Truly “Business Minded” Dave Pond, starting at a young age, has been able to recognize opportunities and take chances in business. Beginning in High School Dave was the first president and instrumental in forming the Simcoe Leo Club, a youth-oriented group. Throughout High School and College Dave also ran his own DJ business for 6 years. After graduating from the Business Administration Program in 1984 Dave’s entrepreneurial instincts have only expanded. He now has three successful businesses, Edge Imaging, Long Point Eco-Adventures and Burning Kiln Winery.

As a student at Mohawk, Dave took a keen interest in the finance and marketing courses which he found to be “instrumental programs” in his education. He remarked that the marketing courses taught him to, “always have a plan and to work that plan.” Along the way he has taken the key teachings of these courses and implemented them into his business ventures as well as the development of the Eco-Adventures park. When asked what advice he would give a student in the business program at Mohawk he said that students should, “have confidence in the education you are getting and set your sights high as you go into the workforce.” For Dave, Mohawk gave him the stepping stones to begin and continue a successful career. His education taught him not to settle for less and to always keep looking for the next business venture.

In recent years, he has been the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Norfolk County’s Tourism & Agriculture Symposium; the 2011 Distinguished Service Awards from the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions for his and his business partner’s outstanding involvement and service to the Young Canada Day Committee of the Norfolk County Fair & Horse Show; the Bell Canada Communications Innovation Award; as well as receiving the Business of the Year award from the Burlington Chamber of Commerce for Innovation and Technology. In 2012 Burning Kiln was honoured with providing the wine for the Ontario Legislative Assembly at Queens Park. In 2013 Long Point Eco-Adventures was honoured with a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor. This prestigious award places Eco in the top-performing 10% of all businesses worldwide.