Water Cooler: Tomer Strolight Parts Ways With Arlene Dickinson Enterprises

BY: 

Dave Forde
November 16, 2012

We’re getting reports that Tomer Strolight has called it quits after just over six months with Arlene Dickinson Enterprises, which according to the official press release:

Arlene Dickinson Enterprises (ADE) today announced the creation and launch of media and product initiatives focused on all aspects of the “entrepreneurial lifestyle.” The purpose of ADE is to promote the advancement of entrepreneurs through funding investments in entrepreneurial businesses and creating entertaining and educational media aimed at them. In addition to heading up the company, Arlene Dickinson remains CEO of Venture Communications, the national marketing company she has owned for 25 years.

ADE is currently developing multi-media properties, and over the coming months will be launching a magazine, television formats, a social network for entrepreneurs, podcasts, an e-commerce website and more that will feature entertaining and engaging new content aimed at them. The company will continue to make investments in entrepreneurial companies and is excited to be offering global commercialization services to help them succeed.

Over the course of her career, Dickinson has invested in, assisted and advised hundreds of companies from local sole proprietorships to multi-billion dollar international businesses.

“We are entering a period I call the ‘Entrepreneurial Economy’ with more people choosing to take on the entrepreneurial lifestyle than ever before. My new company is poised to seize this trend,” said Dickinson. “We are creating an entrepreneurial lifestyle brand, with the goal of helping entrepreneurs achieve the greatest success possible with their ventures. Right now, entrepreneurs in Canada who have made this lifestyle choice are being underserved, so I created Arlene Dickinson Enterprises to fill that void. Being an entrepreneur is hard work – and it has a language and passion that is unique. We want to help by championing and identifying services to help entrepreneurs succeed, and we want to speak to them through media in a way that is educational, entertaining and that celebrates their lifestyle.”

Kirchner Private Capital Group (KPCG), a leading North American boutique firm providing operational and transactional support for early and mid market companies as well as asset management services for institutional investors, has joined as a partner of ADE.

“I am very excited to have Bud Kirchner as a partner. I believe we are kindred spirits as both of us have devoted our lives to the pursuit of entrepreneurial success,” said Dickinson.

Bud Kirchner, founder and chairman of the Board, will bring invaluable skills to the company with over 40 years of entrepreneurial, operational, transactional and international experience. Mr. Kirchner has been an advisor, agent, partner and/or principal in over 300 private capital ventures in 25 countries. He has successfully built, run and sold numerous companies in industries as diverse as financial services, agribusiness, airline and consulting. Media commentators have said Kirchner has the “golden touch” and have called him “Mr. Fix it”. Named Entrepreneur of the Year by both Ernst & Young and again by the National Quality Institute of Canada, Kirchner formed KPCG which offers a proprietary platform unrivaled by other boutique firms. KPCG will be the in-house provider of operational and transactional support for ADE and its subsidiary companies.

“I am pleased and honoured to be a part of the Arlene Dickinson Enterprises team. Arlene and I have created a strong working relationship and I am glad that we have now become partners. The company Arlene is creating is filling a need, and with it we will be able to provide important tools and support for those people living the entrepreneurial lifestyle,” said Kirchner. “Entrepreneurs are vital to the growth and innovation of our economy and society. We will be able to bring to bear our unique skills in helping them optimize their operations, their capital management and their growth dreams.”

ADE is also announcing that it has signed a letter of intent to create a joint venture with Metroland Media Group Ltd (Metroland) that will expand its ability to execute its vision to help commercialize and support entrepreneurial innovation in a broad manner. Through this proposed partnership, ADE will be better positioned to commercialize products across a number of platforms throughout North America and overseas.

Tomer was instrumental in creating TorStar Digital (a division of Toronto Star) at a time when many did not have faith that it would be a strong asset to the Toronto Star.  TorStar Digital has since given birth to great companies such as Olive Media and has become home to other such as eyeReturn and WagJag.  We will continue to dig into exactly what went wrong, but can’t say this comes as much of a big surprise, unfortunately the ink was barley dry on Tomer’s blog post and the partnership contract.

 

Join your peers!

Get news, tips and other industry news delivered into your inbox for FREE!

Related Stories:

Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 20 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses. He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.


>