​On Wednesday, Oct. 10 The Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, will meet with 350+ Winnipeg business and community leaders, where he’ll provide an update on his government’s innovation agenda.

To help you prepare for his luncheon keynote and fireside chat, we put together 5 facts you should know about Minister Bains:

1. Some may say he’s the ‘minister of everything’

On October 19, 2015 he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the new riding of Missasauga-Malton, and on November 4th, 2015 was named the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, or some may say the ‘minister of everything.’

Before entering politics, he worked for the Ford Motor Company of Canada as an accounting and financial analyst. He was also a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.

2. He goes out of his way to say Happy Birthday

“Little things matter…making sure you go out of your way to listen to people—wish them a Happy Birthday, talk about their families, get to know them on a personal level—I think that dimension is so critical because politics is about people and if you don’t understand people and their point of view, and if you don’t engage with them in a meaningful way, you really can’t help make meaningful progress.”

– The Hon. Navdeep Bains

Source: The Hill Times

3. In January 2018 he invested almost 7 billion in Winnipeg’s innovation community. 

During a visit in early 2018, he announced funding to the following Winnipeg organizations:

A) Composites Innovation Centre who supports and stimulates economic growth through innovative research, development and the application of composite materials and technologies for manufacturing industries.

B) North Forge Technology Exchange, an innovation-based economic development agency and a powerhouse community, who fuels Manitoba innovation economy by providing entrepreneurs with award-winning mentors and a two-stage startup program.

C) Information and Communication Technologies Association of Manitoba (ICTAM) who represents and supports Manitoba’s top tech businesses.

D) Bioscience Association of Manitoba (BAM) who represents and supports Manitoba’s bioscience community.

Source: The Winnipeg Free Press