The investors have voted. The results are in. Nelson’s CertiCraft has won the fourth annual OKGN Angel Summit!
After 10-weeks of pitches, meetings, due diligence, and capital training, Sami Majadla, CEO of CertiCraft, has taken home the $150,000 investment fund. Located in Nelson, BC, CertiCraft is a compliance software that makes the tedious reporting requirements for the cannabis industry easier for producers.
This year, the OKGN Angel Summit saw companies from all over Western Canada apply. 32 Okanagan-based investors participated, creating a $150K fund, which includes 11 women investors. Companies from various industries like waste reduction, athlete-to-coach communications, and cannabis production, found themselves competing for a chance to take home this year’s big investment.
This amount of variety in sectors is an incredible sign of the diversity present in Western Canada’s economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem. With the level of talent and opportunity seen in the final 6 companies, it took an hour of deliberation for the investors to select CertiCraft as the 2022 OKGN Angel Summit’s winner.
We’ve learned to stick to our values and not compromise. After 3 years, we’ve found really awesome investors that align with our vision here at the Summit.
In addition to a giant cheque, the Summit Finale is all about celebrating community and strengthening connections in Western Canada’s startup ecosystem. By hosting the Summit Finale on Remo, a virtual networking platform, attendees could move around the virtual space, gather with friends in small groups, and chat one-on-one with other guests.
This year also saw a keynote address from Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), who spoke about the innovative choices he’s made to expand the OIB and grow the number of businesses operating on their land. In addition to bringing hotels, race tracks, wineries, cannabis and more to the region, Chief Louie also helped create Indigenous Tech, an organization designed to bring more tech jobs to indigenous youth.
I believe everyone needs the dignity of a job. The number of indigenous youth employed in the tech sector is deplorable. I helped start Indigenous Tech to combat that.
After the pitches—while the investors deliberated—Renée Warren, founder of We Wild Women, and Dan Martell, founder of the SAAS Academy, took to the stage for a Fireside Founder Chat moderated by Accelerate Okanagan’s CEO Brea Lake. The husband and wife duo recently relocated to Kelowna. Each have made big moves in their industries and spoke candidly about the raising a family while growing their own businesses, as well as the good and bad lessons they’ve learned along the way.
When investing, trust your intuition. Your connection with people is real and you need to listen to your gut.
Angela and Brady Rogers, Co-founders of The Rogerie, took home the People’s Choice Award, valued at $5000. The Rogerie reduces our environmental impact by creating everyday products from everyday waste. You can visit them at their storefront in Orchard Park Mall in Kelowna.
Win or lose, the founders that participated in the 2022 OKGN Angel Summit have had an incredible opportunity to build personal connections with investors, industry experts, and mentors.
Congratulations to CertiCraft, to the investors and to the other finalists! After a long journey, multiple nights of pitches and lots of conversations, these entrepreneurs and investors have accomplished something great.
We can’t wait to see what will happen next year!
Interested in learning more about the OKGN Angel Summit? Visit the website for all the details, www.okgnangelsummit.com.
