Champion Advocate: W. Brett Wilson

“I agree with Mother Teresa, who said, ‘No gift is too small.’ Whether you donate your time, your talent or your money, the important thing is that you get involved and give back. You will provide leadership and inspire others”

Perhaps most widely known as a tough panelist and business critic on CBC’s popular Dragons’ Den, W. Brett Wilson is also a successful entrepreneur in his own right. Named Business Person of the Year in 2009 by Alberta Venture magazine, Wilson is founding partner of Calgary’s FirstEnergy Capital Corp., and has major interests in the agriculture, real-estate, sport and entertainment industries through his private firm, Prairie Merchant. Not content to sit solely on his business laurels, Wilson is a top Canadian philanthropist. He has given—and engaged others to give—tens of millions of dollars to non-profit initiatives.