Entrepreneur of the Year

2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Event and EDN's 15th Anniversary

The 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year event also celebrated the 15th anniversary of EDN. It was a full house of EDN members, friends and staff. With a final tally of 146 attendees the event proved itself to be a great success! Member displays lined the walls at one end of the ballroom, showcasing a variety of products EDN members have to offer.

Brad McRae, the guest speaker at this years event, spent time discussing his views on leadership. McRae holds the position of Director at the Atlantic Leadership Development Institute in both Halifax, Nova Scotia and Kingston, Jamaica. He is a best-selling author, having written eight books as well as being a keynote presenter and consultant.

A panel discussion was held which discussed “Tips and Techniques for Accessing Equity Funding”. This years panel was made up of Ross Finlay—First Angel Network, Stephen Hartlen—Innovacorp, Troy desBarres—MagicLamp Software, and Mickey McDonald—Micco Companies. The panel shared advice from their own experience in this area as well as addressing a number of questions from the guests.
 

We would like to congratulate Dan MacNeil on winning the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award! He is the mayor as well as founder of OurTownEarth. OurTownEarth is a virtual town, social networking, and information resource site. Its priority is to create a community as well as equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Congratulations are also in order for this years nominees! --  Anna Quon—freelance writer, Krista Cook — Voice Waves Atlantic, Nadine Wentzell— Adult Educator, and Susan Roper — Empowerment Connection. These members have all been accomplishing quite a lot within their business and we would like to recognize them for their work.

2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Event

Mike Perrier, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Roswell James, President of the Board

The evening of the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year awards was a great success! 
The event kicked off with guest speaker Dan MacNeil of Our Town Earth 
proclaiming “Life was not a box of chocolates, sometimes I didn’t like what 
I ended up with, so I would pick again.  If life deals you a hand that you are 
not content with, you have the opportunity to take another card.  Create 
opportunities, learn to take chances, and make dreams reality.” This was 
just the beginning of what would be a wonderful night. 

There was a lively panel discussion covering ‘The Media and Your Business’ 
with two guest panelists, Pamela Scott Crace from Progress Media Group, and 
Steven Proctor from the Chronicle Herald. Both panelists answered questions 
from our members and gave great insight into the world of publicity. This portion 
of the event was moderated by EDN’s very own Archie Gillis.                 

The final part of the evening – the presentation of the Entrepreneur of 
the Year Award – brought tears to many in attendance. There were six 
great nominees: Tracy Sheffield, Terry Stewart, Danielle Bordage, Sue 
Chessell, Nancy Marshall, and Mike Perrier. Each entrepreneur had a unique and 
inspiring story that was artfully delivered by EDN’s Vice President, Nicole Smith. 

Winner of the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Award is Mike Perrier. Mike has 
owned and operated Perrier’s Concrete Homes for the last nine years, and was 
thrilled to accept the award.  Before beginning his business, Mike made his living 
working as an aluminum window and door technician.  He then moved on to teach 
construction at Amherst's School for the Deaf. Mike continues to be active in 
advocating for the rights of the deaf and hard of hearing. 
 
Mike took care to establish solid working relationships with customers, contractors
and suppliers. After accepting the award, he reflected “When I built my first house, 
there were mistakes; I didn’t make very much money on that house. But I persevered; my first year in business, I built one house. Today I am booked in 
advance all year long.”  Truly a story of success and inspiration, Mike Perrier is a 
testament to hard work, perseverance, and living your dream.