Canadian Youth Business Foundation, St. Catharines, ON

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is a national charity dedicated to championing tomorrow’s entrepreneurial nation builders. Why? Because our future depends on creating new businesses: to fill the economic gap that is being felt as many small business owners retire, drive innovation, create jobs and support Canada’s overall economic prosperity. This is particularly important as 71% of small business owners will retire within 10 years, with 41% retiring within the next 5 years. We do this by investing time and money in aspiring young entrepreneurs, age 18-34, who have a great business idea, but find it difficult to obtain financing or mentoring through traditional sources. CYBF delivers our program coast to coast through a collaborative network of likeminded organizations that we call Community Partners (CPs). They are integral to our success and act as our local ‘store front’. Along with our more than 3,200 volunteers including business mentors, they champion youth entrepreneurship in their communities and directly work with young people to guide them through the entire CYBF process to obtain funding and a mentor. The CPs and their volunteer Loan Review Committee (LRC) members are essential to the entrepreneur’s success and in preventing outward migration of youth from their respective communities.