Wes Hall
Executive Chairman and Founder of WeShall Investments Inc. & Star of CBC's Dragons' Den
WeShall Investments
As the chairman and founder of WeShall Investments Inc, a private equity firm with a diverse portfolio of companies predominantly supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs, Wes Hall comes from humble beginnings in rural Jamaica. He grew up in a plantation worker’s shack as one of several children supported by his grandmother. Despite these challenges, his grandmother instilled in him the value of hard work, ambition, and industriousness. In 1985, Wes immigrated to Canada, where he set about to become the businessman you see today. Dressed daily in a suit, Wes started as a mail clerk at a leading law firm in Toronto. His curiosity, intelligence, and ability to spot opportunities allowed him to turn a $100K loan from the bank to start his first business, Kingsdale Advisors, into becoming Canada’s most preeminent shareholder advisory firm.
Wes’ expertise was invaluable on the complicated dispute between Toronto-based Goldcorp and Nevada- based Glamis Gold from 2004 to 2006, Xstrata PLC’s USD 18-billion takeover of Falconbridge in 2006, and the $19-billion merger between Suncor and Petro-Canada in 2009.
A staunch philanthropist, Wes is deeply committed to community upliftment. He founded the ambitious and highly successful BlackNorth Initiative to help end systemic anti-Black racism in Canada. He has instructed Black Entrepreneurship & Leadership at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, a first-of-its-kind course in North America. Wes is the vice-chair of the Board of Governors at Huron University College, a member of the Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce, and sits on the board of directors for SickKids Foundation, TIFF, and Pathways to Education Canada. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Canadian Business Leader of 2022. Wes has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Toronto, Queens University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of the West Indies. He also received the Medal of Distinction from Huron University in 2022.
Wes’ other accomplishments include penning a bestselling memoir, “No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot.” He launched a podcast in partnership with the Toronto Star, “Between Us with Wes Hall,” and is also on the hit CBC series, “Dragons’ Den.”
Schedule
20 mins
Meridian Hall - Main Stage
Knowing Your Worth: BIPOC Contributions To Canada's Economic Output
BIPOC and female entrepreneurs face immense challenges when starting their businesses. Wes Hall’s core philosophy is that serving the under-served and putting people first yields the greatest long-term dividends. Join Wes for an illuminating talk about how investing in BIPOC and women investors, and building inclusive teams adds billions of dollars to Canadian economic output and puts businesses on the path to success.
