Meet Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2024 Award winners

Tobyn Sowden is creating possibilities for Canada’s entrepreneurs.
Inspired by opportunity. Moved to bridge gaps. Tobyn founded a marketing agency in 2011 and subsequently evolved the business into the fifth fastest growing company in Canada, reflecting $100 million in annualized revenues for 2023. How? Refocusing his business to grow technologies that directly support entrepreneurs.

Creating software to bolster entrepreneurial progress at any growth stage
Today, Redbrick Technologies’ services are laser-focused to address entrepreneurs’ specific needs at three critical stages: Spark (foundational solutions like domain name registration and email set-up for those just starting out), Building (think websites, landing pages and simple web-app development through low- or no-code solutions for growing businesses) and Scaling (robust SMS, email marketing, lead generation and overall marketing support for entrepreneurs scaling up). With a team of 200 team and a range of portfolio companies innovating under the Redbrick umbrella, the organization leads the digital business industry.

Extending internal values to make an external impact
Named among Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers five years running, Tobyn channels Redbrick’s values and culture to make positive change in the broader community. A certified B Corporation, Redbrick is collaborating with the University of Victoria’s “INSPIRE: STEM for Social Impact” program. In 2024, the company also pledged to reinvest $100,000 in local community initiatives supporting Catalyst for Good, Coldest Night of the Year, Women on the Rise International Women’s Day events and the cmd-f UBC Hackathon.

View all Pacific winners and finalists

Denis Jones is growing neighborhoods to shape the future.
Born in South Africa. Trained in the United States. Denis was a medical doctor in Regina, Saskatchewan when he saw the potential upsides of placing capital in local neighborhoods. He started out by investing in multifamily properties. When the oil boom took hold and the market heated up, Denis decided it was time to build something of his own.

From that entrepreneurial spark, The Deveraux Group of Companies was born in 2008. Denis initially teamed with a small, existing construction company. He then raised private equity from across his network, establishing what is now a multifamily rental apartment development, construction and management business.

Innovating and integrating to create billions in value
Denis set the business apart by forging strategic partnerships and vertically integrating operations. His strategy has grown Devereaux’s portfolio to $2 billion+ in value. How? The group overcame supply chain hurdles by creating separate manufacturing companies that dial down Deveraux’s dependence on other suppliers. Through the Auctus property income fund, Deveraux enables accredited investors to participate in the group’s projects and benefit from the properties’ steady income and capital appreciation.

A purposeful mission to nurture communities
Under Denis’s leadership, Deveraux creates and delivers Class A quality, sustainable and affordable housing solutions for diverse communities across Western Canada. All the while, the company allocates profit to causes supporting at-risk communities.

View all Prairies winners and finalists

Clive Kinross is turning financial dreams into flourishing realities.
Inspired by potential. Moved by entrepreneurial spirit. Clive always believed he’d someday found a business of his own. That purpose drove him to transition from a boutique merchant bank to a real estate investment trust — where he honed the expertise that would fuel his first venture.

Clive shook up a number of industries before launching Propel Holdings (TSX: PRL): the FinTech company building a new world of financial opportunity through a unique, lending-as-a-service product line that facilitates access to credit for consumers underserved by traditional financial institutions.

Drawing on emerging tech to build a billion-dollar business
Through its groundbreaking, AI-driven platform, Propel evaluates customers in a more comprehensive way than traditional credit scores can. The result? Better products and an expanded credit market for consumers, and sustainable, profitable growth for Propel.

Under his leadership, Propel has grown to a market cap of $1 billion and a thriving workforce of more than 450 employees. Together, they are helping customers access more than one million loans and lines of credit representing over $1 billion in credit.

A deep commitment to creating equitable opportunities
Propel exemplifies impact-driven entrepreneurship. Keeping with Clive’s vision, the business offers credit to people often marginalized by traditional financial systems — generating possibilities for all.

View all Ontario winners and finalists

Ken Harris is democratizing travel to reframe customer experience.
Frequent flyer. Determined innovator. Ken saw a clear customer experience gap when he inquired about upgrading to business class on a busy flight – only to be told it wasn’t possible. Set on democratizing the travel experience, Ken created a platform where passengers could bid to upgrade, improving their own experience and empowering airlines to monetize unused inventory. Through Plusgrade, Ken’s built a revolutionary, white-label upgrade solution that integrates directly into airline booking systems.

Setting a new standard for more than 200 travel brands in 60 countries
When establishing Plusgrade in 2009, Ken faced considerable skepticism right across the industry. He forged ahead anyway. This year, General Atlantic announced a $1 billion investment to fuel Plusgrade’s continued growth, bolster transactions and enhance operational efficiencies. In 2023, Ken’s business has generated over $5 billion in revenue across global travel partners and is expected to continue its tremendous growth in 2024.

Reinvesting growth in the local community
As Ken scales Plusgrade, he’s made sure the broader community benefits from the organization’s growth. Employee-led giving supports a long list of local initiatives. What’s more, Ken himself is an active community leader, playing key roles with the Jewish General Hospital Foundation board of directors, the Montréal Children’s Hospital and the CURE Foundation, which supports low-income Canadian women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

View all Québec winners and finalists

Hakan Uluer is setting a new standard in culinary experiences.
Resilient leader. Determined builder. At the young age of 12, Hakan learned the importance of hard work and responsibility, selling clothing at the local market to support his family in the wake of his father’s tragic passing. Those experiences defined Hakan as a would-be entrepreneur — one who gained culinary and leadership experience across the hospitality sector before settling in Halifax and joining award-winning restauranteurs The Bertossi Group. Embracing the founders’ deep commitment to traditional Italian cuisine, Hakan took the reins of the business in 2014.

Turning ‘made-by-hand’ philosophies into a game-changing brand for Atlantic Canada
Drawing on the same principles he learned from his father, Hakan has grown The Bertossi Group to include The Bicycle Thief, Ristorante a Mano, La Frasca and il Mercato Trattoria. Two luxury cafés and three additional restaurants are set to open this year. Known for excellence and exceptional customer service, Hakan’s restaurants are sought-after destinations not only for locals, but visitors from around the world. What’s more? A successful partnership with Canadian meal-kit company Goodfood has propelled the brand into the national spotlight.

Giving back to make life better community-wide
Hakan is all in to help build the Halifax community that welcomed him as a first-generation immigrant. He is the highest food and beverage sector contributor to Feed NS. He’s also dedicated to his employees, going beyond fair wages to fund college tuition for those in need of support and sponsor international learning opportunities in France and Italy.  At the same time, Hakan amplifies his impact nationally by advocating for employees on the board of Restaurants Canada.

View all Atlantic winners and finalists