CEO of The Canadian Shield Named Recipient of CanadianSME Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The Canadian Shield CanadianSME Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020 - Jeremy Hedges

 The award recognizes innovative and dynamic entrepreneurs, aged 30 and under, who demonstrate business excellence

WATERLOO, ON | April 30, 2021 — The Canadian Shield, a Waterloo Region-based medical device manufacturer, is proud to announce its Founder and CEO, Jeremy Hedges, has been named the recipient of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by CanadianSME Small Business Magazine’s CanadianSME Business Awards. The CanadianSME Business Awards celebrate and congratulate those who have made a positive contribution to the Canadian economy.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes individuals, aged 30 and under, who demonstrate business excellence. Recipients of this award are innovators who use their skills to cease opportunities, work dynamically, and have a passion for innovation and progress.

As the recipient of this award, Jeremy is recognized for his outstanding resilience and level of achievement in association with his two business ventures, The Canadian Shield and InkSmith. As an inspiration for business owners everywhere, Jeremy has used his diverse skill set to address the major PPE shortage during the pandemic, help build a stable PPE domestic supply chain, and enhance the field of education technology. With adversity and resilience, Jeremy has made an exceptional positive contribution to the Canadian economy through his novel efforts.

Amidst the COVID-19 global health pandemic in March 2020, Jeremy founded The Canadian Shield to address the shortage of protective gear for frontline staff in hospitals and medical facilities. Originating from his first venture, education technology company InkSmith, The Canadian Shield quickly scaled to become one of the largest manufacturers of medical-grade face shields and ASTM procedural face masks in the county. Under Jeremy’s leadership as CEO, The Canadian Shield has helped lead a domestic, made-in-Canada revolution when it comes to the production of medical devices and PPE, free of reliance on global supply chains.

InkSmith continues to be an innovative powerhouse in the field of education technology. While at the forefront of 21st-century learning and digital innovation in the education technology space, InkSmith's mission is to provide educators with the technology and resources they need to teach the next generation of makers, coders, and problem-solvers and to empower students with the skills needed to thrive and be successful in a rapidly changing world. With products and programs that range from Climate Action Kits to Robotics Kits, InkSmith continues to break barriers in education technology and educate the leaders of tomorrow.

“It’s an incredible honour to be receiving the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award with Canadian SME. It’s been an unbelievable journey. I’ve had amazing supporters and mentors along the way like the team at Communitech. This last year our team stepped up to an enormous challenge and I’m really proud of them.” - Jeremy Hedges

Today, Jeremy remains the driving force behind making domestically produced PPE the standard for medical devices in Canada and leading the education technology space. Agile and resilient, he embodies the entrepreneurial spirit by embracing social responsibility, fostering innovation and driving economic growth. Jeremy looks forward to extending The Canadian Shield and InkSmith’s reach internationally and reinforcing the great deal of talent and potential Canadian companies have to offer.

For a complete list of the Canadian SME Business Awards winners and more information about the awards program, visit https://www.smeawards.ca/.

To learn more about The Canadian Shield’s commitment to the global fight against COVID-19, visit https://www.canadianshieldppe.ca/.

To learn more about InkSmith’s innovation and leadership in education technology, visit inksmith.ca.

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ABOUT THE CANADIAN SHIELD
The Canadian Shield is a Waterloo Region based advanced manufacturing company that specializes in the design and production of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and the public.

Website: canadianshieldppe.ca
Instagram: @canadianshieldppe
Facebook: @canadianshieldppe
Twitter: @canshieldppe
LinkedIn: @TheCanadianShield

For media inquiries, please contact:
Madison Lambden
519-994-1912
media@canadianshieldppe.ca

Shannon Dodangoda
905-806-7190
media@canadianshieldppe.ca