Sheldon Levy

Special Advisor to the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion

Sheldon Levy is a higher education leader and visionary with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital economy. Sheldon has been an instrumental figure in Canada’s innovation ecosystem in the last decade, spearheading the creation of such organizations as Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ), Scale Up Ventures, Inc, and the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship. He served as Honorary Chair of the Brookfield Institute from 2015 until 2020.

As President and Vice Chancellor of Ryerson University from 2005 to 2015, Sheldon drove the creation of the Digital Media Zone (DMZ), an early-stage incubator for student entrepreneurs which has since become an international success. He is also a founder and advisor to Ryerson Futures Inc., an accelerator that has exported the DMZ concept to such locations as Calgary and Mumbai.

From 2015 to 2017 Sheldon served as Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, where he helped prioritize innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Ontario’s postsecondary education and training system. In 2017 he became CEO of NEXT Canada, an organization that provides mentorship, education, networks and funding to Canada’s most promising entrepreneurs.

In December 2018, Sheldon was appointed Special Advisor to Canada’s Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, Mary Ng, on the issue of scaling up small and medium-sized businesses.

Sheldon recently joined the Board of Directors of Baycrest Health Sciences.

Sheldon previously served as President of Oakville’s Sheridan College from 1997 to 2001, overseeing the growth of its renowned animation department during the early years of computer-generated imaging. Sheldon’s other prior positions have included Vice President Finance and Strategy, University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Vice President of Governmental and Institutional Relations, University of Toronto; and Vice President Institutional Affairs, York University. Sheldon recently received The Order of Canada.

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May 20, 2021

This report offers a roadmap for practitioners and policymakers alike, identifying targeted high-impact interventions to support Canadian high-potential scale-ups
Getting to Scale: Accelerating Canada’s high-growth companies

May 20, 2021

Ce rapport offre une feuille de route à l’intention des praticiens et des décideurs, qui précise les interventions ciblées à fort impact pour appuyer les entreprises en accroissement d’échelle
Mise à l’échelle: Accélérer les entreprises à forte croissance du Canada
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