Telfer Hosts Wes Hall's book launch: No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot

October 18, 2022

Mireille Brownhill

Dean Brutus and Wes Hall sitting on stage

Dean Stéphane Brutus and Wes Hall at the The Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE Ottawa) Business Dinner in March 2022.

The Telfer School of Management is pleased to welcome Wes Hall on October 19, 2022, for the launch of his first book: No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot.

Mr. Hall is founder and executive chairman of Kingsdale Advisors and one of the stars of Dragon's Den on CBC. Following global protests over the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Hall founded the BlackNort h Initiative with the mission to end anti-Black systemic racism by utilizing a business-first mindset.

Recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in 2021, Mr. Hall most recently spent time with Telfer students at The Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE Ottawa) Business Dinner celebrating diversity in business and marginalized entrepreneurs. As keynote speaker, Hall shared tips for future entrepreneurs and launched the Wes Hall Scholarships: two full scholarships at the Telfer School of Management for Black and Indigenous students in finance. These unique scholarships aim to remove financial barriers to education by reducing the need for these students to seek employment throughout the school year. The recipients will also benefit from mentorship to help guide their academic success, career direction and extra-curricular activities.

Mr. Hall credits Ian Telfer, former Chairman and CEO of Goldcorp and n Wes Hall sitting on a stool wearing a green suit amesake of the Telfer School of Management, with providing his first big break when he started Kingsdale Advisors. “He announced a huge merger and hired my upstart firm. It changed my life! Ian always had a sense of humour and a salt of the earth kinda guy. Our world is better off because of people like him.”