Last weekend I was honoured to attend the Impact Entrepreneurship gala which capped off Global Entrepreneurship Week and the Impact National Conference 2009. After meeting the aspiring young entrepreneurs at the gala I can assure you that the future of the Canadian economy looks bright.
Kunal Gupta founded the Impact Entrepreneurship Group in 2004. Impact is Canada's largest non-profit, student-run organization dedicated to encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth in Canada (http://www.impact.org).
A longtime entrepreneur myself I was inspired to meet the next generation of entrepreneurs. It was incredibly fun to be in a room filled with young people from all around the world who are bursting with new business ideas and the energy to see those ideas through. I was impressed again when my mailbox filled up with "nice to meet you" emails from the youth I met at the gala. I know these people will have an enormous positive influence on our economy, creating jobs and wealth for themselves and others.
Justin Trudeau was the keynote speaker at the Impact Gala. After the conference he tweeted, "Blown away by the young leaders at Impact entrepreneur's conference yesterday; tomorrow is in good hands. Journée famille dans le nord." Justin presented a strong vision for engaging more young people in entrepreneurial projects and helping young Canadians think INNOVATIVE!
I started young as an entrepreneur myself. I think it began when I sold gift items from the Regal Catalogue so I could buy a bike. In high school I saved money for university by starting up a sports skills summer camp. While I attended Waterloo University I ran an Student Painters franchise in California. I'm thrilled to see that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking among today's youth and that Impact is there to help them.
I've noticed lately that small and medium sized businesses create many of the job orders that we receive. Many small businesses are thriving in this tough economy. I believe that entrepreneurs are leading the recovery from this recession. The students and new grads I met at the Impact Gala will contribute to a bright future for all of us. I have no worries about Canada's economic recovery.
I applaud the Impact team for inspiring our youth to think big, achieve their mark, and ultimately turn their very own entrepreneurial ideas into reality!
Tim Collins
Stafflink.ca
timc@stafflink.ca
www.twitter.com/stafflinks
www.linkedin.com/in/timrcollins
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