Increased support for young innovators and entrepreneurs: Rideau Hall Foundation and DMZ announce new initiative to drive youth-led innovation
Today, the Rideau Hall Foundation and DMZ announced that they plan to launch a joint initiative to help support young Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs realize their ambitions.
Through DMZ Ventures’ investment fund, DMZ intends to invest up to $100,000 annually over the next three years to help youth innovators from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Ingenious+ program. Building on the momentum of the Ingenious+ program—a national youth innovation challenge for Canadians aged 14 to 18—this partnership intends to provide select alumni not only with capital, but with the resources, mentorship and support through DMZ’s world-leading startup programming to scale their innovations.
“This new partnership will help to deepen the support we can offer our Ingenious+ winners at every stage of their innovation journey,” said Teresa Marques, President and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. “We are very grateful to DMZ for seeing the value in investing in the potential of young Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs. Their bold ideas will help shape the way for a more hopeful and prosperous country for all.”
Since its launch, over 300 young people from across the country have become Ingenious+ national and regional winners. That amounts to over $800,000 invested in helping them to grow their innovations and develop as innovators and entrepreneurs.
“Through Ingenious+, the Rideau Hall Foundation has built something truly powerful, giving young minds a national platform to shine. We’re honoured to take their impact one step further,” said Abdullah Snobar, Executive Director of DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures. “DMZ was founded on the belief that young entrepreneurs have the potential to drive real change and that belief remains at the heart of what we do. The best ideas come early and they deserve meaningful backing to thrive. This partnership is about more than just funding, it’s a shared commitment to fueling youth-led innovation across Canada.”
From mentorship and hands-on coaching services, to curated learning experiences, DMZ intends to help Ingenious+ alumni transition their early-stage innovations to the next level, from concept to commercialization.
More information on this new Ingenious+ component will be available in the coming months. For more on this year’s Ingenious+ winners, check out the announcement here:
About the Rideau Hall Foundation
The Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) is a nonpartisan national charitable organization that brings together ideas, people and resources to celebrate what is best about Canada while working with partners to meaningfully improve lives and foster the conditions for more Canadians to succeed and thrive. Learn more at www.rhf-frh.ca.
About DMZ
DMZ is a tech incubator and startup ecosystem that fuels entrepreneurship in Canada and beyond. Through its award-winning programs, DMZ empowers founders to scale high-impact ventures, helps students develop entrepreneurial mindsets and equips professionals to thrive in today’s fast-moving economy. By offering tailored support, world-class resources and expansive networks, DMZ nurtures bold ideas, drives business growth and creates global economic impact.
To date, DMZ has supported 2400+ startups in raising $2.94 billion in capital and has created over 25,000 jobs. Headquartered in Toronto, DMZ operates a global network of hubs spanning 15+ countries, enabling entrepreneurs to access diverse markets, collaborate internationally and drive global innovation.
About DMZ Ventures
DMZ Ventures is the for-profit investment arm of Toronto Metropolitan University. From day one, DMZ Ventures supports startup founders by helping them build foundations, forge connections and fuel growth.
DMZ Ventures’ main areas of focus include: startup equity management for DMZ’s portfolio companies, the oversight of Zone Startups Network and enabling Canada’s startup investment landscape through DMZ’s Angel Investor Program.
Media Contacts
Rideau Hall Foundation:
Allison MacLachlan,
Director of External Relations and Public Engagement,
allison.maclachlan@rhf-frh.ca
DMZ:
Luvy Hardy,
Public Relations Manager,
luvy.hardy@torontomu.ca
