When economics graduate, David Chilton, completed the Canadian Securities Course in 1985, he chose an unusual direction for his career: writing and speaking on the subject of personal finance.

Alain Bouchard is the founder and currently president of Alimentation Couche-Tard, the multi-billion-dollar convenience store chain that includes Mac's, Circle K, Statoil and other brands.

Founded in 1995 by Amina Gerba, Laboratoires Kariliss Inc. manufactures and markets natural personal care products made of unrefined Shea Butter, which is itself made from the shea fruit tree that is indigenous to several West African countries.

Barbara McLean-Stollery had planned to become a commercial pilot, but the post-9/11 downturn in the industry forced her to change her plans so she studied aircraft maintenance engineering and took a job working for Executive Airways to pay for her education. The owner offered to sell her the business and she jumped in.

A former journalist and editor, Chandra Clarke established Scribendi in 1997 as one of the world's first online editing and proofreading companies.

In 1989 David Wolfman, was a busy new Toronto area chef who specialized in Aboriginal cuisine. Since then, David has enjoyed a meteoric career that includes eight successful seasons as host, writer and executive producer of his own TV cooking show, Cooking with the Wolfman.

Named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada and a respected consultant on financial literacy to both the federal and provincial governments, Evelyn Jacks is founder and president of a highly successful post-secondary educational institute, the Knowledge Bureau.

World famous entrepreneur, Guy Laliberté, was a fire-breathing, stilt-walking street performer who had co-founded the Cirque du Soleil a few years before he was interviewed in 1989.

In 1989, Harold Warner was busy building his hot-air balloon advertizing business, AeroDynamics, Aerostats and Promotions, Inc. In those days the weather was the problem--when it was bad, his balloons couldn't fly. Since then, he has turned this problem into an opportunity by designing and manufacturing highly innovative inflatable structures that, in some applications, are all about protecting clients from the weather.

In 1989, when we videotaped Hilary Rodgrigues, a dentist with a relatively new practice in Whitbourne, he was busy developing business opportunities in his small community. Since then he has grown his winery to capacity, so he developed another business which extracts the nutritional benefits from indigenous berries, fruits and marine plants and sells them as nutraceuticals.

Hilda founded and runs a 100% Inuit/Aboriginal steel pressure pipe company that supplies some of the largest resource development projects in Labrador. Hilda's company was named Small Business of the Year at the 2012 Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council's (CAMSC) Business Achievement Awards in Toronto.

Internationally-respected designer, Jason Matlo, channelled his artistic skills as an illustrator and painter into building a thriving fashion design business that has turned his name into an internationally-recognized brand.

Jenviev Azzolin and Denzil D'Sa created and launched pplconnect in 2011. They applied their collective experience in technology to produce the "virtual smartphone", which allows users to access and use their smartphone from computers, tablets and other smartphones.

In 2010, when Karim Ladki was following the Paralympics in Vancouver, he was struck by the drive, dedication and high standard of performance of the athletes-as he puts it, "suddenly the the term 'disabled' lost all meaning to me." With his partner, Matt Thola, he founded 9Lives Adventures, which has taken clients to adventures around the world. "We are abled."

Raised on the Sweetgrass First Nation west of the Battlefords in Saskatchewan, Kendal Netmaker knew what it was like to grow up as a disadvantaged youth. He and his business have won numerous awards including the 2012 Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX award and the award as Saskatoon’s finest entrepreneur, in 2012.

Lynda Powless brought many years of experience in journalism, from CBC to national newspapers to her venture, Turtle Island News, Canada's only national native weekly newspaper. In 1994 Lynda decided move back to her home community and use her experience and skills to launch a newspaper from her basement.

In 1989 Martha Sturdy was already a world-famous jewelry designer whose work was described as "wearable art." Since then her success has expanded to include unique high concept home furnishings. Martha's message is all about turning art into a living and then balancing life and work.

Michael Lee-Chin, likely most famous for his $30M contribution to the “crystal” renovation of the Royal Ontario Museum, operates Portland Holdings, an investment company that owns a broad range of businesses across many sectors of the Canadian economy.

Murad Al-Katib is the founder, President and CEO of Alliance Grain Traders Inc. Murad was born and raised in Davidson, Saskatchewan; he took a degree in business from the University of Regina, followed by a Masters in Global Management from Arizona.

After arriving from Colombia, South America, in 2000, Oscar, his wife, Liliana, and daughter, Nicole Succar succeeded in building a nation-wide business that supplies fresh flowers to giant retailer, Costco, as well as to a number of stores in Ontario.

Regina Chamber of Commerce "Young Entrepreneur of the Year." Rachel Mielke launched and operates a successful high-end jewelry business on the economically booming prairies.

Ron Foxcroft, inventor of the "pea-less" Fox40 whistle, owner of Fluke Transport and retired NCAA referee, was interviewed in 1989. At the time he was enjoying the first taste of success with his whistle. Since then, the Fox40's success has eclipsed the success of Fluke Transport and is now a world wide success story with hundreds of new products.

From humble beginnings in rural Nova Scotia, Ron Joyce rose to become one of Canada's foundational entrepreneurs. After a stint in the Royal Canadian Navy, Ron became a police officer who walked a beat in Hamilton, Ontario. He would often drop into a local doughnut shop where he got to know its owner, NHL player, Tim Horton, and eventually the two became franchise partners.

Manitoba Metis, Sean McCormick and his partner and sister, Heather, spent much of their childhood in northern Manitoba where they learned firsthand how to tan and preserve leather and make moccasins and mukluks. Sean started Manitobah Mukluks which has become famous for its authentic, high quality and high fashion, products.

Named 1996 "Designer of the Year" at George Brown College in Toronto, Internationally-recognized makeup artist, Tia Provici went on to become the youngest executive at Image Consultancy before eventually founding her own company in Winnipeg.

Tom Droog arrived in Canada with his wife, Emmy, in 1972 with just $125 to his name and a desire to farm. Seventeen years later he had already revolutionized sunflower seed farming in the Bow Island region of Alberta.

When Veronica Cole and her four partners graduated from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's program in Game Development and Entrepreneurship, they founded Squabble Studios, which specializes in educational games development.

In 1989, Wade Pugh and his four partners were working hard to get their unique chocolate company into profitability. Their name refers to their original idea, an edible shot glass made of chocolate, for which they soon learned there was no significant market.