John founded D2L in 1999 while attending UWaterloo. D2L is a global software company that believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide. He was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Member of the Business Council of Canada, Business Higher Education Roundtable and is a board member of Canada's National Ballet School. John was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Ontario/Software and Technology), Young Alumni Achievement Medal from UWaterloo and Intrepid Entrepreneur of the Year in Waterloo Region Hall of Fame. John graduated from UWaterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.