Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
May 8th, 2024 | Bingemans Conference Centre, Kitchener, ON
An event recognizing leadership, vision, and integrity
Wednesday May 8th, 2024 | Bingemans Conference Centre, 425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener, ON
For information, please contact Alicia at agall@jaswo.org
NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN NOW for the 2024 Hall of Fame!
The 2023 Hall of Fame honoured Don Bowman, Dave Caputo, Tom Donnelly, Marc Morin, and Brad Siim co-founders of Sandvine, as well as Joseph Fung, founder of TribeHR, Kiite and Uvaro. Photos from the event are available here.
The Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame celebrates local business founders who have made a positive, lasting impact in our community. Originally created by the Prosperity Council, the event was hosted by Communitech from 2006 to 2012 and had been on hiatus until JA Waterloo Region revived the event in 2015 as an evolution of JA’s long-standing Business Spirit Awards. We are pleased to celebrate Waterloo Region’s entrepreneurial leaders, past and present, while we strive to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs who are involved in JA’s programs.
Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Laureates are individuals or families who have started a business, shown exceptional business leadership, and have demonstrated vision and integrity in their operations.
Laureates have demonstrated outstanding vision as an entrepreneur in one or more of their organizations and achieved a high level of respect within the business and public communities. Laureates have demonstrated leadership throughout their lives and have a record of leading others to success. Laureates have operated their businesses with integrity, following ethical business practices, treating employees and customers with respect and potentially implementing a triple bottom line system to measure corporate success.
Laureates have contributed back to their community and are active community members in Waterloo Region. Nominations are reviewed by the Nomination Committee and they decide who will be inducted.
Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Laureates
Carl A. Pollock, Electrohome
Mike Lazaridis, RIM
Jim Balsillie, RIM
Dan Einwechter, Challenger Motor Freight
Klaus Woerner, ATS
Val O’Donovan, COM DEV International
J.M. Schneider, J.M. Schneider Ltd.
A.R. Kaufman, Kaufman Rubber Company
Joseph Seagram, Seagram and Sons Ltd.
Moses Springer, Mutual Life Assurance Company
Carl Dare, Dare Foods
Charles Greb, Greb Shoes Ltd.
Frank Hasenfratz, Linamar
John Motz, Waterloo Region Record
Theodore Witzel, Onward Manufacturing
Tom Jenkins, OpenText
Oscar Kuntz, Kuntz Electroplating
Ian McPhee, WATCOM
Frank Rovers, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates
Harold Seegmiller, E & E Seegmiller Ltd.
Ron Schlegel, RBJ Schlegel Holdings Inc.
Clifford, Emory & Lester Zehr, Zehr’s Markets Ltd.
Savvas Chamberlain, DALSA Corporation
Eric Peterson & Larry Williamson, Mitra Imaging
Joerg Stieber, Ontario Drive & Gear Ltd.
Fred Stork, Unitron
The Huber and George Piller Family,
Piller’s Sausage and Delicatessens Ltd.
The Lang Family, The Lang Tanning Company
Barney Strassburger Sr., TwinCorp
Jim Estill, Canrock Ventures
Gerry Remers, Christie Digital Systems Inc.
Mate Prgin, Avvasi
Marshall, Jonas, Erma, Esther and Lawrence Bingeman, Bingemans
Howard and Elsie Herrle, Herrle’s Country Farm Market
Manfred Conrad, The Cora Group
Walter Hachborn, Home Hardware
Michael Litt, Vidyard
Stephanie Soulis, Little Mushroom Catering
Larry Hundt, Great Canadian Holidays, Coaches and Fleet Services
John Whitney, WHITNEY & Company Realty Ltd.
Peter van der Heyden, Goliger’s Travel Plus
Jim Moss, Plasticity Labs
Ron Caudle, Caudle’s Catch Seafood
Georgia Cunningham, SG Cunningham Ltd.
Carol Leaman, Axonify
Vernon Erb, Erb Transport
Alan Quarry, Quarry Communications
Paul Maxwell, Maxwell’s Concerts & Events
Kurtis McBride, Miovision Technologies
Jody Schnarr and John Stix, Fibernetics
Francine Chambers and Carinne Chambers-Saini,
Diva International Inc.
The program was laid out very clearly!! I liked how short and entertaining the videos were.
– Grade 8 Teacher JA Economics for Success