Arlene Dickinson

Arlene Dickinson

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Calgary, Alberta

CBC Dragons Den | Business Leader | Visionary Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author

  • Videos
  • Expertise
  • Podcasts
  • Books
  • Articles
Arlene Dickinson

Arlene Dickinson: Lessons from an entrepreneur

Main Video

Arlene Dickinson

TEDxYouth@Toronto 2011 - Arlene Dickinson

Video 2

  • Business & Corporate
  • Business Growth
  • Business Leadership
  • Business Transitions
  • Leadership and Change
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Small Business Development
  • Celebrity
Arlene Dickinson

Wlyc Unfiltered

Entrepreneurship, Embracing Challenges & the Art of Creating Meaningful Impact With Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson
Persuasion
At thirty-one, Arlene Dickinson found herself stranded. Recently divorced, she had only a high school diploma, no savings and no clue how...
Persuasion
Arlene Dickinson
Reinvention: Changing Your Life, Your Career, Your Future
At fifty-seven, Arlene Dickinson’s life was turned upside down. Her company was on the brink of disaster. Her sense of herself as a...
Reinvention: Changing Your Life, Your Career, Your Future
Arlene Dickinson
All in
To be a successful entrepreneur, you don’t just need to know how to run a business. You need to know how to run your life when the...
All In
Arlene Dickinson
Anatomy of A Leader: Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson today is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur with an incredible track record of success – an iconic Canadian business...
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson: What Works in Venture Capital
Arlene Dickinson: Dragons’ Den star, businesswoman, investor, author, and founder and managing general partner at Calgary-based District...
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson Dragons Den
A self-made success story, Arlene has launched, operated and managed businesses for 35 years. Her strategies and business savvy are...
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson – Four Messages Leaders Need to Share With Their Team: Metronome’s Tip Top Summit 2023
“Learn the lesson in the moment!” Arlene Dickinson is best known for her role on Dragons' Den (Canada’s version of Shark Tank) for...

ARLENE DICKINSON BIOGRAPHY

Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most recognized business leaders, a self-made multi-millionaire, entrepreneur, investor, author, and public speaker. Widely admired for her role as a “Dragon” on CBC’s award-winning television series Dragons’ Den, Arlene Dickinson appeared for 15 seasons, making her the longest-serving female Dragon in the show’s history. Her presence on the program introduced audiences to her sharp business instincts, measured approach, and ability to identify potential in entrepreneurs at every stage of growth.

Arlene Dickinson is the Founder and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a leading venture capital fund focused on the food, beverage, health, and wellness sectors. Under her leadership, District Ventures Capital has become a catalyst for innovation, investing in companies that are redefining industries and changing consumer lifestyles. With a portfolio that reflects her commitment to sustainability, entrepreneurship, and consumer needs, the fund has established itself as a cornerstone of Canadian venture investment and a platform for scaling groundbreaking businesses.

Her journey to success began with a humble start. Arlene immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of three, arriving with limited possessions but with a strong sense of optimism for a new beginning. Inspired by her father’s dedication to teaching and his deep gratitude for the opportunities offered by their adopted country, Arlene pursued her own path with determination and curiosity. These early experiences instilled in her the values of hard work, resilience, and ambition that shaped her career and approach to business.

Arlene Dickinson’s introduction to the world of marketing came while working at a television station. It was there that she discovered her passion for communications and business development, eventually leading her into a career where she would rise through the ranks while balancing the responsibilities of raising four children. Her determination culminated in owning and managing her own successful marketing firm, which became a nationally recognized leader in communications.

Today, Arlene Dickinson is celebrated not only for her business acumen but also for her contributions to community, philanthropy, and mentorship. She has served on numerous public and private boards, offering her expertise to guide organizations across a wide spectrum of industries. With a strong interest in health, food, and supporting women in business, she has dedicated significant time to charities, foundations, and initiatives that drive both social and economic progress.

As an author, Arlene Dickinson has written three national best-selling books that reflect her philosophy of business, life, and leadership. Her works share personal lessons, practical insights, and stories from her career, offering valuable guidance for entrepreneurs and professionals navigating complex economic landscapes. She also hosts a podcast and continues to speak to audiences around the world, delivering content that is both informed by her experience and deeply relevant to the challenges faced by modern organizations.

Her professional reputation is matched by the recognition she has earned through numerous awards and honours. Arlene Dickinson has been inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, named to PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners, and enshrined in the Marketing Hall of Legends. She has been honoured with the Pinnacle Award for Excellence, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal. LinkedIn has named her among the most influential women in Canada, a reflection of her reach and impact in both business and thought leadership.

Her commitment to philanthropy is evident in her long-standing role as an ambassador for Second Harvest and her involvement in multiple charitable organizations. She has also served as an Honourary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy, further underlining her dedication to service and leadership. In recognition of her contributions, she has received numerous honorary degrees from institutions such as Mount Saint Vincent University, Concordia University, Saint Mary’s University, Olds College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and University Canada West.

With decades of experience across communications, marketing, investing, and entrepreneurship, Arlene Dickinson brings unparalleled knowledge to her audiences. Her insights span branding, leadership, market growth, and innovation, always anchored by her lived experience of building success from modest beginnings. Her perspective as a woman excelling in traditionally male-dominated industries provides added weight to her lessons on perseverance, leadership, and vision.

Arlene Dickinson continues to use her platform to guide, inspire, and mentor individuals, businesses, and communities. Whether addressing Fortune 500 executives, university graduates, or audiences at international conferences, she communicates with authenticity and clarity, leaving participants with practical tools and renewed motivation. Her unique combination of business leadership, entrepreneurial success, and personal resilience has established her as a trusted voice in Canada and beyond.

Arlene Dickinson Topic Presentations

Arlene Dickinson Calgary, Alberta, Canada delivers keynote presentations, workshops, fireside chats, moderated Q&A, and other presentation formats on a wide variety of topics. Each presentation is unique, customized and tailored for audiences, industries, conferences and event formats.

Lessons From the Den: Succeeding at Business and Being An Entrepreneur

Leadership and Strategic Marketing

Reinvention

Marketing Yourself

The Power of One

Arlene Dickinson Speaking Testimonials

Arlene Dickinson’s personal story was a wonderful way to start the day and her emphasis on dimensions of character that are not often discussed, such as humanity and humility was particularly powerful… In a business school, it is important to have great female role models with our speakers and she delivered that in spades.

Ivey Business School

It was amazing!!!!! Arlene was amazing, people were crying.

Industry Workforce Development Manager
Manitoba Environmental Industries Association (MEIA)

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FAQ

How to book Arlene Dickinson for an event?

Arlene Dickinson keynote speaker is an expert presenter and has a wide range of experience speaking to a wide variety of audiences and organizations. Arlene Dickinson delivers keynotes, workshops & training sessions. They may also host or emcee events. Hire Arlene Dickinson from Calgary, Alberta for your event to inspire the audience to take action and make change in their work and their lives. Your workplace will benefit from our keynote speaker and their keynote talks and speeches will shift the mindsets or behaviours for the audience members in Canada. 

Interested in booking Arlene Dickinson for an event?

Are you looking to hire Arlene Dickinson for your event? Arlene Dickinson Calgary, Alberta is a dynamic and engaging speaker that offers audiences researched content paired with expertise and a dynamic speaking ability. Arlene Dickinson is also a Canadian corporate consultant and coach and facilitates workshops and training sessions for a corporate audience. Arlene Dickinson is an expert keynote presenter and speaks on wide variety of topics. Hiring a great speaker for your event is important and working with a thought leader like Arlene Dickinson from Speakers Canada's roster will engage audiences into the content of the presentation to bring awareness and a fresh perspective for their approach to their work and their lives. Book Arlene Dickinson to educate, motivate and activate the audience through an interactive and entertaining presentation at corporate meetings and gatherings.

Known as a popular key note speaker in Canada, Arlene Dickinson creates life changing experiences for the participants with practical insights and strategic advice they can implement right after the session. Working with one of our leading expert speaker like Arlene Dickinson from Calgary, Alberta offers organizations a fresh perspective to assist the people of the organization. No matter if it is a government, association, or business crowd, Arlene Dickinson is a perfect speaker for your event. Through unique practical insights for trending topics and years experience speaking to different organizations, Arlene Dickinson focuses on changing individuals to make better decisions at work and their lives. No matter if you are holding an in person or virtual event, having an influential speaker such as Arlene Dickinson will engage, motivate, and activate the audience to make a change in their lives and inspire action for results to meet organizational goals. Your workforce will benefit from Arlene Dickinson's presentations and speeches, with measurable results set to shift the people of the organization and core direction of the company. Book Arlene Dickinson speaker for your annual general meeting, conference, summit, or convention in Canada.

How much does it cost to hire Arlene Dickinson for a keynote presentation or virtual event?

Arlene Dickinson is an expert professional key note speaker with a lot of experience speaking and delivering engaging talks to organizations and audiences in Canada. Each of Speaker Bureau Canada's talent have different ways to assess their fees, and Arlene Dickinson speaker fee ranges depending on the size of the audience, event format (in person or virtual), event location, and if the organization booking them is a non profit, association, government department/government agency or business/corporation. The speakers we work with are flexible with their fees, and it is important for us to learn more about your event before we approach them, as it is our role to work for you, and to help you find a speaker within budget. 

Please contact Speakers Bureau of Canada and provide us with your event details so that we can contact Arlene Dickinson to check availability or confirm the pricing and associated costs to hire a great speaker like Arlene Dickinson for your event. As Arlene Dickinson's agent and as a Canadian top speaker bureau and talent agency for speakers, we are able to propose each event opportunity from each host organization's behalf to try to help you get in touch with Arlene Dickinson and confirm them for your in person or online meeting/event. We can also provide and advise on the booking process and potentially negotiate their fee. Speakers Canada is a client focused speaker agency, and we work for you in finding good speakers for your team meetings and booking processes.

Arlene Dickinson Disclaimer

Speakers Bureau Canada assists companies and event planning teams seeking to hire talent like Arlene Dickinson for speaking engagements, virtual meetings, conference appearances, training sessions and workshops facilitations. Our Canadian speakers bureau does not claim to exclusively represent Arlene Dickinson, however they are represented by Speakers Canada, and we work with them closely for their Canadian speaking opportunities and bookings. As Canada's top speaker bureau, we represent Canadian motivational keynote speakers and professional guest speakers that will be available on your upcoming events date and location that are withing the budget. Our talented bureau speaker booking agency can help find business speakers or celebrity speakers that aligns with each organization, audience, event theme and the topic themes you hope for the speaker to address in their presentation. 

When SBC receives a request to book Arlene Dickinson we provide you with their speaker fees, travel costs and check their schedules. We work closely with the host organization's event planning team and the speaker to handle the logistics and to relay or negotiate associated costs. Our talented team members then will work with our talent directly or their agent/manager/assistant to confirm the Canadian speaker fee and travel expenses, so that event planning teams can receive an official quote for the speaker appearing at the event. Speaker fees and travel costs vary per speaker and our role is to contact Arlene Dickinson about your event, after we have connected with the event organizers to learn all the event details and/or conference program. Each booking request is unique since session durations and audience sizes can vary which may affect the speaker's fees. If you are looking to hire Arlene Dickinson, we recommend filling out the booking request form so a booking agent from Speakers Bureau Canada can get in touch with our talent to help you coordinate with your team to engage the speaker for a successful event.