2014 ARISTA Provincial Contest - The 37th edition's laureates are finally revealed!

MONTREAL, May 16, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Yesterday evening, at Le Parquet of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Jeune Chambre de Commerce de Montréal announced the laureates of the 37th edition of the ARISTA Provincial Contest, presented by BMO Financial Group, in front of more than 400 people.

The evening was successfully hosted TV personality and journalist Karima Brikh. During the evening, the JCCM awarded 7 young and outstanding professionals through their achievements and their audacity. Mario Rigante, President of the jury and Vice-President, Business Services at BMO Financial Group took the opportunity to highlight the dynamism and the innovation of the next generation: ''The members of the jury and myself would like to recognize the courage and the determination of Quebec's young business people and the high quality of applicants''.

Here are the laureates of the ARISTA 2014 Gala:

QUÉBEC YOUNG SELF-EMPLOYED WORKER CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY ENBRIDGE
Danielle Gagnon Entrepreneur and designer U LOVE GREEN		Graphic designer with 10 years' experience, Danielle created the fashion brand U LOVE GREEN, in 2011. This is the first ethical line of women's organic underwear in Quebec to be entirely manufactured locally. Danielle also brought her creations into the universe of the HOME virtual platform from Sony PlayStation®. This unprecedented marketing approach ensures a worldwide visibility to her brand.
QUÉBEC YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR: GROWING BUSINESS CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY THE CDPQ
Nicolas Duvernois CEO and Founder PUR VODKA		A born entrepreneur, Nicolas Duvernois has always had a multitude of ideas. In 2006, after a negative initial business experience, he decided to launch PUR Vodka. Knowing absolutely nothing of the business, he typed the word "vodka" into a Google search, and started his business. Today, PUR Vodka is recognized as one of the world's best vodkas and one of Canada's fastest growing products
QUÉBEC YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR: START-UP BUSINESS CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY LA CAPITALE
Louis-Philippe Maurice Cofounder BUSBUD		LP Maurice is the CEO & co-founder of Busbud, a venture-backed e-commerce startup focused on bus travel that lets travelers search and book intercity bus tickets in 9,000 cities in 80 countries. The company was named twice in 2013 as one of the 20 most innovative companies in Canada. Previously, LP worked in Silicon Valley at Yahoo and LinkedIn. LP holds an MBA from Harvard University, as well as an LLM (Law) and BAA (Business) from the University of Montreal.
QUÉBEC YOUNG LEADER: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY GAZ MÉTRO
Estelle Beaudry Associate and VP Business and Environment Development AEROCYCLE AND EKO-CONSEIL		Having graduated with a master's degree from the International Institute for Industrial Environment and Economics in Sweden, Estelle is co-founder of Aerocycle and is its Vice-President, environment and business development. She combines four years of experience in environment and aviation, which brought her to develop a unique expertise in managing end-of-life aircrafts. Aerocycle is the first Canadian company to offer environmentally-responsible services in aircraft dismantling. The company imposes its leadership in recovering more than 85% of aircrafts in safe conditions.
QUÉBEC YOUNG INTERNATIONAL LEADER CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY CGI
Vincent Leclerc Associate / Creative Director PIXMOB (Eski Inc)		With a Master's degree in Media Technologies from the renowned MIT Media Lab, Vincent has promoted PixMob's international growth since its foundation by continuously developing technologies that fundamentally change the human relationship with art and technology. As Director of Technology, Vincent developed a multicultural team as well as a network of top international manufacturers. As Creative Director, he actively travels the globe, producing events and speaking at conferences that make the Montreal brand of creativity shine.
QUÉBEC YOUNG PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY L'ORDRE DES CPA
Tanya Bartczak Owner, Trainer and Occupational therapist SERVICES PERSONNALISÉS D'ERGOTHÉRAPIE RIVE-SUD		Tanya's innovative clinic offers an evidence-based professional approach where her "reactivation and mobilisation" program exceeds standards, facilitating an impressive number of return-to-work statuses for her clients, and decreases costs related to absenteeism. This Occupational Therapist enables balance between work and family demands while comfortably navigating complex medical-legal files. Furthermore, she has created specialized services in the community for children with special needs.
QUÉBEC YOUNG EXECUTIVE CATEGORY, PRESENTED BY BMO
Renault-François Lortie Associate, consulting services KPMG		Renault-François Lortie is one of the youngest partners of KPMG in Canada. He specializes in strategic planning, and also guides the professionals of the Strategy & Operations business unit in Quebec as People Leader. An expert in the sectors of natural resources and energy, Renault-François is KPMG's leader in the mining and nordic development sectors in Quebec. KPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in Canada, with over 5,600 employees in 33 cities.
« COUP DE CŒUR » AWARD, PRESENTED BY HYDRO-QUÉBEC
Dominic Gagnon CEO AGENCE PIRANHA		Immersed in entrepreneurship since the age of 14, Dominic Gagnon has founded three businesses, been named Desjardins' Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and received numerous awards for his company, Piranha, such as Actif Humain and Young Innovative Company of the Year at the Quebec Chamber of Commerce's Fidéides Gala. He was also named one of the 10 personalities of the year in 2013 by Infopresse and he is the youngest lecturer in the Masters program at the University of Sherbrooke. Currently, Dominic is running Piranha and striving towards his goal of conquering the world!

The Arista Provincial Contest: a Unique Professional Opportunity
Given its high profile, the ARISTA Provincial Contest is a fantastic springboard for Quebec's up and coming business leaders. It is the JCCM's most important annual event. The contest is aimed towards young businesspeople aged 18 to 40 years old. The ARISTA Provincial Contest is made possible by the contribution of the JCCM'S volunteer organizers who come from a variety of professional horizons and take pride in the contest's mission. For more information, please visit www.jccm.org/arista. The ARISTA Provincial Contest would not be possible without the help of its partners -  BMO, Bell, Gaz Métro, Enbridge, CGI, Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec, l'Ordre des CPA du Québec, La Capitale, Hydro-Québec, Via Rail, Stingray Digital and Les Affaires.

About the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal
The JCCM is a group of young executives, professionals, entrepreneurs and self-employed workers aged 18 to 40 years old. Established in 1931, the JCCM is home to close to 1,600 members, making it one of the largest networks of young businesspeople in North America. The JCCM is a key venue for the development of Montreal's up and coming business leaders. The JCCM is supported by a number of partners that have the young business community at heart. For more information, please visit www.jccm.org.

Image with caption: "The winners of the 37th ARISTA Provincial Competition (CNW Group/Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140516_C1057_PHOTO_EN_2181.jpg

SOURCE: Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal

For further information: Source: Marilyn Baril, Communications Representative , Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal, [e-mail], 514 845-4951, extension 24; For additional information or interview requests: Mara Vezeau, BICOM Communications, [e-mail], 514 223-6770, extension 223