PRESS RELEASE
Dr. Simone Le Gendre named one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants and Inaugural Edward Jones Leadership Award Recipient
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA | August 14, 2025
Dr. Simone Le Gendre, a trailblazing policy leader and social entrepreneur from Trinidad and Tobago, has been named one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants for 2025 by Canadian Immigrant magazine. In addition to this national recognition, she has been honoured with the inaugural Edward Jones Leadership Award, celebrating her extraordinary vision, impact, and commitment to building inclusive futures in Canada. The award was presented on Wednesday evening at a special ceremony held at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.
Now in its 17th year, the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, presented by Canadian Immigrant magazine with the support of presenting sponsor Western Union and additional partners COSTI and Edward Jones, are the first and only national awards program celebrating immigrant success stories from coast to coast. Recipients are chosen through an extensive nomination, judging, shortlisting, and public voting process. This year’s honourees join a distinguished list of past winners who are leaders in community, culture, science, and business. She!! is this year's only recipient from Atlantic Canada.
Dr. Le Gendre’s own journey is as inspiring as it is unconventional. Arriving in Nova Scotia in 2018 without ever having set foot in Canada, she was hired before she left Trinidad and Tobago into a senior, permanent role in her field of education administration, a rare outcome for many skilled immigrants. Since then, she has served in several groundbreaking positions, including making history as the first immigrant and Black woman to serve as Nova Scotia’s provincial director of immigration and settlement.
Today, she leads Nova Scotia’s first Ocean Governance Secretariat at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, advising ministers and deputy ministers on marine planning, conservation, and intergovernmental coordination. Beyond government, she is the founder of EduHaus Inc., a mission-driven social enterprise democratizing access to STEM education for underrepresented communities, and the creator of innovative initiatives like STEMpal, an AI-powered learning platform, and Roots & Harvest, an urban hydroponic farm producing culturally relevant crops in upcycled shipping containers.
“This recognition is deeply personal, but it’s also bigger than me. My journey from Trinidad & Tobago to Nova Scotia taught me that when talent meets opportunity, futures can be transformed for individuals, communities, and entire sectors. I want my story to be a reminder that leadership can be rooted in purpose, equity, and innovation, and that building Canada means making space for everyone to thrive,” said Dr. Le Gendre.
In addition, the Edward Jones Leadership Award was introduced this year to spotlight a Top 25 winner who exemplifies leadership and measurable impact in Canada.
Dr. Le Gendre added “To be named the inaugural recipient of the Edward Jones Leadership Impact Award is deeply humbling. To me, leadership means using every opportunity to create ripples of change that outlast you. As immigrants, we know what it means to start from scratch, to turn vision into reality, and to lead in ways that make space for others to rise.”
About EduHaus Inc.
EduHaus is a social enterprise founded by Dr. Simone Le Gendre to democratize access to STEM through three pillars: STEM education, career pathways, and applied STEM projects, working across North America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Its initiatives include STEMpal, a culturally responsive STEM Intelligence Engine with an Educator MVP live now, and Roots & Harvest, driving sustainable agriculture innovation to help Black and immigrant communities regain access to fresh, culturally relevant produce. Together, these programs equip often overlooked communities with the scientific literacy, skills, and resources to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
About the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards
The Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, presented by Canadian Immigrant magazine, are the first national awards program celebrating immigrant success from coast to coast. Now in its 17th year, the program is supported by presenting sponsor Western Union and partners COSTI and Edward Jones. For more information, visit www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25.
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Amanda Horn, Brand Manager
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It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Blog Post Title Three
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
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It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.