Register now to join us at the 2026 Testimonial Dinner in Toronto, where we will be celebrating Arlene Dickinson, John Knubley and other exceptional Canadian honourees.
“Politics has kind of found me, and I’ve found politics,” says Arlene Dickinson, shrugging her shoulders over her own surprise at having become a leading voice about Canada’s shortcomings and opportunities in the face of global economic upheaval. A member of the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, she writes opinion pieces for news outlets, appears as a TV pundit and is a constant presence on social media platforms with over a million followers across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Substack. “I’m on everything that’s out there,” she says.
On social media, Dickinson has a knack for reflecting the national mood with a cozy mien, encouraging others to focus on the positives. “Being vocal right now is very important, to use my influence to help people feel proud, safe and determined.”
“We’ve spent decades in the American shadow, comparing ourselves and feeling like we fall short,” she says. “When, in fact, they couldn’t do what they’re doing without Canada. They could not build what they’ve built. They could not create the manufacturing, the supply chains, the production without our resources. So if we’re integral to their success, then why are we afraid of our own?”
Dickinson’s energy has her spinning several plates, including as a podcaster of Arlene Is Not Alone about choosing to be unapologetically unattached after two marriages. “We’re finding that we don’t need men the way we used to … I think there’s a shift happening, and I wanted to address that.”
Her drive began as a single divorced mother of four children at 31 with only a high school education. She was living in Calgary at that time, where her family had immigrated from South Africa when she was a toddler. To support her family, she joined Venture, a fledging communications firm, and later became the sole owner, growing it into one of Canada’s most recognized marketing and communications firms.
“We need to unleash the power of the entrepreneurial spirit, the entrepreneurial innovation and the entrepreneurial courage … They are the nation builders.”
Three years ago, she merged the company with five other agencies to form Changemakers, of which she is a shareholder.
She wanted to focus more on District Ventures Capital, Canada’s first “accelerator program” for packaged goods companies in the food, beverage, health and wellness sectors, which she launched in 2015. In the last 10 years, she has raised over $170 million. “It’s not just about food security but food sovereignty. A nation is only really sovereign when it controls its food supply and has the ability to feed itself,” she explains.
Her goal was never to be the multimillionaire she is today, she says. “I haven’t been driven by money other than to have enough to survive … My ‘why’ [was] my family, then it became helping other people and today, I’d say my ‘why’ is my country.”
A few years ago, she was asked to run in a federal election but declined. “Today, I would consider it,” she says.
“I’m fascinated by the mechanics of politics. Government is not business. Government has a responsibility to people and that includes social responsibility. That will never make financial sense but it’s the right thing to do.”
Still, she sees an important role for business experts to help the government understand the challenges and gaps of support in the private sector.
“We need to unleash the power of the entrepreneurial spirit, the entrepreneurial innovation and the entrepreneurial courage…They are the nation builders.” In a social media post after the Liberal government tabled its budget, she lamented that there wasn’t more support for early-stage entrepreneurs who are innovating and attempting to scale.
She has other advice as well. “I’d like to see less friction between the provinces, ministries and the federal ministries. There are too many people hanging on to the power that they control, whether it’s through health organizations or food agricultural organizations and association or industry in general … It’s siloed. It’s a little bit [about] self-serving interests. And so, what happens is, you don’t get cooperation. You don’t get people saying, ‘Let’s do what’s right for the country.’”
She also believes Canada’s global brand is poorly marketed. “We market Canada the way we live in Canada, which is very understated and too humble. I’m not saying we should be braggarts, because that’s not Canadiana but we need to be more vocal about how good we are.”
Despite several honorary university degrees, business awards and being appointed an honorary captain in the Navy after visiting Canadian troops overseas seven times, Dickinson identifies as an ordinary Canadian. “I’ve always related more to the person serving the drinks in a room rather than to the person being served,” she says.
If there’s a regret, it’s that “I didn’t allow myself to believe I could do more. I wish I had another hundred years ahead. I feel like I’ve got so much left to do and I wish I’d believed in myself sooner; allowed myself to be bigger.”
As an “outspoken woman” she gets a lot of criticism online, she explains, but her skin is thick. “People are surprised that I don’t block more people. I listen. Your opinion is your opinion. You’re entitled to it. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what trolls say about me.”
At 69, she knows herself well and what got her ahead. “Women do lead differently than men, and that’s okay. It’s not a bad thing. When I speak about this, I always say, ‘Listen, you’ve had hundreds of years of being in business, and you’ve written the book on how to run a business, and women just now want to write some more chapters in it.”
Asked to define her brand of leadership, she hesitates slightly, trying for the right description. “I’m tough in the right ways. I’m tough but I like to be fair. I want to be understanding and empathetic but I’m still a capitalist. I think I’m a capitalist with a heart. How’s that?”
