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John Dobson Foundation donates $2 million to support entrepreneurship at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾

Mo Akif, Editor-In-Chief, The Dobson Chronicles; Maher Ayari, Program Manager, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1; Renjie Butalid, Marketing & Operations Advisor, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre; Sharanya Venkatesh, Program Coordinator, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 and Sarah Barker, Program Relations Coordinator, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1
Published: 18 July 2017

Montreal, Quebec, July 18, 2017 - The John Dobson Foundation has announced a donation of $2 million – its largest gift to Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ yet – to fund the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator program run by the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. The gift will support the X-1 program, now in its third year, as it grows to support and promote entrepreneurship across Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾.

Ari Kiriazidis, President of the John Dobson Foundation, stated, “the Foundation is delighted to continue Dobson’s long-standing relationship with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ with what represents one of the largest gifts ever granted by the Foundation’s Board. The Board is extremely proud to be associated with one of the most prestigious universities in Canada through the Dobson Centre and its various programs.â€

Randy Kelly, John Dobson’s long-time partner and Chief Executive Officer of Formula Growth, as well as Chairman of the Dobson Foundation, noted,  “Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ was always close to John’s heart and he would be very pleased with the continued commitment.â€

Launched in 2015, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator is an intensive 10-week summer program designed to accelerate the growth of later-stage Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ startups toward investment readiness and launch. The program runs annually from June to August and is open to teams, of which at least one member must have an affiliation to Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾, either as a student, a recent graduate, or a faculty or staff member. This year’s program has accepted eight Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ teams who are building their business on an idea based on technology or science.

The overall curriculum builds upon the MIT startup methodology of Disciplined Entrepreneurship, an integrated and proven framework for developing an innovation-driven product towards launch.

The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator culminates with a series of Demo Day events in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York and San Francisco, where the teams will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to groups of Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ alumni, entrepreneurs and investors.

The donation from the Dobson Foundation comes at a time of crucial development for the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship, which resides in the Desautels Faculty of Management. Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou of Desautels remarks, “through the vision and generosity of the John Dobson Foundation, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is affirmed as the leading hub for entrepreneurship on campus. In classrooms, research labs, and across the University, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ is full of ideas and talented individuals driven to innovate. Thanks to this donation, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator will catalyze our community of innovators and entrepreneurs.â€

Prof. Gregory Vit, Director of the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre, notes, “the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has played a central role in creating young Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ entrepreneurs. Many recent Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ startups have had an important impact on the economies of Montreal and Quebec. This significant gift will ensure that we continue to serve the vibrant entrepreneurship culture at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾. I’m highly confident that our entrepreneurs, will have a major positive impact on the planet.â€

The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has grown considerably since its founding in 1988 under the late John Dobson, BCom’64, a known advocate for free enterprise and entrepreneurship.  Since then it has become the hub of entrepreneurial activity at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾, with a mission to identify, teach and develop world-class entrepreneurs through tailored education, applied entrepreneurial frameworks, and iterative mentorship.  The Centre has played a central role in advancing entrepreneurial innovation and discovery through its flagship annual startup competition, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Cup, and other initiatives that have followed, including the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator. Overall, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has offered mentorship to more than 2,200 Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ entrepreneurs, and launched more than 125 successful startups that today employ over 1,200 people and have raised over $100 million in venture funding. 

About the John Dobson Foundation

In 1986, John Dobson established The John Dobson Foundation to help educate the public with respect to investing, the free enterprise system and entrepreneurial activities in Canada. One of the first activities of the Foundation was the creation of the Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ in 1989. The Dobson Foundation has supported entrepreneurial development at more than a dozen other Canadian universities, as well as numerous other community entrepreneurial efforts including being one of the original sponsors of Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (now Enactus Canada). The Dobson Foundation involvement with entrepreneurship over 30 years has resulted in the establishment of a large regional and national network of educators and small business interveners creating unprecedented synergy and cooperation. The Foundation also supports many Canadian economic Think Tanks that help Canadians understand the strength of the Free Enterprise system. It also has had an important role in educating young Canadians in the power of compounding returns through sound investing and saving principles. 

About the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship

The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is the hub of entrepreneurial activity at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾. Its mission is to find, teach, and develop world-class entrepreneurs at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ through tailored education, applied entrepreneurial frameworks, and iterative mentorship. The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship offers a portfolio of programming to meet its mandate, which includes: the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Dobson Cup, the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ X-1 Accelerator, and the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Lean Startup Program.
Website: www.mcgill.ca.dobson
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About the Desautels Faculty of Management

Founded in 1906, the Desautels Faculty of Management at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ is ranked as one of the world’s top international business schools by BusinessWeek, Canadian Business, Forbes and The Economist. The Faculty’s innovative programs and historic reputation for excellence continue to attract the finest students and the most prominent professors from around the globe, as well as the most demanding recruiters from the world’s top employers.

Desautels houses numerous research centres and academic programs at the undergraduate, masters, executive, and PhD levels. The curriculum is built on an integrated, interdisciplinary model that combines research, practice, and teaching. This valuable, holistic approach prepares students to successfully manage and lead in today’s increasingly interconnected world.

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