NACO Announces 2025 Award Recipients

Celebrating Canada’s top angel investor, a lifetime of entrepreneurial leadership, and nation builders shaping the country’s future.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON | April 29, 2025 — At a time when Canada is reflecting on how to build a more resilient, prosperous, and self-reliant future, the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 awards, celebrating excellence in leadership, investment, and nation building.

Leading this year’s honours, NACO is proud to recognize Joe Canavan, Principal at Canavan Capital, as Canada’s 2025 Angel of the Year, and Professor Colin Mason, Emeritus Professor and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, as the recipient of the 2025 NACO Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, eight extraordinary individuals have been named recipients of the 2025 Nation Builder Award, recognizing leaders whose work is actively shaping a stronger, more united Canada.

​​These awards reflect the expanded definition of what it means to drive national progress—from investing in innovation, to advancing entrepreneurial ecosystems, to building resilient economic and cultural foundations. At a pivotal time for Canada, these honourees are demonstrating the bold leadership and shared vision needed to secure the country’s long-term prosperity.

“This year’s awards recognize the extraordinary leadership that drives Canada’s future prosperity," said Claudio Rojas, CEO of NACO. "Canada’s Angel of the Year Award  exemplifies the transformative impact of angel investors in advancing innovation and empowering entrepreneurs. NACO’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes foundational contributions to Canada’s entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem. And our Nation Builder honourees are showing the bold leadership needed to strengthen Canada’s social, economic, and innovation foundations. Together, these leaders embody a vision of a more resilient, self-reliant, and globally competitive Canada.”

Canada’s 2025 Angel of the Year Award

Joe Canavan – Principal, Canavan Capital

Joe Canavan is an icon in the financial services industry with extensive experience as an executive, entrepreneur, and venture investor. His distinguished leadership at ventures such as LOGiQ Asset Management, Assante Wealth Management, Synergy Asset Management, and Fidelity Investments Canada has profoundly shaped Canada’s financial services and entrepreneurial landscape.

This award recognizes Joe’s deep commitment to advancing Canada’s innovation economy through strategic investments in ventures such as Wealthsimple, Koho Financial, Borrowell, Layer 6, and Thalmic Labs, as well as his tireless efforts to cultivate entrepreneurial talent through initiatives like NEXT Canada. His leadership—characterized by strategic vision, integrity, and genuine enthusiasm—has significantly shaped Canada’s future prosperity.

2025 NACO Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Colin Mason – Emeritus Professor and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Glasgow

Professor Colin Mason is recognized for his long standing dedication to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem through impactful research and evidence-based policy recommendations. His authorship of NACO’s Annual Report on Angel Investing in Canada and his enthusiastic support for expanding entrepreneurs' access to capital have profoundly shaped angel investing and entrepreneurial growth in Canada.

This award honours Colin’s role as a catalyst for economic transformation, driving meaningful progress in how policymakers, investors, and ecosystem leaders support entrepreneurial growth. His contributions have made a lasting impact on Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape and continue to inspire national dialogue around the critical role of angel investors in economic resilience.

2025 Nation Builder Award Recipients

• Arlene Dickinson – Entrepreneur and General Partner, District Ventures Capital

• Daniel Debow – Founder, Build Canada

• Vicki Saunders – Founder, Coralus

• Kevin Carmichael – Economics Columnist & Editor-at-Large, The Logic

• Tabatha Bull – President & CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)

• Senator Paulette Senior – Recognized for her former role as CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation

• Goldy Hyder – President & CEO, Business Council of Canada

• Senator Colin Deacon – Senate of Canada

Additional details on each of the award recipients is below:

Culture and National Voice

Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most iconic entrepreneurs and a leading voice in the national conversation about innovation, value creation, and entrepreneurship. As Founder and  General Partner of District Ventures Capital and a long-standing champion for founders through her role on Dragons’ Den, Arlene has shaped how Canadians think about risk, resilience, and opportunity. Her influence extends beyond business building—through storytelling, mentorship, and cultural leadership, she has helped define a modern entrepreneurial identity for Canada.

Kevin Carmichael serves as Economics Columnist & Editor-at-Large, The Logic, Canada’s leading innovation-focused publication. Through his incisive economic journalism, Kevin has deepened the country’s understanding of the forces shaping the future, from technology to trade to talent. His work doesn’t just inform policy and business strategy—it helps shape the cultural narrative around innovation, entrepreneurship, and Canada’s place in the global economy. By translating complexity into clarity, Kevin empowers a broader public to engage with the ideas driving the nation forward.

Entrepreneurship and Business-Building

Daniel Debow is a serial entrepreneur (Rypple, Workbrain) and the driving force behind Build Canada, a bold initiative to elevate Canada’s innovation capacity and ambition. Through his work in business, technology, and public service, Daniel is creating the conditions for a globally competitive innovation ecosystem. He is a builder in every sense of the word—of companies, communities, and capability.

Vicki Saunders is a globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and systems thinker who founded SheEO, now Coralus, a radically generous community supporting women and non-binary entrepreneurs. Her work has reimagined how capital and community can fuel meaningful ventures, championing a model rooted in long-term resilience, collaboration, and social impact.

Transformative Economic Leadership

Tabatha Bull, an Anishinaabe leader and President & CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, is advancing Indigenous economic reconciliation through entrepreneurship. Her vision and advocacy are fostering self-reliant growth, strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous business communities, and helping chart a more equitable path forward for Canada.

Senator Paulette Senior is one of Canada’s most respected voices for gender equity and economic justice. Now serving as a member of the Senate of Canada, she is being recognized for her transformative leadership as President & CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, where she expanded national support for programs that empower women, reduce systemic barriers, and build pathways to self-sufficiency. Paulette’s work laid critical social and economic foundations for a more just and resilient nation, especially in support of women entrepreneurs and marginalized communities.

Policy and National Competitiveness

Goldy Hyder is President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, representing the country’s leading enterprises. A prominent voice on productivity, trade, and long-term economic strategy, Goldy has been instrumental in shaping national conversations on competitiveness and policy reform. His leadership reflects a commitment to ensuring Canada thrives in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Senator Colin Deacon brings a rare entrepreneurial lens to public policy. A former tech entrepreneur, he is now a powerful voice in the Senate of Canada, advocating for innovation, regulatory modernization, and productivity-driven policy. Colin’s work bridges the entrepreneurial community and Canada’s policy infrastructure, driving forward a future-oriented national agenda.

Download the official news release here.