Montreal, QC — Seventeen business and entrepreneurship leaders from across Canada are contributing their expertise to determine the five winners of the 2018 Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards. The judges bring a wealth of experience in start-ups, investment, and business innovation to their roles.

The awards will celebrate researchers-turned-entrepreneurs whose work starting or building a business demonstrates exemplary leadership and innovation. Twenty-five thousand dollars in cash prizes will be awarded to help the emerging businesses grow.

The judges of the 2018 Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards are as follows:

• Pierre Boucher, Director, Research, Ericsson Canada
• Serge Bourassa, President and COO, Centre d'entreprises et d’innovation de Montréal (CEIM)
• Richard Chénier, Director General, Centech
• Andrew Csinger, Entrepreneur  
• Breanne Everett, CEO and Director, Orpyx Medical Technologies
• Ghyslain Goulet, President and Director General, ACET
• Diane Gray, President and CEO, CentrePort Canada
• Lori Hall, Partner, Gowling WLG
• Bruce Hardy, President, Myera Group
• Lyse Le Gal, Partner, Strategy and Innovation, Adjuvant
• Victoria Lennox, Founder and CEO, Startup Canada
• Lloyed Lobo, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Boast Capital
• Albert de Luca, Partner, Deloitte
• Marie-Hélène Rochon, Partner, Patent Agent, Norton Rose Fullbright
• Samir Sahoo, Technology and Venture Development Manager, MaRS Innovation
• Helge Seetzen, CEO, TandemLaunch
• Eirene Seiradaki, Director, Research Partnerships, Borealis AI

The awards event, which will include a panel discussion, will take place on June 5, 2018, at the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) in Montreal.

Quote:

Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs

 “We are honoured to have such a prestigious panel of judges contributing their expertise to the 2018 Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards. Our work-integrated learning programs — and these awards — are building on Canada’s strengthened commitment to technology and innovation by supporting up-and-coming entrepreneurs.”

Mitacs facts:

• Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for 18 years to support industrial and social innovation in Canada.
• Mitacs’ research internship programs connect graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with industry and not-for-profit partners for collaborations supervised by faculty.

Learn more:

• For information about the awards and categories, visit https://www.mitacs.ca/en/mitacs-entrepreneur-awards.
• For sponsorship opportunities, contact Guylaine Leclerc at gleclerc@mitacs.ca. 

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