SkipTheDishes launches food waste pilot
SkipTheDishes, the Manitoba-based food delivery tech company, has launched a pilot program in Winnipeg and Vancouver to help eliminate food waste in restaurants.
The “Do Good Deal” will allow participating restaurants to offer customers exciting end-of-day discounts on unsold menu items.
“Through this launch, we’re proud to help our restaurant partners turn perfectly good surplus food into a delicious (and discounted) surprise dish for customers to enjoy,” said Steve Puchala, senior vice president, growth & restaurant success at SkipTheDishes. “We’re excited to see our customers try a Do Good Deal to discover new favourite dishes from local restaurants, while helping to save some money and the planet. In fact, for every order placed, customers will help to prevent an estimated 2.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions going into the environment.”
As part of the pilot, restaurants will create “surprise menu items made with surplus ingredients curated by the restaurant.” The items will become available during the last two hours of a participating restaurant’s operating day as a Do Good Deal menu item that customers can add to their order. According to SkipTheDishes, items will be discounted by fifty percent or more (on average).
At launch, this offer is available at more than 50 participating restaurants in Winnipeg and Vancouver, with plans for expansion to more markets and restaurants.
Manitoba tech firm raises $15 million
Steinbach’s RocketRez, a ticketing and business operations software company, announced the close of its Series B funding round with Level Equity. Level Equity is based in New York City, and partner Charles Chen will join the RocketRez board in the deal.
“We believe in RocketRez’s vision and their high-growth potential as demonstrated by the marquee clients they’ve onboarded and retained during these challenging times,” said Chen, partner at Level Equity. “Global tourist attractions have weathered the storm in part due to the innovative solutions provided by RocketRez. They understand that technology and data are what will power their vision for the ultimate guest experience.”
The funding will support RocketRez’s growth in providing “end-to-end guest experiences in new market verticals, and extend the capabilities for leading tours and attractions already in its portfolio such as Maui Ocean Center, Xtreme Xperience, Aquarium of the Bay, and Governors Island.” As well, the funds will expand the company’s leadership team and sales capabilities.
“The ability to capture data from multiple digital touchpoints gives operators more robust insights into customer behavior that cannot be achieved with disconnected sets of technology services,” said RocketRez CEO John Pendergrast. “Level Equity’s investment into RocketRez will help us accelerate more fulsome digital solutions that will deliver even better guest experiences for our customers and will enable us to expand our geographic reach.”
IG Wealth Management launches new portfolios for post-secondary education
Winnipeg’s IG Wealth Management (IG) announced Jan. 30 it has launched IG Target Education Portfolios (Portfolios) for post-secondary education savings.
According to IG, the portfolios will “invest in an asset mix that automatically evolves based on when a child is expected to begin their post-secondary studies, shifting from a focus on maximizing growth in the early years to keep up with the rising costs of education to a focus on income and capital preservation as the target education date approaches.”
“As the costs of post-secondary studies continue to rise, it’s becoming more and more important to start investing early to ensure you’re in a position to help your child go to college or university,” said Damon Murchison, president and CEO, IG Wealth Management. “These new Portfolios are designed to remove the guess work when it comes to funding post-secondary education. They automatically adjust over time; this helps ensure that investors will have the money they need when it comes time to start paying for post-secondary education.”
U of Manitoba announced new vice-president, external
The University of Manitoba announced this week that Vanessa Koldingnes has been appointed to the position of vice-president (external). Koldingnes has been with the U of M for 11 years, most recently as acting vice-president, external.
‘In her decade with UM, Ms. Koldingnes has worked extensively with both internal and external members of the UM community and with partners to advance our mission while exemplifying values of respect, transparency, equity and innovation,” said U of M president and vice-chancellor Michael Benarroch, PhD with the announcement. “Given Ms. Koldingnes’ demonstrated achievements in senior administrative positions; her strategic, collaborative leadership style; and her commitment to serving UM’s community and partners, I am confident she will bring big ideas to life and lead her team to new successes as Vice-President (External).
Koldingnes is a U of M graduate with an MBA from the I.H. Asper School of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Winnipeg.
Legacy Bowes names new vice president, human resources
Legacy Bowes, the Winnipeg-based HR firm, announced this week that Tory McNally is the company’s new vice president, human resources.
“I am interested to see the ways that the different business lines in the TIPI Group of Companies will work together to create a full suite of supports, services, and offerings that will create the good life for our clients,” McNally said.
Legacy Bowes is part of the TIPI Group of Companies, offering professional advisement and access to services including Learning and Development, Executive Search and Recruitment, Human Resources Services, Property and Casualty Insurance, Group Pension and Benefits, and Group Benefits Administration.
“Tory is a strong relationship builder and you can see that with the rapport she quickly builds with her clients, her team, and with her colleagues throughout the TIPI Group of Companies. Between her people-focused approach, her expansive expertise, and her strategic perspectives, Tory quickly became a leader within Legacy Bowes and we’re pleased to announce her appointment as Vice President, Human Resources Services,” TIPI Group CEO Nathan Ballantyne said. “I’ve greatly enjoyed working with Tory over the past number of years and am looking forward to continue working with her for many years to come.”
Next week: Great-West Lifeco Q4 2022 results on Wednesday, February 8, 2023.
Coming soon: Hudbay Minerals Q4 2022 results on February 24, 2023 and Maple Leaf Foods Q4 2022 results on March 9, 2023.
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