TORONTO, Nov. 6, 2023 – With small businesses continuing to drive innovation and embody passion within the seller community, eBay is excited to announce the winners of its 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. This is the 19th year of the Entrepreneur of the Year awards, which celebrates Canadian entrepreneurs using eBay’s global marketplace of 132 million buyers across 190 markets to build and scale their thriving businesses.
“The ability for Canadian businesses to scale across borders – for the benefit of both sellers and buyers – is critical in this day and age,” said Garry Thaniel, General Manager, eBay Canada. “Our award winners represent best-in-class examples of how using eBay’s global platform not only allows them to flourish within their local communities, but also enables them to successfully connect with buyers around the world.”
Further to its existing lineup, eBay has introduced a new category – Sustainable Seller of the Year – to recognize a seller who has leveraged the platform in support of a more green and sustainable ecommerce economy.
The 2023 eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards winners are:
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Karn Rai of SlabSharks, Mississauga, ON. With a longstanding passion for trading cards, Karn, alongside his group of friends and now co-owners, recognized a shortage of trading card consigners in the Canadian market in 2022. Since starting operations, SlabSharks has become a significant presence at shows and expos across the country, growing its pool to roughly 500 unique consigners and counting across North America. In their first year, they broke seven figures in eBay sales, and have already more than doubled their gross sales in 2023.
- Micro-Multinational of the Year – Amy Ozueh of ACO Repairs & Sales Solutions, Mississauga, ON. With a background specialized in repairs for manufacturing components, Amy saw an opportunity to start her own business selling parts directly to customers worldwide. Leveraging her understanding of the landscape, ACO Repairs & Sales Solutions has quickly grown beyond Canada and the U.S., with over 20 per cent of its sales outside North America, made even more impressive by Amy’s ongoing efforts to change perceptions within an industry that has conventionally been dominated by men.
- Sustainable Seller of the Year – Jimmy Lachance and Genevieve Gaudreault of JLS Distributions, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC. Running a used appliance store for the past 15 years, Jimmy and Genevieve soon found that they could also sell parts to help others keep appliances in working order and out of landfills. With the support of their daughters, the Lachance family has supported their local business while helping buyers across North America reduce waste.
- Emerging Ecommerce Entrepreneur of the Year – Nick Panaritis of Partsterr, Montreal, QC. Having grown up in an automotive family where his father and grandfather ran a brick-and-mortar parts shop where he worked, Nick saw an opportunity for an online automotive parts retailer given the growth in ecommerce. Founding his business to accommodate the specific fitment needs across online parts and accessories sales, Partsterr has become one of eBay Canada’s top sellers.
Read winners’ full bios here.
As part of its ongoing commitment to help support safe and healthy communities for Canadian small business owners, eBay is a proud participant in Digital Main Street and the Canadian Digital Adoption Program. By providing dedicated resources to businesses, both programs offer exclusive benefits and training sessions that enable brick-and-mortar businesses to transition seamlessly online and integrate with eBay’s commerce platform.
About eBay Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
This year's award winners, selected from a record number of online submissions, will receive cash prizes ranging from $5,000 CAD to $10,000 CAD to reinvest into their businesses. In addition to cash prizes, each winner will receive a one-year eBay Store subscription upgrade, a one-year quarterly consultation session program with an eBay Canada business development specialist, and a professional photography session.
Categories include:
- Entrepreneur of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay seller who best represents the spirit of eBay’s seller community.
- Micro-Multinational Entrepreneur of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay seller who has achieved great success in marketing and selling beyond Canada's borders.
- Sustainable Seller of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay seller who has helped to build a more green, sustainable ecommerce economy using eBay.
- Emerging Ecommerce Entrepreneur of the Year: This award recognizes an eBay seller who has achieved great success in building a resilient and thriving business by integrating ecommerce as a new sales channel.
More information on the eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards can be found here: eBay.ca/eoy.
To learn more about bringing your business online with eBay, visit: eBay.ca/upandrunning.
About eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2022, eBay enabled nearly $74 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
For further information:
Kelly Scragg, Communications Manager, eBay Canada, kscragg@ebay.ca, 780-218-2176
James King, Account Manager, Corporate Pomp & Circumstance PR, james@pomppr.com, 647-203-8826