The Manning Centre is pleased to announce that Brett Wilson, business, philanthropist and of CBC's "Dragon's Den" will be featured as one of the celebrity panelists for the 2010 Democracy Challenge.

W. Brett Wilson is one of Canada’s most successful businessmen and respected philanthropists. Brett is one of the founding partners of Calgary’s FirstEnergy Capital Corp., the energy industry’s leading investment bank, which has brokered thousands of financings and M&A deals worth almost $200 billion. He is also an innovative merchant banker with major holdings in the energy, agriculture, real estate, sports, and entertainment industries.

His personal charisma and small-town charm have gained him a national audience, including a role on the Gemini Award winning CBC television program Dragons’ Den – one of Canada’s most popular shows, which attracts over 2 million viewers per week.

He uses his national platform he uses to inspire his brand of “prairie ethics” – focused on personal integrity, a commitment to community, and work/life balance.

A self-described “capitalist with a heart”, Brett spends almost as much time giving money away as he does earning it. With an innovative approach to philanthropy, he has given – and engaged others to give – tens of millions to non-profit initiatives.

According to Alberta Venture Magazine, who named him Business Person of the Year in 2009, “Brett is single-handedly redefining the meaning of success in work-and wealth-obsessed Calgary.” His commitment to excellence and innovation has not only revolutionized the business sector in which he operates, but the community in which he lives, inspiring others to see how they can leave an equally unique mark on the world.