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FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE DEN, CANADIAN STUDENTS PROVE THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DRAGONS

The all-student episode of DRAGONS’ DEN airs
Wednesday, November 12 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV
 
The Canadian fan-favourite DRAGONS’ DENspecial returns this fall with a freshcrop of young entrepreneurs who mean business. Airing Wednesday, November 12 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), the bar continues to be raised as six-year-old Mya Prehn enters the Den to become the youngest entrepreneur ever to face the Dragons.
 
In what has consistently been the show’s highest-rated episode, this season’s student special features a wide range of young entrepreneurs bold enough to test their businesses out on the Dragons. From Vancouver-based students pitching a homemade solution to a high-tech problem, to two graduates from Toronto with a unique fitness website, to four young brothers from Alberta and their socially conscious food line, there is no shortage of innovative business ideas for the Dragons to consider. The special also catches up with last season’s Nana Osei to see how his socially responsible eyeglass business has developed over the past year.
 
The Dragons continue to be blown away by the impact the show has had on student entrepreneurs across the country and the calibre of businesses Canadian youth are capable of creating. David Chilton offered the following advice for students considering developing a business concept: “Younger entrepreneurs often don’t know what they don’t know and, strangely, that’s a good thing. Their lack of experience allows them to bring fresh approaches and their curiosity often leads to creativity breakthroughs. And, of course, the energy of youth is a huge asset. Get an early start down the road less travelled!”
 
This season, young aspiring entrepreneurs are being given another chance to pitch their start-ups and early stage businesses to a new generation of Dragons. Shorter and made for mobile, the Next Gen Den is a launching pad for young Canadian entrepreneurs. The rules of the Den are the same; pitchers get what they ask for, or walk away with nothing. For every pitch, three new Dragons - multimillionaires representing the future of Canadian entrepreneurship - will decide if they’re in or they’re out. Whether on a phone, a tablet or desktop, viewers can watch the Next Gen Den wherever they may be on the Dragons’ Den website or on the Dragons’ Den Youtube channel.
 
Auditions are now open. To apply, fill out the online application form. For any questions, email ddauditions@cbc.ca.
 
Presented by Scotiabank, DRAGONS’ DEN is the highest-rated Canadian unscripted program on during the regular television season, with an average audience of more than 1.2 million Canadians each week. In addition to its success on-air, DRAGONS’ DEN is also a hit online, boasting an active and engaged online community averaging more than 650,000 page views per month. Full episodes and exclusive behind-the-scenes content can be viewed at cbc.ca/dragonsden. DRAGONS’ DEN is filmed at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto and airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Television. Tracie Tighe is executive producer and Amy Bourne is senior producer. Dianne Buckner hosts.
 
Find the show online at:
 
@cbcdragon  #cbcdragonsden
 
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
 
A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.
 
For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.
 
For more information, please contact:
Kylie McGregor
Entertainment publicist, CBC
416 205 8638 (office) / 416 948 6181 (mobile)
 

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