Longtime Ted Rogers School supporter Allan Slaight passes away

We are saddened at the recent loss of one of our school’s longtime supporters, Allan Slaight.

Allan’s impact at the Ted Rogers School of Management has been deep and long lasting - spanning almost twenty years.  We are immensely grateful for Allan Slaight and the Slaight Family’s commitment and generosity to our students, our programs (especially in fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs) and to our research on Canada’s aging population of seniors.

For nearly two decades, the annual Slaight New Venture Competition (external link)  has fostered student entrepreneurship at Ted Rogers School by providing seed money to each of the student winners. The competition has a long track record of success and, each year, new businesses are tested and launched thanks to the competitive and collaborative spirit behind the award. Winners and finalists alike go on to create new enterprises, forge connections and develop ideas that move into diverse markets – from biomedical devices to new communication applications to innovations in fashion and design. 

Since its inception in 2001, the Slaight New Venture Competition (generously funded by Slaight Communications and the Slaight Family Foundation) has recognized 30 of our brightest innovators, and continues to foster an ecosystem of entrepreneurship with connections that span the university.

Allan’s commitment to improving the lives of others led to the creation of the Seniors Initiative funded by strategic investments from the Slaight Family Foundation.  Under this initiative, the National Institute of Ageing (NIA) benefited from a generous $1 million gift to support their programs. 

Allan Slaight’s lifelong commitment to Canadian entrepreneurship and providing opportunities for lifelong learning exemplifies what the Ted Rogers School stands for, and we are immensely proud to be partners in this great work.

Our deepest condolences and sympathy to the Slaight Family and thank you for giving us the opportunity to play a part in honouring the legacy of Allan Slaight.