

Small Business Awards 2024
at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Presented by:

Metro Toronto Convention Centre
North Building, Level 100
255 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2W6, Canada
We are delighted to announce that the Small Business Awards 2024 will be held at the prestigious Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This renowned venue, located in the heart of Toronto, offers state-of-the-art facilities and a spacious environment, perfect for celebrating the achievements of small businesses.
Key Features:
Prime Location: Steps away from Canada’s top attractions, ensuring a memorable experience for all attendees.
Accessibility: A convenient indoor tunnel connects event-goers to two fantastic hotels, Union Station, and the UP Express—a 25-minute air-rail link to Pearson International Airport.
Modern Amenities: The Metro Toronto Convention Centre provides cutting-edge technology and a spacious layout, ideal for a grand awards ceremony.
Join us at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s North Building, Level 100, for the Small Business Awards 2024 on 20th June 2025. Celebrate the excellence and innovation of small businesses in one of Toronto’s finest venues.
The dress code for the CanadianSME Small Business Awards 2024 Gala is black tie. Attendees are expected to wear formal attire: men typically in tuxedos or dark suits with a black tie, and women in evening gowns or cocktail dresses. This dress code underscores the prestigious and celebratory nature of the event.
Table numbers will be provided at the registration desk. Please mention your name or company name at the registration desk for easy check-in.
Paid parking is available at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for attendees of the CanadianSME Small Business Awards 2024 Gala. The convention center offers on-site parking facilities, but we recommend arriving early as spaces may be limited. Consider alternative transportation options if necessary. For more information on parking and directions, visit the Metro Toronto Convention Centre website.
A coat check is available near the registration area. The CanadianSME team will guide you upon arrival.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].
For any assistance during the event, please get in touch with our team members at the venue:
- Maheen Bari : 416 655-0205
- Kripa Anand : 647 395-7552
- SK Uddin : 647 668-5785
Exclusive Business Banking Partner

Hosted by Anna Sinclair
With over two decades of experience in media, entertainment, marketing, and event production, Anna brings unmatched creativity and quality to everything she does. Her career began as a signed pop artist, union actress, casting associate, and event producer — and that diverse background shaped her ability to lead powerful, high-impact brand experiences today.
Recognized by The Sponsorship Report as the youngest sponsorship expert in Canada, Anna has secured over $4 million in sponsorships and worked with over 350 top-tier brands — helping them build community, amplify their voice, and drive meaningful impact through strategic partnerships.
As a market leader in creative strategy and award-winning execution, Anna consistently challenges the status quo, delivering comprehensive solutions that seamlessly integrate experiences that fuse art, culture, and technology.

Schedule
Registration & Cocktail
- 4:30 pm to 5:40 pm
- 5:40 pm to 5:45 pm

- 5:45 pm to 6:00 pm

Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism.
- 5:45 pm to 6:00 pm

Hon. Nina Tangri,
Associate Minister of Small Business
- 6:00 pm to 6:05 pm

President & CEO Ontario Chamber of Commerce
- 6:10 pm to 6:30 pm

Natasha Walji,
Managing Director at Google Canada for Google Customer Solutions
- Dinner
- 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm
- 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- Presentation of Certificates to Judges
By Hon. Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism; Hon. Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, Ontario and Daniel Tisch Echevarría, President & CEO—OCC
- Presentation of Certificates to Sponsors
By Hon. Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism; Hon. Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, Ontario and Daniel Tisch Echevarría, President & CEO—OCC
- CanadianSME Small Business Champion Award
By SK and Hon. Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and
Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism
- Small Business of the Year - 3 winners Up to 10 employees
By Don Ludlow, Vice President Small Business,
Business Financial Services Strategy & Partnerships, RBC
- Business of the Year - 50+ Employees
TBD
- Small Business of the Year - 3 winners Up to 50 employees
By Sughanda Kapur, Team Lead, Business Development Specialist at UPS
- Tech Business of the Year Award
By Natasha Walji, Managing Director at Google Canada for Google Customer Solutions
- Technopreneur of the Year Award
By Liz Torasaki, Senior Account Executive at Xero &
By Kim Welch, Enterprise Growth Manager at Xero
- Best in Retail Award
By Jacob Levin, Senior Manager, Sales, Salesforce
- CSR Excellence Award
Jacob Levin, Senior Manager, Sales, Salesforce
- Excellence in Data Privacy & Cyber Security
By Monica Rehal, Regional Vice President at Canada Protection Plan
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year
By Christine Macdonald, Senior Director, Business Development, Mitacs
- Best in Health and Wellness Business
By Zufi Abbas, Associate, Mercer Marsh Benefits Canada Mercer Canada
- Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year
By Hon. Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business
- Fastest Growing Company
By Cheryl Mitchell, Longo Faculty of Business Humber Polytechnics
- Black Entrepreneur of the Year
By Raj Singh, CEO of Peninsula Canada and BrightHR Canada
- Best in AI & Automation Award
By Kree Govender, Area Leader, SMB Canada, Microsoft
- 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusive Excellence Award
By Hanna Haddad, Business Development Manager, CGLCC
- Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year
TBD
- The Diversity and Inclusion Award
By Tyson Jones, Senior Vice President, BDC Ontario
- Inspirational Leader of the Year
By SK Uddin, Founder - CanadianSME
Awards Presentation Continues
- Startup business of the Year
By Andreina Delgado,Director, Small Business Executive, Visa Commercial Solutions
- Best Business Innovation
By Alicia Pereira, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at OCI
- Best Professional Services - 3 winners
TBD
- The Sustainable Business Award
By Parveen Kandeerally, Senior Marketing Manager - Customer Solutions at Purolator Inc
- Business Woman of the Year
By Katie Ferguson, Leader, SMB Sales Cisco Systems Canada Co.
- The Community Impact Award
TBD
- Entrepreneur of the Year
By Mohamed Basma, Vice President & General Manager
Small Business Services Canada ADP
- Best in Manufacturing Award
By Ritu Kohli-Sethi, Managing Partner, Greater Toronto Executive Centre
- Customer Service Excellence
By Ben Wise, Head of Programmatic Media at Google
- Digital Business of the Year Award
By Nishant Raina, Vice President, Product Management
Small & Medium Enterprises, Mastercard
- E-commerce Business of the Year
By Daniel Tisch Echevarría, President & CEO—OCC

Small Business of the Year - 2024

Small Business of the Year - 2024

Tech Business of the Year - 2024
Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year - 2024
-
Joella Hogan
Owner/Operator of The Yukon Soaps Company -
Trisha Pitura
Co-Founder of MINI TIPI -
Sarah Hopkins
Founder & Matriarch of Three Sisters Consulting -
Corey Anderson
Founder & CEO of Ingaged Creative Productions -
Amanda Bernard
Founder & CEO of Shawish Market -
Brad Robinson
CEO & Owner of Thrive Tours Inc.

Business of the Year - 2024
The Diversity and Inclusion Award - 2024

Technopreneur of the Year Award - 2024
Entrepreneur of the Year - 2024
Excellence in Data Privacy & Cyber Security - 2024
Young Entrepreneur of the Year - 2024
-
Joseph Devereaux
Co-Founder at Page Pros -
François Gouelo
Co-Founder & CEO of Enso Connect -
Mathew Mozaffari
Technical Advisor of Speer Technologies Inc. -
Francesca Albo & Lea Burbidge Izquierdo
Co-Founders of Puppy Sphere -
Steven Amidjinov
Co-Founder & CEO/CGO at The SEED Agency -
Caleb Nasadyk
Project Manager at Heathrow Security Ltd.
Customer Service Excellence - 2024
Black Entrepreneur of the Year - 2024
-
Kamelah Blair
Founder & Publishing Coordinator of COJ BOOKZ -
Amena Ali-Ridha - Executive Chef /Owner, King Rustic Kitchen & Bar
Loren Amos -Mixologist/ Owner, King Rustic Kitchen & Bar -
Barbara Nelson & Jeneel Walker
Co-Founders of Blessed kutz -
Jerome Robinson
Founder & CEO of The Heartbreak Chef -
Ian Evans
President & CEO of E-Tech -
Lamar Falconer
CEO & Co-Founder of AltoLeap Inc.
Best Business Innovation - 2024
Startup business of the Year - 2024
Inspirational Leader of the Year - 2024
-
Kumaran Nadesan
Co-Founder and Deputy Chairman of 369 Global Inc -
Eugene Hartman
CEO of Kognitive Sales Solutions -
Hilary Borndahl
Founder & CEO of Miix Analytics Inc. -
Anne Stefanyk
Founder & CEO of Kanopi Studios -
Sally Daub & Josh Green
Co-Founders of BorderPass -
David Wiseman
CEO of INKAS® Payments Corporation
Digital Business of the Year Award - 2024
Business Woman of the Year - 2024
-
MARY OLANUBI
Director of Senior Homecare by Angels -
Kristy Miller
Founder & CEO of The Scented Market -
Kirke Kotkas
Founder & CEO of Social Kiddos Consulting Corp. -
Elyse Boulet
CEO & Managing Partner at Pigeon Brands -
Stephanie Loureiro
Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) + Product Strategy Advisor of Speer Technologies Inc. -
Harleen Laroia
Founder & CEO of SimplySmart Child Care & Montessori
E-commerce Business of the Year - 2024
Fastest Growing Company - 2024
Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year - 2024
-
Maya (Bharti) Nathani
CEO, Founder & President of Universal Health Hub -
Natasha Dhayagude & David Brown
CO-Founders of Chinova Bioworks -
Kalada Sika
Founder & CEO of Ntradex Solutions Inc. -
Gerard Keledjian
Founder and Managing Director of New Horizons Media Inc. -
Ali Soumah
Founder & CEO of Ali Soumah Business Center (ASBC) -
Ashish Tandon
Co-Founder & CEO of Godspeed Group