Vote today to help CAF Veteran win the Telus Pitch Competition

Royal Canadian Navy Veteran, Joe Wright is putting his entrepreneurial skills to work as one of the top 100 finalists in the 2019 Telus Pitch Competition.

Wright, who was a Marine Engineering Technician while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces until his release in 2015, always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur.

“When I entered the private sector after my service, I began to notice some very consistent shortfalls within all of the companies I worked for. This really increased my drive to get started,” says Wright “I believed that with drive, determination, work ethic and ambition, in conjunction with the skills and discipline I received throughout my time in CAF I could turn my vision into a successful business.”

In 2016 as Wright worked on his business plan for what is now Double U Industrial Mechanical Services out of Kamloops, B.C. transferring his military skills to civilian life.

He applied for Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur (POE) where he was accepted into the 2016 Regina Bootcamp designed to help transitioning Canadian Forces members and veterans rapidly advance their entrepreneurial and business skills and knowledge.

“I really feel this was a turning point in my start-up journey. It gave me the final push I needed to establish Double U Industrial Mechanical Services, and we launched in September 2016,” says Wright.

On a whim, he applied for the Telus Pitch Competition earlier this year with the excitement of working face to face with experienced business minds.

Wright says if he wins the $100,000 prize he hopes to invest in some upgraded fabrication equipment which would allow his business to increase their production capacity and to help fund an export plan through the initial stages

“We would use it to help us take advantage of some other fund matching grants which would allow us to perform foreign market research, build a market entry strategy, and start to form relationships with potential customers and partners,” says Wright.

Win or lose, Wright says the experience has reaffirmed the power of the military community and the lasting friendships that are formed through service to others.

“I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported us in this competition, and throughout our journey, and a special thanks to the Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur staff for helping to spread the word of our selection, and allowing us access to their network. We are forever grateful.”

The general public can cast a vote for their favourite business to move forward to the top 10 finalists online.

Voting ends July 11. To cast your vote visit: https://telus.wishpondpages.com/vote/