Charlottetown, PE – The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present Arlene Dickinson as the keynote speaker during Small Business Week. The breakfast keynote address, sponsored by Business Development Canada (BDC), will take place Friday, October 25th at 8:30 a.m. at the Delta Hotels by Marriot Prince Edward.
Dickinson is a renowned independent marketing communications entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Venture Communications and YouInc.com.
“We’re thrilled to have Arlene Dickinson join us as keynote speaker at this year’s Small Business Week,” said Dawn Binns, President of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce. “Dickinson’s innovation, determination and leadership will inspire our growing community of entrepreneurs.”
Dickinson is one of Canada’s most successful communications entrepreneurs, turning many companies into powerhouses with a top-class client list. Best known as one of the venture capitalists on the award-winning CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Dickinson is an investor on The Big Decision, a judge on Recipe to Riches and author of two bestselling books, Persuasion and All In.
Dickinson’s success and leadership have been recognized through the receipt of multiple awards, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneur Excellence and listed in PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners. Dickinson is an Honourary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy and the recipient of honourary degrees from Mount Saint Vincent University, Concordia University, Saint Mary’s University and NAIT. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal and sits on numerous public and private boards while supporting many causes throughout her community and Canada.
BDC Small Business Week is a weeklong national initiative taking place October 20-26, 2019. It celebrates small business through programs and events hosted by local organizations. The week of activities provides the local business community the opportunity to network and further develop their professional skills and expand their networks.
“Small businesses continue to be the backbone of our economy. This weeklong event is a time to recognize those who chose to build businesses, provide employment, and play a vital role in strengthening our economy,” said Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). “It is also a time to support this business community of professionals, newcomers, women entrepreneurs, recent graduates, and aspiring entrepreneurs alike with a variety of development opportunities. I am pleased that the Government of Canada, through ACOA, has invested $34,000 to support the Charlottetown Chamber’s Small Business Week activities.”
Tickets for the Arlene Dickinson Breakfast Keynote are on sale now. Early-bird tickets are available until September 30th for $75 +HST or $600 +HST for a table of eight. Tickets can be purchased online at www.charlottetownchamber.com, by calling the Chamber at 902-628-2000 or email chamber@insighttestsite.com.
In addition to the keynote by Arlene Dickinson, the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Week programming will feature panel discussions, learning and networking opportunities and profiles of small businesses in the community. More information will be released over the coming weeks at www.charlottetownchamber.com.
Arlene Dickinson, CEO of District Ventures Capital and YouInc.com, co-star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den