Press release

16 Jul. 2021 Vancouver, CA

Seven unstoppable Pacific entrepreneurs take top EY award

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Pacific winners simplifying complex business models to drive greater stakeholder value

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Victoria McQueen
Victoria McQueen

EY Canada Team Lead, Public Relations

Leading the development and distribution of external communications across Canada. Can be found by the lake in the summer and on the slopes in the winter.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Pacific winners simplifying complex business models to drive greater stakeholder value

Global leaders, national players and local changemakers: seven businesses have taken the top regional title in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Pacific program.

“These entrepreneurs are developing solutions to shape our future in the Pacific and around the world,” says Lui Petrollini, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Program Director. “Many of these companies are digitalizing complex tasks to help deliver greater simplicity, efficiency and value for their customers. Not only are they disrupting traditional industries and business models to keep up with stakeholder demands, but they're providing sustainable and personalized solutions.”

Pacific regional winners will move forward to compete against peers from the Prairies, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic regions at the national awards celebration in November 2021, where 10 national winners will be named, including Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Award winner. The overall Canadian winner will go on to compete with national winners from across the globe for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in June 2022. The seven Pacific winners vying for the title are:

  • Carl Hansen of AbCellera, a company pushing the limits of antibody discovery to help partners tackle the world’s most urgent medical challenges.
  • Catherine Dahl and Reza Sanaie of Beanworks, a company empowering accounting teams to succeed by automating all things accounts payable — making it more simple and efficient.
  • Judi Hess of Copperleaf, a software company leveraging operational and financial data to empower critical infrastructure clients to make investment decisions that deliver the highest business value.
  • Rizwan Somji of Cymax Group Technologies Inc., a suite of ecommerce solutions and technology and services that enable seamless activation and scale from design to delivery.
  • Trevor Johnston and Alison Taylor of Jane App, an online platform for health and wellness practitioners that makes it simple to book, chart, schedule, bill and get paid.
  • Darrell Jones of Save-On-Foods, a chain of supermarkets carrying standard brands, private labels and products from local growers and producers, known for customizing its stores to best suit the needs of the neighbourhoods where they operate.
  • Ray Castelli of Weatherhaven, a world leader in designing, manufacturing and installing portable turnkey shelters, camps and field hospitals; and a top defence company in Canada for work and product innovation in the military sector.

More information

Follow @EYCanada, #EOYCanada and #EOYPacific on Twitter for the latest program updates. Visit www.ey.com/ca/eoy for more program details.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/eoy

The 2021 Pacific independent judging panel consists of Ali Pejman, Managing Partner of Fort Capital Partners; Kristi Miller, Managing Partner of Natural Products Canada (NPC) Ventures; Geoff Chutter, CEO of WhiteWater West Industries; Maria Pacella, Managing Partner of Penderfund Capital Management; Sacha McLean, Vice Chairman of The McLean Group; Jill Earthy, CEO of Women's Enterprise Centre BC; and Keith Spencer, Counsel at Fasken Martineau.

This year's national sponsor is TSX Inc. The Pacific regional sponsors are Canadian Western Bank and Hunt Personnel.

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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP.