As an award-winning entrepreneur, author and business advisor, Craig Elias says he is on a mission to liberate and inspire people from all walks of life to create and commercialize new ideas. He says his motto is “tell me I can’t, and I’ll show you I can,” which certainly goes a long way toward explaining how he seems to pull of some impossible-seeming things.
“I am a lucky sales guy, who then became a lucky entrepreneur, who then become a lucky husband and a dad, who gets to do the things he loves,” he says.
Elias is currently the entrepreneur-in-residence at Bow Valley College, where he is passionate about helping students become entrepreneurs. He also started and runs three student pitch competitions: VentureQuest, 150Startups and the Inventure$ Student Pitch Competition held annually at the Inventures conference by Alberta Innovates. All three bring together some of the brightest minds in Alberta’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to inspire and lead the next generation to continue this city’s entrepreneurial spirit.