Testimonials
From Canada’s Business Leaders
Nadir Mohamed, President & CEO, Rogers Communications Inc.
"I look at the participants of The Next 36 and it's a reflection of the new Canada. To me, there's nothing more exciting than a chance to be a part of it"
Jordan Banks, Managing Director, Facebook Canada
“I couldn't be more impressed with what The Next 36 has accomplished in a short period of time. The quality of the students has been mind blowing and the support from some of Canada's best business leaders has been incredible.”
Kunal Gupta, CEO, Polar Mobile
"The Next 36 gives young Canadian entrepreneurs all the tools they need to have an impact on the global stage. You won’t find this mix of executive-level mentorship, top instruction and resources anywhere else in the world."
Rick Spence, Columnist, Financial Post
"The Next 36 is the most intense, hot-house effort to force grow entrepreneurs ever attempted in Canada."
W. Galen Weston, Chairman and President, George Weston Limited (GWL)
Craig Kielburger, Co-Founder, Free the Children and Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Me to We
“15 years ago, we would have loved to sit in those seats. To have the mentors you have, to have the financial backing you have...”
John Albright, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Relay Ventures
"The Next 36 is the best organization in the country for future entrepreneurs."
From Founding Members of The Next 36 Board of Directors
Anthony Lacavera, Chairman and CEO, Globalive
"For years, I have been looking for the best way to help young entrepreneurs and The Next 36 is the perfect formula”.
Timothy Hodgson, Managing Partner, Alignvest Capital Management, and former CEO, Goldman Sachs Canada
“The Next 36 creates a very exciting opportunity for business leaders to give back. This program allows me, our Board of Directors, and other leading entrepreneurs in the community to get involved in a very personal way with our next generation of high-octane entrepreneurs. I'm excited by this program's potential, and look forward to my role as a mentor to The Next 36.”
Francis Shen, Founder and CEO, Aastra Technologies
“As a serial entrepreneur myself, I am passionate about helping The Next 36 avoid some of the pitfalls I fell into as an entrepreneur at their age. This is an exciting program to be part of, and I look forward to my front row seat watching bright young students grow into global entrepreneurs.”
From Current Entrepreneurs & Alumni of The Next 36
Michael Cheng - Entrepreneur, 2013 (Interactive Arts and Technology: Design and Media Arts, Simon Fraser University)
"The Next 36 provides a learning environment like no other. Not only has my N36 experience given me tremendous opportunities to hone my own design skills, it has also given me the chance to work directly with some of Canada's brightest young innovators in a multi-disciplinary team to build something with huge impact".
Rafal Dittwald - Alumni, 2012 (Engineering Science, University of Toronto); Co-Founder, Penyo Pal
"An established company has already figured out how to use you to create value, but with a startup, the main challenge is *designing* the business and tweaking it until it works.To be successful, you'll have to develop a much more diverse set of skills than a single job will ever require".
Konrad Listwan Ciesielski - Alumni, 2012 (Math & Computer Science, University of Waterloo); Co-Founder, Kira Talent
"The opportunity to work for a tech company will always be there, but The Next 36 provides you with the resources to start your own".
Jessica Fan - Alumni 2012 (Interactive Arts and Technology: Design and Media Arts, Simon Fraser University); Co-founder, Penyo Pal
"I design user experiences to address tough challenges. The Next 36 pushed me to dream bigger and turn my ideas into a venture with real impact"
Jane Wu - Alumni, 2012 (Commerce and Environmental Studies, Queen's University); Co-Founder, PenyoPal
"In 8 months, I have built a lifetime's worth of relationships with world class entrepreneurs, CEOs and like-minded young leaders".
Scott Greenberg - Alumni, 2012 (Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo)
"If you're looking to see the things you create make a huge difference, The Next 36 provides a platform that no other company or organization could provide. Regardless of what's created during the program, the experience is a launch pad for future endeavors".
Jacqueline Cook - Alumni, 2012 (Commerce, University of Saskatchewan)
"The Next 36 pushed me to limits I never thought possible. My expectations were surpassed the day the program started, and I have learned to dream bigger, go further and set the bar higher every day".