After a competitive process involving many business submissions, Kasdan Co. has won the business pitch competition hosted by the Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Kasdan Co, located at 792 Queen Street East and the Soo Market, is a local spot for coffee and handcrafted donuts. Company owners Kass Yun and Dan O’Brien took home the contest’s grand prize valued at $15,000. The runner-up, Dawn Lalonde from True North Honey Company, received the second-place prize valued at $5,000.
The entrepreneurs participated in a pitch-off, which was scored by an expert panel of judges and audience votes. Both companies earned their way to the finals following a competitive process involving over a dozen submissions from business owners across the Algoma District.
The pitch-off took place as part of the Bridges to Better Business event, an annual learning and networking event hosted by the Millworks – Centre for Entrepreneurship during BDC Small Business Week. This year’s event also featured a keynote presentation from Jay Kiew, renowned innovation strategist and the world’s leading expert on change fluency.
Bridges to Better Business is made possible by the support of organizing partners and sponsors from TD Bank Group, the Economic Development Corporation, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie and Area, Co-operators – J. Viotto and Company Inc., Compass Imaging Group, SooToday, Northern Ontario Angels, Northern Credit Union, Northern Insurance Brokers, Century 21, SK Group Inc., and Wishart Law Firm.