Innovation has always been a leading driver at Ryerson University, distinguishing this university because of its key vision to encourage students and youth to pursue entrepreneurship.

SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) is an international network that provides high school students with the opportunity to become youth entrepreneurs. SAGE Canada was created in order to develop and foster the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within students across Canada. With the national headquarters founded and positioned at Ryerson, the organization promotes entrepreneurship to youths in various high schools, encouraging innovative business ideas and working with young people to turn their idea into a reality. At the end of each academic year, SAGE Canada hosts a National Competition where high school students showcase their business concepts for a chance to represent Canada at the Global Competition. This year, the 2014 SAGE Canada National Competition was held at the Ted Rogers School of Management from May 22nd to the 23rd.

The students presented their ventures to a panel of industry professionals from various fields. Some of the judges from this year's panel included:

• Ms. Gayemarie Brown, National Innovation Lead for Deloitte Canada
• Mr. James Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for MAKO Invent
• Mr. Orlando Lopez, Financial Planner for TD Wealth
• Ms. Katie Zeppieri, Founder and CEO of Make Your Mark
• Mr. David Schlanger, Associate Professor at Ryerson University
• Ms. Meaghan Smith, Business Development Associate for CYBF

The two-day competition brought together student leaders, providing a platform for seven highly talented groups of students to showcase their business prowess and jump-start their entrepreneurship careers. The competition was divided into two categories; Social Enterprise Business (SEB) and Socially Responsible Business (SRB). The winners of these categories will be representing Canada in August at the SAGE World Competition hosted in Moscow, Russia. The runner-up teams in each category will have the opportunity to represent SAGE Canada should the winning team be unable to participate. The winners for SAGE Canada National Competition were as follows:

Social Enterprise Business (SEB):
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute ÔÇô Champion
Northview Heights Secondary School ÔÇô Runner-Up

Socially Responsible Business (SRB):
Early Haig Secondary School ÔÇô Champion
Simple Solutions ÔÇô Runner-Up

The unique competition is just one of many events SAGE Canada holds to encourage student entrepreneurship. With many conferences, workshops, and competitions welcoming diverse partners and youths scheduled for the upcoming year, SAGE Canada is excited to move forward into its sixth year of operation, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

For inquiries and more information about SAGE Canada, please visit: www.SAGECanada.com or email us at support@sagecanada.com.