Ottawa, November 25th, 2021- This year, a new category was introduced at the annual Best Ottawa Business (BOB) Awards and FanSaves was the recipient.

The start-up took home the first-ever award for Best Leader for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion on Thursday night, at a virtual event that is usually celebrated at an in-person gala with close to 1000 people.

“Our mission at FanSaves has always been to nurture a team with diverse backgrounds, life experiences and world views because that’s the best way to really see the bigger picture for your product and services” explained FanSaves co-founder and CEO, Shannon Ferguson.

“It’s how we increase innovation” added the female founder who is breaking down barriers and making a name for herself in the sports-tech industry; traditonally a male-dominated industry.

The nine person company has worked completely remote since the pandemic, with employees based in BC, Alberta and Ontario. Its founders reside in South Glengarry, Ontario and FanSaves has an office, employees and a strong presence in the Ottawa region.

The BOB Awards is organized by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Ottawa Business Journal and recognizes thriving businesses in the National Capitol Region in categories such as Best Business, Best New Business, Best Performance, Deals of the Year, Newsmaker of the Year and more.

Upon announcing the new award category for Best Leader for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, host Mark Sutcliffe emphasized “I think we can all agree that, in the past few years, an appreciation for [DEI] has arose… not new concepts but issues that have gained importance in the business world”.

“We are beyond thrilled to be the first receipient of this award and [my co-founder, Kris McCarthy] and I really couldn’t have done this without our amazing team who believe in our values and help bring our vision to life everyday” said Shannon.

You can watch FanSaves win their award at 49:30 into the below broadcast: