NACO Launches Angels & Dreams Fellowship Program at Elevate Festival, Empowering Canadian Entrepreneurs

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NACO Announces Inaugural Angels & Dreams Fellowship Program at Elevate Festival
NACO Announces Inaugural Angels & Dreams Fellowship Program at Elevate Festival

TORONTO, ON – October 3, 2024 – The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) has introduced an exciting new national program, the Angels & Dreams Fellowship™, aimed at fueling the growth of Canadian entrepreneurs. This initiative, announced at the Elevate Festival, provides select entrepreneurs with access to a network of angel investors and senior business leaders, offering invaluable “network capital” to help scale their ventures.

Building Network Capital for Entrepreneurs

The Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship is a unique initiative designed to help entrepreneurs build essential connections with experienced business leaders, investors, and strategic advisors. By leveraging these relationships, entrepreneurs can unlock new opportunities, including securing funding, accessing new markets, and gaining critical business insights.

“Network capital is a trust-based network of relationships that unlocks opportunities for entrepreneurs, from securing funding to accessing new markets,” said Claudio Rojas, CEO of NACO. “This program fosters meaningful connections between entrepreneurs and senior industry leaders—relationships that are pivotal in driving growth and securing the resources needed to scale.”

A Pan-Canadian Effort

The Fellowship brings together a robust national network of angel investors, accelerators, incubators, and partners, strengthening Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Leading organizations such as Altitude Accelerator, Centech, The DMZ, Invest Ottawa, North Forge, Platform Calgary, and Propel are already on board, with more partners to be announced.

The program was unveiled at the Elevate Festival during a fireside chat featuring insights from Claudio Rojas, Keshia Chanté (NACO Ambassador, award-winning singer, and TV host), Michelle Romanow from CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and Paige Whitehead, NACO Fellow and Founder of Lux Bio.

Chanté highlighted NACO’s commitment to championing entrepreneurial success stories across Canada, noting, “The Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship builds on NACO’s legacy of supporting Canada’s entrepreneurs and mobilizing angel capital. This initiative extends that mission by providing a wider range of entrepreneurs with the network they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.”

Fellowship Sectors of Focus

Entrepreneurs selected for the Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship come from a variety of high-impact sectors, including:

  • Space, Mining, and Oceans – Exploring space technologies, mineral extraction, and marine innovation.
  • Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail – Advancing supply chain and retail innovation.
  • Automotive and Sustainable Transport – Developing electric vehicles and clean transport systems.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Next-Gen Computing – AI, quantum computing, and advanced data technologies.
  • Smart Cities and Future of Living – Urban planning, housing innovation, and IoT solutions.
  • Health and Advanced Therapies – Innovating in biomedical engineering, cancer treatments, and healthcare technologies.
  • Clean Tech and Frontier Innovations – Driving breakthroughs in sustainable technologies.

Meet the First Wave of Angels & Dreams™ Fellows

The first cohort of Fellows includes entrepreneurs from diverse sectors, many of whom will be featured in Season 19 of CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The selected entrepreneurs are:

  • Anita Grant, Founder of Hello Hair
  • Amanda Nguyen, Co-Founder of Boardball
  • Jess Off, Founder of Guess Where Trips
  • Tina Singh, Founder of Bold Helmets
  • Judy Stewart, Founder of Trèsolz
  • Samantha McConnell and Melanie Eng, Founders of RYERCAT
  • Monika Scott and Robyn Mair, Founders of Mint Cleaning
  • Paige Whitehead, Co-Founder of Lux Bio
  • Michelle Bong, Founder of Lash Artisan
  • Cynthia Savard, Founder of Oraki

These entrepreneurs represent the future of Canadian innovation, spanning industries from beauty and health to sustainability and travel.

Empowering Canada’s Entrepreneurs

The Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship underscores NACO’s mission to mobilize angel capital and support the growth of Canadian startups. Through this initiative, entrepreneurs will have the chance to develop the connections and expertise necessary to navigate the challenges of scaling their businesses, while helping to foster a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada.

NACO has a long-standing history of supporting successful Canadian companies such as Slack, WealthSimple, ApplyBoard, SkipTheDishes, and Jobber. With the Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship, NACO is taking the next step in empowering entrepreneurs to drive Canada’s future innovation and economic growth.

About the National Angel Capital Organization

Founded in 2002, NACO is Canada’s professional association for angel investors. The organization represents a national network of over 4,000 angel investors and 100 member organizations, which include Canada’s leading incubators, accelerators, and angel networks. Together, NACO members have invested over $1.54 billion into more than 2,000 Canadian companies, contributing significantly to the country’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Looking Ahead

Entrepreneurs, accelerators, incubators, and partners interested in participating in or sponsoring the Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship are encouraged to explore further opportunities. This initiative reflects NACO’s dedication to helping entrepreneurs scale their ventures and achieve global success.


NACO’s Vision for Canada’s Entrepreneurs

As NACO continues to grow its national network, the organization remains committed to providing entrepreneurs with the support they need to thrive. With the Angels & Dreams™ Fellowship, NACO is laying the groundwork for the next wave of Canadian innovation.

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