUNDER AND OWNER, THE OPEN DOOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
OBJ.CA
16
Business: Specialized reading remediation for children and adults with learning disabilities. Education: Bachelor of education, University of Ottawa (2008); bachelor of arts in English and visual arts, University of Ottawa (2007)
Biggest obstacle overcome: Convincing myself to leave a “safe” job and go for it on my own. Biggest influence: My wife; she is all the things I am not but aspire to be. First job: I was the backup Ottawa Citizen delivery boy for my street. Advice I’d give the younger me: Relax – it’s not as bad as you think; everything works out in the end. I’m currently reading: Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass boss without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott Favourite movie: Back to the Future Favourite song: To Be Safe, Loved & Home by Craig Cardiff Favourite Ottawa sports team: Ottawa Redblacks Favourite local summer event: Canada Day
Biggest obstacle overcome: Bootstrapping my business while going through pregnancy, having a newborn and now a toddler diagnosed with autism has been a challenge. Biggest influences: Susan Barton has dedicated herself to raising awareness about dyslexia for parents and educators. My parents have always been a remarkable example of integrity, caring and living full and admirable lives. First job: Cashier at Beaver Lumber Advice I’d give the younger me: Focus on the things that really matter and don’t spend so much time worrying about what others think of you and stressing out about the small stuff. Favourite movie: It feels like my favourite movie changes every day based on my mood. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is great, though. Is it cheating that it is a trilogy?
Francois de Bellefeuille 31, GENERAL MANAGER, SPIRIA DIGITAL
Business: We produce custom software. Education: Bachelor of science in software engineering, University of Ottawa (2009) Biggest business achievement: Since I became general manager in 2018, the company has moved from a position of debt to a position of growth while improving its office
Alex Dorward
29, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SIMPLE STORY; CO-CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, ADMISSIONSCONSULTING.CA Education: Bachelor of information systems, St. Francis Xavier University (2011) Biggest business achievement: In 2011, I created a startup with a partner and ultimately sold it in 2016 at a 415 per cent return.
culture and hiring practices. Biggest obstacle overcome: After becoming general manager, I kept my previous role as technical director and continued to perform both roles despite having limited time and resources. In addition, as a francophone working in a largely anglophone environment, I had to improve my English skills quite rapidly. Biggest influence: Stephane Rouleau, the president and co-founder of Spiria. He showed me that it is possible to do business while being transparent and being yourself. He leads a 150-employee company with integrity as a primary value. First job: General manager and cofounder of software company Advice I’d give the younger me: Don’t be afraid! Just do it! Favourite pastime: Playing board games. I’m currently reading: Speedsolving the Cube by Dan Harris Favourite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Biggest obstacle overcome: For much of my twenties, I struggled to maintain good mental health. For a long time, I was either completely unaware or in denial of the issues, which mainly stemmed from overworking and builtup stress. This typically resulted in flareups of my Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which consequently resulted in weight loss and physical health issues. I eventually realized the situation and created a plan to tackle this. Most important lesson I’ve learned in business: Open every door in front of you. Every success I have had has come through accepting or pursuing seemingly insignificant opportunities that led to larger and greater ones. First job: Basketball referee at Goulbourn Basketball Association. Favourite pastime: Scuba diving, particularly shark diving and wreck penetration diving.