John Dobson Foundation makes its largest donation to Â鶹AV to support X-1 entrepreneurs
The John Dobson Foundation has announced a donation of $2 million dollars – its largest gift to Â鶹AV yet – to fund the Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator program run by the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. The donation will support the program now in its third year, as it grows to support entrepreneurs across Â鶹AV.
Ari Kiriazidis, President of the John Dobson Foundation, stated, “the Foundation is delighted to continue Dobson’s long-standing relationship with Â鶹AV with what represents one of the largest gifts ever granted by the Foundation’s Board. The Board is extremely proud to be associated with one of the most prestigious universities in Canada through the Dobson Centre and its various programs.â€
Randy Kelly, John Dobson’s long-time partner and Chief Executive Officer of Formula Growth, as well as Chairman of the Dobson Foundation, noted,  “Â鶹AV was always close to John’s heart and he would be very pleased with the continued commitment.â€
Launched in 2015, the Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator is an intensive 10-week summer program designed to accelerate the growth of later-stage Â鶹AV startups toward investment readiness and launch in the fall. The program runs annually from June to August and is open to teams, of which at least one must have a Â鶹AV affiliation: current student, recent alumni, faculty or staff. This year’s program has accepted eight Â鶹AV teams who are building their business on an idea based on technology or science.
The overall curriculum builds upon the MIT startup methodology of Disciplined Entrepreneurship, an integrated and proven framework for developing an innovation-driven product towards launch. The Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator culminates with a series of Demo Day events in Montreal, San Francisco, Boston, Toronto and New York City where Â鶹AV X-1 startups will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to a group of Â鶹AV alumni, entrepreneurs and investors.
The donation signals a time of crucial development for the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship, which resides in the Desautels Faculty of Management. Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou of Desautels remarks, “Through the vision and generosity of the John Dobson Foundation, the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is affirmed as the leading hub for entrepreneurship on campus. In classrooms, research labs, and across the University, Â鶹AV is full of ideas and talented individuals driven to innovate. Thanks to this donation, the Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator will catalyze our community of innovators and entrepreneurs.â€
Professor Gregory Vit, Director of the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre, notes, “The Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has played a central role in creating young Â鶹AV entrepreneurs. Many recent Â鶹AV startups have had an important impact on the economies of Montreal and Quebec. This significant gift made by the John Dobson Foundation will ensure that we continue to serve the vibrant entrepreneurship culture at Â鶹AV. I’m highly confident that our entrepreneurs, in the not too distant future, will have a major positive impact on the planet.â€
The Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has grown considerably since its founding in 1988 under the late John Dobson (BCom’64), a known advocate for free enterprise and entrepreneurship.  Since then, the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre has played a central role in advancing entrepreneurial innovation and discovery at Â鶹AV. Through its flagship annual startup competition, the Â鶹AV Dobson Cup, and other initiatives that have followed, including the Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator, the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has offered mentorship to more than 2,200 Â鶹AV entrepreneurs, and launched more than 125 successful startups that today employ over 1,200 people and have raised over $100 million in venture funding.Â
About the John Dobson Foundation
In 1986, John Dobson established The John Dobson Foundation to help educate the public with respect to investing, the free enterprise system and entrepreneurial activities in Canada. One of the first activities of the Foundation was the creation of the Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship at Â鶹AV in 1989. The Dobson Foundation has supported entrepreneurial development at more than a dozen other Canadian universities, as well as numerous other community entrepreneurial efforts including being one of the original sponsors of Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (now Enactus Canada). The Dobson Foundation involvement with entrepreneurship over 30 years has resulted in the establishment of a large regional and national network of educators and small business interveners creating unprecedented synergy and cooperation. The Foundation also supports many Canadian economic Think Tanks that help Canadians understand the strength of the Free Enterprise system. It also has had an important role in educating young Canadians in the power of compounding returns through sound investing and saving principles. Â
About the Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship
The Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is the hub of entrepreneurial activity at Â鶹AV. Its mission is to find, teach, and develop world-class entrepreneurs at Â鶹AV through tailored education, applied entrepreneurial frameworks, and iterative mentorship. The Â鶹AV Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship offers a portfolio of programming to meet its mandate, which includes: the Â鶹AV Dobson Cup, the Â鶹AV X-1 Accelerator, and the Â鶹AV Lean Startup Program.
Website: www.mcgill.ca.dobson
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About the Desautels Faculty of Management
Founded in 1906, the Desautels Faculty of Management at Â鶹AV is ranked as one of the world’s top international business schools by BusinessWeek, Canadian Business, Forbes and The Economist. The Faculty’s innovative programs and historic reputation for excellence continue to attract the finest students and the most prominent professors from around the globe, as well as the most demanding recruiters from the world’s top employers.
Desautels houses numerous research centres and academic programs at the undergraduate, masters, executive, and PhD levels. The curriculum is built on an integrated, interdisciplinary model that combines research, practice, and teaching. This valuable, holistic approach prepares students to successfully manage and lead in today’s increasingly interconnected world.
For more information, contact Rosalie Nardelli, Communications Manager
Desautels Faculty of Management
rosalie.nardelli [at] mcgill.ca
514-398-7131