As Ottawa companies look for local support and encouragement amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal are spearheading a new initiative for residents to rally around the local business community.

The Ottawa Stronger Together online and television broadcast on Thursday, June 25 will share compelling stories from local businesses and demonstrate how they are adjusting rapidly to this new economic reality.

The broadcast will also feature interviews and video messages from national and local celebrities.

Don’t miss the broadcast on YouTube Live, Rogers TV and OttawaMatters.com

 

Forty Under 40 Award Recipients Announced!

The 2020 recipients represent a wide range of business sectors and companies, including one of the city’s most-loved ski shops, the construction heavyweight rehabilitating Centre Block and several leading law firms.

Despite the health and economic crisis, this year’s awards competition attracted almost 200 applicants, who were assessed and ranked based on business accomplishments, professional experience and community involvement.

The 2020 judging panel was chaired by OBJ publisher Michael Curran and included Greg Richards from the Telfer School of Management Executive MBA, Robert Rhéaume from BDO Canada and two alumni, Jennifer MacKinnon of Fenix Solutions and Joelle Hall from Richardson GMP.

“I am continually amazed and delighted by the calibre of candidates who are nominated for this prestigious award. Congratulations to all who were nominated and to the new recipients of Forty Under 40,” says Richards, recently named executive director of Telfer Executive MBA. “This event really highlights the creativity, determination and entrepreneurship skills in our local community.”

This year’s edition is taking on added importance with many businesses facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To celebrate the 2020 Forty Under 40 recipients, OBJ, the Ottawa Board of Trade and Rogers Sports & Media are hosting an online and television broadcast on Thursday, June 25 that will also feature compelling stories from local businesses that demonstrate how they are adjusting rapidly to this new economic reality.

“Having worked on Forty Under 40 for more than 20 years, I’m thrilled that we keep on finding and recognizing these amazing entrepreneurs and leaders,” says Curran. “The process of reviewing nominees is really quite inspirational. It makes me hopeful about the region’s continued economic growth, even in the midst of a pandemic.”

Sueling Ching, the president and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, shares, “This is one of our most important programs as it highlights the talent we have in our midst today and the leadership that will move our community forward in prosperity. On behalf of the Ottawa business community, congratulations and thank you to all the recipients for your tenacity, creativity and commitment to community. We are honoured to recognize you.”

Complete information on the broadcast can be found at OttawaStrongerTogether.ca.

Congratulations to this year’s Forty Under 40 recipients, all of whom will be profiled on OBJ.ca in the coming days:

Solon Angel, Mindbridge AI
Graeme Barlow, Iversoft
Tara Barnes, Manitobah Mukluks
Brandon Bignell, BDO Canada LLP
Erin Blaskie, Fellow
Josée Brisson, Josee Brisson Insurances
David Coyle, PCL Constructors Canada
Neha D’Souza, Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l.
Ricardo Evangelho, Hit Point Press
Brad Ezard, Keynote Group
Justin Ferns, Iron Horse Security & Investigations
Jeremy Francis, Rebel.ca
Alex Gray, Fullscript
Jessica Greenberg, Osgoode Properties
André Grzela, Beachcomber Hot Tubs Orléans
Shan Gu, Foci Solutions
Nathan Hall, Simple Story
Amanda Holtstrom, Ross Video
Ashley Hopkins, Paradigm Properties
Katharine Im-Jenkins, WUSC
Chase Irwin, Dentons Canada LLP
Bree Jamieson-Holloway, Jamieson Law
Anna Keller, Canadian Commercial Corporation
Monica Kunstadt-Landon, Kunstadt Sports and Ski Show
Simon Lavigne, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Daniel MacKinnon, BLACKBOOK Lifestyle
Hesam Mahdavi, Zodiac Light Waves
Melissa McGuirk McNeil, Ottawa Network for Education
Michael McNaught, RVezy
Patrick Nadeau, Ottawa Riverkeeper
Brian Rogic, Modis Canada
Dr. Caitlin Schwartz, CWIM
Andrew Scott, Pita Pit
Sasha Suda, National Gallery of Canada
Jennifer Teoh, Deloitte LLP
Shawna Tregunna, Shawna Tregunna Consulting
Hussein Valji, H&N Hospitality
Michelle Weger, Venture Creative Collective
Jennifer Welsh, Indiva Limited
Jamison Young, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP