SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – Earlier this year, the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) launched a brand new event called the Newcomer Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (NEYA). This event showcases small business owners who have journeyed through immigrating to Canada and have successfully launched and grown their business in the Saskatoon Region.
The finalists and award recipients will be honoured at the first annual NEYA Gala on June 6 at TCU Place in Saskatoon.
“Through our Square One program, we have seen an increase in the amount of newcomer entrepreneurs in the Saskatoon Region. These entrepreneurs endure numerous obstacles when starting a business, and we are proud to offer awards that highlight these efforts,” said Alex Fallon, President and CEO of SREDA. “The newcomer entrepreneurs that are being honoured at the NEYA Gala have demonstrated the drive and determination it takes to be a successful business owner, in addition to overcoming challenges that often come with being a newcomer. They represent a diverse group of individuals from across the globe with businesses in a variety of sectors – from property development to retail, from technology to hospitality. This evening is an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate these entrepreneurs and their impact on the local economy.”
The evening will start at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception featuring tapas-style ethnic food stations, followed by cultural performances and the award presentations at 6:15 p.m. Special guests addressing the importance of newcomer entrepreneurs in the Saskatoon Region include Her Honour the Honourable Vaughn Solomon Schofield, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan and His Worship Don Atchison, Mayor of Saskatoon. Tickets for the NEYA Gala are available for $50 and can be purchased at TCUtickets.ca, by phone at 306-975-7799 or in person at TCU Place.
The 2016 NEYA finalists are:
Start-Up – entrepreneurs operating a business for less than 3 years.
Colors of India, Sneha Chakraborty
Dara Children’s Store, Weidong Miao
Hishow Audio Inc., Feifang Wang
Scully Custom Carpentry, Martin Scully
Underground Trends, Noy Phonsavath
Growth – entrepreneurs that demonstrate business growth.
Baydo Development Corp, Yufeng Wang
Biktrix, Roshan Thomas
Complete Technologies, Andrey Olinov
M & A Homes, Michael Ma
U39 – entrepreneurs between 18-39 years old.
Tina’s Professional Tailoring, Robel Firay
Odd Couple, Andy Yuen
Zhang Bros. Development Corp, Minjie Zhang
Connect – entrepreneurs operating a business for over 5 years.
First Impressions Hair Designs, Wajid and Maysoon Toma
Manila Cleaning Services, Florentino and Myrna Aranda
