Presented by Wolf Blass Wines
The next generation of entrepreneurs will meet two impressive new Dragons in the upcoming second season of NEXT GEN DEN. Harley Finkelstein, chief platform officer (CPO) at Shopify Inc., and Nicole Verkindt, founder of OMX (Offset Market Exchange), will join season one’s Michael Hyatt, chairman of Bluecat, as they look to invest in young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitching start-ups and early-stage businesses. Created by the producers of Dragons’ Den, NEXT GEN DEN targets mobile viewership through 20 short webisodes, available exclusively online. The rules of the Den are the same—pitchers must take what they’re offered, or walk away with nothing.Season two premieres online on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to coincide with the broadcast premiere of season 10 of Dragons’ Den, which premieres on CBC-TV on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT).
Auditions are now open for the upcoming season of NEXT GEN DEN. Entrepreneurs with early-stage start-up businesses looking for an investment of under $100,000 can apply at cbc.ca/dragonsden/nextgenden. To be eligible, entrepreneurs must be 40 years old or younger. Applications are being accepted until mid-September, with filming to take place in late September.
Catch up on season one webisodes here.
New NEXT GEN DEN Dragons:
Harley Finkelstein
Harley Finkelstein is an entrepreneur, lawyer and the chief platform officer (CPO) at Shopify Inc., an industry leader in the online shop-building business and Canada’s first internet start-up to reach a billion-dollar valuation since the dot-com crash. Prior to his success with Shopify, Finkelstein was active in the Canadian start-ups and e-commerce scene, founding his first company at age 17 while a student at McGill University. Finkelstein completed his law degree as well as his MBA at the University of Ottawa, where he co-founded the JD/MBA Student Society and theCanadian MBA Oath. He is a mentor at Founder Fuel and Invest Ottawa, is on the board of the C100 and is an advisor to Felicis Ventures. Today, Shopify has grown to 750 employees across Canada, with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo and Montreal.
Nicole Verkindt
She may have found her start in her family’s aerospace business, but when Nicole Verkindt spied a chance to create her own company, she flew the nest and hasn’t looked back since. Verkindt founded OMX (Offset Market Exchange) and invented a software solution that matches up the biggest aerospace players with Canadian technology partners. Her customer list includes industry heavyweights such as Lockheed Martin and British Aerospace. Verkindt’s busy schedule has her jetting around the globe to high-level meetings with world leaders as she oversees the international growth of OMX.
Michael Hyatt (returning)
Michael Hyatt, a self-made millionaire by age 25, is a mentor and investor in many start-ups, including the Rotman School of Business Creative Destruction Lab and The Founders Institute. He has built two highly successful tech firms valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, and is a recipient of the Top 40 Under 40™ award. He chairs his family’s charitable foundation, and is the executive chair of BlueCat, one of Canada’s leading growth companies. Michael is a weekly business commentator on CBC News.
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About Dragons’ Den
One of the most successful Canadian reality programs, Dragons’ Den averaged nearly one million viewers each week during the 2014/15 season, reaching one-third of all Canadians. In addition to its success on air, Dragons’ Den is also a hit online, boasting an active and engaged online community and averaging more than 450,000 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 Broadcasting Centre in Toronto and airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Television. Tracie Tighe is executive producer and Molly Middleton and Amy Bourne are senior producers. Dianne Buckner hosts.
Find the show online at:
cbc.ca/dragonsden
facebook.com/dragonsden
@cbcdragon
#cbcdragonsden
About Wolf Blass Wines
Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass was born in 1934 in what used to be East Germany. Moving to Australia in 1961, Wolf settled in the Barossa Valley and in 1966 established Wolf Blass Wines. Not constrained by tradition, Wolf was revolutionary in using new winemaking and marketing techniques that grew his winery from a humble tin shed to become one of the world’s most successful and awarded wine brands. A recipient of more than 3,000 medals and trophies at national and international wine shows, the essence of Wolf Blass wines is exemplified through the passion of its custodians past and present as they continuously strive to produce wines of quality, character and consistency.
WolfBlassWines.com
Facebook.com/WolfBlassCanada
@WolfBlassWine
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, please contact:
Kylie McGregor
Entertainment publicist, CBC
Kylie.McGregor@CBC.ca
416 205 8638
(office) / 416 948 6181 (mobile)
