BEGIN:VCALENDAR BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20250506T210000Z DTEND:20250506T233000Z SUMMARY:Bootstrap Awards 2025 DESCRIPTION:This year's Awards Ceremony will be at Tech Tuesday on May 6th. Celebrate Local Entrepreneurs – Winners of the 2025 Ottawa Bootstrap Awards The Annual Bootstrap Awards celebrate self-capitalized businesses that have “bootstrapped” their growth with limited outside funding and achieved commercial success. The awards were created to recognize the outstanding achievements of early stage companies in all industries, both for-profit and non-profit, and across a range of distinct criteria-based categories. The awards are proudly presented by The Ottawa Network. ​The Bootstrap Awards are given to founders and entrepreneurial businesses who have demonstrated innovation and creativity in growing their self-funded start-ups and early-stage companies in all industries, both for-profit and non-profit, and across a range of distinct criteria-based categories. Each winner is an entrepreneur or company from Eastern Ontario or Western Quebec who has been in business for less than seven years operating successfully without having received more than $500,000 in outside funding  (excluding non-convertible debt and grants). ​This year’s Bootstrap Awards ceremony will be held as part of Tech Tuesday at The Brookstreet in Kanata through generous support from event sponsor Wesley Clover. Award Categories GREEN AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company or organization is striving to improve the environment or contribute to environmental health or awareness through a combination of environmental and economic (commercial) sustainability. INNOVATION AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company has applied scientific and/or engineering expertise and technology to solve a problem in a way that is unique and innovative. SAAS AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company uses Software as a Service to provide a product that has customer uptake and enthusiasm as shown in number of customers and/or growth. MARKETING AWARD The winner demonstrates how they used innovative marketing strategies to attract media attention and stakeholder involvement while cost-effectively acquiring customers and clients. BOOTSTRAP CAPITAL AWARD The winner demonstrates their ability to self-finance and “bootstrap” their enterprise with limited or no help from Angel or Venture Capital investors, and grow their business while remaining economically viable and profitable. DISRUPTOR AWARD The winner demonstrates how they are boldly trying to turn a business or paradigm on its head or changing an industry and have received some early traction from supporters. This award celebrates those who have a big vision and are taking a risk to make their vision a reality. COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD The winner demonstrates how their efforts or organization has had an impact on the community in terms of social good by improving diversity, providing a service or product to an under-served community, raising awareness of a cause or initiative through a unique event, campaign, or fundraising program and by using innovative and/or entrepreneurial techniques. This award may be given to an individual entrepreneur or company. FOUNDER OF THE YEAR AWARD This winner demonstrates exceptional leadership and ability to grow their company and build their business through stakeholder engagement and networking, and/or shown themselves to be a leader and influencer in the business community, acting as a peer role model for other founders.   2024 Winners Green Award | The Aggressive Good, Geoffrey MacKay and Jennifer Look-HongInnovation Award | Novacene AI, Hengameh HajipouSAAS Award | Rain Technologies, Alexandre LabrecheMarketing Award | Vykon Inc.,Lisa Pitel-KillahBootstrap Capital Award | Constant Health, Jonathan Freedhoff and Lorne SegalDisruptor Award | Impactor App,Urooj QureshiCommunity Impact Award | Quick Market, Kokouvi AssignoFounder of the Year Award | Emma Brown, Whimble 2023 Winners Green Award | RoCo Industries Inc., Roderick Costain Innovation Award | Convergence Design Services, Ben Seaman  SAAS Award | CounterCrisis Technology, Don Williams, Melanie Williams Marketing Award | FanSaves, Shannon Ferguson, Kris McCarthy Bootstrap Capital Award | Northern Forge Studios, Nate Beacham, Jason Flick Disruptor Award | MapSherpa Inc., Dave McIlhagga  Community Impact Award | STEM the Gap Academy, Ingrid Gayle  Founder of the Year Award | Femade Inc., Anusha Gandhi 2022 Winners Green Award | Re4M Design and Fabrication, Heather Jeffery Innovation Award | Braiyt, Warsame Ahmed, Tamey McIntosh, Gaston Barban SAAS Award | Proxi.id, Ryan Peatt, Adam Januszkiewicz, Julian Eckhardt Marketing Award | Bushbalm Skincare, David Gaylord, Rachel Kerr, Timothy Burns Bootstrap Capital Award | Sidi.io, Riaz Sidi Disruptor Award | SparkPath, JP Michel Community Impact Award | Connected Canadians, Emily Jones Joanisse, Tasneem Damen Founder of the Year Award | Evoke Health, Varsha Chaugai, Graham Fraser 2021 Winners Green Award: greenre President: Keith Loiselle Innovation Award: CoGenerate Solar CEO: Ra'ed Arab CTO: Bruno Rocha SaaS Award: Noibu Co-founders: Robert Boukine and Kailin Noivo Marketing Award: Wicket Co-founders: Jeff Horne and Laura Mindorff Bootstrap Capital Award: RedLore CEO: Niek Van Dierdonck Disruptor Award: Extend Pharmacy Specialists Founder: Jason Wentzell Manager: Meghan Hayes Community Impact Award: Treehouse Medical Founder: Julia Slanina Founder of the Year: Jason Lee Company: SmartCone Technologies 2020 Winners Green Award: Backcountry Wok Founder: Melanie Ang Innovation Award: Tungsten Collaborative Co-founders: Mike Brown, William Dicke, Dave McMullin SaaS Award: Rilea Technologies CEO/CTO: Lisa Hallsworth, Rob Hallsworth Marketing Award: Hit Point Press Founder: Ricardo Evangelho Bootstrap Capital Award: Space Strategies Co-founders: Adre Dupuis, Maria Rey, Anne-Marie Dupuis Disruptor Award: Lightship Security Directors: Jason Lawler, Brad Proffitt, Greg McLearn, Lachan Turner Community Impact Award: Sprig Learning CEO/CTO: Jarrett Laughlin, Faud Khan Founder of the Year: Meta Innovation Technologies Founder: Dr. Ellie Ardakani 2019 Winners Green Award: Ecovena Founder/CEO: Trevor Boicey Innovation Award: The Growcer Co-founders: Corey Ellis, Alida Burke SaaS Award: PartnerPortal.io CEO: Josh Garellek Marketing Award: Desk Nibbles Co-founders: Cassy Aite and Emil Aite Bootstrap Capital Award: Purecolo CEO: Rainer Paduch Disruptor Award: Brokrete CEO: Jordan Latourelle Community Impact Award: Thawrih CEO: Sarah Abood Founder of the Year: Open Door Education Services Founder: Heather Desjardins ​2018 Winners Green Award: Riverwood Acoustics Founder/CEO: Ben Seaman Innovation Engineering & Technology Award: SanEcoTec Founder/CEO: Els Vanbeckevoort Best Mobile Application: GoFor Co-Founder/CEO: Brad Rollo Best Guerilla/Social Marketing Campaign: Digitera Founder/CEO: Jordan St. Jacques Bootstrap Capital Award: Spatial DNA Informatics Inc. Founder/CEO: Todd Lewis Community Impact Award: KindVillage Founder/CEO: Tanya Woods Founder of the Year: Welbi Technologies Co-Founder/CEO: Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau ​2017 Winners Green Award: Spectrafy Innovation Engineering & Technology Award: iBionics Best Mobile Application: award shared by Bluink & Punchtime Best Guerilla/Social Matrketing Campaign: Grype Bootstrap Capital Award: Ottawa Media Group Community Impact Award: NuGrocery Fastest Growing Startup Award: CanadaWheels ​2012 Winners Best Business Model – CanaFlora Innovation in Engineering and Technology – Crack Semiconductor Lead to Win for Women- Amanda R A Lunan | Auntie Loo’s Treats Bootstrap Capital – Apption Corporation Best Guerilla Marketing – Toletta Community Impact – Shepherds of Good Hope Green Award – Rumidifier Home Comforts Inc. Best Mobile App/Website – Spoonity Inc. Best Customer Service – Blue Rabbit Machines Best Sales/Value Proposition – LavaBlast People’s Choice – Dermis Advanced Skin Care Fastest Growing Startup – Stoneshare 2011 Winners Best Micro Business – FaveQuest Best 20 and Under Startup – Jennifer Lee Promotions Best website – Manpacks Best Technique for Sales/Pre-Sales/Launch – Vertigrow Best Value Proposition/Value Differentiator/Pixie Dust – Patientway Most Innovative Source, Bootstrap Capital – IdeaVibes Best Guerrilla Marketing Idea/Social Marketing – Zeebu Mobile Most Innovative Social Enterprise Fundraiser – Ottawa Humane Society Most Innovative Business Model -SokJok Fastest Growing Startup – Inovatech Engineering 2010 Winners New Micro Business of the Year – Network Hippo Inc. 20 and under Startup – Stewart Supreme Vending New Web Site of the Year – Wedding Republic Best Sales/Pre-Sales/Launch Clients – CrowdWave Games Value Differentiation Technique – UCreate Media Best Pixie Dust Technique of the Year – BSETC Most Innovative Source of Bootstrap Capital of the Year – MartSmart Shopping Network Best Guerrilla Marketing Idea or Campaign of the Year – Social Mention Most Innovative New Bootstrap Business Model of the Year – Shopify Fastest Growing Bootstrap Startup – Telepin Software ​ See all our winners and presenters since 2010 at the Facebook home of the Bootstrap Awards! LOCATION:Brookstreet Hotel, Legget Drive, Kanata, ON, Canada K2K 3G4 URL: END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR