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Hamilton Spectator
23-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
CanadianSME Small Business Awards 2024 Celebrates 'Thriving Together: Small Business Leadership in the AI Age'
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The CanadianSME Small Business Awards 2024, proudly presented by Google Canada, took centre stage on June 20, 2025, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, gathering over 400 of Canada's most dynamic entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers for a remarkable evening celebrating small business excellence across the country. This year's theme, 'Thriving Together: Small Business Leadership in the AI Age,' spotlighted the powerful synergy between collaboration and technology. It underscored the immense potential of artificial intelligence in enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to innovate, scale, and lead in an evolving digital world. The evening opened with remarks from SK Uddin, Founder of CanadianSME, followed by special addresses from Hon. Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business for Ontario, and Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Together, they recognized the critical contributions SMEs make to Canada's economic resilience and innovation. A keynote address by Natasha Walji, Managing Director at Google Canada for Google Customer Solutions, titled 'Your AI Advantage: Thriving in a Rapidly Changing World,' provided actionable insights on harnessing AI to drive business growth. 'At Google Canada, we are deeply committed to empowering Canadian small & medium enterprises (SMEs) to not just compete, but to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. We believe in the power of technology, especially AI, to level the playing field for SMEs, to unlock their full potential and to help them grow & scale profitably.' Highlights of the 2024 Award Winners Include: The winners for the awards are: 1) Steven Amidjinov, Co-Founder & CEO/CGO at The SEED Agency for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 2) Lamar Falconer, CEO & Co-Founder of AltoLeap Inc. for the Black Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 3) Page Pros for the Digital Business of the Year 2024 4) INKAS® Safe Manufacturing for the Best in Manufacturing Award 2024 5) Fondation Émergence for the 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusive Excellence Award 2024 6) Pathway Communications for the Google Tech Business of the Year 2024 7) Spark Centre & Dr. Phone Fix for The Sustainable Business of the Year 2024 8) Showpass & Missing Link Security T.A.B.B. Enterprise for the Fastest Growing Company Award 2024 9) UPS Small Business of the Year (Up to 50 Employees) Award 2024 10) Best Professional Services Award 2024 11) Vestacon Limited for the Canon Business of the Year Award 2024, 50+ employees 12) Roam for the Startup Business of the Year 2024 13) Réal Breton, CEO of iFinance Canada, for the Xero Technopreneur of the Year 2024 14) GlobalVision for Excellence in Data Privacy & Security 2024 15) RBC Small Business of the Year 2024 (Up to 10 Employees) 16) COSTI Immigrant Services for The Community Impact Award 2024 17) Kalada Sika, Founder & CEO of Ntradex Solutions Inc. for the Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 18) Snuggle Bugz for the E-commerce Business of the Year Award - 2024 19) Stephanie Loureiro, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) + Product Strategy Advisor of Speer Technologies Inc. for the Business Woman of the Year 2024 20) Sarah Hopkins, Founder & Matriarch of Three Sisters Consulting for the Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 21) Altrum for the Customer Service Excellence of the Year 2024 22) Baskits & STACKT for the Best in Retail Award - 2024 23) Emily Lyons, Founder and CEO of femme fatale media for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 24) AiZtech Inc. for the Best in AI & Automation Award 2024 25) Totum Life Science Inc. & Puppy Sphere for the Best in Health and Wellness Business Award 2024 26) NAV43 INC for the Best Business Innovation of the Year 2024 27) Kumaran Nadesan, Co-Founder and Deputy Chairman of 369 Global Inc for the Inspirational Leader of the Year 2024 28) BIPOC Executive Search Inc. for The Diversity and Inclusion Award - 2024 29) Miix Analytics Inc. for the CSR Excellence Award - 2024 ——————————————————————————————— Key Sponsors & Partners 'Congratulations to all the finalists and winners,' said Paul Gaspar, small business director at UPS. He added that UPS, a long-time supporter of CanadianSME, is 'committed to empowering Canadian entrepreneurs and honoured to take part in celebrating our Canadian business owners.' 'At Canon Canada, we're proud to support the innovation, resilience, and ambition of Canadian small businesses. They are the heart of our economy, and we're committed to providing the workflow solutions and support they need to thrive and grow,' stated a spokesperson from Canon Canada. Xero shared, 'Xero is proud to support the Canadian SME Awards and sponsor the Technopreneur of the Year Award, celebrating innovation and leadership in the small business sector. Congratulations to Réal Breton, CEO of iFinance, for earning this year's honor. At Xero, we're committed to empowering small businesses through technology and championing the entrepreneurs driving Canada's economic future.' '9thCO was honoured to be involved and recognized by CanadianSME. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many passionate Canadian founders and operators. Congratulations to the winners and their extended teams!' commented Justin Cook, President of Internet Marketing & Development at 9thCO. Planning is already underway for the 2025 Awards, promising another landmark celebration of the country's vibrant small business ecosystem. The Canadian SME Small Business Awards 2024 underscore the vital importance of celebrating and empowering entrepreneurs who drive innovation and shape the future of Canada's economy. About CanadianSME CanadianSME is a national publication and platform dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized businesses in Canada. Through its magazine, events, and thought leadership, CanadianSME provides essential resources, insights, and connections to help entrepreneurs grow and thrive. For more information, visit . Contact: info@ 416-655-0205
Cision Canada
23-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CEFA EARLY LEARNING CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF FIRST MISSISSAUGA LOCATION
MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 23, 2025 /CNW/ - CEFA Early Learning, Canada's leading private early education provider, officially opened its first Mississauga campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by The Honourable Rechie Valdez, MP for Mississauga–Streetsville and Minister of Women and Gender Equality, and The Honourable Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga–Streetsville and Associate Minister of Small Business. Founded in 1998 in West Vancouver, CEFA Early Learning Mississauga marks the organization's 44th location nationwide. Its state-of-the-art, 13,880 sq ft. facility features nine classrooms and can accommodate up to 149 students ages one to six. Every CEFA teacher is ECE-certified and receives ongoing, specialized training in CEFA's proprietary methodology, enabling them to effectively deliver an enriched junior kindergarten curriculum. "At CEFA, we believe early education should do more than prepare children for school. It should ignite their potential and lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and discovery," said Arno Krug, President, CEFA Early Learning. "This centre is designed to do exactly that. With CEFA Mississauga, we've created a thoughtfully designed space where infants, toddlers, and preschoolers can learn, explore, and thrive." CEFA's science-backed curriculum is designed around the synaptic blooming period, a critical stage of brain development between ages one and five when millions of neural connections are formed every second. Drawing on Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies, and enhanced by CEFA's own proprietary innovations, the program supports each child's academic, emotional, social, and physical growth. CEFA Early Learning Mississauga is currently accepting inquiries from interested families. To learn more about CEFA's curriculum or find a school near you, visit ABOUT CEFA EARLY LEARNING CEFA Early Learning (Core Education & Fine Arts) is Canada's leading private early learning provider, founded by Natacha V. Beim in 1998 for children aged one to six. With over 25 years of experience and more than 40 locations across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, CEFA offers a proprietary, award-winning junior kindergarten curriculum that uniquely combines core academic subjects such as reading, mathematics, and STEM with fine arts and enrichment activities including drama, music, visual arts, dance, and yoga. CEFA provides children with carefully designed learning environments and experiences that nurture holistic growth academically, emotionally, socially, and physically, setting a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success. For more information about CEFA, visit
