CanadianSME Unveils Finalists for the 2022 Small Business Awards, partnered with Google Canada: Celebrating Excellence and Innovation in the Nation's SME Sector

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, April 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CanadianSME is delighted to announce the finalists for its prestigious 2022 CanadianSME Small Business Awards. In partnership with Google Canada, these awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide.

The highly anticipated awards gala will be held on May 5th, 2023, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where hundreds of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and government officials will gather to honour the accomplishments of Canada's small business community. In addition, the event will feature an insightful keynote presentation by Google Canada, focusing on the growth and development of small businesses.

“We look forward to celebrating and recognizing the small businesses across the country that are making a huge impact in Canada. At the awards gala, I’ll share how businesses can unlock their next phase of growth, and achieve their full potential, using one of the most profound technologies of today – AI.”
Natasha Walji, Managing Director at Google Canada.

These awards have gained significant recognition since their inception. The awards selection process was highly competitive, with hundreds of nominations received from across Canada. An esteemed panel of industry experts and business leaders evaluated each submission based on specific criteria, such as innovation, growth, and impact on the community, to determine the deserving finalists.

“Each year, the CanadianSME Small Business Awards serve as a showcase of the unwavering entrepreneurial spirit that prevails in our communities. The 2022 awards continue that tradition, with all of this year’s competitors demonstrating what it means to lead with creativity, resiliency and innovation,” says Don Ludlow, Vice-President of Small Business, Partnerships & Strategy, RBC. “At RBC, we know that our collective future is brighter when our nation’s small businesses are recognized and supported at every step of their journey – and we’re proud to join CanadianSME in celebrating their achievements in 2022 and beyond.”

CanadianSME founder SK Uddin expressed excitement about the upcoming event: "We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional achievements of Canada's small business community. The finalists have demonstrated tremendous resilience, innovation, and growth, contributing significantly to our economy. We look forward to recognizing and honouring their accomplishments at the gala and gaining valuable insights from Google Canada's keynote presentation."

“Congratulations to all the nominees and award recipients,” states Paul Gaspar, director for small business at UPS. “We’re proud to support the supply chain needs of our great Canadian entrepreneurs and equally honoured to celebrate your success of innovation, perseverance, and ingenuity.”

“At Xero, we’re passionate about technology that makes the lives of small businesses easier and their operations more efficient,” said Faye Pang, Country Manager of Canada, Xero. “Xero is honoured to sponsor the Technopreneur of the Year Award and we’re excited to see the innovative ways that small businesses are embracing technology to drive growth.”

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Google Canada for their generous support as the title sponsor for the SME Awards 2022. Their partnership has been invaluable in making this event a great success.

The CanadianSME Small Business Magazine is grateful to all the sponsors for their generous and genuine support for the CanadianSME National Business Awards 2022 in celebration of business success in Canada.

About sponsors

The CanadianSME National Business Awards 2022 is an elbow room for corporations to sponsor small businesses. Thus, these awards are sponsored by various sponsors to recognize entrepreneurs in several different categories. The Small Business of the year award of up to 10 employees is sponsored by RBC, up to 50 employees, sponsored by UPS, up to 100 employees, sponsored by The Answer Company, Technopreneur of the Year Award sponsored by Xero, The Diversity and Inclusion Award sponsored by Deloitte, Tech Business of the Year Award sponsored by Samsung, Black Entrepreneur of the Year sponsored by HP Canada, Digital Business of the Year by Zoho and Excellence in Data Privacy, Cybersecurity by CyberCatch and Businesswoman of the Year sponsored by Nerds On Site.

Tickets for the CanadianSME Small Business Awards Gala are available at www.smeawards.ca. The event promises to be a memorable evening of networking, celebration, and inspiration as we acknowledge the vital role that small businesses play in driving Canada's economic prosperity.

The finalists for the awards are:

RBC Small Business of the Year for up to 10 employees (3 winners - Top 1, Top 2, Top 3)

• Aceit Digital Inc
• Propra Technologies Inc.
• Market Collective
• Kelowna Software Ltd.
• 49 Below Ice Cream Inc.
• iPlume Writing Inc.
• EYES Canada Child Care
• Daydream
• Flagship Roofing
• CSN PHARMA INC
• 2H Media
• eSupply Canada
• Brave Education Inc.
• Nerve Strategic
• Anchor Marketing Inc.
• Portage Sales
• To Toronto Inc
• Bisoulovely

UPS Small Business of the Year for up to 100 employees 2022 (3 winners - Top 1, Top 2, Top 3)

• Cansulta
• Falkirk Environmental Consultants Ltd.
• William Wright Commercial
• Essential Software Solutions
• SourceKnowledge
• QDoc Inc.
• Tire Shack Brewing Co.
• The Fertility Partners
• Business Sherpa Group Inc.
• EBSolution
• BreezeMaxWeb Ltd (CA)
• Today | XTM
• Maximum People Performance Inc.
• Webtmize
• Sky High ERP
• Oona Wellness Group
• Synergy Performing Arts Academy
• Moniker Partners

Xero Technopreneur of the Year 2022

• Lance Miller and Matthew Alston, Co-Founders at Surex
• Jesse Abrams, Co-Founder & CEO at Homewise
• David Gauthier, Amanda Juneau, Laura Juneau, Felicia Santoro-Petti, Co-Founders, Sky High ERP
• Ben Zimmer and Amy Leask, Co-Founders, Sidekick
• Andrew Cross, Founder & CEO at GooseChase Adventures Inc.
• Mark Bania, Co-Founder & CEO at Contractor Compliance Inc.

GoDaddy Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Chris Reed, Co-Founder, Queer Based Media
• Fendi Akom & Kwame Boateng, Co-Founders, Eu4icLaB
• Tyler Anderson, CEO at Disruptive Edge
• Arman Talebzadeh, Operations Director, Brand Vision Marketing Inc.
• William Kryba, Founder, Clean Time
• Kevin Cyr, Chief Executive Officer at Brave Education Inc.

Deloitte Diversity and Inclusion award 2022

• Giatec Scientific Inc.
• Orium
• Desa Global Leadership
• Webtmize
• FinanceIT Canada Inc.
• ecobee inc.

The Answer Company Small Business of the Year - 100+ employees 2022

• POD Marketing inc.
• DealMaker
• SRx Health Solutions
• Transformer Table
• Croesus Finansoft Inc
• Paramount Commerce

Samsung Tech Business of the Year 2022

• Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies
• Untether AI
• CapIntel
• PAVE
• EZOFIS INC
• Fill it Forward

Ebay E-Commerce Business of the Year 2022

• SourceKnowledge
• Seller Interactive
• Pumpkin Kart
• Hangar9
• Miik
• Willy Wacky Snacks

Futurpreneur Young Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Bobbie Racette, Founder & CEO of Virtual Gurus
• Jordan Dooley, Founder of Vearthy
• Mya Beaudry, Founder and CEO of Kokom Scrunchies Inc
  

Nerds On Site Business Woman of the Year 2022

• Dr. Julie Wilson, Founder & Medical Director at Terra Nova Medical Centre
• Debbie Fung, Co-Founder, Yoga Tree Studios
• Laura McGee, Founder and CEO, Diversio
• Jamie Savage, Founder and CEO - The Leadership Agency
• Monica Gomez, Founder & CEO of The Concierge Club
• Stefanie Antunes, Founder/Owner, Discover Birth

Customer Service Excellence 2022 (There will be three winners - Top 1, Top 2 and Top 3)

• F12.net
• KITS Eyecare Ltd
• Point Alliance Inc.
• Fibernetics Corporation
• The Bridg Group of Companies
• Cargo Cabbie
• Shift Collab Inc.
• Options Consulting Solutions
• GTA Mold Removal
• Peninsula Canada
• FanSaves
• CloudAdvisors
• Buyapowa
  

Fastest Growing Company 2022

• DecisioningIT
• Untether AI
• Tekki Web Solutions Inc
• Peninsula Canada
• Infostrux Solutions Inc.
• GDA Capital Corporation

Excellence in Data Privacy & Security 2022

• Vena Solutions
• Railz
• TalentNet Inc
• FinanceIT Canada Inc.

Best Business Innovation 2022

• SRx Health Solutions
• MEA Health Corporation
• PolicyMe
• Zensurance
• Infostrux Solutions Inc.
• York Entrepreneurship Development Institute

Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Lance Miller and Matt Alston, Co-Founders at Surex
• Amad Abdullah, President, KW Signs
• Vimal Siva, CEO & COO at OutReach Media
• Laura McKay, Co-Founder & CEO at PolicyMe
• Kristy Miller, Founder and CEO, The Scented Market
• Emily Lyons, Founder & CEO, Femme Fatale Media Group Inc.

HP Black Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Fendi Akom & Kwame Boateng, Co-Founders, Eu4icLaB
• Ali Soumah, Founder and CEO, Ali Soumah Business Center Inc.
• Ross Cadastre, Founder & CEO at Innovative Talent Solutions Inc.
• Tunde Omotoye, Co-Founder/CEO at HumanSquad
• Brittany Charlton, Founder & CEO of OhhFoods
• Monice Morenzie, Founder and Executive Director at Midtown's Tiny Tots

Startup Business of the Year 2022

• MintList Technologies Inc
• BLP Lawyers Inc.
• Treehouse
• Ali Soumah Business Center Inc.
• ORNA Inc.
• Équité Association

Inspirational Leader of the Year 2022

• Tara Bosch, Founder at SmartSweets
• Will Cadell, Founder & CEO at Sparkgeo
• Muraly Srinarayanathas, Executive Chairman, 369 Global Inc.
• Antoinette King, Founder and Managing Partner, Options Consulting Solutions
• Bryan Jaskolka, Chief Executive Officer, CMI Financial Group
• Jennifer Ménard-Shand, Founder & CEO, Staff Shop Inc

Zoho Digital Business of the Year 2022

• meowbox
• DigitalFire Computing Inc.
• East Coast Lifestyle
• Optimized Webmedia Marketing
• NRI Industrial Sales
• Powered By OutReach

Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Piyush Sawhney, Chief Executive Officer at Dr. Phone Fix
• Brad Bhatti, Managing Director at Fast Track Appliances Ltd.
• Arnon Melo, President at MELLOHAWK Logistics Inc.
• Ashish Tandon and Abhishek Tandon, Co-Founders at Godspeed Group
• Tunde Omotoye, Co-Founder/CEO at HumanSquad
• Yusuf Baykal Bozkurt, Founder/Executive Producer at Beonbrand Inc.

Best Professional Services 2022

• William Wright Commercial
• Education Consultants Canada (ECC) Inc.
• Lunas Consulting
• Peninsula Canada
• Solulan
• Finally Remote Accounting Teams Inc.

Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year 2022

• Corey Anderson, Managing Director at Ingaged Creative Productions Inc.
• Trisha Pitura, Co-Founder of MINI TIPI
• Michelle Cameron, Owner at Dreamcatcher Promotions
• Sabre Pictou Lee, Founder and CEO of Archipel Research and Consulting Inc
• Jennifer Ménard-Shand, Founder & CEO, Staff Shop Inc.
• Mallory G Yawnghwe, Founder and CEO of Indigenous Box™

The Sustainable Business 2022

• Faulhaber Communications
• CD SONTER Ltd.
• Sparkgeo
• Bloomiér
• ERA Environmental Management Solutions
• NRI Industrial Sales

Please visit www.smeawards.ca for more details.

About CanadianSME:

CanadianSME is a leading organization dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. Through a variety of resources, including its digital magazine, business events, and industry insights, CanadianSME strives to support the growth and development of the country's SME sector.

For media inquiries, please contact:
SK Uddin
Publisher, CanadianSME
Phone: (416) 655 0205
Email: [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/02e755ea-780a-4298-8ecd-5e82a67a46d1