Arlene Dickinson

Last updated
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson 2021.jpg
Dickinson in 2021
Born (1956-10-08) 8 October 1956 (age 67) [1]
Germiston, Transvaal Union of South Africa
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)General Partner, District Ventures Capital
Political party Independent [2]
Website arlenedickinson.com

Arlene Dickinson (born October 8, 1956) is a South African Canadian businesswoman, investor, author, and television personality. She is the general partner of District Ventures Capital and CEO of Venturepark. [3] Dickinson joined the cast of the CBC business reality show Dragons' Den during its second season in 2007 and departed in the ninth season in 2015. She then returned to continue with the Dragons for the 12th season in 2017. She was selected to perform on the series after she won numerous awards, including Calgary Business Owner of the Year, PROFIT magazine's Top 100 Women Business Owners, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards and Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100. [4] The show describes her as a self-made multi-millionaire.

Contents

Personal life

Born in Germiston, Union of South Africa, and raised in Canada, Dickinson graduated from high school in Calgary, Alberta. She married at age 19 and had four children. She divorced at 31. She has seven grandchildren. [5]

Politically, Dickinson identifies as non-partisan. When her former Dragons' Den co-star Kevin O'Leary entered the leadership race for the Conservative Party of Canada, she responded by saying that he "has this notion that greed is good." Afterwards, she criticized O'Leary for confusing the national debt with the deficit. [6]

Business

Dickinson joined Venture Communications in 1988, taking sole ownership in 1998. In October 2012, she launched Arlene Dickinson Enterprises (ADE) to fund and target Canada's entrepreneurs. [7]

Over the years, Dickinson has served on boards including Ad Rodeo, Kids Help Phone, and the Calgary Municipal Lands Corporation. She sits on the advisory committee of the Stratford Institute at the University of Waterloo, the Leadership Council of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics as well as the editorial advisory board of Marketing Magazine . [8] [9] In October 2016, Dickinson was appointed to the board of directors of Aphria, a licensed medical marijuana producer. [10]

Books

In 2011, Dickinson published her first book, Persuasion, her autobiography. Her second book, All In, subtitled "You, Your Business, Your Life", was released in 2013. [11]

In 2019, Dickinson released her third book, Reinvention: Changing Your Life, Your Career, Your Future. [12]

Media

Dickinson starred as a dragon investor on Dragons' Den , starting in 2007 for the second season. She also starred in her own spinoff, The Big Decision . In 2015, Dickinson announced that she was leaving Dragons' Den after the ninth season. [13] She returned for season 12 in 2017. [14]

In 2012, Dickinson guest starred as a past version of herself on the Canadian TV series Murdoch Mysteries , in the episode called "Invention Convention", as a possible investor. She has also appeared as a judge on Recipe to Riches in the 2014 season. [15]

In 2017, Dickinson hosted Under New Management , a television special in which she guided aspiring new entrepreneurs in the process of purchasing a business. [16]

In 2018, Dickinson and singer Jann Arden debuted as cohosts of The Business of Life, a lifestyle podcast on topics such as entrepreneurship, motherhood, writing, relationships and navigating life challenges. [17]

Awards

Dickinson has been inducted into Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame. [18] In 2014, Dickinson was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented by Canadian Immigrant Magazine. [19] Her company Venture Communications was noted as one of the 2001 winners on the list of Canada's Best Managed Companies sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post , Queen's School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums. [20]

Commonwealth honours

LocationDateAppointmentPost-nominal letters
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version) [21]

Honorary degrees

LocationDateSchoolDegreeGave Commencement Address
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova ScotiaOctober 2, 2010 Mount Saint Vincent University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) [22] [23] Yes
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta2010 Northern Alberta Institute of Technology [24] Yes
Flag of Quebec.svg QuebecJune 7, 2016 Concordia University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [25] [26] Yes [27]
Flag of Alberta.svg AlbertaJune 3, 2017 Olds College Bachelor of Applied Science - Agribusiness [28] [29] Yes [30]

Honorary military appointments

Military BranchDateAffiliationPosition
Naval ensign of Canada.svg Royal Canadian Navy June 22, 2012 –PresentOffice of the Director General Maritime Strategic Management Honorary Captain [31] [32]

Humanitarianism

Dickinson was the national spokesperson for Breakfast Clubs of Canada to help raise awareness of the importance of children having a nutritious start to the day. [33] In 2013, she joined on as a champion of the Give a Day campaign, in support of Dignitas International and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U Sports women's ice hockey</span>

U Sports women's ice hockey is the highest level of play of women's ice hockey at the university level under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. Women's ice hockey has been played in U Sports since the 1997-98 season, when the governing body was known as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union, following a long stint of teams only competing in the OUA. There are 35 teams, all of which are based in Canada, that are divided into four conferences that are eligible to compete for the year-end championship. As these players compete at the university level, they are obligated to follow the rule of standard eligibility of five years.

Tara Kamala Slone is a Canadian rock vocalist, actress and television personality.

Brian Scudamore is an American–born, Canadian entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of O2E Brands, the parent company of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, and Shack Shine. He is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing about small business ownership, franchising, and building corporate culture. His first book, WTF?! : How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success, was published in 2018 and his second book, BYOB: Build Your Own Business, Be Your Own Boss, was published in 2022.

Christine Magee is the co-founder and president of Sleep Country Canada. In October 1994, she co-founded the company with Stephen K. Gunn and Gordon Lownds. By 2004, the company had expanded to 89 stores, with over 600 employees and operations in three provinces. Magee is on the board of directors for McDonald's Canada, Cott Corporation and Telus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin O'Leary</span> Canadian businessman and television personality (born 1954)

Terrence Thomas Kevin O'Leary, sometimes called Mr. Wonderful or Maple Man, is a Canadian-Irish businessman, investor, journalist, and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows, including the business news programs SqueezePlay and The Lang and O'Leary Exchange, as well as the Canadian reality television shows Dragons' Den and Redemption Inc. In 2008, he appeared on Discovery Channel's Project Earth. Since 2009, he has appeared on Shark Tank, the American version of Dragons' Den.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. Brett Wilson</span> Canadian businessman

William Brett Wilson is a Canadian investment banker, businessman, and investor. He was a season 3, 4 & 5 panellist on CBC Television's Dragons' Den. He has attracted widespread attention and media coverage for his controversial public statements, particularly on social media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Thúy</span> Vietnamese-born Canadian novelist

Kim Thúy Ly Thanh, CM CQ is a Vietnamese-born Canadian writer, whose debut novel Ru won the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction at the 2010 Governor General's Awards.

<i>Dragons Den</i> (Canadian TV series) Canadian television reality show

Dragons' Den is a Canadian television reality show based on the internationally franchised Dragons' Den format which began in Japan. The show debuted on October 3, 2006, on CBC Television, and is hosted by Dianne Buckner. Aspiring Canadian entrepreneurs pitch business and investment ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing business financing and partnerships. The show also has a Quebec-only spin-off called Dans l'oeil du Dragon.

The Big Decision is a Canadian reality television / documentary series based on the British series Gerry's Big Decision. Broadcast on CBC Television, the series features struggling Canadian businesses which are seeking advice and funding to stay afloat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikram Vij</span> Indian-born Canadian chef

Vikram Vij is an Indian-born Canadian chef, cookbook author, and television personality. He is the owner, of the Indian cuisine restaurants Vij's and Rangoli Restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also owns My Shanti, a restaurant in South Surrey, BC which he closed in 2024. In 2014, Vij was announced as a new "dragon" investor on the Canadian reality show Dragons' Den for its ninth season and departed at the end of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balzac's Coffee Roasters</span> Canadian coffee company

Balzac's Coffee is a Canadian coffee company with sixteen retail locations across Southwestern Ontario and the GTA, including Toronto Niagara, Kitchener, Stratford, Guelph, and Kingston. The first Balzac’s café was opened in Stratford, Ontario, in 1996, by entrepreneur Diana Olsen. Named after the famous French novelist and famed coffee drinker Honoré de Balzac, the cafes serve conventional and fair trade blends, as well as espressos, hot chocolate and a variety of cold beverages. Each Balzac's Coffee location has commissioned a café poster unique to the community it serves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cara Gee</span> Canadian actress (born 1983)

Cara Gee is a Canadian film, television, and stage actress. She is known for her roles in the television series Strange Empire and The Expanse. She is described by Forbes as "one of the most prominent indigenous women in the entertainment industry".

The 2014–15 CWHL season was the eighth in league history. The Boston Blades captured the 2015 Clarkson Cup in a 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Stars.

Michael Wekerle is a Canadian merchant banker and television personality, best known for being an investor on the Canadian reality show Dragons' Den for three years first appearing in the ninth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manjit Minhas</span> Canadian entrepreneur and television personality

Manjit Minhas is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality and venture capitalist. She is co-owner of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, manufacturer of beer brands such as Mountain Crest Classic Lager, Boxer Lager, Lazy Mutt Ale and Huber Bock. She specializes in marketing with interests in branding and sales. Minhas was announced as one of the new dragons on Season 10 of the Canadian reality television series Dragons' Den in 2015 for its tenth season. According to the Dragons Den website she has "been recognized for several business industry awards such as PROFIT magazine's "Top Growth Entrepreneur", Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Canada, Canada's Top 40 under 40, Chatelaine Magazine's "Top Entrepreneur Woman of The Year 2011", Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of The Year Prairie Region and The Sikh Centennial Foundation Award 2015." Minhas's philanthropic causes include The United Way, which she co-chaired in 2017 and an engineering school for girls in India. Minhas joined the ATB Financial Board of Directors in 2017 and is on both the Governance and Conduct Review, and the Human Resources Committees. She joined the Calgary Airport Authority Board of Directors in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michele Romanow</span> Canadian entrepreneur and television personality

Michele Romanow is a Canadian tech entrepreneur, television personality, board director and venture capitalist. She co-founded Clearbanc, a Toronto based provider of revenue sharing solutions to fund new online businesses, and other e-businesses, and made the list of 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2015. She was named as one of the Forbes Top 20 Most Disruptive "Millennials on a Mission" in 2013 and Canadian Innovation Awards’ Angel Investor of the Year in 2018. Romanow joined the cast of CBC’s Dragons' Den in Season 10.

Bruce Croxon is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and venture capitalist. Croxon is currently a partner at Round13 Capital and co-host of BNN's TV show, The Disruptors. Croxon co-founded the dating website Lavalife and joined the cast of CBC's Dragons' Den from 2011 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endy Sleep</span> Canadian e-commerce company

Endy Sleep is a Canadian-based, e-commerce company that sells sleep products online. Endy primarily operates as an online storefront, with their main headquarters in Toronto. Endy is Canada's largest direct online-only mattress store.

Arlene Chan (née Lumb) is a Chinese Canadian historian, activist, athlete, and author from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her works focus on documenting the lived experiences and histories of Toronto's Chinese community, as well as the cultural celebrations and traditions important to the Chinese Canadian diaspora. As a prominent member in the community, Chan serves as an advisor for the Chinese Canadian Museum and the Toronto Public Library's Chinese Canadian Archive, among other organizations. She is the president of the Jean Lumb Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Calgary Heritage federal by-election</span>

A by-election was held in the federal riding of Calgary Heritage in Alberta, Canada on 3 April 2017 following the resignation of Conservative MP and former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper. The safe seat was held by the Conservative candidate Bob Benzen on an increased majority.

References

  1. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson - IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  2. ↑ Davidson, Terry (January 21, 2017). "Ex-Dragons' Den star Arlene Dickinson addresses political aspirations". Toronto Sun . Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  3. ↑ Chris Powell, Canadian Grocer, May 31, 2007
  4. ↑ Mario Toneguzzzi, Calgary Herald, May 11, 2021
  5. ↑ McNish, Jacquie (February 1, 2014). "Dragon's Den's Arlene Dickinson on business, Kevin O'Leary and her favourite investment". The Globe and Mail . Toronto. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  6. ↑ Dickinson, Arlene [@ArleneDickinson] (2017-01-24). "Hey Kev, as someone trying to be PM shouldn't you know the diff between debt & deficit? You're only off by, oh, a TRILLION $ or so? 😂" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2021-07-27– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ Shaw, Hollie (2012-10-26). "Arlene Dickinson launches enterprise to fund, promote entrepreneurs". Financial Post. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  8. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson". The Law Office Management Association. Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  9. ↑ "Advisory Board profiles". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Fink, Ryan (2016-10-31). "Arlene Dickinson joins the board of Aphira". Lift News. Archived from the original on 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  11. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson on her new book All In". CBC. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  12. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson discusses her new book 'Reinvention' | Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  13. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson leaves 'Dragons' Den'". The Toronto Star. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  14. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson returning as panellist on 'Dragons' Den'". Toronto Sun. 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  15. ↑ Volmers, Eric (13 February 2015). "Departing Dragon: Calgary's Arlene Dickinson talks about her eight seasons on Dragons' Den, her favourite investment and the 'beauty of an idea'". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  16. ↑ "CBC’s Format Incubator returns for third edition". Playback , March 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "First TV show, now podcast for Arden". Toronto Star , September 14, 2018.
  18. ↑ "TOP100WOMEN.CA". www.top100women.ca.[ dead link ]
  19. ↑ "Canadas Top 25 Immigrants 2014". Canadian Immigrant. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  20. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson, CEO Venture Communications". Women of Influence. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  21. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson's Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Mount to honour two esteemed Canadians at Fall 2010 Convocation".
  23. ↑ "Honorary Degrees".
  24. ↑ "Honorary Degree" . Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  25. ↑ Dyer, Linda (June 2016). "Honorary degree citation - Arlene Dickinson". www.concordia.ca.
  26. ↑ Downey, Fiona (2016-05-04). "Concordia awards 9 new honorary doctorates". Concordia University. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  27. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson, 2016 Concordia Honorary Doctorate". YouTube .
  28. ↑ Dickinson, Arlene [@ArleneDickinson] (2017-06-03). "@JasonDewling @oldscollege @HJTThompson Such an honour. Thank you! I love Olds College" (Tweet). Retrieved 2021-07-27– via Twitter.
  29. ↑ Dewling, Jason [@JasonDewling] (2017-06-03). "So honored to have @ArleneDickinson join us @oldscollege today to receive an honorary degree @HJTThompson #OCgrad2017 #inspiration" (Tweet). Retrieved 2021-07-27– via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "2017-06-05 Graduation Award Winners". 3 January 2018.
  31. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson joins the rank as the newest Honorary Naval Captain". Canadian Forces. 2012-06-22. Archived from the original on 2013-05-28. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  32. ↑ "Arlene Dickinson Joins the Rank as the Newest Honorary Naval Captain". Government of Canada. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "A head for business and a heart for charity-at the tender age of 7!". Breakfast Club of Canada. 2015-04-30. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  34. ↑ "Give a Day Supporters". Archived from the original on 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.