AFTER HOURS
A celebration of excellence
More than 1,000 guests came together to celebrate the 20th annual ACCE Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Awards. Those in attendance included entrepreneurs, business and community leaders, government officials, as well as members of associations and professional groups from the Chinese community and the community at large.
ACCE — the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs — is a not-for-profit incorporated in 1994. Its mission is to encourage entrepreneurship and to strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese Canadian businesses.
The co- chairs for the event were Peter Lawler, senior vice-president, Business Development Bank of Canada; and Irwin Li, president of ACCE. The event’s keynote speech was delivered by Deepak Chopra, CEO of Canada Post.
“It is exciting to note that 19 years have passed since the ACCE founded these prestigious awards to recognize both individuals and companies for their excellence in entrepreneurship in the Chinese Canadian business community,” enthused Lawler. “Nominations for the 2016 awards were accepted from across Canada.”
Vancouver businessman and urban planner Stanley Kwok was the recipient of the 2016 ACCE Lifetime Achievement Award. In total, eight award winners were honoured at the gala. ACCE presented donation cheques to the Markham Stouffville Hospital in Ontario and the Markham, Ont.-based Fu Hui Education Foundation. In addition, eight students, were selected as this year’s recipients of the ACCE Scholarship.
Sponsors included Business Development Bank of Canada, the Centre of Entrepreneurship, Centennial College, PwC, Ming Pao Daily News, and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development.