A Vancouver entrepreneur is representing B.C. in a competition paying tribute to remarkable Canadian entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35. Max Jenke, founder of Endeavor Designs Inc. and Canada’s only snowboard R&D lab, is one of nine entrepreneurs vying for the $100,000 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award.
The nation will be selecting the winner – all members of the public are encouraged to get online and vote between May 22 and June 11. Jenke is currently in second place and needs British Columbians to throw their support behind him.
A former pro snowboarder, Jenke now grinds it out in the lab daily with a handful of close-knit dedicated employees (many of whom are also former pro boarders), creating new technologies and shapes, using materials such as bamboo, and unique graphically-rich designs to make some of the most cutting-edge snowboards.
If he wins the $100,000 prize, it would greatly accelerate Endeavor’s plans to expand its existing share of the U.S. market, which is the largest snowboarding market in the world.
“We need to invest in marketing and technology improvements,” says Jenke. “There are very few Canadian brands recognized globally and we have the opportunity to dominate some specialty niches – in some cases up to 50 per cent. We have to act fast and winning this prize will help us do just that.”
You can vote for Max and Endeavor Design, as well as view all the candidates at www.bdc.ca/yea.
Spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #VoteJenke.
Image: DANO Pendygrasse
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