First West Capital's Kristi Miller announced as CVCA's 2017 Ted Anderson Community Leadership Award recipient

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - June 8, 2017) - First West Capital is proud to announce The Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) has named National Managing Director, Kristi Miller, as the winner of the Ted Anderson Community Leadership Award, which honours an individual CVCA member for outstanding community involvement. Kristi was recognized this week during CVCA's annual conference, Invest Canada '17, in Montreal.

In addition to supporting Canada's economic productivity, the Ted Anderson Community Leadership Award recipient fosters strong corporate social responsibility as a foundation for building solid and vibrant communities. The award celebrates the commitment of time and effort to an organization or cause over a number of years, highlighting the winner's impact.

Kristi has received the award in recognition for her contributions to the Junior Achievement British Columbia (JABC) organization, which is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers - all working together to prepare and inspire young people to reach their potential and succeed in today's global economy.

Kristi has been involved with JABC since 2013 occupying a variety of roles including Director, member of the Executive Committee, and is currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors. Through Kristi's active role at JABC, she has created opportunities for youth in finance and business and has been able to contribute both expertise and enthusiasm to the organization.

JABC will reach more than 38,000 students across almost all school districts in BC this year. It has dedicated aboriginal, technology and girls' programs, and is the largest of the JA Charters in Canada. In addition, JA Canada makes significant impact on Canada's economy through encouraging entrepreneurship and teaching financial literacy skills, and creates an annual return to society of $45 for every dollar it spends.

"This award is an acknowledgement that the Canadian venture capital and investment community values and supports the next generation of leaders in finance and business," said Kristi. "Junior Achievement has a significant impact on Canadian youth by making them financially literate and workplace ready. This empowers kids to become self-sufficient and entrepreneurial. I am very proud to highlight the work of Junior Achievement through this award."

About First West Capital

First West Capital specializes in innovative subordinated debt, mezzanine, and equity financing solutions for mid-market businesses across all industries in Canada. We help dynamic businesses grow, acquire or transition.

About Junior Achievement British Columbia

JA British Columbia (JABC) is a member of JA Canada and part of JA Worldwide (JA), the world's largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about business. Since 1955, British Columbia schools have relied on JA to inspire and prepare youth to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. JABC programs focus on work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, providing students with the confidence and skills they need to become the next generation of business and community leaders.

About CVCA

The CVCA is the voice of Canada's venture capital and private equity industry. It is focused on improving the private capital ecosystem by broadening industry awareness and providing market research, networking, and professional development opportunities. It also advocates on behalf of the industry to ensure sound public policy that encourages a favourable investment environment. The CVCA works alongside its members, who represent the vast majority of private capital firms in Canada, to improve the industry and drive innovation and growth.