Last night Spin Master and The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) honoured 6 young entrepreneurs as recipients of the Spin Master Innovation Fund to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and the guidance and support they received on their path to business success.
For the third consecutive year, CYBF and Spin Master Ltd., joined forced on the annual the Spin Master Innovation Fund, which provides young entrepreneurs with $50,000 in start-up financing, a hand-matched mentor from CYBF’s industry-leading mentorship program and a trip to Toronto to attend a two-day Innovation Workshop, with exclusive access to industry experts and senior Spin Master executives.
The event featured keynote speakers Ron Tite, award-winning advertising writer, executive creative director and creativity and innovation expert; Ronnen Harary, Co-CEO of Spin Master Ltd.; John Risley, CYBF Board Chair; and Julia Deans, CEO, CYBF.
“The Spin Master Innovation Fund provided us with the opportunity to access advice and support from senior executives at Spin Master Ltd. As well as from a CYBF mentor in our community,” said Ryan MacGregor, CEO of SweetSeat. “Some of the most valuable advice was from Spin Master’s marketing and public relations team. The attention we’ve since received has helped us grow our business significantly.”
MacGregor developed a smartphone application that provides in-seat merchandise and concession orders to venues. After attending the Spin Master Innovation Launch Pad Workshop in 2012, Ryan’s company expanded to five venues in five months, was accepted into Ottawa’s Grindspace Accelerator Program, was a finalist for the Best Customer Service Bootstrap Award and then, in 2013, completed a second season with Ontario Hockey League teams and is poised for major expansion in year three.
Other Spin Master Innovation Fund recipients who were featured in the campaign include:
- Eric St. Pierre and Awane Moufide Jones, founders of Merchlar (Montreal)
- Jenviev Azzolin, founder of pplconnect (Montreal)
- Andrew White, founder of CHAR Technologies in Toronto
- Ilana Ben-Ari, founder of Twenty One Toys (Montreal)
- Sean Sylvestre, founder of Eyewear Evolution (Winnipeg)
- Ryan MacGregor, founder of SweetSeat (Ottawa)