NEXT Canada Taps Sheldon Levy as New CEO

September 7, 2017

NEXT Canada has announced the hiring of Sheldon Levy as their new CEO.

Levy, Ontario’s Deputy Minister of advanced education and skills development, will join the organization on October 30, replacing interim CEO Andrea Matheson. NEXT Canada is a national nonprofit that focuses on helping high-impact Canadian entrepreneurs find their footing and excel.

Levy has had a storied career, previously serving as the president and vice chancellor of Ryerson University in Toronto. There, he spearheaded the launch of the now well-known Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ), a startup-accelerator that has incubated 309 companies and raised over $390 million in funding to date.

As CEO of NEXT Canada, Levy will oversee its three entrepreneur-oriented programs: Next 36, Next Founders and NextAI. These three programs continue to provide education, mentorship and capital to Canadian and international entrepreneurs.

“I’ve always believed that innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology are the future of the Canadian economy, and the best way to ensure prosperity for all Canadians,” said Levy. “NEXT Canada has the potential to become one of the most important entrepreneurial organizations in the country, and I’m excited to join to further expand on their impressive team and track record, and to continue with their mission of founder development.”

Along with announce Levy as CEO, NEXT Canada also welcomed two new board members: Jacqui Allard, a senior VP and head of strategy at RBC, and Catherine Lacavera, the director of IP, litigation and employment at Google.

Applications for the 2018 cohort of Next 36 are currently open and available here. Applications for the 2018 NextAI cohort open September 20 and applications for Next Founders open early 2018. NEXT Canada is supported by donations from business partners as well as national partners such as EY and the Power Corporation of Canada.

“NEXT’s programs aim to inspire, mentor, and build the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs who will create some of the most valuable and important businesses on the planet,” said Anthony Lacavera, NEXT Canada Co-Chair Anthony Lacavera. “Moving forward you are going to see a lot of ambitious and exciting announcements from NEXT.”